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Interview by Matt Gaspers This year marks the eighth anniversary of The Dictator Pope, a groundbreaking exposé in which you explain how Pope Francis’s election was sought and achieved by the St. Gallen Mafia, a group of progressive prelates led by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini (d. 2012). How successful do you think Francis was in implementing what you call “the Martini Agenda” in your book?[1]…

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After a long wait among the crowds in St Peter’s Square, so much so that rumours started to build, black smoke finally emerged from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel at approximately 9 p.m. local time in Rome.

The signal of black smoke served to show that the 133 cardinal-electors had failed to elect a new pope in the first ballot of the conclave.

Black smoke billowing from the chimney indicates that no decision has been reached and that the required two-thirds majority hasn’t been achieved.

Once white smoke emerges that will be the signal that the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics has been chosen.

Photo: This photograph shows black smoke rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signalling that cardinals failed to elect a new pope in the first ballot of their conclave, Vatican, 7 May 2025. (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images.)

The post Black smoke after first ballot first appeared on Catholic Herald.

The post Black smoke after first ballot appeared first on Catholic Herald.

A push to defund Planned Parenthood through a budget reconciliation bill is facing resistance from three House Republicans, threatening a key pro-life priority.

The reconciliation bill, which allows legislation to pass with a simple majority in both chambers, is seen as a critical opportunity to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business. The abortion company received nearly $700 million in taxpayer funds in its 2022-2023 fiscal year, killing 392,715 babies in abortions, according to its annual report.

Pro-life advocates argue that redirecting these funds to community health centers would better serve women’s health care needs without supporting an industry they view as responsible for ending unborn lives.

However, three House Republicans are reportedly hesitant to support including the defunding measure in the reconciliation package, citing concerns over political backlash or the measure’s fit within the bill’s fiscal focus. This hesitation has sparked frustration among pro-life leaders who see 2025 as a pivotal year, with Republican control of the House, Senate, and White House aligning for the first time in years.

Thr three reportedly imclude Reps. Mike Lawler, Jen Kiggans and Brian Fitzpatrick.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson has voiced support for defunding Planned Parenthood, stating on Fox News that he is “working to build the votes” needed to pass such a measure through reconciliation.

At the annual gala of the pro-lifen group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America last week, Johnson pledged that the reconciliation bill “is going to redirect funds away from ‘big abortion.’”

However, with a narrow Republican majority, even a small number of holdouts could derail the effort, as no pro-life Democrats are expected to support the measure.

“We need simplicity in this bill,” Fitzpatrick said.

“I think there’s other policy areas that we need to focus on,” he continued.

After news surfaced before this report that the three lawmakers were opposed to defunding Planned Parenthood, a spokesperson for Kiggans said the congresswoman’s position was taken “out of context.”

“Congresswoman Kiggans is proudly pro-life and firmly opposes any federal funding for abortion, ” the spokesperson said in a statement. “She attended a closed-door policy discussion with House leadership and Republican colleagues focused on Medicaid reform within the broader reconciliation process. The Congresswoman supports thoughtful, targeted Medicaid reforms that strengthen the program, preserve its integrity, and ensure it serves those who it was originally intended to help.”

Pro-life groups, including Students for Life of America and Family Research Council, have intensified lobbying efforts, with hundreds of activists visiting Capitol Hill in recent weeks to press lawmakers. A coalition of over 150 national and state pro-life organizations has called for action, emphasizing that Planned Parenthood’s federal funding, primarily through Medicaid, must be redirected.

Critics of Planned Parenthood point to reports of mismanagement and ethical concerns, including a New York Times investigation highlighting botched abortions and unsafe conditions at some facilities.

The reconciliation bill’s broader scope, which includes tax cuts, energy policy, and border security measures, has added complexity to the negotiations. Some Republicans, like Rep. Andy Harris, chair of the House Freedom Caucus, have previously questioned whether defunding Planned Parenthood fits the bill’s cost-saving goals, though cutting $700 millions appears to be an obvious savings.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) wants the big budget reconciliation plan extending President Donald Trump’s tax cuts sent to his desk — ready for signature — by July 4. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would like it even sooner: Memorial Day. This tight timeline is forcing Congress into high-stakes negotiations to unify on a budget. Meanwhile, Representative Mary Miller (R-Ill.) is waging a fierce campaign among her Republican colleagues to make defunding Planned Parenthood a non-negotiable piece of the final proposal.

