Susan Berry, PhD, Author at The Minnesota Sun

National Family Group Condemns American Medical Association’s ‘Ethics’ Journal’s Support for Taxpayer-Funded Uterus Transplants in Biological Men

August 26, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The American Family Association (AFA) issued an alert Wednesday urging Americans to sign its petition that demands the American Medical Association (AMA) “do no harm” by ending its support for taxpayer-funded “unnatural and irreversible gender-modifying procedures,” such as uterus transplants from dead women for biological men in order to improve their “mental health.”

The petition, which, at the time of publication had collected over 25,000 signers, cites a paper, published in June, in AMA’s Journal of Ethics, that AFA asserts is “driven with political and social activism.”

South Carolina Supreme Court Upholds State’s Pro-Life Heartbeat Bill

August 24, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled Wednesday the state’s pro-life law that prohibits most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected is constitutional and may be enforced.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling marks a historic moment in our state’s history and is the culmination of years of hard work and determination by so many in our state to ensure that the sanctity of life is protected,” said Governor Henry McMaster (R) in a statement. “With this victory, we protect the lives of countless unborn children and reaffirm South Carolina’s place as one of the most pro-life states in America.”

Court Rules Alabama Can Enforce Ban on Transgender Medical Treatments for Minors

August 23, 2023August 22, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit unanimously reversed a district court’s temporary halt to enforcement of an Alabama law that prohibits minors from obtaining puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries for treating gender dysphoria.

In Eknes-Tucker v. Marshall, the appeals court on Monday rejected the plaintiffs’ arguments, described in the opinion as “a group of transgender minors, their parents, and other concerned individuals” who challenged the constitutionality of Alabama’s Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act.

Massachusetts Pro-Family Group Warns Sex Is on School Calendar ‘All Year Long’

August 22, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

LGBTQ activists are seeking to ensure Massachusetts public schools are celebrating their agenda’s events throughout the academic year, Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) warns parents.

“Sex on the school calendar has become commonplace all over the nation,” a downloadable document from MFI states.

National Pro-Life Group Creates ‘Abortion Distortion’ Animated Videos to Confront Pro-Abortion Talking Points

August 22, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The late founder of national pro-life organization Life Dynamics created his group’s new animated videos to serve as a tool for every pro-lifer, regardless of age, to help them engage with common pro-abortion talking points.

Pro-life leader Marcus “Mark” Crutcher, who died in March, wanted to address the issue of how to help pro-lifers engage in responding to common pro-abortion talking points, said a press statement Thursday announcing the release of Crutcher’s “Abortion Distortion” videos.

American College of Pediatricians Rejects Reaffirmation of Children’s Transgender Medical Treatments by American Academy of Pediatrics

August 12, 2023August 11, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) stated Thursday in a press release it opposes the decision by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to reaffirm transgender medical interventions for children and teens, but supports AAP’s claim it will be reviewing the latest evidence pertaining to the highly controversial treatments.

Last week, AAP reaffirmed its support for providing children and teens with transgender hormones and surgeries – called “gender-affirming care” by the transgender medical industry – while it simultaneously announced it would review medical research on the life-altering treatments.

Catholic Leaders Demand Answers from FBI on Bombshell Discovery Agency Probe into Traditional Catholics ‘Bigger than Believed’

August 11, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

National Catholic leaders said the FBI’s probe of Catholics, as revealed by documents obtained by the House Judiciary Committee, went far beyond a so-called rogue agent in a single field office in Richmond, as was explained in testimony by agency Director Christopher Wray.

The leaders of Catholic civil rights groups reacted to a letter to Wray sent Wednesday by Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government Chairman Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), who informed the FBI director evidence obtained by the Judiciary Committee shows the agency’s “assessment of traditional Catholics as potential domestic terrorists” was developed through information obtained “from around the country,” rather than from an isolated source.

‘Jesus Revolution’ Immediately Lands in Netflix’s Top Ten

August 9, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The faith-based film Jesus Revolution soared to popularity on the big screen in early 2023, and now has become an immediate hit on Netflix, landing in the streaming service’s Top 10 in the United States.

The film, which first hit theaters February 24, debuted on Netflix on July 31 and, by the next morning, was ranked in the number 8 spot of the top 10 movies viewed in the United States, reported What to Watch.

