'If the federal government is going to make such claims‚ it must provide proof'

'You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?'

'Either our rights are inalienable or they are not'

A self-declared “abortion doula” spoke this week to Catholic University of America students about her experiences coaching women through delivering or aborting babies‚ as well as coaching “pregnant men” to deliver in what she called a “seahorse birth‚” according to audio of the class lecture obtained by The Daily Signal.  A Catholic University nursing student described Tuesday’s lecture to The Daily Signal‚ saying the guest speaker said she also practices Reiki‚ a controversial Japanese method of spiritual healing and self-improvement. The Roman Catholic school confirmed that the doula spoke to the class‚ said she didn’t represent the school’s values‚ and vowed that she wouldn’t speak to the class again.  “It was really unsettling‚” nursing student Felipe Avila‚ 20‚ told The Daily Signal in a phone interview Friday. “The fundamental point is to understand human development from conception to natural death‚ right? And they brought in someone who counsels women to terminate life.”  Psychology lecturer Melissa Goldberg invited the doula‚ Rachel Carbonneau‚ to address her class‚ titled Psychology 379: Lifespan Development. The term doula usually refers to a professional who provides physical and emotional support to a woman before‚ during‚ and shortly after childbirth. Planned Parenthood‚ the nation’s largest abortion provider‚ defines an abortion doula as someone who “provides physical and emotional support to a patient during their abortion process.” Carbonneau identified herself to the class as an “abortion doula‚” according to the audio recording obtained by The Daily Signal. The founder and CEO of the LGBTQ-aligned doula company Family Ways also was an English lecturer at Catholic University from 2005 to 2008‚ her LinkedIn profile says.  Avila‚ the nursing student‚ said he first recognized the doula’s misalignment with the Catholic school’s values when Carbonneau began “using terms like birthing persons [and] pregnant person.” The lecturer was “very strategic in avoiding the word ‘woman‚’” Avila said. One of Avila’s classmates repeatedly asked Carbonneau how abortion ties into her work as a doula‚ which prompted the lecturer to share her pro-abortion stance openly.  “This is a space I feel comfortable navigating‚” the doula said in response to questions.  Carbonneau also described what she called “seahorse birth.”  Listen here: “We work with trans clients‚” Carbonneau told students‚ according to the audio. “I have some men who have given birth; it’s amazing‚ we call it seahorse birth. It’s lovely‚ especially when it’s a water birth; it’s fantastic.”  She insisted: “It’s not my business as a doula or a human being to pass judgment on how anybody else chooses to live their life.”  When discussing the stigma of “pregnant men‚” Carbonneau urged students to “normalize” the discussion of women who identify as men giving birth.  “I think just normalizing it‚ right? Using the gender-neutral language‚ talking about pregnant men as pregnant people‚ pregnant women‚ pregnant men‚ pregnant humans‚” she told the class.  Carbonneau acknowledged the tension between her support for abortion and the Catholic position on the issue‚ saying she herself had studied at the university. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that abortion is a “moral evil” and “gravely contrary to the moral law.”  The doula’s presentation Tuesday at Catholic University felt “unsettling‚” Aliva said. The student pointed out that “one of the many reasons that students like me and many of my peers made the decision to attend Catholic University is for that Catholic identity.”   “The university should not wait for there to be public pressure or a public outcry for there to be some kind of change … if they want to preserve the Catholic identity‚ then they need to take these things a lot more seriously‚” Aliva added.  Carbonneau said she uses Reiki‚ a Japanese spiritual healing technique condemned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as incompatible with Christian teaching and scientific evidence. In 2009‚ the conference said that “it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions … to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy.”  On Friday‚ Catholic University acknowledged the contradiction between Carbonneau’s support for abortion and the institution’s own values.  “The Catholic University of America was appalled to learn about reports regarding this guest speaker‚” the university told The Daily Signal in a written statement Friday. “It does not reflect our mission and values as a university that is committed to upholding the dignity of life at all stages.” “The guest speaker will not be speaking again to the class‚” the university added‚ referring to Carbonneau‚ “and we are re-communicating the terms and expectations by which all outside speakers are vetted and invited.”  The Daily Signal sought comment from Carbonneau‚ but did not immediately receive a response. Editor’s note: Noah Slayter is currently a student at The Catholic University of America. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the url or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  The post ‘SEAHORSE BIRTHS’: Abortion Doula Normalizes ‘Pregnant Men’ Giving Birth in Lecture to Catholic University Students  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Feel-Good Friday: She Said Yes Edition

Another Wind Farm Wobbling

Venezuela's Dictator Rigs the Next Election (Is Violence the Only Path Forward?)

