SUPREME COURT-BIRTH CONTROL
Health law birth control coverage before justices
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will consider challenges to the health care law Tuesday from Christian business owners who say the birth control mandate violates their religious beliefs.
The Obama administration says the evangelicals who own Hobby Lobby and the Mennonite owners of Conestoga Wood Specialties have personal religious rights, but their companies do not.
The companies’ lawyers disagree and maintain that Americans don’t give up their constitutional rights when they open a business. They also note that women can access birth control without their employers being forced to pay for it.
But the Obama administration says it has a compelling interest in deciding what’s covered by health insurance.
The federal appeals court in Denver ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby. Conestoga Wood lost its case at the federal appeals court in Philadelphia.
Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed)
217-w-31-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Marci Hamilton, Yeshiva University law professor)–The Supreme Court will consider challenges to the health care law, Tuesday, from business owners who say the birth control mandate violates their religious beliefs. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (23 Mar 2014)
< 218-a-16-(Alina Salganicoff, director of woman’s health policy for the Kaiser (KY’-zur) Family Foundation, at Kaiser Family Foundation forum)-“Affordable Care Act”-Alina Salganicoff, director of woman’s health policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation, says the Supreme Court will hear challenges to the health care law’s birth control mandate on Tuesday. (23 Mar 2014) < 219-a-12-(Laurie Sobel (SOH’-bul), women’s health policy analyst for the Kaiser (KY’-zur) Family Foundation, at Kaiser Family Foundation forum)-“required to do”-Laurie Sobel, women’s health policy analyst for the Kaiser Family Foundation, says the Supreme Court will consider whether corporations have religious rights that are violated by the birth control mandate. (23 Mar 2014) < 220-a-08-(Laurie Sobel (SOH’-bul), women’s health policy analyst for the Kaiser (KY’-zur) Family Foundation, at Kaiser Family Foundation forum)-“services including vaccinations”-Laurie Sobel, women’s health policy analyst for the Kaiser Family Foundation, says the cases can have an impact on more than birth control. (23 Mar 2014) < 221-a-04-(Marci Hamilton, Yeshiva University law professor, at Kaiser Family Foundation forum)-“war right now”-Yeshiva University law professor Marci Hamilton says the Supreme Court cases involve religious rights and women’s access to birth control. ((cut used in wrap)) (23 Mar 2014) < BOX OFFICE-RELIGIOUS FILMS ‘Noah,’ revival of Bible epics, finds rough seas NEW YORK (AP) — Some new faith-based films are making a splash at the box office. The surprise of the weekend was the strong performance of the independently released “God’s Not Dead.” It came in fifth in ticket sales with $8.6 million, despite playing on only 780 screens nationwide. This week, Paramount Pictures’ “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe, will attempt to cross over to mainstream audiences with a Bible tale. Opening early in Mexico and South Korea, “Noah” got off to a strong start overseas, earning $14 million. After three strong weekends, “Son of God” dropped out of the top 10 films in ticket sales, but not before earning an estimated $55.6 million. GAY MARRIAGE-MICHIGAN Gay marriages in Michigan halted by appeals court MASON, Mich. (AP) — An appeals court has reinstituted Michigan’s constitutional ban on gay marriage, but not before about 300 same-sex couples rushed to county clerk’s offices and gay-friendly churches to get hitched. The Rev. Ted Van Roekel of the Universal Life Church in Ann Arbor said, “This has been my dream since I was an ordained minister. I’ve been doing non-traditional weddings the entire time, whether it’s something like a Klingon wedding or today. Finally, finally, we can get everybody married.” But later Saturday, a federal appeals court issued a temporary stay of a Detroit federal judge’s ruling throwing out Michigan’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriages. The appeals court said the time-out will “allow a more reasoned consideration” of the state’s request to stop same-sex marriages. The Michigan governor’s office said Sunday that state agencies won’t immediately recognize same-sex marriages that were performed before the appeals court intervened. Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed) 067-a-14-(Reverend Ted Van Roekel (REHK’-uhl), Universal Life Church, in AP interview)-“get everybody married”-Reverend Ted Van Roekel says he has been waiting a long time to be able to preside over a same-sex wedding. (23 Mar 2014) < 066-a-14-(Gary Glenn, president, American Family Association of Michigan, co-author of the constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage in Michigan, in AP interview)-“have acted irrationally”-Gary Glenn, who co-authored the amendment to ban gay marriage, says the ruling to do away with the measure will be overturned. (23 Mar 2014) < IMMIGRANT RIGHTS-ACTIVIST Immigration activist Arellano returns to Chicago CHICAGO (AP) — The Mexican activist who took sanctuary at a Chicago church for a year to protest her deportation has returned. Elvira Arellano (el-VEE’-ruh ah-ray-AH’-noh) is living at Adalberto United Methodist Church, where she took sanctuary in 2006, but this time she’s not confined to the church. Arellano was released from U.S. custody Thursday as she sought permission to enter the country without legal documents. The Rev. Walter Coleman said Sunday that Arellano is taking stock before an April hearing when she’ll make her case before an immigration judge. In the meantime, she’s with her sons, a teenager who is a U.S. citizen and a baby born in Mexico. Arellano is protesting the separation of families through deportation. She wants President Barack Obama to extend deferments he gave to DREAM Act children and parents of U.S. citizen children. CHURCH-RIFLE RAFFLE NY pastor raffles rifle during Sunday service TROY, N.Y. (AP) — After a sermon connecting the “Christian values” of America’s founding fathers with the right to bear arms, an upstate New York Baptist minister has raffled off a new Smith & Wesson M&P semi-automatic rifle. Other local ministers criticized Sunday’s giveaway, but the Rev. John Koletas of Grace Baptist Church in Troy said in an online letter that he wanted to honor gun owners “who have been so viciously attacked by the anti-Christian socialist media” and