American Academy of Pediatrics Reaffirms Support for Trans Activists’ ‘Gender-Affirming Care’

August 5, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reaffirmed its support Thursday for providing children with transgender hormones and surgeries – so-called “gender-affirming care” – at the same time it announced a review of medical research on the life-altering treatments.

The medical organization reaffirmed its 2018 position on the provision of the hormone drugs and surgeries to young people who say they are uncomfortable with their biological sex.

Court Rules in Favor of Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers over Illinois Law Declaring Them ‘Deceptive’

August 5, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Thursday that favors the request of the National Institute of Family Life Advocates (NIFLA) to block Illinois’ new law targeting pro-life pregnancy ministries.

Judge Iain D. Johnston, of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, issued a preliminary injunction in the case of National Institute of Family Life Advocates v. Raoul to put a halt to Illinois’ new law.

Poll Shows Voters in Battleground States Trust Republicans over Democrats on Education

August 4, 2023August 3, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A new EdTrends poll of voters in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Nevada, shows that Democrats have given up what was once a double-digit lead on “trust in education” and are now lagging behind Republicans by three percentage points.

The poll revealing the historic shift was released Friday by Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), an organization that lobbies for Democrat candidates and heads campaigns to achieve “educational equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.”

Oklahoma Governor Signs Executive Order ‘Women’s Bill of Rights’ Defining Male-Female Biological Sex

August 2, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) signed an executive order Tuesday that clearly defines male-female sex based on the biological reproductive system.

A press statement from Stitt’s office said he is the “first governor to issue an executive order to boldly stand with women.”

Politico: Democrats Say Republicans Have Failed in Proving Teachers’ Union Colluded with CDC on School Reopening Guidance

August 2, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A report at the German-owned Politico Monday stated Democrats are now claiming Republicans have failed to provide evidence that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), led by Randi Weingarten, exerted extraordinary influence over government school reopening policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Democratic staff said in a memo obtained by Politico,” the news outlet stated, that “[d]espite a lengthy investigation, Republicans still can’t prove one of the nation’s largest teachers unions had undue influence over the Biden administration’s school reopening guidance.”

Rep. Chris Smith to Introduce Federal Child Trafficking Legislation Drafted in Collaboration with ‘Sound of Freedom’ Producer

August 1, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) announced Friday in advance of Sunday’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons that he is planning to introduce legislation that would require the federal government to provide reports on its work investigating potential child trafficking related to the unaccompanied minors released from federal custody and with whom contact has now been lost.

“In the near future, I will be introducing new legislation drafted in collaboration with Eduardo Verastegui—the producer of ‘Sound of Freedom’ and Roger Severino of The Heritage Foundation,” Smith said in a press statement sent to The Star News Network, further detailing that the legislation would “require the federal government to report on efforts to locate, establish contact with, conduct wellness checks on, and investigate any suspicion of human trafficking related to the approximately 85,000 unaccompanied minors who were released from federal government custody and with whom subsequent contact has been lost.”

Mark Levin: ‘Not a Single Democrat Congressman Attended’ Capitol Hill Showing of ‘Sound of Freedom’

July 29, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Conservative author and host Mark Levin took to Twitter to observe that “not a single Democrat congressman” attended a special showing this week of the true-to-life film Sound of Freedom, arranged by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and to which the speaker invited members of both parties.

Levin explained in his post that, for the first time, he skipped his own radio show Tuesday night to attend a movie.

Detransitioner Chloe Cole Tells Congress ‘My Childhood Was Ruined’ by ‘Gender-Affirming Care’

July 29, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Detransitioner Chloe Cole appeared before a House subcommittee Thursday, testifying that transgender hormone drugs and surgeries “ruined” her childhood and left her with “lifelong irreversible harm.”

Cole, 19, who now serves as a senior fellow and patient advocate for Do No Harm, an organization that seeks to “protect patients, physicians, and healthcare itself from the practice of medicine based on discriminatory, divisive ideologies,” testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance at the hearing titled “The Dangers and Due Process Violations of ‘Gender-Affirming Care.’”

Catholic Education Soaring in Popularity

July 28, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The annual conference this month of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education offered an atmosphere of overall joy and confidence as Catholic schools committed to the teachings of the faith reported they “could not keep up with the demand” for their services, Mark Bauerlein, contributing editor at First Things, wrote this week.

