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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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Rep. Mary Miller is spearheading a campaign to defund Planned Parenthood through the budget reconciliation process, urging her Republican colleagues to seize a rare opportunity to end taxpayer funding for the nation’s largest abortion business.

In a letter to Rep. Brett Guthrie, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Miller called for “every legislative option available” to halt federal funds to Planned Parenthood, which she described as a “multi-billion-dollar abortion business.” The radical pro-abortion organization received nearly $700 million in taxpayer money in its 2022-2023 fiscal year, accounting for 34% of its revenue, while killing 392,716 babies in abortions, according to its annual report.

“Planned Parenthood is a multi-billion-dollar abortion business that continues to receive millions in federal funding. President Trump had it right when he issued an Executive Order to cut off taxpayer dollars from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood,” Miller told Breitbart News. “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.”

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In her letter, the Illinois Republican pointed out that “abortions and transgender treatments have exploded in clinics across the country.”

“According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, abortions made up 97.1% of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy services from 2021-2022, performing nearly 400,000 abortions. 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,” she wrote.

“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.” she continued.

The reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority to pass in the Senate, offers Republicans a chance to bypass the 60-vote threshold typically needed for legislation. With GOP control of Congress and the White House in 2025, pro-life advocates see this as a critical moment. Miller’s push follows similar efforts in 2015 and 2017, when reconciliation bills included provisions to defund Planned Parenthood, though those efforts ultimately fell short thanks to pro-abortion Republicans.

Pro-life leaders have rallied behind Miller, with 150 national and state organizations urging Congress to act.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., co-chair of the Pro-Life Caucus, called abortion “violence” and said taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize it.

Miller’s campaign has gained traction, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressing support for defunding Planned Parenthood. However, with a narrow House majority, every vote counts, and some Republicans are reportedly holding up such a bill.

As reconciliation talks intensify, Miller’s unwavering stance has galvanized pro-life advocates, who see her leadership as a beacon in the fight to protect the unborn.

The post Pro-Life Congresswoman Leads Fight to Defund Planned Parenthood appeared first on LifeNews.com.

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:

The European Commission is undermining the legislature’s budgetary authority, Roberta Metsola has argued

The European Parliament has warned the European Commission (EC) that it could take it to court if it bypasses EU lawmakers to create a €150 billion ($170 billion) loan program to boost defense spending across the bloc.

In March, EC head Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a plan to raise €800 billion to expand military potential across the EU in response to what she described as “a threat coming from Russia” – a claim rejected by Moscow.

To raise the money, the Commission used Article 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which allows member states in emergencies to approve proposals from the executive branch in Brussels without going through the usual process.

On Monday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola sent a letter to von der Leyen, urging her to change the legal basis for the initiative, threatening to sue the EC if it fails to comply.

The adoption of the Commission’s plan without a proper legal basis would end up “putting at risk democratic legitimacy by undermining Parliament’s legislative and scrutiny functions,” the letter read.

The EC “will always be available to explain why Article 122 has been chosen as the appropriate legal basis,” its spokesman Thomas Regnier told Euronews.

“[Western] Europe faces an unprecedented security threat. As stated by President von der Leyen in her Political Guidelines, Article 122 will only be used in exceptional circumstances, as the ones we are currently living in,” Regnier stated.

The €150 billion loan program is seen by the Commission as a cornerstone of its ‘Readiness 2030’ proposal to invest over €800 billion into defense across the bloc by the end of the decade when – as Brussels claims – Russia would be in a position to attack an EU-member country.

READ MORE: New German chancellor tells US to ‘stay out’ of Berlin’s affairs

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly rejected allegations that Moscow harbors aggressive intentions toward EU countries, calling it “nonsense” designed to alarm Western Europeans and legitimize major increases in defense budgets.

Mark Carney has requested the American president stop referring to his country as the 51st US state

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has claimed he asked US President Donald Trump to stop taunting his country as the 51st state during their first meeting at the White House on Tuesday.

Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of acquiring Canada and described its border with the US as “artificial.” During the meeting with Carney in the Oval Office, Trump reiterated that sentiment and said that a union between Canada and the US would be a “wonderful marriage” and could bring “tremendous” benefits.

“When you get rid of that artificially drawn line... when you look at that beautiful formation when it’s together, I’m a very artistic person,” Trump said, recalling his real estate developer background.

Carney interjected by stating that “there are some places that are never for sale,” likening Canada to the Oval Office and Buckingham Palace. 

“Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign the last several months, it’s not for sale, it won’t be for sale, ever,” the PM said, adding that the two nations could nevertheless work toward building a strong partnership together.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Carney said he had asked Trump to stop using the term 51st state and described the comments as “not useful.” At the same time, he acknowledged that Trump is the US president and “he’ll say what he wants to say.”

The meeting came days after Carney’s election victory, in which his Liberal Party secured a fourth consecutive term. Carney centered his campaign on attacking Trump over tariffs and his insistence on acquiring Canada.

At the beginning of their meeting, Trump congratulated the new prime minister and joked, “I think I was probably the greatest thing that happened to him.”

Despite ongoing tensions over tariffs, which Trump said would stay in place regardless of what Carney said, both sides ultimately described the talks as positive.

“Regardless of anything, we’re going to be friends with Canada,” the US president told reporters. 

Meanwhile, Carney called the discussions “wide-ranging” and “very constructive” and stated that trade negotiations would continue, including during the upcoming G7 summit in Canada’s Alberta province.

The European Commission has announced plans to eliminate the purchase of gas, nuclear fuel, and oil from Russia by the end of 2027

The European Commission’s plan to completely phase out Russian fuel imports violates the sovereignty of EU member states by depriving them of the right to choose their energy sources, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.

Brussels has outlined plans to end the bloc’s energy reliance on Moscow by completely eliminating imports of oil, gas, and nuclear fuel in the coming years.

Hungary obtains over 80% of its gas from Russia via pipeline, with LNG playing a supplementary role. Budapest has continued to strengthen its energy ties with Moscow despite the sanctions introduced by the EU in the wake of the Ukraine conflict.

“The forced, artificially ideological-based exclusion of natural gas, crude oil, and nuclear fuel originating from Russia will lead to severe price increases in Europe, seriously harming the sovereignty of European countries, and cause major difficulties for European companies,” Szijjarto said in a video he shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday, adding that “what was announced is absolute insanity.”

“Everyone in Brussels has lost their common sense,” the foreign minister exclaimed, emphasizing that Budapest would not allow the European Commission (EC) to violate Hungary’s sovereignty and would “uphold the right to source energy from where it reliably arrives and where it arrives at a low cost.”

Earlier in the day, the EC published a “roadmap” outlining its ambitious strategy to end reliance on Russian energy by the end of 2027. The bloc’s executive branch said it would propose legislation in June requiring all member states to draft “national plans” to terminate their imports of Russian gas, nuclear fuel, and oil.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico also criticized the plan, calling the proposal “economic suicide.” He added that Slovakia would push for changes in the legislative process.

Brussels announced its intention to wean EU members off Russian energy shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Supplies of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) have since replaced much of the cheaper pipeline gas previously delivered by Russia.

Although Russian pipeline gas supplies to the EU have plummeted, the bloc has been increasing its imports of LNG from the sanction-hit nation. Last year, Russia still accounted for around 19% of the EU’s total gas and LNG supply, according to the EC.

Boris Pistorius reportedly wants €60 billion allocated for the armed forces this year

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is seeking a major hike to the country’s military budget effective this year, Reuters has reported, citing sources.

Pistorius, the only minister to retain his role under Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government, has previously claimed that Russia may attack a NATO country and that Germany “must be ready for war by 2029.”

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the claims as “utter nonsense.”

Pistorius, according to a Reuters source, hopes for a “drastic increase” to over €60 billion ($68.21 billion) for the military in 2025, up from €51.8 billion in 2024.

In an interview in December, he proposed an annual defense budget of up to €90 billion ($102 billion) “from 2028 onwards… due to the tightened security situation.”

Total German military expenditure in 2024 actually amounted to up to €90 billion ($88 billion), the first time Berlin has met its NATO spending target.

European NATO members have been under increasing pressure from the US to boost military spending. In March, the European Commission proposed a €800 billion plan to militarize the bloc.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Pistorius in April that Washington wants “European allies to assume primary responsibility” for their security and urged his counterpart to “actualize defense spending increases.”

New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, announced a new package of armored vehicles, air-defense rockets, and howitzers for Keiv last month.

Merz also suggested he could approve delivery of long-range Taurus missiles to the Ukrainian army, a move resisted by former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for fear of escalating the conflict.

Moscow has warned that any cruise missile attack on Russian facilities or critical transport infrastructure with the assistance of the German armed forces would be seen as the country’s direct involvement in military operations.

READ MORE: Germany announces new military aid package for Ukraine

The ongoing militarization of the EU amounts to an “incitement of war on the European continent,” according to Moscow. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently said the bloc “has degraded into an openly militarized entity and become de facto a branch of NATO.”

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.

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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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