politicians. The Albany Times-Union reports that the winner was 42-year-old Ron Stafford of Schenectady, who will have to go through a background check before he gets the gun. KENYA-VIOLENCE Kenya: 3 killed after gunmen fire in church NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan officials say at least three people died after gunmen opened fire in a church outside the coastal city of Mombasa. The Interior Ministry said Sunday that three gunmen opened fire inside the Joyland Church in a Mombasa suburb called Likoni, killing two people. At least 10 were wounded. A nurse at a nearby hospital said a third person died while being treated. The Interior Ministry said police were 100 yards away during the shooting and “responded swiftly” but the gunmen escaped. Kenya has suffered dozens of small attacks, many on churches, over the last several years. Muslim-Christian tensions on Kenya’s coast are high. Sunday’s shooting comes about a week after police on the coast intercepted a car packed with explosives that police believe were to be used for an attack. NIGERIA-POPE President says Pope Francis to visit Nigeria ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s president says Pope Francis is promising to visit Africa’s most populous nation. A statement from President Goodluck Jonathan’s office doesn’t give any timing for the visit proposed when Jonathan met the Roman Catholic leader at the Vatican over the weekend. It says they discussed poverty alleviation and inter-faith dialogue. Nigeria’s population is divided almost equally between Muslims and Christians who periodically clash in deadly confrontations. Catholics make up about a quarter of the nation’s Christians, an estimated 21 million Nigerians. Many other Christians belong to evangelical churches that have been winning converts from traditional churches. Pope Francis has committed to travel to the Holy Land and South Korea this year and said he wants to visit the Philippines and Sri Lanka in coming years. His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, visited Africa twice. VATICAN-CHURCH ABUSE Pope announces 1st members of sex abuse commission VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has announced the initial members of a commission to advise him on sex abuse policy, tapping lay and religious experts to start plotting the commission’s scope. The eight members were announced after Francis came under criticism from victims’ groups for a perceived lack of attention to the abuse scandal, which has seriously damaged the church’s reputation and has cost dioceses billions of dollars in legal fees. The Vatican in December announced that Francis had decided to create the commission to advise the church on best policies to protect children, train church personnel and keep abusers out of the clergy. It’s unclear if the commission will deal with the issue of disciplining bishops who cover up for abusers. Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed) 142-a-16-(Father John Wauck, Communications professor, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, in AP interview)-“these difficult situations”-Communications expert at a Roman Catholic university Father John Wauck says Pope Francis has set a commission for the protection of minors to give him advice about the problem of sexual abuse within the church. (23 Mar 2014) < 143-a-12-(Father John Wauck, Communications professor, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, in AP interview)-“commission will be”-Communications expert at a Roman Catholic university Father John Wauck says activities of the new commission which is to advise the pope on sex abuse policy are still to be defined. (23 Mar 2014) < 144-a-17-(Father John Wauck, Communications professor, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, in AP interview)-“of the church”-Communications expert at a Roman Catholic university Father John Wauck says Pope Francis is determined to make the church a model for the whole world in the handling of the abuse of minors. ((note length of cut)) (23 Mar 2014) < FRANCE-CROWN OF THORNS Jesus’ “Crown of Thorns” shown at Notre Dame PARIS (AP) — An ancient relic that some Christians believe was Jesus Christ’s “Crown of Thorns” has made a special public appearance at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The crown — a circular band of branches encased in a gilded, golden tube — was displayed for three days to mark the 800th anniversary of the birthday and christening of King Louis IX of France, who acquired it in 1239. The relic was first mentioned by Jerusalem pilgrims in the 5th century and was transferred to Constantinople in the 10th century. The artifact has appeared in special ceremonies a handful of times in the last hundred years: in 1997, and in 1939 on the eve of World War II, to celebrate seven centuries since it came to France. US SENATE-HARRIS Harris needs Christian right for GOP NC Senate win ROBBINS, N.C. (AP) — U.S. Senate candidate Mark Harris says he can unite the three streams of Republicans in North Carolina — business, tea party and social conservatives — and win the GOP nomination to face Democratic incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan. The Charlotte pastor calls himself the “bridge candidate,” but he’ll need the votes of like-minded Christians if he hopes to win the primary. Harris has a connection to them as the former Baptist State Convention president and spokesman for the group that rallied voters to pass a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in 2012. His chief rivals are House Speaker Thom Tillis and obstetrician Greg Brannon. Harris says he’s got business experience because he’s managed multimillion dollar church budgets. He also expresses admiration for tea party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz. NAVY-PLAYER COLLAPSES Navy RB remains hospitalized after collapse ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The family of Navy running back Will McKamey says the freshman remained hospitalized Sunday after collapsing one day earlier during spring practice. In a statement released by the Naval Academy, the McKamey family said, “There is no new news. We still have only small responses from Will.” McKamey was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Unit after his collapse. The family says: “Our God is using Will for a huge platform right now” and that Navy football players and coaches “all here and doing everything in their power to pull Will through.” McKamey, a member of the Third Company at Navy, is a 2013 graduate of Grace Christian Academy in Tennessee. He was an All-State selection and as a senior was named Mr. Football for the state.