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California suggested in a post on X that "soft on violent-crime prosecutors" are allowing people to endanger children.He made the comments in response to a news story about an Oakland carjacking. A young child had been in the vehicle when it was taken. Video footage showed an individual emerge from the vehicle with the child and leave the young boy alone outside. The child was later reunited with his mother and the vehicle was recovered."My wife and I play these scenarios over in our head all the time. We’ve practiced going out through the back seat to get our kids out of our car if we are carjacked. This is not normal. Soft on violent-crime prosecutors are letting too many dangerous people threaten our kids‚" Swalwell tweeted. — (@) The left-wing congressman has been serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than a decade."And what political party do those soft on crime prosecutors belong to? Who funds campaigns for them? DEMOCRATS. Your party is behind all of this Eric. For the sake of your family I hope you get a gun and get trained so you can protect them in these far left crime zones‚" Robby Starbuck tweeted in response to Swalwell's post."Well‚ of course I agree‚ but what party do virtually all of those 'soft on violent-crime' prosecutors belong to?" Jeremy Carl wrote to Swalwell."Yet again we see that the most predictable outcome in the world is progressive politicians being outraged at the consequences of their own policies and ideology‚" Ian Miller wrote. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Former President Donald Trump was ordered to pay $83.3 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll for defaming her‚ a New York jury decided on Friday afternoon. The former president lashed out over the decision on social media. The nine-person jury began deliberations in federal court at 1:40 p.m.‚ and they reached a verdict in less than three hours. However‚ Trump reportedly exited the courthouse around 4 p.m.‚ before the jury delivered its verdict in the trial that began on Jan. 16.The jury came to the conclusion that Trump made defamatory comments toward Carroll while in the White House in June 2019‚ and the verdict was announced by federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.The jury decided Trump must pay $18.3 million in compensatory damages‚ including $11 million for damage done to Carroll's reputation and $7.3 million for emotional harm and other damages. In addition‚ Trump was also ordered to pay a whopping $65 million in punitive damages – for a total of $83.3 million. To calculate the harm to Carroll's reputation from Trump's remarks‚ Carroll's legal team hired Ashlee Humphries — a professor of consumer sentiment at Northwestern University. The expert witness contended that Carroll would require $12.1 million in compensatory damages to rehabilitate her reputation from Trump's comments. Trump's attorney‚ Alina Habba‚ argued that the $12.1 million figure had "more holes than Swiss cheese." Habba contested that Carroll “had failed to show she is entitled to any damages at all” because she "actively sought the comments and the attention" that she received. Regarding threats Carroll received from Trump followers‚ Habba said the former president "has as much control of social media users as he does the weather."Carroll's lawyer‚ Roberta Kaplan‚ asked the jury for $24 million in compensatory damages‚ plus “an unusually high punitive award."Trump furiously reacted to the jury's decision in an enraged diatribe on Truth Social."Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts‚ and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party‚" Trump proclaimed in the Truth Social post. "Our Legal System is out of control‚ and being used as a Political Weapon."Trump declared‚ "They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!"Hours before the verdict was announced‚ Trump slammed U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan."Judge Kaplan refuses to allow the Anderson Cooper Interview on CNN of E. Jean Carroll wherein Carroll says‚ 'Rape is sexy‚' and numerous other things that totally exonerate me‚" Trump stated in a Truth Social post. "Judge Kaplan is refusing me my Constitutional Right to Due Process‚ to defend myself against this False Accusation‚" the former president alleged. "This is a one-sided trial‚ where the other side is allowed everything‚ and we are allowed nothing. He is an extremely abusive individual‚ the likes of which few have seen before!"In June 2019‚ Carroll alleged that Trump raped her at the Bergdorf Goodman department store across from Trump Tower in Manhattan sometime in 1996.Trump‚ who was president at the time‚ called Carroll a "whack job" and claimed that he had never met her. Trump has repeatedly and vehemently denied the sexual assault allegations by Carroll.The 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner said this week‚ "I don’t even know who this woman is — I have no idea who she is‚ or where she came from. This is ANOTHER SCAM…it’s a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT."Last May‚ a different jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages and nearly $3 million for defamation for public comments Trump made against her in 2022. Trump is appealing that decision. Like Blaze News? Circumvent the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Texas police say that a 45-year-old man beat his elderly father to death with a ceramic bowl and was found playing video games when police responded. San Antonio police said that they were contacted for a welfare check on the couple by a home health care agency that said they weren't responding to calls or door knocks from a routine check. Police responded to the Three Fountains apartment complex on Jan. 19 at about 6 p.m. and no one answered the door. After entering the unit with the help of a maintenance person‚ they heard a woman crying for help. Inside‚ police said they nearly tripped over blankets left on the ground before they realized that there was the body of a man under the blankets. They found the remains of an 85-year-old man and found his wife in an injured state inside of a room. She told them that she had locked herself in after her son attacked them both on Thursday night. When police found their son‚ James Gordon Barber‚ he was playing video games. Investigators said Barber didn't resist officers‚ and he was saying things that didn't make sense. His father died of blunt force injuries‚ and police said they were able to find a broken ceramic bowl with blood on it. His 57-year-old mother was admitted into a hospital with life-threatening injuries‚ including head trauma and fractures. The couple was reportedly attacked about 20 hours before police found them. A family member told KENS-TV that the man had suffered from severe mental health illness and had recently moved in with his parents after getting a divorce. Neighbors said the parents had lived at the apartments for several years. Barber was charged with murder and aggravated assault. He was given a $400‚000 bond. Here's a local news report about the incident: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!