On Monday, Miller sent a passionate letter to Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, obtained by Breitbart News. In it, she urged Guthrie to “use every legislative option available to cease all federal funds going to Planned Parenthood,” exposing the organization’s deep entanglement in abortion and transgender treatments. “Abortions and transgender treatments have exploded in clinics across the country,” she wrote.

Citing the Charlotte Lozier Institute, Miller highlighted that “abortions made up 97.1% of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy services from 2021-2022, performing nearly 400,000 abortions.” She also underscored the crisis in her home state, noting, “In 2023, my home state of Illinois performed 72,143 abortions, the most in our history since the state started reporting abortion totals in 1973.” Miller laid bare Planned Parenthood’s financial empire, stating, “Due to a lack of decisive Congressional action, Planned Parenthood has become a federally funded health network with private assets valued at $2.5 billion. Recent numbers show that Planned Parenthood received nearly $700 million in taxpayer revenue from 2022-2023.”

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Her letter concluded with a call to action: “It is essential that we protect taxpayer dollars and stop funding this organization. President Trump has already issued an Executive Order that implements such a plan. Therefore, I urge you to do everything possible to ensure Planned Parenthood never receives another penny of taxpayer dollars.”

Speaking to Breitbart, Miller doubled down, declaring, “Planned Parenthood is a multi-billion-dollar abortion business that continues to receive millions in federal funding.” She praised Trump’s leadership, stating, “President Trump had it right when he issued an Executive Order to cut off taxpayer dollars from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood,” and insisted, “it’s time for Congress to make that policy permanent. I urge the Energy and Commerce Committee to ensure that not another dime of American tax dollars goes to this murder-for-profit organization.”

Miller’s crusade is part of a broader Republican offensive. In late March, pro-life advocates and lawmakers united for the Big Abortion Lobby Day, pressing Congress to shield taxpayer dollars from funding abortion. Several GOP lawmakers, including Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), have repeatedly echoed the same demands as Miller, introducing legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and advocating for its inclusion in the reconciliation package.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) signaled strong intent to confront “big abortion” in the budget reconciliation, according to Fox News. Two sources close to the House Energy and Commerce Committee told reporters that defunding Planned Parenthood is under serious consideration as lawmakers seek $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to offset Trump’s tax priorities. “[I]t’s been discussed,” Guthrie confirmed. “We are working on a lot of different options, but that’s been discussed.” And it’s not just Republicans who are calling for this action. An army of pro-life Americans are chiming in as well.

In March, when Miller shared a post about her push to defund abortion businesses, those in the comments expressed their shared passion to defund Planned Parenthood. “Cut them off forever,” one wrote. “How did taxpayers ever get forced to pay for someone else’s abortion in the first place?” another questioned. “Defund planned parenthood.” For pro-lifers near and far, one comment hit the nail on the head: “The American people don’t want to pay for abortion.”

Thune, speaking to Breitbart, outlined the sweeping scope of the reconciliation agenda, emphasizing its alignment with Trump’s campaign promises. “[T]he objective in reconciliation is border security, it’s national security, it’s rebuilding the military,” he said. “It’s tax relief. … It’s cutting spending. And it’s creating energy dominance for this country. Those are all agenda items the president campaigned on, the American people voted for, and we need to deliver on.” He acknowledged the complexity, noting, “there are a lot of moving parts around it. … But … I always believe you underpromise and over-deliver. So, as we look at what we have to get done, we want to be sure it gets done right.”

According to Mary Szoch, director of Family Research Council’s Center for Human Dignity, including the defund abortion agenda is worth every ounce of effort. As she put it, “American taxpayers do not want their tax dollars paying for the killing of unborn children. This makes sense — who wants their hard-earned money used to kill a human being?”

“Moreover,” she continued, “Planned Parenthood specifically is guilty of not only killing millions of unborn children, but they are also guilty of being one of the largest providers of hormones to minors who are experiencing gender dysphoria.” Ultimately, Szoch concluded, “This organization should not receive any money from taxpayers. Thank goodness for the work of pro-life congressmen and women who are trying to protect American taxpayers from unwillingly taking part in this evil.”

The post Three House Republicans Reportedly Holding Up Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood appeared first on LifeNews.com.

When do the cardinals vote in the conclave?

The Conclave to elect a new pope begins on May 7. 

White smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney indicates the election of a new pope. Black smoke from the chimney indicates a new pope has not been elected. The election occurs multiple times daily until the College of Cardinals selects a new Pontiff with at least two-thirds of the vote.

Here is the approximate Conclave schedule below:

Wednesday, May 7

1:00 pm ET (7 pm Rome time)

Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9

4:30 am ET (10:30 am Rome time)

6:00 am ET (Noon Rome time)

11:30 am ET (5:30 pm Rome time)

1:00 pm ET (7:00 pm Rome time)

Important note: These times are approximate and are subject to change.

As we await the announcement for the Catholic Church’s new pope, let us recite this prayer by Father Chad Ripperger, consecrating the papal conclave to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) wants the big budget reconciliation plan extending President Donald Trump’s tax cuts sent to his desk — ready for signature — by July 4. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would like it even sooner: Memorial Day. This tight timeline is forcing Congress into high-stakes negotiations to unify on a budget. Meanwhile, Representative Mary Miller (R-Ill.) is waging a fierce campaign among her Republican colleagues to make defunding Planned Parenthood a non-negotiable piece of the final proposal.

On Monday, Miller sent a passionate letter to Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, obtained by Breitbart News. In it, she urged Guthrie to “use every legislative option available to cease all federal funds going to Planned Parenthood,” exposing the organization’s deep entanglement in abortion and transgender treatments. “Abortions and transgender treatments have exploded in clinics across the country,” she wrote.

Citing the Charlotte Lozier Institute, Miller highlighted that “abortions made up 97.1% of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy services from 2021-2022, performing nearly 400,000 abortions.” She also underscored the crisis in her home state, noting, “In 2023, my home state of Illinois performed 72,143 abortions, the most in our history since the state started reporting abortion totals in 1973.” Miller laid bare Planned Parenthood’s financial empire, stating, “Due to a lack of decisive Congressional action, Planned Parenthood has become a federally funded health network with private assets valued at $2.5 billion. Recent numbers show that Planned Parenthood received nearly $700 million in taxpayer revenue from 2022-2023.”

HELP LIFENEWS SAVE BABIES FROM ABORTION! Please help LifeNews.com with a donation!

Her letter concluded with a call to action: “It is essential that we protect taxpayer dollars and stop funding this organization. President Trump has already issued an Executive Order that implements such a plan. Therefore, I urge you to do everything possible to ensure Planned Parenthood never receives another penny of taxpayer dollars.”

Speaking to Breitbart, Miller doubled down, declaring, “Planned Parenthood is a multi-billion-dollar abortion business that continues to receive millions in federal funding.” She praised Trump’s leadership, stating, “President Trump had it right when he issued an Executive Order to cut off taxpayer dollars from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood,” and insisted, “it’s time for Congress to make that policy permanent. I urge the Energy and Commerce Committee to ensure that not another dime of American tax dollars goes to this murder-for-profit organization.”

Miller’s crusade is part of a broader Republican offensive. In late March, pro-life advocates and lawmakers united for the Big Abortion Lobby Day, pressing Congress to shield taxpayer dollars from funding abortion. Several GOP lawmakers, including Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), have repeatedly echoed the same demands as Miller, introducing legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and advocating for its inclusion in the reconciliation package.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) signaled strong intent to confront “big abortion” in the budget reconciliation, according to Fox News. Two sources close to the House Energy and Commerce Committee told reporters that defunding Planned Parenthood is under serious consideration as lawmakers seek $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to offset Trump’s tax priorities. “[I]t’s been discussed,” Guthrie confirmed. “We are working on a lot of different options, but that’s been discussed.” And it’s not just Republicans who are calling for this action. An army of pro-life Americans are chiming in as well.

In March, when Miller shared a post about her push to defund abortion businesses, those in the comments expressed their shared passion to defund Planned Parenthood. “Cut them off forever,” one wrote. “How did taxpayers ever get forced to pay for someone else’s abortion in the first place?” another questioned. “Defund planned parenthood.” For pro-lifers near and far, one comment hit the nail on the head: “The American people don’t want to pay for abortion.”

Thune, speaking to Breitbart, outlined the sweeping scope of the reconciliation agenda, emphasizing its alignment with Trump’s campaign promises. “[T]he objective in reconciliation is border security, it’s national security, it’s rebuilding the military,” he said. “It’s tax relief. … It’s cutting spending. And it’s creating energy dominance for this country. Those are all agenda items the president campaigned on, the American people voted for, and we need to deliver on.” He acknowledged the complexity, noting, “there are a lot of moving parts around it. … But … I always believe you underpromise and over-deliver. So, as we look at what we have to get done, we want to be sure it gets done right.”

