FPL Daily News Reel: June 13, 2012
The FPL News Reel is a daily round-up of the top faith and politics stories in the news. You can sign up for the email version of the News Reel here, subscribe to the RSS feed here, and follow it on twitter at @FPLNewsreel.
Catholic bishops gather with focus on Obama birth-control measure
By Mitchell Landsberg — Los Angeles Times
Now, some Catholics are beginning to wonder out loud whether the bishops have abandoned their historic non-partisanship – or, at least, are at risk of being seen that way – as they press forward with a vigorous campaign against contraception provisions in President Barack Obama’s health care plan.
A ‘Hostile Takeover’ of Women Religious
By Joan Chittister — Sojourners
…in order to grow with the times, it is necessary to be close to those times. And that is where the sisters become the strength of the church.
Evangelicals press Congress on immigration
By Chris Lisee — Religion News Service
Citing a biblical call to protect the stranger living in a foreign land, the statement on immigration reform signed by 140 evangelical leaders urges respect for immigrants’ humanity while obeying the rule of law and providing for national security.
What to expect when you’re expecting cuts to food stamps
By Suzy Khimm — Washington Post, Wonkblog
Just how prevalent are food stamp abuse and waste? In 2010, SNAP’s payment accuracy rate averaged 96.2 percent nationwide. That’s an all-time high for the program and includes both under- and overpayment.
Projections: ACA will have small impact on spending growth
By Matt Dobias — Politico
Health care spending will spike in 2014 as millions of people gain coverage, but the overall rate of annual growth for the decade ending in 2021 will average 5.7 percent — 0.9 percentage point faster than the economy, according to new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services projections released Wednesday. And that’s a tad slower — 0.1 percentage point slower — than it would have been without the controversial health care law.
Supreme Court health law decision could be trouble for Republicans
By Sam Baker — The Hill
So far, the party has not come together around a set of policies to replace the healthcare law if it’s struck down entirely.
Religious freedom measure soundly defeated
By John Lamb — InForum
North Dakota voters are happy with their current level of religious freedom, defeating Measure 3 in Tuesday’s election.
New Anti-Gay Snake Oil for Religious Right
By Candace Chellew-Hodge — Religion Dispatches
Focus on the Family can hardly contain its glee over a new study that purports to show that “children raised by homosexual parents are dramatically more likely than peers raised by married heterosexual parents to suffer from a host of social problems.
Study Says ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws Increase Homicides
By Joe Palazzolo — Wall Street Journal
Justifiable homicides nearly doubled from 2000 to 2010, according to the most recent data available, when 326 were reported. The data, provided by federal and state law enforcement agencies, showed a sharp increase in justifiable homicides occurred after 2005, when Florida and 16 other states passed the laws.
