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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Donald Trump, that most unconventional of presidential candidates, last spring pledged that he would act perfectly presidential when the time was right....
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) -- This might be one time that Tiger Woods doesn't measure success on the golf course by the score on his card....
HAVANA (AP) -- Regional leaders and tens of thousands of Cubans jammed the Plaza of the Revolution on Tuesday night, celebrating Fidel Castro on the spot where he delivered fiery speeches to mammoth crowds in the years after he seized power....
GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) -- With flames dripping from tree branches and the air filled with embers, thousands of people raced through a hellish landscape as they fled wildfires that killed three people and destroyed hundreds of homes and a resort in the Great Smoky Mountains....
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea's three main opposition parties agreed Wednesday to stick to their plans to impeach President Park Geun-hye, dismissing as a stalling tactic her offer to resign if parliament arranges a safe transfer of power....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Air conditioning company Carrier Corp. said Tuesday that it had reached a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence planned to travel to the state Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials....
Washington D.C., Nov 29, 2016 / 05:09 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pro-life groups praised President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would name Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services.“In particular, Rep. Price’s strong pro-life values and record to match make him the right man to reform an agency that has been marred by its aggressive abortion agenda,” said Ashley McGuire, senior fellow with The Catholic Association.“We are confident that Rep. Price will finally put an end to the anti-religious liberty HHS mandate, as well as introduce comprehensive reforms to restore the agency as one that genuinely promotes health care that respects human life and dignity,” she said in a statement.As a member of Congress, Price has received a 100 percent rating from the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List. Before his time as a six-term congressman, Price was an orthopedic surgeon who also taught doctors-in-training at the...
Washington D.C., Nov 29, 2016 / 05:09 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pro-life groups praised President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would name Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“In particular, Rep. Price’s strong pro-life values and record to match make him the right man to reform an agency that has been marred by its aggressive abortion agenda,” said Ashley McGuire, senior fellow with The Catholic Association.
“We are confident that Rep. Price will finally put an end to the anti-religious liberty HHS mandate, as well as introduce comprehensive reforms to restore the agency as one that genuinely promotes health care that respects human life and dignity,” she said in a statement.
As a member of Congress, Price has received a 100 percent rating from the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List. Before his time as a six-term congressman, Price was an orthopedic surgeon who also taught doctors-in-training at the Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
“There is much work to be done to ensure we have a healthcare system that works for patients, families, and doctors; that leads the world in the cure and prevention of illness; and that is based on sensible rules to protect the well-being of the country while embracing its innovative spirit,” he stated on Tuesday.
While in Congress, Price sponsored a bill that was the Republicans’ answer to the Affordable Care Act. The Empowering Patients First Act of 2015 sought unsuccessfully to repeal the health care law and replace it with a new policy.
The Susan B. Anthony List hailed the “excellent choice” of Rep. Price on Tuesday, noting his “pro-life record” and his efforts in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood.
“As HHS Secretary, he will play a key role in developing a robust health care reform proposal that protects life and consciences, while promoting options for low-income individuals and families,” the group added.
Price’s appointment is significant for two reasons. If he replaces the current health care law, his policy could impact millions, especially those who purchased insurance on the state exchanges, received federal subsidies for insurance, or obtained coverage through Medicare.
Additionally, Price’s department could do away with the law’s controversial mandate that virtually all employers must contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortion-inducing drugs in their health plans.
Price’s Empowering Patients First Act of 2015 would have replaced the health care law’s insurance mandate with tax credits for buying insurance. It would have prohibited insurers from denying coverage to patients with pre-existing conditions, provided they had 18 continuous months of coverage preceding their plan switch. And it would have allowed for federal grants to states with high-risk insurance pools.
Regarding these “high-risk insurance pools,” they were previously set up in 35 states before the health care law, but were “basically health insurance ghettos for people with pre-existing conditions – and expensive, poor quality ghettos at that,” wrote Sabrina Corlette of Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute, in a Nov. 16 blog post.
This was because the pools only included people with serious health conditions, and so the insurance costs were high, she explained. The coverage was also “limited” and “high-deductible,” which meant that patients had to pay a lot out-of-pocket for medical expenses before their insurance kicked in.
