This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The Shroud of Turin, a mysterious linen cloth with a haunting image of a crucified man, believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus, is a 2,000-year-old relic, a new study reveals.
That would make it possible that it is such a significant relic, contrary to other studies that have dated it hundreds of years newer.
A report from Newsweek said the journal Heritage has published a study by Italian researchers that ascribed the two-millennia-old age to the cloth.
"The Shroud, which has long been the subject of intense scrutiny, features a faint image of man that some believe is the body of Jesus miraculously imprinted onto the cloth. While the latest study does not discuss the question of whether or not the artifact was indeed Jesus' burial shroud, the authors did find that its age is roughly consistent with his time," the report explained.
A radiocarbon study done in the 1980s suggested the linen dates to the 1200s or 1300s A.D., which would be about the time of the artifact's first appearance in France, the report said.
But experts who worked on the study outlined by Heritage said the tests might have been flawed due to contamination of the tested material.
The report explained the newest details: "Such arguments revolving the contamination hypothesis have previously been challenged as well. In the Heritage study, lead researcher Liberato De Caro, from the Institute of Crystallography in Italy, and colleagues employed a novel method for dating ancient linen threads by inspecting their structural degradations using a technique known as Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering. This was applied to a small sample from the Shroud, which currently resides in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy."
The study said the results showed the cloth was "compatible" with results from other linens dating to about 55-74 A.D.
The report said since the results differ from the conclusions of earlier carbon-dating, more tests are needed.
WND columnist Jerry Newcombe this year reported on the cloth, 14 feet by 3 feet, that "contains the image of a man who was badly scourged, was crucified, wore a crown of thorns and was stabbed in the chest with a Roman lance. Of course, all of these wounds fit what the Bible says happened to Jesus. Is the Shroud of Turin Jesus' actual 'clean linen shroud' given to Him in death by Joseph of Arimathea?"
He reported at the time experts, like the late Alan Whanger, M.D., of Duke Medical Center, confirmed the Shroud is "the most intensely studied single object in existence. There are probably 67 different fields of scientific and academic interests that have looked into the Shroud in one way in another."
Further, he confirmed it is scientific proof "something so extraordinary happened that there doesn't seem to be anything else in human history that would fit."
Newcombe also reported on a challenge:
"British filmmaker David Rolfe issued a million-dollar challenge: Make an accurate replica with the means available to a supposed Medieval forger, and you can win a million dollars."
The deadline for that challenge already has passed.
It was The Shroud of Turin Research Project that already has confirmed the image "is that of a real human form of a scourged, crucified man. It is not the product of an artist."
Further, the image is a photographic negative, 500 years before photography was developed.
Also, WND reported several years back that a researcher explained how the Carbon-14 dating used on the linen was faulty. The testing apparently used material that was used to repair the Shroud after a fire in the 16th century.
Those who suggest it is Jesus' burial cloth have explained the image was embedded into the fibers by a process that has not yet been explained, possibly a surge of energy.
Matthew 27:57-60 records: "When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."
The Shroud is a sepia-colored cloth woven in a three-to-one herringbone twill composed of flax fibrils with the front and the back image of a naked man with his hands folded across his groin.
Other researchers have said there are bloodstains that came from someone who was suffering extreme injury and pain.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The 20-year-old sniper who tried to assassinate President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last month, now dead at the hands of police, was using a multitude of overseas messaging apps – all encrypted, according to a new report.
The Daily Wire said it was Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., who is on a congressional committee investigating that planned violence, who reported the unusual aspect of the online life of Thomas Matthew Crooks.
"Why does a 19-year-old kid who is a health care aide need encrypted platforms not even based in the United States, but based abroad, where most terrorist organizations know it is harder for our law enforcement to get into? That's a question I've had since day one," he explained to reporters at the time.
The report noted the retired Green Beret then "ripped the FBI and Secret Service for not releasing more information from the investigations into the attempted assassination."
