Majority of California Stem Cell Money Going to Adult Stem Cell Research

At LifeNews, David Prentice discusses how California's $3 billion dollars stem cell agency, which was originally created to fund embryonic stem cell research is pouring the majority of its money into adult stem cell research.

CIRM is spending $3 billion of California taxpayers’ money (a $6 billion payback with the interest) on stem cell research. Their reason for existence originally was to fund embryonic stem cell and cloning research.

This week they approved funding for 19 grants worth $67 million; the funding is “its second round of awards designed to move good ideas out of the lab and into the clinic.” (A complete list` of applications including those not funded is posted.)

Only 5 of the 19 funded grants involve embryonic stem cells. Zero grants on cloned embryos.

Last year the CIRM funded 14 “Disease Research Team” grants designed to move to the clinic, with only 4 of the 14 grants used embryonic stem cells, and zero grants on cloned embryos.

FULL STORY

Aborted babies found in dumpster

Warning: The following statement discusses details that are disturbing, especially to younger children.

Right to Life of Michigan was shocked and saddened to learn that bodies of 17 aborted babies were found thrown into a common dumpster at a Lansing-area abortion business. The babies were found on February 26, 2010, which led to an investigation by the Michigan Attorney General and the Eaton and Saginaw counties sheriff departments.

Right to Life of Michigan Legislative Director Ed Rivet said, “When the discovery was made known to Right to Life of Michigan, we offered advice as to current Michigan laws and processes for engaging law enforcement officials regarding a necessary investigation. We are appreciative that the sheriffs of Eaton and Saginaw counties, along with the state Attorney General and Eaton County prosecutor took this case seriously and conducted a thorough investigation. The fact that human remains and medical records were callously and carelessly tossed in the trash calls for something to be done.”

There is a convoluted set of legal facts in this particular case that may or may not result in any serious charges, penalties or fines being rendered. But clearly Michigan laws need to be updated so that the horrible practice of dumping the bodies of aborted babies into trash cans is not allowed to continue.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “For nearly four years, Right to Life of Michigan has been advocating for the passage of state legislation that would prohibit aborted baby bodies from being disposed of in either the trash or being ground up and flushed into the sanitary sewer system. Such practices are common in the abortion industry and the time has come for them to end.”

Right to Life of Michigan commends State Representatives Joe Haveman, Rick Jones, and Bob Genetski for taking the lead on legislation to bring dignity and respect to the memory of these tiny members of the human family whose lives have been tragically taken.

YouTube video explains how Obamacare affects abortion funding

The Population Research Institute has released a factual video about Obamacare and how it affects abortion funding in the United States. The video, entitled Obamacare: The Facts On Abortion, uses legal research done by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) which details the many ways that Obamacare will lead to expanded abortion coverage across the nation. The video can be seen below or at this link.

The Importance of Voting to Protect Life

Much is at stake on Tuesday, November 2. We have the choice to vote for men and women who are committed to the protection of all human life, born and unborn, or we have the choice to vote for those who believe not all human life is worth defending. Members of our human family need your help to elect prolife candidates who will represent all life and be a voice for the voiceless. Every vote counts. Make sure your vote protects life on Tuesday, November 2.

Personalized Prolife Ballots Available

Political advertisements and messages have multiplied in the past couple of weeks making it harder to wade through the sea of candidates. But knowing who the prolife candidates are in your area is easy! The Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee offers a personalized ballot that you can generate. Enter your first name, last name, and street name (no numbers needed nor other identifiers like South, or Road, etc... just the street name). Produce your ballot and see which candidates honor the sanctity of human life and have met the RLM-PAC's criteria for endorsement at the federal, state, and local levels.

Generate your personalized ballot now:

https://secure.rtl.org/apps/voters/ballot

Aborted Fetal Remains Found in Trash With Mothers’ Names On the Bags, Press Conference Planned

Below is a press release from the Citizens for Pro-Life Society. The prolife group discovered the remains of aborted children in trash dumpsters outside Womans Choice abortion clinics in Lansing and Saginaw. They also found patient documents which included the names of women who obtained abortions along with bloody instruments. They are planning a press conference for Wednesday, October 27.

Aborted Fetal Remains Found in Trash
With Mothers’ Names On the Bags.
Michigan Attorney General
Conducts Investigation.
Legislators Call for Legal Reform of Abortion Industry.