Bauerlein appeared to revel in the stark contrast between the upbeat environment at the Catholic education conference which, he noted, featured tables run by “organizations dedicated to Western civilization, the liberal arts tradition, and Catholic study” that “offered materials blessedly free of the negative politics and rhetoric that fills the discourse of the National Education Association, the ed schools that train teachers, and all too many school boards.”

Anti-Catholic Activists in Maine Target Federalist Society’s Leonard Leo After Latest Supreme Court Decisions

July 27, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Federalist Society Co-Chairman Leonard Leo, who served as an advisor in the selection process of former President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court appointees, has been targeted in his home town in Maine by what a prominent Catholic leader calls “anti-Catholic bigots” in the wake of recent rulings by the High Court.

Activists have been protesting at Leo’s home in Northeast Harbor, tying him to Supreme Court rulings with which they disagree.

National Pro-Life Group Sues Vermont for ‘Unconstitutional Attack’ Against Pregnancy Care Centers

July 26, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The National Institute for Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), in conjunction with two Vermont pregnancy centers and their attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), have filed a complaint against the state of Vermont “for the unconstitutional attack launched against pregnancy centers in the state” resulting from a law that “suppresses the free-speech rights of faith-based pregnancy centers,” ADF said in a press release.

ADF attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday that describes the case as “a challenge by pro-life pregnancy services centers and their membership organization to a state law that unconstitutionally restricts the centers’ speech and provision of services.”

Healthcare Watchdog Group Praises Doctors Who Warn ‘No Medical Evidence’ Childhood Gender Transition Prevents Suicide

July 26, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

An organization of physicians and others concerned about the politicization of healthcare is praising the “doctors around the world” who are “speaking up” about the “significant” risks associated with childhood medical gender transition and the lack of evidence supporting the claim that transgender hormone drugs reduce suicide risk.

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, chairman of Do No Harm wrote Monday in an email to subscribers of the recent “game-changing” letter to the editors, published in the Wall Street Journal by 21 clinicians and researchers from South Africa, the UK, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and the United States, that challenges the Endocrine Society’s latest statements on what radical transgender activists call “gender-affirming care.”

Massachusetts Bill Would Allow Girls of Any Age to Obtain Abortion Without Parental Consent

July 25, 2023July 24, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A radical Massachusetts bill that would end nearly all restrictions on abortion in the state would also allow girls of any age to “consent” to an abortion without informing parents or requiring their consent.

‘The Chosen’ Overtakes Mainstream Shows in CW Network Broadcast TV Premiere

July 22, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The 90-minute broadcast-TV debut Sunday of faith-based series The Chosen on The CW Network averaged “a far mightier audience” than other CW shows, such as Riverdale and Nancy Drew, which aired at the same times the week before, TVLine reported.

While The Chosen “averaged 520,000 viewers and a 0.1 rating, 200,000 viewers watched Riverdale and 400,000 viewed Nancy Drew, SpoilerTV also reported.

National Pro-Life Group Condemns Democrats and Media Allies for Encouraging Abortionists to Illegally Mail Abortion Drugs to Pro-Life States

July 22, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A national pro-life group is shaming Democrats for encouraging abortionists to mail dangerous abortion-inducing drugs into pro-life states after the Washington Post touted such actions are legal.

“Mailing abortion pills into pro-life states is not legal, no matter how the Democrats and their media cheerleaders want it to be,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America, in a statement sent to The Star News Network. “And the strong majority of Americans agree it is not safe.”

Maine Governor Signs Bill Allowing Access to Late-Term Abortions

July 21, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) signed a bill into law Wednesday that expanded access to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, making the state one of the least restrictive in the nation when it comes to ending the lives of unborn babies.

LD 1619, dubbed “An Act to Improve Maine’s Reproductive Privacy Laws,” states an abortion may be performed “after viability,” i.e. when the unborn baby can survive independently outside his or her mother’s womb, “when the abortion is necessary in the professional judgment of a licensed physician.”

Senators Criticize CDC for ‘Chestfeeding’ Guidance: ‘Driven by Political Considerations Rather than Science’

July 20, 2023July 19, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) wrote Tuesday to Mandy Cohen, M.D., the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), demanding answers for the health agency’s recent guidance on transgender ‘chestfeeding,” a practice, the senators say, that poses health and safety risks for newborns.

The senators, both physicians, highlighted in the letter their “serious concern” regarding CDC’s “guidance for “biological men who identify as women (transgender individual) who wish to breastfeed.”