Crooks, from the roof of an unguarded building adjacent to Trump's rally, actually got off multiple shots at Trump, with one grazing his ear.
Trump was blanketed by the Secret Service but immediately got up, raising his fist in the air and shouting, "Fight, fight, fight," in what almost certainly will become one of the most recognized photographic images of the decade.
Waltz explained the investigators have not "learned that much" about Crooks' accounts, but he did reveal they were based in Belgium, Germany, and New Zealand.
The New York Post said the apps allow for text messages to travel through and be encrypted so that only can be read on a recipient's device.
"They need to be releasing information as they come across it because this wasn't an isolated incident," he said. "The threats are continually Iran's threats."
There have been confirmed reports that Iran was trying to orchestrate an attempt on Trump's life just at the Time Crooks' fired his shots.
The congressional committee has 13 members, including seven Republicans, and already has questioned leaders of the Secret Service and the FBI over the security failures that day.
Former President Donald Trump announced that his youngest son, Barron Trump, will attend college in New York, the New York Post reported in an exclusive. He has not disclosed which institution, though there is speculation it will be New York University.
Barron Trump graduated from high school in May but has not announced his plans for higher education yet. The news outlet asked Trump about Barron's intentions while the GOP presidential nominee campaigned in Michigan.
Trump noted that Barron, who was accepted to several schools, would be attending college in the Empire State. "He’s all set in a certain school that’s very good," Trump said.
When asked whether it was New York University, Trump did not deny it but just smiled at the reporter. "He’s always been a very good student; he’s smart," Trump said.
The youngest Trump child comes from a family of businessmen and, with his father's 2016 presidential win, a political pedigree as well. Yet Trump said that Barron has little interest in politics, though there are signs that might be changing.
"He’s a little on the tall side. I will tell you, he’s a tall one, but he is a good-looking guy," Trump began about Barron, who stands at 6 feet 7 inches, on the "Kayal and Company" show on 1210 WPHT radio in May.
"And he’s really been a great student. And he does like politics. It’s sort of funny," Trump added. "He’ll tell me sometimes, 'Dad, this is what you have to do.'"
The former president and his wife, Melania, have been notoriously private about their son, who is the only child of the former first lady. However, Barron made his first campaign appearance for his father at a campaign event in Doral, Florida, in June.
According to The Hill, Trump introduced Barron to an eager crowd. "You’re pretty popular; he might be more popular than Don and Eric; we gotta talk about this. Hey Don, we gotta talk about this," Trump said, referring to his adult sons.
Barron did not speak at the Florida rally and backed out of attending the Republican National Convention. However, his singular move edging toward the world of politics could be a sign of things to come.
As noted by the BBC, Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump, Jr., has become an unofficial spokesman for his father. He also may have had a hand in picking his vice presidential running mate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.
Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump's next eldest child, played a prominent role in his administration's policymaking. She has mostly stepped away from politics while her younger brother, Eric Trump, continues influencing his father's political and business decisions.
The in-laws have also played a prominent role in Donald Trump's political life. Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, was a member of Trump's administration, while Donald Trump Jr.'s fiance, Kimberly Guilfoyle, remains a public supporter of the former president.
Barron undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of him, including the opportunity to attend a top-tier educational institution. However, it remains unknown whether he will follow in his father's political footsteps after that.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
U.S. House Rep. Laurel Lee, R–Fla., slammed the Biden administration for attempting to shift the blame for the crisis at the southern border onto the GOP and former President Donald Trump.
At the Democratic National Convention, President Joe Biden implied during his address that the border crisis was Trump's fault because Trump called senators to nix his bi-partisan border bill.
During an interview with Maria Bartiromo, Fox News host of "Mornings with Maria," the congresswoman stated it was the Biden-Harris administration that allowed the crisis to happen in the first place when they ended Trump-era policies.