Regarding the health care law’s birth control mandate, which spurred lawsuits from hundreds of religious non-profits and business owners claiming it infringed upon their religious beliefs, Price, in 2012 told a reporter “this is a trampling on religious freedom and religious liberty in this country.”
His 2015 bill would do away with such a mandate, along with all similar religious freedom conflicts: “Prohibits discrimination against any individual or health care entity that does not provide, cover, or pay for abortions, and allows for accommodations of the conscientious objection of a purchaser or health care provider when a procedure is contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of such purchaser or provider.”
CNA reached out to Rep. Price’s office for further comment, including what he would do about the mandate as HHS Secretary, but did not receive a reply by deadline.
The U.S. Bishops’ Conference has spoken out about health care in the past, ultimately disapproving of the 2010 health care law because of concerns that taxpayer dollars would fund abortions in the plans set up under the law.
However, the conference approved of the law’s expansion of Medicaid in the states and its goal of affordable health coverage for all.
“For decades, the bishops have consistently insisted that access to decent health care is a basic safeguard of human life and an affirmation of human dignity from conception until natural death,” a 2013 statement by the bishops’ Office of Domestic Social Development read.
“They have advocated that health care reform legislation should 1) ensure access to quality, affordable, life giving health care for all; 2) retain longstanding requirements that federal funds not be used for elective abortions or plans that include them, and effectively protects conscience rights; and 3) protect the access to health care that immigrants currently have and remove current barriers to access,” the statement continued.
In November 2009, the bishops’ conference wrote in a letter to the U.S. Senate, “The bishops support the expansion of Medicaid eligibility for people living at 133 percent or lower of the federal poverty level.”
IMAGE: CNS photo/Gregory A. ShemitzBy Theresa LaurenceNASHVILLE,Tenn. (CNS) -- As the American people continue to unpack exactly what theelection of Donald Trump means for the country, those who work with vulnerablepopulations such as refugees and immigrants have serious concerns and questionsabout what the future holds.President-electTrump made the issue of immigration one of the foundations of his campaign. Hepromised to round up those in the country without legal permission and deport them,and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; he also talked about enacting aban on Muslims entering the country until a system for what he called "extreme vetting"of refugees can be put in place.Inthe days following Trump's election as president, the Catholic Charities Officeof Refugee Resettlement in the Diocese of Nashville began receiving calls fromschool counselors seeking assistance for how to talk with refugee children whoare afraid of being sent back to the countries they fled. "These ...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz
By Theresa Laurence
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) -- As the American people continue to unpack exactly what the election of Donald Trump means for the country, those who work with vulnerable populations such as refugees and immigrants have serious concerns and questions about what the future holds.
President-elect Trump made the issue of immigration one of the foundations of his campaign. He promised to round up those in the country without legal permission and deport them, and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; he also talked about enacting a ban on Muslims entering the country until a system for what he called "extreme vetting" of refugees can be put in place.
In the days following Trump's election as president, the Catholic Charities Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Diocese of Nashville began receiving calls from school counselors seeking assistance for how to talk with refugee children who are afraid of being sent back to the countries they fled. "These are calls we haven't gotten before," said Kellye Branson, Refugee Resettlement department director.
"We want to calm their fears," Branson said, noting that anyone who arrived in the country through the refugee resettlement program is here legally and faces no imminent threat of deportation. However, "we're kind of in a holding position, waiting to see what policy implications are for the future," she told the Tennessee Register, Nashville's diocesan newspaper.
The president has the authority to set the number of refugees accepted annually by the United States. President Barack Obama has raised it from 70,000 in 2015 to 85,000 in 2016 to 110,000 for 2017. Trump could reduce that number for future years.
Catholic Charities of Tennessee has decades of experience resettling refugees in this state. Since its founding in 1962, it has assisted refugees and asylum seekers and helped them assimilate to American culture and the local community. Catholic Charities has helped resettle 637 refugees in the Nashville area so far this year, including refugees from Congo, Somalia and Syria.
While the world's refugees wait and hope to be resettled in a more stable and secure country, those who work with refugees in Tennessee are taking steps to clear up misconceptions about who refugees are and the rigorous process they must undergo to reach the United States.