According to Mary Szoch, director of Family Research Council’s Center for Human Dignity, including the defund abortion agenda is worth every ounce of effort. As she put it, “American taxpayers do not want their tax dollars paying for the killing of unborn children. This makes sense — who wants their hard-earned money used to kill a human being?”

“Moreover,” she continued, “Planned Parenthood specifically is guilty of not only killing millions of unborn children, but they are also guilty of being one of the largest providers of hormones to minors who are experiencing gender dysphoria.” Ultimately, Szoch concluded, “This organization should not receive any money from taxpayers. Thank goodness for the work of pro-life congressmen and women who are trying to protect American taxpayers from unwillingly taking part in this evil.”

LifeNews Note: Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand, where this originally appeared.

The post Republicans Must Make Defunding Planned Parenthood Part of Reconciliation Bill appeared first on LifeNews.com.

Senator Josh Hawley is urging the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era policies on dangerous chemical abortion drugs, arguing that states like Missouri should be empowered to impose safety restrictions on mifepristone to protect women and unborn children.

In a letter dated May 7 to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Hawley called for the Justice Department to reconsider its defense of Biden’s mail-order abortion policy, which he says has led to severe health risks for women.

The letter highlights a recent study showing that 1 in 10 women who use mifepristone experience serious complications, such as infection or hemorrhaging, often requiring emergency medical care within 45 days.

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“The Biden administration’s mail-order abortion policy poses a grave threat to the health and safety of American women,” Hawley, a Missouri Republican, wrote. “I strongly urge you to reconsider the Justice Department’s defense of this policy in court.”

Hawley’s push aligns with his broader efforts to reinstate safety regulations on mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortions.

On April 28, he introduced legislation aimed at restoring safeguards that were stripped away under Democratic administrations, including in-person doctor visits and mandatory follow-up care. The senator cited a study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, which found that the rate of adverse events from mifepristone is at least 22 times higher than the FDA’s reported rate of less than 0.5%.

“The grounds for dismissal sought are mostly procedural in nature,” Hawley wrote in his letter, referring to a lawsuit filed by Missouri, Idaho, and Kansas to limit access to the drug. “I am troubled by the fact that the Justice Department has sided with the Biden administration’s position.”

Pro-life advocates have long warned about the dangers of mifepristone, especially after Biden’s policies allowed the drug to be mailed without medical supervision.

LifeNews.com reported yesterday that a pro-life group urged President Donald Trump to limit the abortion pill’s availability, citing cases where women have suffered severe complications or even died.

Missouri, a state at the forefront of the legal battle, has seen a drastic decline in abortions since the 2022 Dobbs decision, with only 64 abortions performed between June 2022 and March 2024 under emergency exemptions. However, the state reported 186 complications from pill-based abortions between April 2018 and August 2023, according to litigation data. Hawley and other pro-life leaders argue that these statistics underscore the need for stricter oversight of mifepristone, which they say endangers women by allowing abortions without proper medical supervision.

The senator’s letter to Bondi emphasized the role of states in protecting their citizens, particularly in light of Missouri’s recent voter decision to legalize abortion—a move Hawley acknowledged but said should not prevent safety measures.

“Missouri’s litigation aims to reverse that policy and protect women,” he wrote, urging the Justice Department to support the state’s efforts rather than obstruct them.

The post Josh Hawley Calls on Trump to Let States Stop Dangerous Abortion Pills appeared first on LifeNews.com.

A new law in the US state of Washington which requires “members of the clergy” to report to police cases of child abuse or neglect learned in the confessional is being looked at by the US Justice Department to see if it violates the First Amendment of the United States.

Senate Bill 5375 passed by margins of 64-31 in the House and 28-20 in the Senate, and was signed by Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson, a Catholic, on Friday.

“Protecting our kids, first, is the most important thing. This bill protects Washingtonians from abuse and harm,” Ferguson said.

The Bill offered no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests.

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle issued a statement referring to the quote of Saint Peter in the Acts of the Apostles: “We must obey God rather than men.”

“This is our stance now in the face of this new law. Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession – or they will be excommunicated from the Church,” Etienne said.

