Election Aftermath: What kind of Government will result from last week’s vote in NY and PA ?

How “Christians Engaged” helped Influence the vote

NY's Prop 1’s impact for religious organizations, women's/girls' sports, and more

 

Family Life's Capital Connection connects you each Friday with a pair of Christian watchdogs from the state capitals of Albany and Harrisburg. This week, our guests are Jason McGuire of the New York Families Foundation and Dan Bartkowiak from the Pennsylvania Family Institute.

  

Abortion on the ballot - a few Pro-Life victories
The "Faith Under Fire" podcast from Family Life News
Ten states decided proposed amendments to their constitutions in the October and November voting, a little more than two years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the national Constitution does not include rights to abortions, leaving the decision on any limits (and taxpayer funding) to each individual state.

Seven of those state approved pro-abortion ballot measures, but three did not. Family Life News asked Kelsey Pritchard of Susan B. Anthony Prolife America to offer a pro-life perspective on the election results. Pritchard is the public affairs director for SBA Prolife is South Dakota, one of the three states that turned aside constitutional protections for this practice of ending pregnancies.

She also notes that the states where abortion proposals were approved by majorities of voters, abortion is already legal and accessible in each of those states.

She not only points to the example of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, but other ways that public opinion was swayed. In this expanded conversation, she also talks about lessons from Florida, South Dakota and Nebraska that can be used to protect preborn babies elsewhere when legislatures and electorates make their future determinations.

If you are interested in further information:
SBA Prolife offers analysis on related issues:




The heart of the movement in Pennsylvania
Kelsey Pritchard's blog post about what she calls biased media coverage of pro-abortion measures
Florida's 2024 success as a blueprint for elsewhere
Dr. Ingrid Skop reacting to infant mortality statistics since Dobbs, saying limits on abortion practices are not the root cause



"Faith Under Fire" invites you to listen to the voices from religious battlegrounds in this nation. Our weekly Thursday interviews delve into social, religious and political matters from health to freedom to faith practices. This feature airs on the Family Life Noon Report and 5 O'Clock Report, and bonus content is also included in many of our podcast versions as well.

You can subscribe to be notified when new episodes of this podcast and our other features are posted. The podcast player here also gives you options to download the audio and share recommendations with friends.

 

 



 

 

 
#FaithUnderFire
11/14/2024
 

Holidays and Dementia
Family Life's "Inside Out" podcast with Martha Manikas-Foster
If someone you love is living with dementia, simplifying how you celebrate the holidays could create a more enjoyable time for everyone. Phil Shippers of the Rochester and Finger Lakes chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association offers practical help in this Inside Out news podcast.




One in ten older Americans lives with dementia. Maybe this includes people you love. If so, being flexible and even making a few changes to the way you celebrate the holidays could help everyone feel more comfortable around the table this year.

“We have to realize that due to the changes in the brain, the person is trying to interpret their environment. So, being part of a social event may be upsetting or confusing or stressful,” says Phil Shippers, program director for the Rochester & Finger Lakes Region of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“I think the biggest thing is to be flexible, and perhaps to change our expectations,” he says. “Maybe we try new things. And we want to do this to reduce commotion, to reduce noise and activity, to make the person living with dementia feel more comfortable.”

Even if we’re not organizing the gathering, Shippers says there are practical things we can do to help our loved one living with dementia enjoy the time together. “One of the suggestions that we make is that when people approach the person living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, that they introduce themselves,” he says. “And it doesn’t have to be formal or stuffy. You can just make light of it, saying, ‘Oh, this is your favorite grandson Patrick.’”

We want to preserve each person’s dignity and demonstrate our love. Along the way, Shippers points out, we will make mistakes. “Give yourself some grace as well,” he says. “And just be as positive and really enjoy the moment as much as you can.”

Listen to our Inside Out podcast, where Phil Shippers lists a number of practical ways to make gatherings more comfortable.



For additional help, the Alzheimer’s Association offers support and resources 24/7 through its Help Line at 800-272-3900. You can also contact the Alzheimer’s Association at Alz.org.

That website offers six recommendations for households where the attendees include someone  who is dealing with these types of memory loss and limitations.

 

 

 
#InsideOut
11/13/2024
 

Hometown Heroes - Christian mission in Central America
(and a bonus Love Story!)


Peter and Tyanne Jurka are Mark Webster's guests on this week's "Hometown Heroes" feature. The Jurkas are longtime Christian mission workers, serving in Central America. She is from western Pennsylvania, and he grew up in western New York. Their children and grandchildren are also part of their ongoing ministry.

Their story -- in their personal lives and the ways they have served people in international mission -- are fascinating and heartwarming.

A video highlighting the results of their life-enhancing work is available from StorehouseMission.org.

 

 

 
#HometownHeroes
11/12/2024

Major Overhaul Coming to Public Education in New York
Family Life's "Issues in Education" podcast
Did you know the Regents exams have been a staple in NY public schools since 1865?   They won’t be much longer.  The state is in the process of “phasing out” the tests as a required part of teens' education. Dr. Ralph Kerr with the Teaching and Learning Institute explains why and what's next, on this week’s edition of “Issues in Education”.
      

 

Family Life's "Capital Connection"
Implications and Effects of Election 2024
Our Christian watchdogs in the state capitals of Pennsylvania and New York are back to recap the biggest stories of Election 2024. This is our weekly roundtable for commentary and analysis with Jason McGuire in Albany and Michael Geer in Harrisburg.

Family Life Noon Report anchor Bob Price guides this discussion,  reviewing election results from early voting, ballots cast on November 5, and the decisions still pending as the week ends:

The significance of the "red wave" in presidential and congressional voting
How voters in our two states chose their legislative leaders, statewide and national
Did voters who are Christian turn out better than expected?
Amendment One passes in NY, and other states decide abortion-related ballot issues
Trends from this week which will carry over into the new year

 

Michael Geer (president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute) and Jason McGuire (executive director of the New York Family Foundation and New York Family Action) were also on the air with us election night for analysis of the news as it was happening.  You can listen to or share those special reports from these two Family Life News podcasts:

Election Night 8/9/10
Election Night 11/12

Trail Life USA - Mentoring Boys to become strong and faithful young men
Raising boys and young men, in a gender-confused generation.... offering them a deep sense of values, character, and a sense of adventure.

Trail Life USA is carrying out a mission to mentor boys who are elementary, middle school and high school ages.

This is our second conversation with Trail Life's CEO Mark Hancock. He talks about the Christian emphasis which undergirds this nationwide program which wants to give boys and their families good role models and positive versions of masculinity.

  Mark Hancock, TrailLifeUSA.org
Family Life Newsmaker interview, 11/07/2024




Our previous conversation with Mark Hancock is here:  FLN 7/01/2024

Hancock also talks about the uniquely Christian outreach which is a core value for shaping the lives of young men. That two-part podcast with interviewer Gary Bauer is linked from the Trail Life USA website.