"The person who is lying about the reality on the southern border, is very clearly President Biden, and the American people see this. They understand that it's the last three and a half years, and the lawless policies of the Biden–Harris administration that have led us to this day," Lee told Bartiromo.
Lee noted that Biden put an end to Trump's "Migrant Protection Protocols," also known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy.
"So, there are two things that are important here, the first is that Joe Biden immediately upon taking office, suspended the policies that we know were working from the Trump administration, remained in Mexico, and this absolute corruption of the asylum system is what led us to the chaos that we see at the southern border."
In 2020, there were 20,000 migrants processed under the Remain in Mexico program. By the end of 2021, the U.S. Solicitor General told the Supreme Court that the Department of Homeland Security processed more than 671,000 migrants under the traditional process.
"He designated Kamala Harris as his border czar and put her in charge of getting control of what was happening down there. And the American people know what happened next, the millions of people crossing, the known people from the terror watch list, the human trafficking, fentanyl, the absolute disaster in his failure of leadership, and his failure to respect the law," Lee said.
Bartiromo added Biden said on Day One in office that he was going to stop all deportations. Lee responded by saying Biden is now trying to shift the blame for the border to House Republicans and Trump.
"Well, I think what he's doing now is trying to shift blame to House Republicans and President Trump, and that is an absurdity. So in addition to the power that he had to act by executive order, House Republicans sent the strongest border bill in a generation over to the Senate, where Senate Democrats failed to act," Lee said.
According to a 2021 report from Fox News, Customs and Border Patrol data show assault and domestic crimes committed by illegal migrants shot up by 400%, while homicides or manslaughter convictions committed by illegal migrants increased by 1,900% over the previous year of 2020.
"The American citizens, these innocent people who have been victims of crime, as a consequence of our absolute failure to vet and control the type of people who are coming here. This administration doesn't even know who they are, or where they are, and they've produced no plan for identifying these people or for keeping Americans safe," Lee said.
Lee is on the House Judiciary Committee, and the Homeland Security Committee, and said through her experience on those committees, she is expecting an uptick in gang violence if Harris wins the election this November.
"What we know is that when we fail to secure our border, the Mexican drug cartel will take control, and that is exactly what has happened. We know of over 400 people from the terror watch list who have entered this country. That's just the ones we know about. It poses a grave threat to our domestic security in America," Lee said.
Lee added the only solution to this problem is to reelect Trump.
"We've allowed them to come in, we failed to keep track of where they are, so absolutely, there is a grave threat to the security of our country, and it is one that they have not got under control. We need to put President Trump back in the White House, and return to those policies that will keep our border secure," Lee said.
Biden made a plethora of false claims during his DNC speech, and repeatedly called Trump a liar, despite the data proving otherwise.
"I never thought I would stand in front of a crowd of Democrats, and refer to the president as a liar so many times. No, I'm not trying to be funny, it's sad. Trump continues to lie about the border. Here's what he won't tell you, Trump killed the strongest bi-partisan border deal in the history of the United States," Biden said, "That we negotiated with the Senate Republicans in four weeks. Once it passed, they never acknowledged those expansive border changes in American history. He called senators to say 'Don't support the bipartisan bill,' he said it would help me politically, and hurt him politically. My God."
Biden took credit for the recent drop in encounters, however, the executive order he enacted in June, is very similar to Trump's remain-in-Mexico policy – the same policy Biden ended on his first day in office.
"Typically Trump once again putting himself first, and America last. I had to take executive action, and the result of the executive action I took was – that border encounters have dropped by over 50% there are fewer border crossings today than when Donald Trump left office, and unlike Trump, we will not demonize immigrants, saying they're the poison of blood of America. Poison the blood of our country. Kamala and I are committed to strengthening legal immigration, including protecting DREAMERS and more," Biden said.