Refugees are defined as individuals who have had to leave their home country because of a well-founded fear of persecution. They are targeted because of their religious or political beliefs, or membership in a particular social class.
Branson pointed out that the refugee resettlement program "is the most secure way of entering the U.S. It's a lengthy process."
First, a refugee reports to a representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. If a refugee is seeking entry into the U.S., he or she will undergo vetting from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the State Department. This involves extensive interviews and background checks, with a particular focus on any signs of radicalization or connection with a terrorist group, which would immediately disqualify that person from entry into the U.S.
Branson understands that Americans are concerned about national security and the integrity of the refugee resettlement program.
"We want it to be secure too," she said. "The people resettling are fleeing the same people we don't want to enter the country. We want to safely and humanely resettle the people who have been persecuted most throughout the world." She also noted that less than 1 percent of refugees worldwide ever get resettled.
One positive outcome of the election so far, Branson said, is a surge in calls from people interested in volunteering with the Refugee Resettlement office. In the two days following the election, her office received about 20 calls from interested volunteers, the same amount they normally receive in a month.
"Now more than ever, Americans and longtime residents are needed to reach out to our new arrivals and offer a hand of friendship and welcome," Branson said.
If newly arrived refugees can make personal connections with American volunteers, it can make for a smoother transition to a new culture, help them learn English and make them feel like a part of the community more quickly. "Developing those connections is a huge thing for our clients," Branson said.
Donna Gann, program coordinator of Immigration Services for Catholic Charities of Tennessee, said her clients are anxious as well. "There has been an increase in calls wanting to know what's going to happen now," she said.
Maggie McCluney, a caseworker with the agency's Immigration and Hispanic Family Services, echoed Gann, saying that since the election, "it is especially difficult to keep up with inquiries. Many clients are concerned about deportation and separation of families. There is a lot of uncertainty."
If clients have their paperwork in order and are applying for citizenship, "we are hopeful that any process currently pending will continue without (increased) scrutiny," Gann said via email. "The only clients we are really concerned about are the DACA recipients," Gann said, referring to those who are currently protected under Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Many immigrants in the country without legal permission who fall under that protection were brought to the United States by their parents as young children and may not even remember living in their country of origin.
More than 720,000 of these young immigrants have been approved for that program, which protects them from deportation for two-year periods and grants them work permits. Since DACA was created by executive order, it could be rescinded by executive order under the new Trump administration, which officially begins with Inauguration Day Jan. 20.
During his campaign, Trump vowed to undo what he called Obama's "overreaching" executive orders on immigration. "If the threats come to fruition, then they could be under removal proceedings," Gann said of those currently protected under DACA and DAPA, the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program. "That will be an issue we will continue to review and fight hard against," she added.
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Laurence is a staff writer at the Tennessee Register, newspaper of Diocese of Nashville.
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Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.
IMAGE: CNS photo/St. Anthony MessengerBy CINCINNATI (CNS) -- In what cameto be her final interview, actress Florence Henderson told St. AnthonyMessenger magazine that throughout her life, through good times and bad, herCatholic faith was her foundation."I don't ever remember notpraying. Bedtime prayers, the rosary, praying for friends, relatives, for thesick and for those who had died. It was a natural part of our lives," she toldwriter Rita E. Piro, who interviewed the popular actress in August. The story appearsin the January 2017 issue of the magazine, published by Cincinnati-basedFranciscan Media.Henderson, who died unexpectedlyNov. 24 at age 82, was best known for her role as Carol Brady in the 1970ssitcom "The Brady Bunch." Originally broadcast from 1969 to 1974, the programhas never been off the air and has been syndicated in over 122 countries. Itremains one of the most beloved and most watched family shows of all time."I frequently am contacted bypeople who want to thank me...
IMAGE: CNS photo/St. Anthony Messenger
By
CINCINNATI (CNS) -- In what came to be her final interview, actress Florence Henderson told St. Anthony Messenger magazine that throughout her life, through good times and bad, her Catholic faith was her foundation.