“All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the Church,” he said.

The archbishop said the Catholic Church agrees with the goal of protecting children and preventing child abuse.

“The Archdiocese of Seattle remains committed to reporting child sexual abuse, working with victim survivors towards healing and protecting all minors and vulnerable people. Our policies already require priests to be mandatory reporters, but not if this information is obtained during confession,” Etienne said.

The archbishop said the Catholic Church in the US has been committed to preventing sexual abuse for many decades, reporting incidents of abuse to law enforcement and cooperating with civil authorities.

“While we remain committed to protecting minors and all vulnerable people from abuse, priests cannot comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” he said.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Etienne said that with the new law, the State of Washington is specifically targeting religious conduct by inserting the government into the Catholic tradition, namely, the highly defined ritual of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

“The state is now requiring priests to violate an essential element of the rite, the confidential communication between the priest and penitent in which the absolution of sin is offered,” the archbishop said.

In a statement, the US Justice Department said the Washington State Senate Bill 5375 “appears on its face to violate the First Amendment”.

“Washington State’s new law adds ‘members of the clergy’ to a list of other professionals who are required to report information received in a confessional setting relating to child abuse or neglect to law enforcement or other state authorities, with no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic Priests,” the government statement says.

“Furthermore, the State of Washington’s new law singles out ‘members of the clergy’ as the only ‘supervisors’ who may not rely on applicable legal privileges, including religious confessions, as a defence to mandatory reporting,” the State Department continues.

It said the Civil Rights Division will investigate the apparent conflict between Washington State’s new law with the free exercise of religion under the First Amendment, which it called “a cornerstone of the United States Constitution.”

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said SB 5375 demands that Catholic priests “violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law”, while “a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government”.

“Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals. We take this matter very seriously and look forward to Washington State’s cooperation with our investigation,” he said.

The main sponsor of the Bill, Democrat Noel Frame, defended the new law’s requirement for priests to violate the seal of the confessional.

“There are some things that it doesn’t matter what religion you are in, you never put somebody’s conscience over the protection of a child,” she told reporters.

“It really said the Church is not above the law, no one is above the law, especially when it comes to protecting children,” Frame said.

Photo A priest listens to a faithful in a confessional ahead of the mass celebrated for the beatification of Alvaro del Portillo on September 26, 2014. (Photo by GERARD JULIEN / AFP)

The post US Justice Department reviews state law forcing priests to break confessional seal first appeared on Catholic Herald.

The post US Justice Department reviews state law forcing priests to break confessional seal appeared first on Catholic Herald.

From Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers back in 1981.  Which is as long ago as 1981 was to 1937. Dang.

Keep praying, folks.

With the Mass Pro Eligendo Pontifice in the morning and the procession of the Cardinals into the Sistine Chapel, the Conclave of May 7, 2025, officially begins. Cardinal Re, Dean of the Sacred College, gave a speech urging his fellow cardinals not to be guided by personal considerations. I imagine the Cardinals enter with minds full not only of what has been discussed during the General…

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Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed legislation May 1 that protects families and faith-based adoption and foster care providers from government discrimination based on their religious or moral beliefs.

The new law, HB 655, ensures that individuals and organizations with faith-based convictions about human sexuality can continue offering homes to children in need without fear of exclusion by state or local officials, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) reported.

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“Every child deserves a loving home that can provide them stability and opportunities to grow,” ADF Senior Counsel Greg Chafuen said. “The sad reality is that in some states, the government can discriminate against people of faith, allowing vulnerable children to suffer.”

Chafuen commended Montana lawmakers and pro-family advocates for their leadership in passing the bill.

“Montana has taken critical steps to prioritize the well-being of kids by prohibiting state and local government officials from discriminating against adoption and foster care providers and parents simply because of their religious beliefs and moral convictions,” he said.

He added that protecting religious liberty in the foster care system expands the pool of families and organizations available to serve vulnerable children.

“By signing this law,” Chafuen said, “Gov. Gianforte is ensuring that Montanan children benefit from as many adoption and foster care agencies as possible — faith-based and non-faith-based.”

The post Montana Governor Signs Law to Stop Discrimination Against Christian Families Who Adopt Children appeared first on LifeNews.com.

The American system of medical-care delivery has no name. It is neither single payer nor based on private enterprise. It is a patchwork of cockamamie carrots and sticks, agencies and incentives, exceptions and accounting tricks, cajoles and punishments, cobbled together over some 50-100 years of legislation that itself was a product of pressure-group pushes, graft, loopholes, mandates, and subsidies. 