A report from the Homeland Security Committee published in May 2024, details how the Biden administration officials are on track to hit 10 million illegal migrant encounters by the end of the fiscal year.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Liberty Counsel has announced it is bringing a free speech fight to the Idaho Army National Guard demanding the organization "restore" the career of an infantry officer who was removed from command and illegally pressured to resign because of a soldier's complaints about the officer's statements regarding his personal Christian beliefs.
The statements were made as the officer explained on his private social media his perspectives on gender ideology and the sexualization of children. The officer argued against graphic and obscene children's books in a library, "drag" events in libraries and schools and said "no child is born in the wrong body."
He also objected to "the medical mutilation of gender-confused children."
The comments upset a "subordinate senior enlisted man" who promptly complained about being offended.
"I feel like I have been discriminated against because of my sexual orientation and that is [sic] has caused a hostile work environment. The purpose of this complaint is to bring to your attention several instances in which I believe I have faced discriminatory treatment based on my sexual orientation. I am deeply concerned about the hostile and prejudiced behavior I have experienced, which has adversely affected my well-being, work performance, and overall sense of belonging within the workplace/organization," the complaint claimed.
The subordinate, who "claims to be homosexual," prompted the National Guard's negative actions against the officer, Liberty Counsel said.
Liberty Counsel's first intervention in the case has been to notify Gov. Brad Little of the free speech violations.
"In this instance, the Idaho Army National Guard has violated the First Amendment, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Idaho Constitution, and the Free Exercise of Religious Protection Act. In addition, it has become evident that this military branch seeks to implement a policy of discrimination against the religious beliefs of enlisted personnel," the legal team explained.
The solution, it said, is for the "Idaho Army National Guard must 'unsubstantiate' the discriminatory investigating officer's findings and recommendations; reject the discriminatory policy regarding religious speech; dismiss the frivolous subordinate senior enlisted man's complaint and restore the officer's career."
The subordinate's complaint also said, "I must emphasize that this has created an uncomfortable, unsafe, and a hostile work environment, making it increasingly challenging for me to perform my duties effectively. With the active ties to the extremist/hate group, it makes me feel threatened and unsafe. All the posts on his social media and how public he is about his hate towards individuals like me and my family. Not just for me but for my husband and my child."
The legal team explained as a Christian, the officer "believes all people are made in God's image and have inherent dignity and are worthy of respect. He is committed to serving those under his command, regardless of political or religious disagreements, and would give his life in defense of his state and nation."
The National Guard removed him from command because of the feelings of offense expressed by the subordinate.
Then officials pressured him to quit, and shortly after launched a formal investigation "based on the unconstitutional complaint."
It took a year, but that resulted in a recommendation he be permanently barred from command. Further, the investigating officer revealed his perspective of enlisted personnel "who hold traditional moral values" are "extremists."
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "Gov. Brad Little must ensure that the Idaho Army National Guard uphold federal and state law and protect the free speech of enlisted personnel. This discrimination against an officer based on a frivolous complaint must be addressed and his record cleared and career restored."
The names of the case participants were not immediately released.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Pro-life counselors at a notorious abortion business in Illinois called police when evidence of statutory rape was shouted out in the parking lot of "Hope Clinic."
A report from Operation Rescue, however, said it was unclear whether mandatory reporters at such a facility also did.
The report by Ricardo Penda at Operation Rescue explained the situation developed when a woman was heard screaming in the parking lot of the abortion business.
Those counselors confirmed "she stated that the father of the baby being aborted was 18 years old, a legal adult. This man knowingly engaged in sexual activities with her daughter even though she was only 15."
The report noted one of those witnesses "called 911 to leave a record of what had happened to the minor. According to his eyewitness testimony, the couple in question arrived in a rental car. Therefore, it remains uncertain where the crime took place."
The report explained the legal age of consent in Illinois in 17, meaning a person under that age cannot legally consent to sexual conduct.
The report said when officers arrived they contacted the person who reported the situation, then talked with the family of the 15-year-old.