Louisiana Legislature Votes to Override Governor’s Veto of Bill Protecting Minors from Transgender Drugs and Surgeries

July 19, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The Republican-led Louisiana House and Senate voted Tuesday to override Gov. John Bel Edwards’ (D) veto of a bill that would prohibit minors with gender dysphoria from obtaining life-altering transgender hormone drugs and surgeries.

The “historic” vote is only the third time a veto session ended in a single day with Republican lawmakers striking down Edwards’ veto on just one bill, Nola reported.

‘The Chosen’ Granted First Exemption Waiver to Continue Filming Fourth Season amid SAG-AFTRA Strike

July 19, 2023July 18, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Faith-based television series The Chosen has been granted the first known exemption waiver to continue filming amid the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union strike primarily due to its crowdsourced funding and independent production.

The blockbuster series about the ministry of Jesus as seen through the eyes of his disciples is in the midst of filming its fourth season in Utah, Deadline reported Monday.

Iowa Judge Temporarily Blocks State’s Newly Signed Heartbeat Abortion Ban

July 18, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Unborn babies up to 20 weeks’ gestation are once again able to be aborted in Iowa after a judge temporarily blocked the state’s new Heartbeat Protection Act which Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed into law on Friday.

As the measure was signed into law, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Planned Parenthood North Central States, and the Emma Goldman Clinic filed a legal challenge against its enforcement.

Angel Studios’ ‘Sound of Freedom’ Projecting to Cross $100 Million in Box Office Revenue

July 17, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Crowdfund platform Angel Studios announced Sunday its July cumulative-to-date box office revenue for its true-life child trafficking thriller Sound of Freedom is projected to be over $85 million through Sunday with the anticipation of crossing the $100 million mark this week.

Angel Studios, which has also distributed the blockbuster faith series The Chosen, said Sound of Freedom, driven by its star Jim Caviezel, showed a $27 million box office draw in the second week of the film’s release in America since it opened July 4, and earned the top spot at the box office with the help of its Pay It Forward fans.

Maine Governor Signs Bill Allowing Teenagers to Obtain Cross-Sex Hormones Without Parental Consent

July 15, 2023July 14, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) signed into law legislation this week that eliminates the requirement of parental consent for 16-17-year-old minors to be provided cross-sex hormones to change their physical appearance to correspond to their gender identity at a given point in time.

L.D. 535, titled an Act Regarding Consent for Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy for Certain Minors, states “a health care professional may provide gender-affirming hormone therapy and follow-up care to a minor without obtaining the consent of the parent or guardian of the minor,” with the requirements being that the minor is at least 16 years old; has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria; has been judged by a healthcare professional to be experiencing “harm” from not obtaining cross-sex hormones; and the minor’s parents do not support the hormone treatment.

Angel Studios Celebrates ‘Over 450 New Theaters Added’ for ‘Sound of Freedom’

July 14, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The platform and studio that distributes the popular crowdfunded thriller Sound of Freedom has announced that “over 450 new theaters have been added for the film’s upcoming weekend” showings despite “rumors” spread on social media that claim AMC theaters are making it difficult for fans to see the film in their local theaters.

“We understand there are rumors—predominantly in social media—that AMC theaters have made it difficult for fans to see Sound of Freedom in local AMC theaters, and we want to make it clear these rumors are not accurate,” Brandon Purdie, head of Angel Theatrical Distribution, said in a press statement Thursday. “AMC has been an outstanding partner for Angel Studios, and in fact, as a result of the movie’s performance and consumer demand, AMC has agreed to add additional screens for Sound of Freedom this weekend.”

Chris Rufo Reveals How Transgender Movement Has Been Allowed to Invade American Life and Culture

July 14, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Author and journalist Chris Rufo presents The Transgender Empire, a new video about the evolution of the transgender movement and its political mission to change American culture forever.

In the video, sponsored by the Manhattan Institute, Rufo details how the transgender movement has taken hold of American life via LGBTQ activist teachers, who have transformed classrooms into propaganda mills, social media influencers, and a predatory transgender medicine industry.

Physicians Criticize CDC ‘Guidance’ on Biological Men ‘Chestfeeding’ Babies

July 13, 2023July 12, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Doctors are reacting with shock and horror at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “guidance” on how biological men who identify as women can “chestfeed” their babies.