It’s not even a clean public-private partnership. It’s a public-private-nonprofit-grifter-payola regulatory cacophony of confusion and chaos over which pharmaceutical companies and professional lobbyists exercise the dominant influence. 

Still it quasi-functions. It hobbles along year after year with ever more expense and administrators, with ever worse results. Absolutely no one would design such a thing from the ground up. No one is particularly happy with it but neither is there much push to change it fundamentally. 

The Covid years devastated trust or, perhaps, just pulled back the veil. Every poll confirms it, e.g. a Harvard/Northwestern poll showed that trust fell from 71.5% in April 2020 to 40.1% by January 2024 across all groups. The reality is likely far worse. Everyone is asking how to restore trust. 

The last time centralized reform was attempted was 15 years ago. The debates about Obamacare minted a healthcare expert daily and generated think-tank blueprints reflecting every ideological bias. The final product of a thousand pages, in which no one group got its way, was shoved through with great huzzahs on one side and boos on the other. It resulted in more coverage, yes, but also cost increases anywhere between 50 and 500 percent depending on how one chooses to measure it.

No one can produce evidence that it has made America more healthy. A statistical tour through chronic disease data, or a casual walk through a mall or airport, proves that. 

The debate over the Affordable Care Act pretty well exhausted the appetite for far-reaching reform. And maybe that is a good thing because the drive today is not for one system for everyone but a realization that the needs are so diverse and diffuse that it would likely have more success with a series of parallel systems that emerge from the ground up. 

Thus has most of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda focused on matters that individuals and families can do themselves. They include being more scrupulous about diet, exercise, sleep, sunshine, and caution about prescription medications, whether for mental or physical maladies. The movement against mandates is at the core simply because it now (versus a few years ago) pertains to children and relates directly to the grave concern about ill-health and the rise of autism. 

Again, this is a more productive conversation than going back to the drawing board to reform a system that has no name and hardly anyone understands in its totality. It recognizes something crucial, namely that health is not granted by a system of government or a large insurer but rather emerges from individual decisions and habits. In large part and with the exception of unpredictable twists of fate, much of what we call health is mainly within our own control. 

Given that insight, we have a better starting point in which to discuss real policy reforms that can give people a greater degree of control than they currently have under the existing bureaucratic patchwork of programs, mandates, agencies, and bureaucratized systems. Here are eight examples that can make a massive difference and should be favored regardless of ideological bias. 

1. Liberalize generic therapeutics from prescription control and make them over the counter. People are not idiots, though the US’s prescription system presumes they are. Fourteen states are working toward making Ivermectin and other common medicines like Hydroxychloroquine more available, thus liberating people from dependency on medical services. With the ubiquity of AI and quality medical information everywhere at our fingertips – no longer monopolized by the lab coats – we are better positioned to care for ourselves in our own interest. Probably hundreds of generics that people take routinely could be so regarded. 
2. In many countries, pharmacies have nurses and doctors available for diagnostics, which seems like a much better system than ours. It is far easier to get routine medical care in Mexico than it is in the US. This should not be the case, but regulatory barriers limit pharmacists’ roles in diagnostics or prescribing. Liberalizing the system and breaking down professional barriers and regulated buckets could better serve the healthcare consumer. 
3. Allow employers to offer employees an opt-out of mandated health insurance. The mandates are hugely expensive for employers. Every employer with more than 50 employees must comply. We don’t even have to change the mandate but simply permit options for the workers. Allowing their workers an extra $5-10 thousand or so in salary and wages would be accepted by many and give the direct primary care industry a boost. This would lower costs and boost job options. 
4. Permit anyone to make contributions toward a Health Savings Account, not just people with high-deductible health plans (as it stands today). The HSA is a bit of an annoyance – its troubling how government uses the tax system to direct spending choices – but it at least allows some tax-free choice that can otherwise earn money in financial markets. It makes no sense why these should not be open to anyone, even and especially people who elect against expensive coverage. It would serve as a substitute for insurance and add to the country’s store of savings and capital. 
5. Permit insurers to offer catastrophic-only plans to people of all ages. For that matter, health insurers need to be free from the shackles of predefined plans that are inclusive of services that most people do not want or need. A catastrophic-only plan would be selected by many. This might be the worst aspect of Obamacare, and it needs to go. We should be able to buy health insurance the way we buy any other good or service, which is to say, according to our own perceived needs, risk aversion, and willingness to pay.
6. Put actuaries to work not just on large groups of people but on individuals, and allow premiums to adjust based on actual individualized health risks. This would strongly incentivize better living. For example, there could be discounts for people who join and use gyms, follow a keto diet, don’t abuse substances, and so on. Reward them and many more will join in better practices. It’s possible that this could happen even without repealing the non-discrimination for pre-existing conditions. Simply reward people with lower premiums for being less likely to use medical services. 
7. Eliminate legal indemnifications from pharmaceutical harm. The rest would take care of itself. 
8. Permit non-allopathic services providers such as naturopaths and homeopaths to enlist to be paid with insurance money. This would save insurance companies millions if not billions of dollars. Such doctors rely on supplements and alternatives, not drugs, that cost far less. And they help people fix their lifestyle choices. This fits where the market is going in any case, as people are seeking out a greater range of opinion. 