According to the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network, which runs a National Sexual Assault Hotline, any "physician, physician's assistant, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, medical technician, certified nursing assistant" who is aware of sexual abuse towards a minor is required to report any such case to the Department of Children and Family Services.
The situation is "what appears to be a cover-up of the rape of this underage girl," explained OR President Troy Newman, "sadly but honestly, doesn't come as a surprise."
"Although the abortion cartel claims to defend and champion women's rights, the truth is that abortionists simply do not care about women. In our work at Operation Rescue, we have not only seen abortion staff refusing to report cases of statutory rape, but we have also seen many cases of abortionists themselves sexually abusing women while clinic staff and abortion supporters choose to look the other way," he said.
Even worse, he noted in the report, "This is also the attitude of the current presidential administration: to punish pro-lifers while murderous abortionists, when not raping and molesting women themselves, illegally cover for rapists."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Legacy wire service the Associated Press has admitted it lied about Republican candidate President Donald Trump's agenda for a second term if he's elected in November, issuing a massive correction to its report.
The original was a statement that aligned with the Democrat talking points being used to try to promote Kamala Harris, the candidate the party's elite picked to replace Joe Biden, whose public appearances of late have delivered to the American people evidence of his mental decline.
It was AP's description of a second-term agenda as "Republican" when, in fact, the agenda at issue, "Project 2025" was assembled and released by the Heritage Foundation.
Trump has denied being affiliated with it and has criticized some of its points.
The AP got triggered by a Democrat National Convention stunt by Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who appeared at the convention with a mockup of the Heritage Foundation's plan and claimed that the "Republican" agenda would have a President Trump replacing the entire federal government with an army of "loyalists," a claim that isn't supported by the facts.
AP said, on social media," Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow brought out a copy of Project 2025, a blueprint created by the Heritage Foundation for a second Trump term. She then slammed it on the podium. This corrects an earlier post that was deleted because it misidentified the blueprint as Republican."
The earlier linking of the document to "Republican" Trump had aligned with false messaging repeatedly used by Democrats to try to attack Trump.
A report at the Twitchy site explained, "The memo went out to Democrats the first week of July: mention the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 as much as possible while presenting as an expanded version of 'The Handmaid's Tale.' President Joe Biden even put on his aviators and shot a five-second video with a link to look up Project 2025, which CBS News and others called a 'blueprint' for a second Trump term."
The report noted, with just a bit of sarcasm, that Trump has a website with policies that are published and available to the American people, "unlike Kamala Harris."
It said, "The Republicans laid out their party platform at the Recent Republican National Convention – the AP might have reported on it."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The American Center for Law and Justice has sued Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts, state officials and the radical abortion promoters with whom they have partnered because of an ongoing "vicious smear campaign" against pregnancy resource centers.
It accuses the defendants of scheming to deliver "targeted, false, and baseless accusations" and setting up "a system of informal censorship designed to suppress the pro-life viewpoint of our client, YOM (Your Options Medical), with the intent to obstruct, chill, deter, and retaliate against it for its speech."
"Our client, YOM, is fully compliant with state licensure requirements; it has never had an actual patient complaint and provides its services in full compliance with the law. But these defendants do not care and are accusing it of wrongdoing anyway, solely because of its pro-life position," the ACLJ report said.
The ACLJ pointed out it previously has worked on behalf of pro-life pregnancy resource centers.
"We have now also taken legal action and filed a complaint on behalf of one of those PRCs, Your Options Medical (YOM), against Massachusetts officials and their allies. With Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center serving as our local counsel, we have filed a major constitutional lawsuit in federal district court in Massachusetts."
The charges include that state officials orchestrated "an overt viewpoint-based discrimination campaign – including harassment, suppression, and threats against YOM and other PRCs. Directed by Governor Maura Healey, this pro-abortion smear campaign involves selective law enforcement prosecution, public threats, and even a state-sponsored advertising campaign with a singular goal – to deprive YOM and their counterparts of their First Amendment rights to voice freely their religious and political viewpoints regarding the sanctity of human life."