"I don't ever remember not praying. Bedtime prayers, the rosary, praying for friends, relatives, for the sick and for those who had died. It was a natural part of our lives," she told writer Rita E. Piro, who interviewed the popular actress in August. The story appears in the January 2017 issue of the magazine, published by Cincinnati-based Franciscan Media.
Henderson, who died unexpectedly Nov. 24 at age 82, was best known for her role as Carol Brady in the 1970s sitcom "The Brady Bunch." Originally broadcast from 1969 to 1974, the program has never been off the air and has been syndicated in over 122 countries. It remains one of the most beloved and most watched family shows of all time.
"I frequently am contacted by people who want to thank me for 'The Brady Bunch,'" she told Piro. "Whether they grew up during the show's original television run or are brand-new fans of the present generation, they tell me how important 'The Brady Bunch' has been in their lives. I wanted to portray Carol as a loving, fun, affectionate mother, and it seemed to resonate with a lot of people who maybe had the same situation I did growing up. To think that something I was involved in had such a positive effect on the lives of so many people is satisfying beyond words."
Her most important role, though, she said, was Mom to her own four children -- Barbara, Joseph, Robert and Elizabeth. "My children and their happiness have always been my greatest concern," she said.
She described her children to Piro as "the nicest people you could ever meet" and "very spiritual people."
"Being a mom makes you far more compassionate. You have more empathy for people, more love," Henderson added. I was always taught to say thank you and I'm very grateful. And my kids have that quality, too."
In the interview Henderson said that from time to time, she found herself questioning her faith, mainly in instances unrelated to her career.
As a new mother, the actress experienced repeated bouts of postpartum depression, Piro reported. During the mid-1960s, Henderson was diagnosed with a hereditary bone deformity of the middle ear and needed surgery to prevent deafness. Stage fright and insomnia also were present in her life.
"The loss of family and friends, especially her siblings, weighed heavily upon her, as well as a natural fear of her own mortality," said Piro.
Born the youngest of 10 children in tiny Dale, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Owensboro, Kentucky, young Florence later moved with her family about 25 miles away to Rockport, Indiana.
Piro noted that little Florence was a natural at singing from age 2, but she "had little to sing about" growing up with her nine siblings in extreme poverty during the Great Depression. "But that didn't keep her from developing a deep love for her faith," which sustained her through life, Piro wrote.
Henderson was educated by Benedictine nuns and priests in St. Meinrad and Ferdinand, Indiana. (She had a priest in the family; her uncle, Jesuit Father Charles Whelan, taught constitutional law at Fordham University.) In the St. Anthony Messenger interview, Henderson talked at length about her first-grade teacher ?- Benedictine Sister Gemma.
After high school, with the help of a close friend and her wealthy family, Henderson was enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City -- which launched her long acting career.
She made her debut on Broadway as the star of "Fanny" in 1952. She played Maria in the original version of "The Sound of Music,'' also on Broadway. She starred in several touring productions, including "South Pacific" and "Oklahoma!" She made numerous appearances on television, in film and live music shows.
Henderson's last television performance was with Maureen McCormick (who had played daughter Marsha Brady) on "Dancing With the Stars" on ABC Sept. 19. McCormick was a contestant, and Henderson took part in a Brady Bunch-themed performance. Henderson competed on the show herself in 2010.
In a 1994 interview with Mark Pattison, media editor at Catholic News Service, Henderson lovingly recalled her role as Carol Brady and "The Brady Bunch" legacy.
She said that perhaps because of her wholesome image, parents approached her to ask if certain TV shows were good for their children to watch. "They're responsible for this little soul they've brought into the world and they wonder what's being taught,'' she told CNS.
"Very few people in our business have been a part of something that everyone seems to feel with great affection. They really love the characters. They love Carol Brady, everyone in it. And that it's still going strong after so many years absolutely amazes me,'' she said.
The show "represents what everyone wants in life, and that is a loving family, unconditional love, a place to make mistakes, to get angry, to be forgiven, to forgive,'' Henderson said.
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Editor's Note: More information about St. Anthony Messenger and how to get the complete article on Florence Henderson is available at www.franciscanmedia.org/source/saint-anthony-messenger.
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Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.