None of these eight reforms rub hard on ideological wounds. All are about respecting individual choice, which is the essence of health. They can all be pursued without touching existing entitlement systems and legacy welfare provision. They would amount to the first major steps toward creating parallel systems of experimentation, all within the framework of the existing system. It seems like they should earn bipartisan support. 

Reprinted with permission from Brownstone Institute.

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed two legislative packages May 2 that would have established a “right to contraception” in the state and forced insurance companies to cover contraception without exceptions for religious organizations.

According to Dogwood, the state’s Democratic-controlled General Assembly passed the first package, House Bill 1716 and Senate Bill 1105, earlier this year. The package would have allowed birth control pills, IUDs, and other methods of contraception and banned restrictions on its sale or distribution. While he wrote in his official veto statement that he supports access to contraception, Youngkin vetoed it on the grounds that contraception is already protected by the U.S. Constitution, adding that the bill “contains significant flaws by creating overly broad rights of action.”

“The legislation also fails to include adequate conscience clause protections for health care providers and weakens the fundamental right of parents to guide the upbringing and care of their children, which the General Assembly refused to adopt,” he wrote.

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Youngkin vetoed a similar bill almost exactly a year ago. This year, he also vetoed a second package that sought to require health insurance plans that cover outpatient prescription drugs to also cover contraceptives.

According to his veto statement, Youngkin had asked the General Assembly to include a conscience clause in the bill that would have exempted organizations with religious beliefs about contraception from covering it.

“Without such protections, many organizations would be forced to violate their religious or ethical beliefs about contraception should this bill have become law,” Youngkin stated. “These entities would thus be forced to choose between following the law or following their deeply and sincerely held beliefs — a choice the Commonwealth must not require them to make.”

However, state legislators refused to add the amendment to the bill, resulting in the veto.

“In a divided government, no one is going to get 100 percent of what they want, and we must work across the aisle to serve the common interests of Virginians,” Youngkin stated in a news release. “For the 38 bills that would damage the interests of the Commonwealth and her citizens, I am exercising my constitutional duty to veto these bills.”

LifeNews Note: Hannah Hiester writes for CatholicVote, where this column originally appeared.

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“A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty.”—James Madison

We are being frog-marched into tyranny at the end of a loaded gun. Or rather, hundreds of thousands of loaded guns.

Let’s not mince words: President Trump’s April 28 executive order is the oldest trick in the authoritarian playbook: martial law masquerading as law and order.

Officially titled “Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens,” this order is a “heil Hitler” wrapped in the goosestepping, despotic trappings of national security.

Don’t be fooled by Trump’s tough-on-crime rhetoric, cloaked in patriotic language and the promise of safety.

This is the language of every strongman who’s ever ruled by force.

The White House claims the order will “empower state and local law enforcement to relentlessly pursue criminals and protect American communities.” But under this administration, “criminal” increasingly includes anyone who dares to exercise their constitutional rights.

The order doesn’t merely expand policing—it institutionalizes repression.

It sets us squarely on the road to martial law.

If allowed to stand, Trump’s executive order completes our shift from a nation of laws—where even the least among us had the right to due process—to a nation of enforcers: vigilantes with badges who treat “we the people” as suspects and subordinates.

Without invoking the Insurrection Act or deploying active-duty military forces, Trump has accelerated the transformation of domestic police into his own paramilitary force.