Purpose of the Press Conference
This press conference will reveal through photographs and copies of redacted patient documents, scandalous and unethical practices of the Womans Choice clinics, the disturbing fact that the clinic knowingly threw aborted fetal remains into the trash, as well records bearing patient names, contrary to Michigan and federal law, in violation of patient confidentiality. Furthermore, it will be made known that the Woman Care clinics are illegally incorporated in the state of Michigan, in violation of rules that govern the incorporation of medical facilities to ensure patient safety and physician accountability.

The press conference will call for the immediate legal reform of abortion industry practices. State Representative Rick Jones will present legislation introduced in the Michigan State legislature designed to bring an end to illegal and unethical abortion clinic practices—particularly the grisly disposal of the remains of aborted babies in clinic trash.

History of this Case
On October 22, 2010 The Michigan Attorney General, and the Eaton County and Saginaw County Sheriff Departments completed a 7 month-long investigation of the Woman Care abortion clinics located at 6500 Centurion Drive, Ste. 290, Lansing and 3141 S. Cabaret Trail, Ste 400, Saginaw, Michigan—owned by Florida resident Richard Remund.

The investigation was prompted by the February 26, 2010 discovery of the bodies of 17 aborted babies in a trash dumpster used by the Womans Choice Lansing abortion clinic. The 17 “Whirl Paks” were clearly marked with, not only the January dates of the abortion procedures, but also the full names of the women whose unborn children were contained within the plastic specimen packs. The discovery was made by pro-life activist Chris Veneklase after he observed clinic staff, over a series of weeks, tossing large black bags into the commercial dumpster that services the business park where Womans Choice is located. Veneklase became suspicious that the clinic was getting rid of bio-hazardous material. A bio-waste disposal van was never seen serving the facility where abortions are conducted through the 24th week of gestation.

Veneklase immediately contacted Monica Migliorino Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-life Society who then joined Veneklase in subsequent searches of the Womans Choice dumpster. Miller also organized searches of the dumpster used by Womans Choice sister clinic in Saginaw, MI. These searches continued through March 2010.

Veneklase and Miller discovered bloody surgical material in the clinic trash bags as well as several patient records from both abortion facilities. Patient records bore the names of Drs. Lewis Twigg and Ronald Nichols—who conduct the abortions at Womans Choice clinics.

Clinic trash contained soiled and bloody suction canulas, bloody gloves, soiled and bloody gauze sacking used in first trimester abortions still holding uterine material, blood saturated surgical sheets and padding as well as empty medicine vials and used urine specimen cups—some marked with the first and last names of the female patients. Everything they found was photographed and documented.....

Funeral Planned for the Aborted Babies
The bodies of the 17 unborn children killed by abortion and retrieved from the trash are currently in an infant coffin at the Borek-Jennings funeral home, Hamburg, Michigan. They will be buried in a publicized funeral ceremony within the next four weeks. In this way the pro-life community hopes to achieve some measure of justice for these victims.

Images of remains of these aborted children can be found online here (warning - these images are graphic).

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday 2011 Webpage

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday will be observed on January 23, 2011. To assist prolifers in the observance of this solemn day Right to Life of Michigan has created a web page for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday 2011. The following materials are available to assist churches and groups with their services and events: Bulletin inserts, luminaries, intercessions, ideas for activities, power point presentation, discussion guide and much more.

America's #1 abortion provider makes Michigan endorsements

Planned Parenthood, America's #1 abortion provider, has made endorsements in 7 of Michigan's congressional races. In order to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood, candidates must be willing to vote against any restrictions on abortion and be in favor of tax-funded abortions. Below are the candidates they've endorsed.

Hansen Clark (D-MI) - House

John Conyers (D-MI) - House

John Dingell (D-MI) - House

Sandy Levin (D-MI) - House

Natalie Mosher (D-MI) - House

Gary Peters (D-MI) - House

Mark Schauer (D-MI) - House

Ohio Congressman tries to stop prolife orgs from revealing his pro-abortion vote

Ohio Congressman Steve Driehaus is suing the prolife organization Susan B. Anthony List for what he claims are untrue ads regarding his vote on health care reform. The Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List has paid for billboard in Ohio which say Driehaus "voted for the taxpayer-funded abortion" when he voted in favor of health care reform. Driehaus had a prolife voting record until he voted in favor the health care reform legislation which didn't exclude the federal funding of abortion.