Internationally-known physician Peter McCullough, M.D., wrote at his Substack column Courageous Discourse Tuesday that CDC has become a “laughing stock” over its “chestfeeding” guidance, “plunging to new lows” with its “ridiculous” statement.

California PTA Pushing Transgender Ideology Against Wishes of Most Parents

July 12, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The California State Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is co-sponsoring a bill that seeks to establish a framework for parenting that enshrines in law the idea that failing to affirm a child’s self-identified gender will be considered detrimental to his or her well-being, a press release from Capitol Resource Institute (CRI) announced Monday.

Planned Parenthood in Minnesota Offers $150 Gift Card to Teens to Attend Sex Ed Summer Camp

July 12, 2023July 11, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Abortion and transgender hormone giant Planned Parenthood is drawing teens to its “Sex Ed Summer Camp” in late July with the promise of a $150 gift card to those who complete the program.

“Sex Ed Summer Camp is a sexual health peer education certification program,” Planned Parenthood states about its camp for 15-18 year-olds to be held July 24-28 in Mankato, Minnesota. “Participants will use knowledge they learn to educate friends and peers. Topics covered include sexual anatomy, birth control methods, sexually transmitted infections, healthy relationships and consent, and more!”

Pro-Life Law Firm Urges Federal Appeals Court to Uphold Right of Unborn Children to Emergency Medical Care

July 11, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A leading national pro-life law firm has filed an amicus brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing the Biden administration’s “guidance” to hospitals that “reminds” them of their “obligation” to provide abortions in states where the procedure is illegal is an incorrect interpretation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).

In a press statement Friday, Life Legal explained that after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, “Democrats were determined to find ways to prevent pro-life states from protecting babies in the womb.”

Nation’s Largest Teachers’ Union Vows to Embrace Radical LGBTQ Agenda in Government Schools

July 8, 2023July 7, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Delegates at the National Education Association’s (NEA) annual representative assembly in Orlando, Florida, passed a measure this week that pledges the union will organize against what it perceives as anti-LGBTQ legislation and so-called “book banning,” as it also bolsters protections for LGBTQ teachers.

The measure addresses “the prevalence of discrimination and violence targeted” at LGBTQ individuals, reported Education Week, and includes “mobilizing against legislative attacks, providing professional development on LGBTQ+ issues for educators, and strengthening contract protections for LGBTQ+ educators.”

Constitutional Law Center Urges over 150 Medical Schools to End Race-Based Admissions Following Supreme Court Decision

July 8, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A nonprofit law center whose mission is to defend the constitutional rights of Americans has sent a letter to more than 150 medical schools throughout the country, calling upon them to end their race-based admissions policies in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that struck down affirmative action.

Liberty Justice Center, which won a major victory for First Amendment rights in June 2018 after the Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that non-union government workers cannot be required to pay union fees as a condition of working in public service, has now announced efforts to inform the schools of their “legal obligation to end race-based admissions policies” in response to the Court’s recent ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.

Angel Studios’ ‘Sound of Freedom’ Child Trafficking Exposé Becomes America’s Top Movie on July 4 Opening Day

July 7, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Fans of Sound of Freedom, the true-life thriller that exposes the sinister world of child trafficking, have propelled the film to the top spot at the box office on its July 4 opening in America.

The film, distributed by Angel Studios (The Chosen), is based on the true story of former government agent Tim Ballard, played by The Passion of the Christ’s Jim Caviezel, who quit his job to rescue a little girl from sex traffickers in the jungles of Colombia, and ended up saving many more children and adults.

Connecticut Baby Born at 22 Weeks Is ‘Story of Hope’ as She Survives Odds and Is Discharged Home

July 6, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The smallest baby ever born at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, was celebrated by staff across the hospital as she was discharged last week following four months in the neonatal intensive care unit.

“Born at just 22 weeks, Baby Zahraliz Francis Angueira, the smallest baby ever born at Saint Francis Hospital, graduated from our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after four months and headed home today!” the hospital posted to Instagram. “Our colleagues from across the hospital gathered to provide well wishes to the family and celebrate their story of hope.”

Louisiana Governor Vetoes Bill Protecting Minors from Transgender Hormone Drugs and Surgeries

July 6, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA) has vetoed the Stop Harming Our Kids Act, legislation that would have protected children and teens from transgender hormone drugs and surgeries, claiming “there was never any evidence or testimony” that gender transition surgeries on minors have been occurring in Louisiana.