With the stroke of his presidential pen, he has laid the groundwork for a stealth version of martial law by:

• Expanding police powers and legal protections;
• Authorizing the DOJ to defend officers accused of civil rights violations;
• Increasing the transfer of military equipment to local police;
• Shielding law enforcement from judicial oversight;
• Prioritizing law enforcement protection over civil liberties;
• Embedding DHS and federal agents more deeply into local policing.

All of this has occurred without congressional debate, judicial review, or constitutional scrutiny.

For years, we have watched as the government transformed local law enforcement into extensions of the military: outfitted with military hardware and trained in battlefield tactics.

However, this executive order goes one step further—creating not just a de facto standing army but Trump’s own army: loyal not to the Constitution or the people, but to the president.

This is the very danger the Founders feared: a militarized police force answerable to a powerful executive, operating outside the bounds of the law.

This is martial law without a declaration.

Law enforcement today is equipped like the military, trained in battlefield tactics, and given broad discretion over who to target and how to respond. But these are not soldiers bound by the laws of war. They are civilian enforcers, wielding unchecked power with minimal oversight.

And they are everywhere.

Armored vehicles on neighborhood streets. Flashbang raids on family homes. Riot police in small towns. SWAT-style teams deployed by federal agencies. Drones overhead. Mass surveillance below.

We are fast approaching a reality where constitutional rights exist in name only.

In practice, we are ruled by a quasi-military bureaucracy empowered to:

• Detain without trial;
• Punish political dissent;
• Seize property under civil asset forfeiture;
• Classify critics as extremists or terrorists;
• Conduct mass surveillance on the populace;
• Raid homes in the name of “public safety”;
• Use deadly force at the slightest provocation.

In other words, we’ve got freedom in name only.

It’s the same scenario nationwide: in big cities and small towns alike, militarized “warrior” cops—hyped up on power—ride roughshod over individual rights by exercising almost absolute discretion over who is a threat, what constitutes resistance, and how harshly they can deal with the citizens they were appointed to “serve and protect.”

This nationwide epidemic of court-sanctioned police violence has already ensured that unarmed Americans—many of them mentally ill, elderly, disabled, or simply noncompliant—will continue to die at the hands of militarized police.

From individuals shot for holding garden hoses, to those killed after calling 911 for help, these tragedies underscore a chilling truth: in a police state, the only truly “safe” person is one who offers no resistance at all.

These killings are the inevitable result of a system that rewards vigilante aggression by warrior cops and punishes accountability.

These so-called warrior cops, trained to act as judge, jury and executioner, increasingly outnumber those who still honor their oath to uphold the Constitution and serve the public.

Now, under the cover of executive orders and nationalist rhetoric, that warrior mentality is being redirected toward a more dangerous mission: silencing political dissent.

Emboldened by Trump’s call to reopen Alcatraz and target so-called “homegrown” threats, these foot soldiers of the police state are no longer going to be tasked with enforcing the law—they will be deployed to enforce political obedience.

This is not a theory. It is a reality unfolding before our eyes.

We are living in a creeping state of undeclared martial law.

The militarization of police and federal agencies over recent decades has only accelerated the timeline toward authoritarianism.

This is how freedom ends—not with a loud decree, but with the quiet, calculated erosion of every principle we once held sacred.

We’ve come full circle—from resisting British redcoats to submitting to American forces with the same disdain for liberty.

Our constitutional foundation is crumbling, and with it, any illusion that those in power still serve the public good.

Congress, for its part, has abdicated its role as a constitutional check on executive power—passing sweeping authorizations with little scrutiny and failing to rein in executive overreach. The courts, too, have in the past sanctioned many of these abuses in the name of national security, public order, or qualified immunity. Instead of acting as constitutional safeguards, these institutions have largely become rubber stamps.

Indeed, the president, Congress, the courts, and the police have come to embody the very abuse the Founders fought to resist. Only now are the courts beginning to show glimmers of allegiance to the Constitution.

This is not about partisanship. This is about power without restraint.

As tempting as it is to place full blame on Trump for this full-throttle shift into martial law, he is not the architect of this police state. He is its most shameless enabler—a useful frontman for the Deep State in its ongoing war on the American people.

As we warn in Battlefield America: The War on the American People and A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State, we are sliding fast down a slippery slope to a Constitution-free America.

We ignore these signs at our peril.

Reprinted with permission from Rutherford Institute.