The business, which no longer has a religious affiliation, a few months ago changed its policy to demand that ultrasound techs help in abortions – a reversal of the previous practice.
“This shift has put employees in the impossible position of choosing between their livelihoods or their religious convictions,” explained the legal experts at ACLJ.
The hospital is demanding in its new policy that techs participate, and exemptions are not assured.
“If an employee is unwilling to participate and an accommodation cannot be ensured, they risk job reassignment or termination. Moreover, even if an alternative position is available, the employee must endure a four-week unpaid leave until a transfer is finalized,” the ACLJ explained.
When the techs submitted conflict of conscience forms, there wasn’t an answer.
So the ACLJ dispatched a formal demand letter to Presbyterian Hospital explaining what the hospital is required to do under federal law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Church Amendment.
Those “explicitly protect healthcare workers from being compelled to participate in procedures that violate their religious beliefs,” the ACLJ said.
The organization said, “We have demanded that Presbyterian Hospital provide written assurances confirming that our clients will be fully exempt from assisting in any abortion-related procedures without penalty or adverse action. Should the hospital fail to comply, we are prepared to take all necessary legal and administrative actions to defend the conscience rights of these dedicated medical professionals.”
The ACLJ explained the law is clear: “Employers must provide reasonable accommodations for sincerely held religious beliefs unless doing so imposes an undue hardship – a standard that the U.S. Supreme Court has reinforced in recent rulings.”
The CPAC straw poll is taken every year at the annual conservative convention. For the past nine years President Trump dominated this poll. 2028 will be different. Trump will be handing the Republican party over to the next MAGA candidate. It will be the first real Republican primary since 2016.
Vice President J.D. Vance is quickly becoming a conservative and MAGA favorite. J.D. is popular with the grassroots and the big money crowd. And, J.D. is truly making a name for himself with presentations like the speech he delivered last week to the European elites at the Munich Conference where he was so brutally honest that he made them cry.
One Airman Dead and Another Injured After Shooting at New Mexico Air Force Base
February 22, 2025
One person is dead, and another is injured after a shooting at a New Mexico Air Force base.
The shooting at Kirtland Air Force Base took place at approximately 2:00 a.m. Saturday morning after an “off-base pursuit.”
“One Airman received a nonfatal gunshot wound to the hand and was transported to UNM Medical Center for treatment. He has since been released with no life-threatening injuries,” the Air Force said in a press release.
“The other Airman was found dead at the scene. The cause of death and the incident remains under investigation by local authorities.”
The Air Force did not release information about the shooter or any potential motive but did say it was not an act of terrorism.
Kirtland Truman Gate Pass office remains closed until further notice according to the authorities. Military officials said the incident was not caused by an outside attack or an act of terrorism.
The Air Force said there is no threat to the public and law enforcement is not seeking any additional suspects.
U.S. NATO Funding Much Higher Than Official Contribution Data
February 22, 2025
President Trump at a NATO summit. Image courtesy of Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik.
President Trump has faced criticism for claiming that the U.S. accounts for over 70% of NATO’s funding. However, he is correct in his assertion. The official figures on U.S. funding for NATO typically only reflect direct contributions, which represent roughly 15%-20% of NATO’s budget. In reality, the U.S. provides a wide range of additional aid and support, significantly increasing its financial commitment to the alliance.
These contributions include U.S. military bases in Europe, Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP), defense and security assistance, infrastructure support, contributions to NATO missions and operations, strategic airlift and logistics, cybersecurity and intelligence support, ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems, research and development (R&D) for NATO technologies, support for NATO’s nuclear deterrence, troop deployment costs, investment in NATO’s rapid reaction force, space applications, military aid and loans to smaller countries, and nuclear sharing.
By some estimates, when all U.S. contributions are considered, the total could be as high as $700 billion annually.
In terms of NATO-led operations, the U.S. is the largest contributor, covering the majority of personnel, equipment, and logistics costs for missions in Afghanistan, Libya, and Kosovo. Furthermore, the U.S. invests heavily in defense projects that bolster NATO’s collective defense capabilities, including missile defense systems in Europe, cyber defense initiatives, and advanced military technologies.
The U.S. provides extensive surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and special operations forces, which are crucial for NATO operations but are often financed outside of the official NATO contribution data. NATO does not operate its own independent intelligence services like the CIA or MI6. Instead, it relies heavily on the intelligence provided by its member countries, particularly the U.S., which has the most significant intelligence-gathering resources within the alliance. While NATO has structures like the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre (NIFC) and Allied Command Operations (ACO) for coordinating and sharing intelligence, it does not produce its own intelligence assessments or defense reports. Instead, NATO’s assessments are largely based on the intelligence reports produced by the U.S. intelligence community and the Department of Defense. The annual NATO Secretary General’s report includes a threat assessment, but the data used in this report is sourced from U.S. intelligence.
Apart from intelligence, the U.S. bears a large portion of NATO’s logistics costs, particularly for troop movements and transportation of supplies. The U.S. military provides most of the airlift capacity, making it a major contributor to NATO’s operational readiness and mobility. Additionally, the U.S. contributes to NATO’s space-based assets, such as satellite systems for communication, reconnaissance, and early warning—key components of the alliance’s strategic defense that are not included in the common defense budget.
The U.S. also provides military aid, defense loans, and assistance to smaller NATO member countries, helping them meet NATO’s defense standards. This significant financial commitment is not reflected in NATO’s official budget contributions. Moreover, the U.S. funds a large portion of NATO’s joint defense research and development (R&D) programs, supporting technological innovations in areas like cybersecurity, missile defense, and advanced weapon systems, typically through U.S. military and defense contractors.
The U.S. also plays a central role in NATO’s nuclear sharing, providing nuclear weapons and capabilities shared within the alliance. The U.S. has invested heavily in ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems deployed in Europe, including the installation of Aegis and THAAD systems in Eastern Europe.
The U.S. also provides extensive defense and security assistance, particularly to newer NATO members in Eastern Europe. Countries like Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states have benefited from U.S. funding for military modernization, training programs, and the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases. A substantial portion of the U.S. contribution also goes toward infrastructure development, including the construction and maintenance of NATO facilities, airfields, and bases across Europe.
In addition to BMD, the U.S. funds or co-funds many large-scale joint military exercises conducted by NATO, such as “Defender Europe.” While NATO’s common funding budget covers some exercises, the U.S. often bears a much larger share of the expenses. Through initiatives like the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI), the U.S. also spends billions annually to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank, particularly to bolster the defense capabilities of countries near Russia’s borders. This spending is another example of U.S. financial contributions that are not fully reflected in NATO’s official budget.
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