In a six-page letter, dated June 29, to Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder (R-Ascension), Edwards wrote HB 648 is “punitive,“ discriminatory,” “part of a targeted assault on children,” and “denies healthcare to a very small, unique, and vulnerable group of children.”

Drag Queen ‘Peaches Christ’ Blames ‘Bigoted Christians’ at Google for Tech Company’s Removal of Performance from ‘Pride’ Events

July 5, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A drag queen who uses the name “Peaches Christ” lashed out against ‘bigoted Christians” in a social media post after Google removed its affiliation from his previously scheduled performance during the company’s “pride” events.

As CNBC reported, Google appeared to distance itself from its original plans to sponsor drag queen Joshua Grannell’s performance at a San Francisco LGBTQ bar as part of its “pride” month events after a petition circulating among the tech giant’s employees expressed opposition to its anti-Christian theme.

Study Finds Use of Contraceptive Pill from Young Age Increases Risk of Depression in Women by up to 130 Percent

July 4, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A study from the UK finds women who began using the combined contraceptive pill as teenagers increased their risk of depression by 130 percent, while those who began to use the contraceptive in their 20s or older showed a 92 percent increased risk of depressive symptoms.

The population-based cohort study that utilized data from more than 250,000 UK Biobank women was published in Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences and online by Cambridge University Press.

Constitutional Experts Welcome Supreme Court’s Takedown of Affirmative Action but Warn of Universities’ Attempts at ‘Workarounds’

July 3, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Many of those who are applauding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Thursday that struck down affirmative action are also warning that universities that have been steeped for decades in “equity” and “diversity” ideology are not likely to go quietly.

Christian Organizations Celebrate Supreme Court’s Ruling Against Forcing Web Designer to Work for Same-Sex Weddings

July 1, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Christian groups applauded the Supreme Court’s ruling Friday that held “The First Amendment prohibits Colorado from forcing a website designer to create expressive designs speaking messages with which the designer disagrees.”

Organizations, including the Catholic League, Family Research Council, and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, submitted friend of the court (amici) briefs in support of 303 Creative, the custom website design business owned by Lorie Smith.

Biden Education Secretary Claims Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling ‘Takes Our Country Decades Backward’

June 30, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Secretary of the U.S. Education Department Miguel Cardona reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the use of race in weighing college admissions with the claim the ruling “takes our country decades backward” because such discrimination based on the color of skin has served as “a vital tool that colleges have used to create vibrant, diverse campus communities.”

Former Mississippi Governor Points to Success of Legislation Leading State’s Fourth-Graders to Become Top Reading and Math Achievers

June 30, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) is celebrating the “comeback story” of his state’s fourth graders, who ranked on 2022 national test scores as the nation’s top performers in reading, and second in math, following the enactment of literacy legislation he spearheaded that saved the state from its “dead-last ranking in the United States.”

Study Finds Abortion in First Pregnancy Linked to Increased Risk of Later Mental Health Problems

June 29, 2023June 28, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

While a common abortion industry narrative claims restrictions on abortion cause mental health harms to women, a new study has found that abortion during a first pregnancy is associated with a greater incidence of mental health problems after the procedure than giving birth.

The study, conducted by Dr. James Studnicki, vice president and director of data analytics at the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI), and his colleagues, was published at the International Journal of Women’s Health.

Google Backs Down from Pride’ Drag Show After Employees Claim Discrimination Against Christians

June 28, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Tech giant Google has reportedly distanced itself from a ‘pride month’ drag performance it had planned to sponsor in San Francisco after several hundred employees signed a petition expressing opposition to the event, arguing it discriminates against the Christian faith.

According to a report Tuesday at CNBC, a drag queen known as “Peaches Christ” was scheduled to perform at Beaux, an LGBTQ bar in San Francisco, at a “pride” event sponsored by Google.

‘Gender-Affirming’ Pediatricians Help Kill Maine Bill to Prohibit Children’s Social Transition at School Without Parental Consent

June 28, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

With the help of pediatricians from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Democrats in the Maine House and Senate killed a bill Friday that would have prohibited public school staff from helping children to socially transition to another gender by allowing them to use new names and pronouns without written consent from parents.

LD 678 was defeated by house Democrats by a vote of 76-52, and by senate Democrats, 20-12.