At the request of the SBA List, National Right to Life Committee Legislative Director Douglas Johnson has written an affidavit responding to Driehaus' complaint.

At the request of the SBA List, NRLC submitted a 23-page affidavit, prepared and sworn to by veteran Federal Legislative Director Douglas Johnson, consisting of 65 numbered paragraphs, refuting Driehaus's claims. Paragraph 15 explains that the law that Driehaus voted for "contained multiple provisions that do in fact authorize (i.e., create legal authority for) taxpayer funding of abortion, and that predictably will result in such funding in the future -- unless the law itself is repealed, or unless the law is revised by a future Congress to include statutory language along the lines of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment." Paragraph 32 explains, "Some of these provisions are entirely untouched by any limitation on abortion in existing law or in the PCACA itself, and others are subject only to limitations that are temporary or contingent."

The affidavit provides detailed discussion of four specific programs under which abortion coverage is authorized by the PPACA -- the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Program (PCIP), the program of federal tax-based subsidies to purchase private health plans, the appropriation of $7 billion in new funding for Community Health Centers, and the section creating "multi-state" health plans to be administered by the federal Office of Personnel Management. The affidavit notes that these examples are not exhaustive.

In paragraphs 56-62, Johnson dismisses Driehaus's reliance on Executive Order 13535 as "highly misleading," noting, "There are no directives in the Order that apply to all, or even to most, of the provisions of the PPACA. The operative provisions that are actually contained in the Order are extremely narrow and highly qualified. . . Executive Order 13535 has the hallmarks of a primarily political document." Johnson also notes that the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America characterized the Executive Order as "a symbolic gesture."

READ THE AFFIDAVIT

Today is the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity

Today (October 19) is the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity where thousands of people from across the United States and the world will give up their voices for the day to stand united with unborn children who don't have a voice. When someone tries to communicate with someone participating in the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity, the participants will hand them a flier to explain why they are being silent. Students from at least 156 schools in Michigan will be taking part in this event.

Learn more about this event at the web site of Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity.

New Post-Abortion Section of RLM web site

There's a new section of the Right to Life of Michigan web site devoted to post-abortion topics and post-abortion syndrome. Information on post-abortion syndrome, post-abortion help hotlines, books on post-abortion syndrome and online resources for individuals affected by abortion are included at the site.

This information can be found at www.rtl.org under the "Prolife Issues" tab on the home page. Select "Post Abortion."

Or the page can be accessed here.

RLM Recommends NO vote on Proposal 1

Right to Life of Michigan is recommending a NO vote on Proposal 10-1 which calls for a state constitutional convention to draft and propose a new Michigan constitution. This question appears on the ballot automatically every 16 years per a requirement in the 1963 Michigan Constitution. The RLM Board of Directors has determined that at the present time a constitutional convention would not be a prudent endeavor for safeguarding the prolife cause in Michigan.

MORE

New Jersey suspends abortionist's license

Abortionist Steven Brigham had his medical license suspended by the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners last night. The board found that he violated state law by beginning abortions in New Jersey and then having pregnant women follow him to Maryland where the abortions were finished.

After nearly a nine-hour hearing in Trenton, the state Board of Medical Examiners medical board concluded Steven Chase Brigham, 54, skirted state law by beginning the late-term abortions in New Jersey and sending the women out of state to finish the procedure.

The board stated "his continued practice presents a clear and imminent danger" to the public and his procedures caused "fetal demise and brought patients to the point" where abortion was basically required, according to a statement read by a board member.

The board agreed, at Brigham's request, to transfer the case in an "expedited" manner to an administrative law judge for further consideration.

Attorney General Paula Dow had said Brigham administered labor-inducing and abortion-"commencing" medication to five patients at his office in Voorhees, and then told them to follow him by car to another clinic he owns in Maryland, where the fetus would be surgically removed by another doctor with his "consultation."

The State Attorney General's Office contends he used the two-state scheme to evade state law prohibiting New Jersey doctors from performing abortions after the 14th week of a patient's last menstrual period outside a hospital or other licensed medical facility.

FULL STORY

Komen Foundation affilates gave nearly $750,000 to Planned Parenthood in 2009

John Hammarley, a spokesman for the Komen Foundation, recently admitted that Komen Foundation gave nearly 3/4 of a million dollars to Planned Parenthood affiliates in 2009. This money adds to the millions of dollars that Komen affiliates had already given to Planned Parenthood affiliates in recent years.

