Author: Alyssa Blakemore

Voters in Vermont and Michigan joined Californians Tuesday to add abortion as a right enshrined in their constitutions, marking a resounding defeat for pro-lifers. “Personal reproductive autonomy” was the specific language used in Vermont’s Article 22 measure. More than three-quarters of voters in Vermont decided abortion “is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.” The east coast state already lacked the restrictions present in other states, including waiting periods, mandated parental involvement and limitations on…

A controversial and decades-old admissions practice in higher education could be on the chopping block as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in two separate cases. Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) filed lawsuits against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, alleging the race-based admissions policies of both schools discriminate against Asian Americans. According to the complaint against Harvard, the Ivy League school’s undergraduate admissions policies “intentionally and improperly” discriminated against plaintiff students “on the basis of their race and ethnicity.” The University of North Carolina similarly employs “racially and ethnically discriminatory policies and procedures”…

In a violent week for police nationwide, two Bristol officers were killed and a third seriously injured while responding to a fake 911 call Wednesday night. The incident brings the tally of officers shot since Tuesday to 10. Flags fly at half-mast across Connecticut on Thursday in honor of the two officers killed in the line of duty. Sgt. Dustin Demonte, 35, is survived by his wife, two children and a third on the way, Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould told reporters. “We lost two exceptional Bristol police officers and a third was seriously injured as a result of senseless…

World leaders are scrambling to respond to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest brazen act in the war against Ukraine. The Kremlin is expected to announce the annexation of four Ukrainian territories following Wednesday’s release of results from illegally-held referendums in the occupied region. (RELATED: UN Warns of Potential ‘Catastrophe’ From Russian Control of Ukraine’s Largest Nuke Plant) Those who fled Russian-held territory detailed coercive practices used by Russian authorities. Residents were forced at gunpoint to cast votes in what the West has called “sham” elections. The size of the four territories at stake equates to that of Portugal and includes…

Democratic contender for Georgia governor, Stacey Abrams declared Tuesday that “there is…

China boasts the largest Navy in the world by size and is fully capable of blockading…

European Union President Ursula von der Leyen affirmed Europe’s continued support during a visit to Ukraine Thursday and confirmed the nation’s pathway to EU membership remains on track. “Ukraine’s accession process is on track,” according to von der Leyen’s Twitter account. “In the meantime, we are deepening cooperation,” she stated. The EU chief’s meeting with President Zelenskyy marked her third visit to the war-torn nation since Russia’s February 24 attack, the Associated Press reported. Clad in Ukraine’s colors of blue and gold, von der Leyen proudly received the First Class of the Order of Yaroslav the Wise as a symbol…

“Providing compassionate, expert abortion care in an affirming and supportive environment.” That is the stated mission of a Maryland clinic that plans to offer abortions through all trimesters of pregnancy. The Maryland clinic, Partners in Abortion Care, will perform abortions on babies up to 34 weeks gestation, NPR reported. The clinic’s co-founders Diane Horvath and Morgan Nuzzo emotionally described their “rehoming” of equipment from a Savannah abortion clinic that closed after Georgia enforced protections for the life of the unborn after Roe v. Wade was overturned. A federal court further upheld a 2019 law in Georgia that bans abortions past…

Abortion services will soon be included in health care benefits for veterans and family members, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Friday.    The VA submitted an interim rule to the Federal Register that allows the VA to provide abortion counseling and abortions for pregnant veterans and beneficiaries, a Friday press release said. Abortions may specifically be performed when the health of the mother is at risk or when a pregnancy results from rape or incest. “This is a patient safety decision,” said Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “Pregnant Veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive…

Polish politician Jaroslaw Kaczynski announced Thursday his government’s intent to seek hefty reparations from Germany for the costs incurred at the hands of Nazi German occupiers during World War II, the AP reported.  Thursday marked 83 years since Germany’s invasion of Poland and the start of World War II. Polish officials marked the occasion with the release of a long-awaited report that revealed the cost borne by the Polish people and economy from years of Nazi occupation, according to the AP. During a presentation, Kacyznski shared the report’s findings and emphasized his country’s resolve to open negotiations with Germany for…