The state has partnered with a pro-abortion organization called Reproductive Equity Now Foundation to attack the pro-life centers, and has posted an entire section on the state's website promoting its "AVOID Anti-Abortion Centers" campaign.
It uses loaded words like "warning" to tell people, falsely, that "anti-abortion centers cause harm."
REN insists, "Anti-abortion centers often offer abstinence-only sex education, post-abortion support, spiritual support, or bible study. While some people need and want post-abortion counseling, and may seek it through their faith leaders, there is no scientific evidence that abortion results in adverse mental health outcomes."
Joining Healey as defendants are state health commissioner Robert Goldstein and REN and its director, Rebecca Hart Holder.
"Normally, a private entity like REN cannot be sued for a constitutional violation, but there is an exception: It can be held accountable when it acts on behalf of the state, which is exactly what happened here. REN and Executive Director Holder acted as the trusted partner of the state, with state funding and support, and in explicit partnership with Massachusetts officials to harass PRCs like YOM for their viewpoint," ACLJ reported.
The ACLJ reported, "Here the government has exercised its authority to target the viewpoint of pro-life groups for their pro-life religious views. Governor Healey publicly claimed that PRCs engage in deceptive and dangerous tactics; and as attorney general, she issued an advisory that falsely accused PRCs of deceptive advertising. Commissioner Goldstein unlawfully exercised his authority to accuse PRCs of wrongdoing, threatening them with legal action and making public statements saying, 'As the commissioner of public health, I'm resolute about calling out this deception for what it is: a public health threat.'"
The actions identified in the case provided support for the complaints about harassment, threats, unequal enforcement of the law based on political and religious beliefs.
"The Left is waging a coordinated assault to threaten pro-life pregnancy centers and stifle their views by burying them in complaints, punishments, and disciplines. Such a targeted system of harassment and discrimination is unprecedented and unconstitutional. Their choice of words goes far beyond mere disagreement or criticism; the state has repeatedly accused PRCs of illegal behavior like deception, misrepresentation, and fraud," ACLJ explained.
The impetus for the pro-abortion ideology isn't complicated: Dollars.
"Pro-life centers represent one of the biggest threats to abortionists' bottom lines – and our client is no exception. Abortionists like Planned Parenthood consider PRCs to be the competition. They will do anything to shut them down, and liberal politicians in Massachusetts have been all too eager to help. But in doing so, they have violated the U.S. Constitution."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Abortion promoters have been, and are, flooding the streets of America these days.
This is way beyond the vasectomies and chemical abortions being offered, as a stunt, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week.
The activists are collecting signatures and pushing state constitutional amendments that would give the nation's abortion industry an open door to pursue any money-making procedure that they could develop in the name of "abortion rights."
It's all because of the Dobbs decision from the Supreme Court a few years ago that overturned the longstanding, but constitutionally flawed, Roe v. Wade ruling to which states were bound.
The change didn't ban abortion, but it did turn over regulation of the lucrative industry to states, creating what is now the battleground as abortion business operators seek to ensure their financial future.
Among the states, about half have now imposed major roadblocks to the commercial-level killing of the unborn, including some that have outright bans; but about half have not.
It's that half with the new requirements that now are in a bull's-eye.
And the center of that bull's eye is South Dakota since it is known to be conservative and its voters in the past have been not friendly at all to abortionists. There was a time when there was only a single abortion business operating in the state.
The fight has involved the courts already, but whatever happens there, the results from the state will be seen as a precedent for more attacks on other pro-life standards around the nation.
"A Kamala (Harris) presidency means more health risks to women and more babies aborted," Caroline Woods, a spokeswoman for the Life Defense Fund, which is fighting to protect the lives of the unborn, told WND.