From 2004-2009 Komen affiliates contributed about $3.3 million to programs sponsored by Planned Parenthood and in FY 2009, $731,303. “That $731,303 is less than one percent of the entire amount of community grant funding that affiliates around the country contribute,” Hammarley said.*

But to people like Bordlee, the amount is insignificant. It is the principle of it. “No matter whether they are giving $500,000 a year to Planned Parenthood, or $5, people who respect the dignity of human life and are trying to save people with disease don’t want any part of their money going to an organization that is subsidizing an abortion provider,” she said.

FULL STORY

First U.S. patient injected with embryonic stem cells

Cells made from human embryonic stem cells have been injected into the first patient in Geron's FDA-approved Phase I clinical trial. The trial hopes to show the safety of using cells taken from human embryos in patients with spinal cord injuries. The procedure took place on Friday in Atlanta.

Ed Rivet, Legislative Director for Right to Life of Michigan said, "We are concerned about the long-term safety of the patients in this trial. With the past experience of embryonic stem cells forming tumors, plus the potential immune rejection issues, we hope Geron and the FDA are not putting these patients at risk. Ultimately, this research is unethical and unjust. How is it that these embryos are human enough to scavenge their stem cells, but not human enough to be included in the human family?"

FULL STORY

Archbishop Allen Vigneron defends the human embryo

In an op-ed for the Detroit Free Press, Archbishop Allen Vigneron, points out the disconnect between how someone who assaults a human embryo in the womb can be punished while someone who kills a human embryo in a petri dish is praised.

Embryos are the genesis of human life, and it is morally unacceptable to intentionally destroy them, even if the scientist is trying to cure a debilitating disease or parents are responding to a difficult challenge in their family life. The country we live in defends human rights at home and abroad. That defense must extend to the laboratory.

In Michigan's Compiled Laws, the fetal protection act is precise on punishing individuals who harm or kill a fetus -- or embryo! -- during an intentional assault.

How can there be such a disconnect with what happens in an assault case and what occurs in a laboratory when a human life is destroyed? The person who harmed an embryo in an assault is charged with a felony. The person who destroys an embryo in a petri dish is held harmless and likely considered some sort of medical pioneer. Yet the results were the same: two fewer people in the world who had no power to stop what was happening to them and had no voice in their demise.

FULL STORY

Right to Life of Michigan Teleseminar on October 7

Have lunch with us on Thursday! A Right to Life of Michigan Teleseminar is scheduled for Thursday, October 7, at 12 noon. You will not want to miss this event with Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing and RLM Legislative Director Ed Rivet. The teleseminar will last about 30 minutes.

Barb will highlight the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee endorsements with updates on key races. Ed will give us an update on the World Stem Cell Summit.

Feel free to submit questions on the Teleseminar web site page (link is below). Please submit your questions by 5 p.m. on Wednesday. This teleseminar is open to the public. Free free to pass this information on to your prolife friends.

EVENT: Right to Life of Michigan Prolife Update

DATE & TIME: Thursday, October 7th at 12:00pm Eastern

FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast -- it's your choice)

TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW...
http://AttendThisEvent.com/?eventid=15358926

Or, call this number on Thursday, October 7, at noon to listen in:

Primary Number (616) 712-3139
Conference ID 662744#

Three abortion clinics in Michigan cited for violating HIPAA laws

Prolife activist Monica Miller recently received letter indicating that the Chicago Office for Civil Rights supported her allegations against three abortion clinics who violated the federal Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act by dumping patient records in their dumpsters.

In February, March and April 2008 members of CPLS (Citizens for a Pro-life Society) conducted searches of the trash dumpsters used by these clinics. The clinics repeatedly dumped whole patient records, including intake forms, abortion appointment schedule sheets, recovery room reports, lab reports, insurance forms, photo-copied driver's licenses, applications for financial aid to off-set the cost of the abortion and other documents that revealed personal health care information.

Hundreds of patient records were recovered, the largest share from the Woman Care clinic, located in Lathrup Village, MI, and owned by Alberto Hodari. In addition to the patient records, extensive bio-hazard waste and the remains of aborted unborn children were also discovered at the clinic dumpsters. Sharpes Family Planning is located in Detroit with its sister clinic, Women's Advisory, located in Livonia, MI. The latter clinics are operated by Reginald Sharpe. Miller filed the HIPAA complaints in September 2008 and OCR (Office for Civil Rights) notified the clinics of its federal investigation in December of that year. A fourth investigation is still pending regarding Eastpointe Gynecology, owned by Jacob Kalo--another Detroit abortion clinic.

