1. From Aid to the Church in Need: In Iraq, Christians return home — also for the sake of the children of the diaspora

2. USA Today: Most Americans don’t want a standing ovation for abortions until birth. But Democrats do.

And Ashley McGuire wrote that before the Virginia governor’s radio interview this morning!

And that “discussion” would presumably be about whether to let the newborn child live? Good grief. https://t.co/tlVbRckgHo — Brit Hume (@brithume) January 30, 2019

I suspect no reader of this website missed how this started yesterday in the Virginia statehouse.

These videos should get around far and wide. This has been what the debate has been about for quite some time. Princeton’s Peter Singer was never really an outlier, he took things to their logical conclusion. The days of euphemisms seem to be ending, and that should be embraced. And it’s a challenge not just to the Democratic party, to free itself from this extremism. It’s a challenge to everyone to get serious about good-faith efforts to defend innocent human life, to help women and families. To lift up and join the people on the frontlines walking with women feeling desperate, and, yes, beyond birth.



Efforts like this one in New York. If you haven’t read about Cheryl Calire and the Mother Teresa Home, here you are.


I talked pro-life heroes with Don DeMarco, the author of a book on them, recently, here.

Lisa Wheeler talks about helping on the foster care front here.

Just some of many examples of people stepping up to the plate.


3.

My oldest son was born at 28 weeks, fighting for life and with severe health issues, in a Russian village. I thank God every day his birthmother did not share the ghoulish view of his worth and dignity that we are hearing today. — Russell Moore (@drmoore) January 30, 2019

4. AP: Lyft rider arrested in killing of pregnant driver in Arizona

Lord, have mercy. And not unrelated, obviously.

5. I hope that he’s wrong, but if he were, Hillary Clinton would have downplayed abortion instead of doubled down in the last general election:

Every Democratic presidential aspirant needs to be asked whether he or she supports or opposes the Virginia Democrats' abortion bill. My guess: the Party is now so extreme, so fanatical, that every candidate–even Biden–will, if pressed, bite the bullet and support the bill. https://t.co/lCjHQWySSY — Robert P. George (@McCormickProf) January 30, 2019

6.

I have agreed when liberal friends say that pro-lifers should care more about the elderly, refugees, criminal justice reform & the addicted. Will my liberal friends (who care about these other moral issues) agree that vulnerable babies have inherent dignity and the right to life? — Matt Lewis (@mattklewis) January 30, 2019

7.

after reading the shocking and horrifying news of bills pushing for abortion up to the moment of birth, nothing heals the soul quite like sitting in the NICU and witnessing the compassionate and loving care given to incredibly premature babies — Tommy Tighe (@theghissilent) January 30, 2019

8.

"My children are not biologically mine, but my heart doesn’t know the difference." Kameca and her husband, Jamar, of Mississippi, adopted Elias and Niyah through our Wendy's Wonderful Kids program. Read their story https://t.co/95CwP5tlv7 #Adoption #FosterCare pic.twitter.com/I55IQIKTBb — DaveThomasFoundation (@DTFA) January 30, 2019

9. Relatedly, I have an interview up with J.D. Flynn, who is editor-in-chief of the Catholic News Service and has two adopted children with Down syndrome. I think he and his wife are pretty remarkable. But he knows his children are remarkable and I hope the Q&A might be helpful for some of you to read — if need to see some hopeful witness to real love and protection of the innocents, among other things. And do hear his pitch about the gift that is his daughter and son with Down syndrome being in Catholic school, which takes some extra efforts.

We talk about some other things in the news as you might imagine, too, since he’s a Catholic journalist.


10. Opportunities: Deadline is Friday: Apply for the GIVEN Forum — a leadership conference for young Catholic women (or share the information with a young Catholic woman in your life).

11. And a Middle East leadership education networking opportunity from the Philos Project with the same deadline.

12.

I glanced out my window down into the street as the storm started up and saw this. It looks like a vinyl record album. Or a corporeal manifestation of the polar vortex. Whatever. It's beautiful. pic.twitter.com/vY7l3qhrGr — Sheila O'Malley (@sheilakathleen) January 30, 2019

Try and stay safe and warm. And try to help people you see out there who aren’t. Some socks or scarves or gift cards in your purse jacket pocket isn’t a revolution, but a start.

PLUS:

My fortnightly column in OSV Newsweekly is up today, about this abortion extremism.

Also, related: January 22, every day

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