"When undercover videos showed Planned Parenthood executives cavalierly talking about selling baby parts in California, then-Attorney General Kamala Harris viciously went after those who exposed Planned Parenthood's illegal actions. She will act no different as president, and she has made it her goal to legalize abortions across the nation."
There have been accusations that Harris schemed to send state agents to undercover reporter David Daleiden's home, to confiscate his videos and equipment, as he was releasing a series of reports on those agendas among abortionists to sell unborn baby body parts for higher and higher amounts.
One abortionist explained the need for that: "I want a Lamborghini."
Woods' organization sued the "Dakotans for Health" which is pushing for the plan that would unleash unrestricted abortions by eliminating more than 100 requirements the state already has. The fight also is significant because if pro-abortion radicals can succeed in South Dakota, in the heart of America, and with food production, tourism, and finance as major industries – nothing like Hollywood or New York – they would feel confident in taking their campaign anywhere.
Life Defense Fund's case was dismissed for not including Secretary of State Monae Johnson as a defendant, but that was reversed by the state's Supreme Court Johnson now has been added and further hearings are expected.
"The court has expedited our case – Life Defense Fund and Leslee Unruh vs. Dakotans for Health – where each of our claims will proceed in trial come September. If we win, Amendment G will be null and void regardless if this radical abortion measure appears on the ballot this November," Woods explained.
"A vote for Amendment G is a vote for the Kamala Harris' radical agenda for America. In South Dakota, we reject her extreme abortion plans that endanger women and children," she said.
She warned, "South Dakota can be an example to the rest of the nation by once again showing that we are pro-woman and pro-children. Amendment G is the most radical abortion measure we've seen in our country, and we will fight to make sure children aren't aborted up to birth and women are protected from unsafe, unclean medical practices."
"We want South Dakota to blaze a path for a pro-life victory and show the rest of the nation how we can beat the abortion lobby."
She said the court case revolves around allegations of unethical, even illegal, behavior by the petition collectors.
"They say 'Let the people vote,' but what they're saying is, 'Let us cheat.' In the same way, that Olympic teams are banned from performing if they cheat, this abortion amendment should be disqualified from appearing on the ballot since Dakotans for Health broke South Dakota election law, cheated, and lied directly to South Dakotans to advance their radical agenda."
Reports confirm there are allegations petition circulators left petition sheets unattended, a violation. They misled signers, a violation. They tried to bait-and-switch voters, a violation.
They included nonresidents, a violation.
The pro-abortion faction went to federal court, trying to get the state case killed, and the judge refused.
Woods described the proposal as "one of the most extreme abortion laws in the nation."
It would "legalize painful, late-term abortion, all the way to the point of birth." And it would kill a multitude of existing state abortion policies that have been created over time on a bipartisan basis.
For example, a provision for parents to know when a minor daughter is being pressured into abortion would be killed.
Killed would be protection for a mother from being forced to have an abortion against her will.
Killed would be conscience protections so that doctors and nurses cannot be forced to participate in performing abortions against their will.
Killed would even be basic health and safety requirements for abortionists to follow, including requirements that abortions be done by a physician and an inspected and clean facility.
Among the allegations the abortion industry promoters are facing:
Bait and switch. A couple told pro-lifers during a Farmers Market in 2023, where abortion promoters were gathering signatures, they were telling people the petitions were regarding a tax proposal.
The couple, not named, said the signature collector even checked, when they asked for the tax petition, and said, "This is the one you want," handing them the abortion plan.
Also, abortion promoters were collecting signatures but failing to provide a required statement from the attorney general.
There also were incorrect claims that the new petition supported the same thing that Roe did back in 1973. The promoter explains, "This is exactly what the Supreme Court did in '73. In the first three months, it's a woman's choice. Then there are stipulations and exceptions. … They say it's up to nine months and that's not true…"
Here is Tiffany Campbell, a petition coordinator, explaining just how extreme is the amendment.