Miller states: I'm glad that the OCR took these complaints seriously, but I have to say, the clinics are getting off with just another slap on the hand. Where are the real penalties for the flagrant violations they committed? Where's the justice for the women whose rights and dignity they violated? The OCR should have made these abortionists pay heavy fines and retribution. These are serious violations of HIPAA law and after two years of waiting, the outcome is rather disappointing. The OCR could have sent a real message to other abortion providers and that opportunity was missed."

FULL STORY

University of Michigan researchers kill human embryos, create embryonic stem cell line

On October 3, 2010, the University of Michigan announced they've created Michigan's first embryonic stem cell line. The line was created by removing cells from and thus killing a human embryo. The cell line joins approximately 76 other embryonic stem cell lines creating by other researchers. The human embryo destroyed for her stem cells was donated by a couple who had remaining embryos after going through in-vitro fertilization.

The University of Michigan press release touting the creation of Michigan's first embryonic stem cell line doesn't mention how many human embryos were killed to get this one stem cell line. The press release does say it took "several attempts," meaning several human beings were killed in order to obtain this stem cell line. Based on previous attempts to create embryonic stem cell lines by other institutions such as the University of Wisconsin and the Jones Institute, researchers likely killed between 4-10 human embryos.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "While we knew University of Michigan researchers were planning on killing human embryos for their cells, we are saddened to know that human beings were sacrificed without their consent for this unproven research. It is wrong to kill some human beings in the vague hope of treating others. There are many life-affirming alternatives to embryonic stem cell research, it is dishonorable that some researchers in Michigan feel they have to destroy human lives. Embryos who do not have a voice are human enough for experimentation, but not human enough to be given a chance at life."

The University of Michigan has also been able to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. iPS cells are cells which have the same properties as embryonic stem cells, but don't require the destruction of human embryos. To date, human embryonic stem cells have never been successfully used to treat human patients.

Learn more about the World Stem Cell Summit being held in Detroit.

Proposal 2 at Two Years

Dr. Joseph Kincaid, Vice-President of Right to Life of Michigan, has written an editorial discussing how Proposal 2 has fared nearly two years after it passed. Proposal 2 legalized the killing of human embryos for research purposes in Michigan.

The grandiose expectations of Proposal 2 were that millions of dollars would flow into Michigan. It is true that in October 2009 the University of Michigan received eleven grants worth $6.8 million in federal stimulus fund money for stem cell research. However, only one grant involved ESC and that one would have been permitted prior to passage of Proposal 2.

Certainly the anticipated boost in our economy through bioscience jobs and other advantages of a number one bioscience atmosphere have not materialized.

So at present there is no apparent financial gain from Proposal 2. One can wonder how much further we would have been toward the cure of disease if money had been given to ASC research rather than ESC research.

FULL STORY

World Stem Cell Summit to begin in Detroit

The 2010 World Stem Cell Summit will be taking place in Detroit this October 4-6. The summit will consist of scientists, physicians and others interested in the expansion of human embryonic stem cell research.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "We must acknowledge that to conduct human embryonic stem cell research requires the destruction of human embryos. Embryos who do not have a voice are human enough for experimentation, but not human enough to be given a chance at life."

To date, human embryonic stem cell research has produced no treatments nor cures while adult stem cell research has yielded more than 70 treatments for serious diseases and ailments.

Embryonic stem cell research destroys human embryos for the potential end-result of treating another person. Yet, embryonic stem cells have not treated or cured any human being during its 12 years in research and development. However, medical researchers are still encouraging the continuation of the destruction of one life without consent in the hopes of saving another.

Listing said, "Embryonic stem cell research targets the smallest and most vulnerable member of our human family, the human embryo. We all want to realize cures, but cures should never be pursued at the expense of destroying human lives."

Scientists argue that frozen embryos remaining from fertility treatments will be discarded or thrown away, but another alternative is available. Embryo adoptions open a world of possibilities for couples struggling with infertility. Numerous families in Michigan have adopted embryos.

Listing said, "While the World Stem Cell Summit hypes human embryonic stem cell research, Right to Life of Michigan will be a steady voice of reason for the vulnerable embryo. At one time we were all embryos. You have a right to life, I have a right to life and each human embryo has the right to life."