There’s lots of problem solving in any marriage, but when you have this collective goal that is a human being, it’s an inspiring rally point.”

~ ABC’s Modern Family star Ty Burrell, on the adoption of a second daughter with wife, Holly (pictured above left), as quoted by People, March 19

The couple adopted their first daughter, Frances (pictured above right, with her father), two years ago.

[HT: Andy Moore; photos via celebrities.gearlive.com and celebkids.whyfame.com]

by JivinJ, host of the blog, JivinJehoshaphat

• An Australian woman who had an RU-486 abortion has died from complications:
  
  

  Little is known about the circumstances of her death or even where she died, but she had been treated at a Marie Stopes clinic.

  A statement from Marie Stopes International confirmed that sepsis caused the death.

• A college student in South Africa has died after having an apparent illegal abortion, even though abortion is legal there:
  
  

  Ayanda Masondo (20), a second-year student in human resources from Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal, was found leaning against the door in her room, in the Benjemijn hostel, early yesterday, Beeld newspaper reported today.

  Paramedics were called, but they pronounced her dead at the scene.

  Brixton police station spokesperson Constable Michael Kgatle said there would be a judicial inquiry into Masondo’s death.

  “At this stage an illegal abortion would appear to be the reason for her death. There was a lot of blood at the scene,” Kgatle said.

• USA Today is covering California’s stem cell agency’s future and notes the lack of return on promises:
  
  

  So far, CIRM has spent some $1.3 billion on infrastructure and research. At the current pace, it will earmark the last grants in 2016 or 2017. Since most are multi-year awards, it is expected to stay in business until 2021.

  So what have Californians received for their money so far?

  The most visible investment is the opening of sleek buildings and gleaming labs at a dozen private and public universities built with matching funds. Two years ago, Stanford University unveiled the nation’s largest space dedicated to stem cell research — 200,000 square feet that can hold 550 researchers.

  There are no cures yet in the pipeline and CIRM has shifted focus, channeling money to projects with the most promise of yielding near-term results. Most of the money early on was funneled toward learning the basics and recruiting scientists.

[Photo via sfexaminer.com]

The backstory, from LifeNews.com, March 12:

Former Planned Parenthood abortion facility director Abby Johnson has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the abortion business claiming its Texas affiliate knowingly sent in about $6 million in false claims to Medicaid and covered up its actions….

The formerly sealed federal “whistleblower” suit… was made public [March 9] and was filed in 2009 by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of Johnson….

The suit alleges that Planned Parenthood knowingly committed Medicaid fraud from 2007 to 2009 by improperly seeking reimbursements from the Texas Women’s Health Program for products and services not reimbursable by that program.

Johnson was the third former PP employee to file fraud charges, joining Victor Gonzalez, who filed a complaint against Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California in 2008, and Karen Reynolds, who filed a complaint last year against the same affiliate as Johnson, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.

Since Johnson’s story broke last week, five former Planned Parenthood employees have contacted her to say they realized after reading details of her lawsuit that they, too, may have unknowingly been involved in defrauding the government.

These were lower level staffers who merely followed instructions when completing paperwork. One worked at a PP in California, and the other four worked in new states other than California or Texas.

When we spoke by phone yesterday, Johnson told me she put the former employees in touch with ADF for follow-up.

The growing body of evidence should help fuel the ongoing congressional investigation of Planned Parenthood as well as aid officials in various states in knowing what to look for when reevaluating past years’ Planned Parenthood invoices. While PP affiliates allegedly involved in fraud my stop, they cannot retract paperwork already submitted for which they have been paid and for which they are liable.

Planned Parenthood employees may be peronally liable

Along with the affiliate and parent organization, PP employees involved in committing fraud may also be personally liable, depending on the level of fraud committed and how much requisite knowledge they had.

I spoke with ADF attorney Mike Norton today about personal liability.

“Current or former employees who have information about potential fraud should speak with an attorney for guidance,” said Norton. “I would be happy to talk to anyone who thinks they have knowledge about fraud committed by Planned Parenthood. I want to make sure they are protected as whistleblowers and help reveal the crime rather than become a bullseye of the investigation.”

Contact Norton at 480-388-8163.

by LauraLoo

Former Melrose Place star Jack Wagner recently learned of a 23-year-old daughter he never knew he had.  Brave daughter Kerry courageously sought out her long-lost dad. 

Wow, they’re both so emotional and so happy.  I’m thrilled for them!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-4CgKoBbtw[/youtube]

I’m sure we’ll have the opportunity to see more of Jack and all of his kids as he competes for this season’s Mirror-Ball trophy starting tonight on Dancing with the Stars.

Email LauraLoo with your Lunch Break suggestions.

You changed my life… I was in my teens and I got pregnant and I was not going to keep the baby. I had nothing going for me, and then I saw you and how you handled Bristol and how you handled your Trig.

It just made me realize it was going to be okay.

~ Unidentified college student who spoke with Sarah Palin during her trip to Pella, Iowa last year, as retold by Chris Bannon, Breitbart.com, March 16

Following are my top five six favorite political cartoons for the week, beginning with a great one by Glenn McCoy at Townhall.com…

 a twofer by Lisa Benson at Townhall.com…

 by Nate Beeler at Townhall.com…

 a twofer by Eric Allie at Townhall.com…

Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you. I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good above all other.”

~ Psalm 16:1-2, New Jerusalem Bible

This was the week that wasn’t for the Doonesbury “ultrasound = rape” cartoon series in about 70 newspapers across the country. Several other newspapers only ran portions of the series, appearing to have to the most trouble with Thursday’s strip.

Now that the dust has settled, what do you think about Gary Trudeau’s political commentary on the topic? Click to enlarge…

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Funny how Trudeau doesn’t end with the abortion. That would be the logical liberal conclusion, IMO: “She went through with it anyway.” But let’s not focus on the real atrocity, just the fake one.

In  interviews last week Trudeau mentioned the only previous series he had spiked was a mockery of the pro-life documentary, Silent Scream, in 1985, which shows an abortion on ultrasound (and which somehow provides symmetry to this week’s series, doesn’t it?).

Trudeau decided to rerelease that series, which you can view here. It’s an ironic series, because we are today debating abortifacients that kill babies conceived “12 minutes ago,” so to speak, as well as embryo research.