She boasts, "The legislature can't mess with it." And "It's gonna wipe off 113 abortion regulations that we have now."
Cited are the 24-hour waiting period, parental notification, 22-week ban … "Everything goes away."
Signing the petitions twice? No problem, the extra signature is just "crossed off."
And leaving petitions unattended:
Giving incorrect information, where a signature collector accuses someone of lying if they say abortions would be allowed through nine months, which they would be.
Other videos suggest verbal abuse by petition collectors and worse.
Woods already has written in National Review that abortion activists are "doing anything they can to get their way, including deceiving voters."
She continued, "Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many conservative states like my home state of South Dakota activated trigger laws on abortion. These laws were passed while Roe was still operative and were designed to be implemented the moment Roe v. Wade was overturned. They typically outlawed abortion unless the doctor believed it was needed to save the life of the mother. Since then, the abortion lobby has aggressively centered its efforts around gathering petition signatures and putting abortion measures on the ballot in states like South Dakota, among many others."
She noted polling reveals three-quarters of Americans support abortion bans after 15 weeks.
And she said Amendment G allows non-doctors to do abortions, too.
Woods explained her organization has "over 100 hours of video capturing pro-choice petition circulators, much of which showed them breaking South Dakota law."
Such evidence already has prompted the state's attorney general to reprimand the abortion promoters.
Megastar Jennifer Lopez, 55, has officially filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, 53, after just two years of marriage, Breitbart reported. The legal filing says that the pair, who first struck up a romance in 2001, are no longer on speaking terms.
Lopez, who has been married three times, and Affleck, married once before, first became a couple after meeting on the set of the box office bomb "Gigli" in 2001. Their relationship quickly became a media sensation, which the tabloid media dubbed "Bennifer."
However, the pressures of such scrutiny led the Hollywood royals to call off their planned 2003 nuptials. Then, after a decade apart, Lopez and Affleck rekindled their relationship in 2021.
"It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance," Lopez gushed at the start of their renewed love affair. The pair were engaged again in April 2022 and tied the knot in Las Vegas that year before holding a grand ceremony at Affleck's Georgia estate.
According to Page Six, the marriage began to fracture during their honeymoon in Como, Italy. As photographers snapped photos of the lovebirds touring and shopping, Affleck grew increasingly frustrated by the attention.
"He was unhappy with paparazzi following them. She is an international superstar, and he acted like it came as a surprise that they would be followed around," a source told the news outlet.
Behind the facade of a happy couple were two people already at war with each other. "They would barely speak to each other during what was supposed to be the happiest time of their life," the source said.
"He sold her on him being a changed man, and that lasted a very short time," the person added. Affleck struggled with addiction to alcohol but has been steadily rebuilding his life sober.
The source said part of the problem with their renewed romantic relationship was that Affleck was still adjusting to life without addiction. "He was just getting sober… He was in a vulnerable state, and whatever their chemistry played into that… He was in this frenzied, excitable state," the person said.
Affleck and Lopez are both Hollywood A-listers. He is an Oscar-winning actor, while she is an accomplished dancer, actress, and award-winning singer.
They have a history in their own relationship and they have common ground regarding life as celebrities. Unfortunately, both of those factors likely contributed to their marriage problems.
Earlier this year, Lopez was forced to cancel her tour, citing family problems amid reports of lackluster ticket sales, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The tour was tied to a new album, This Is Me ... Now, and a musical film, This Is Me … Now: A Love Story.
It also spawned a documentary about the making of those titled The Greatest Love Story Never Told. These projects spotlighted the couple's marriage while Lopez was mocked incessantly for being out of touch and unlikeable. It was also clear Affleck was not on board with this kind of overexposure she created for them.
Hollywood is full of broken relationships, including the dissolution of the latest iteration of Bennifer. Both will go on to other things, but theirs is another cautionary tale about living life in the fishbowl of modern celebrity.