Podcasts about edwards syndrome

Are belief and faith the same thing? Listen as Julie compares the two, and discusses that God not only wants us to have faith, but commands it! Extra To Love is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of people with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13 by supporting their families. Through Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast, we hope effected families will be empowered, connected, supported and educated by hearing personal stories from parents and healthcare providers. To receive support or learn more about our mission, visit www.extratolove.org Follow us on socials!https://www.facebook.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovepodcast

Chelsi, mom of 5 year old Jazz who has Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome), joins Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast to share her wisdom and perspectives on how Jazz's life has impacted their family, if this journey is worth it, the importance of connecting with the trisomy community and more. You definitely don't want to miss this episode! Follow Jazz's journey and connect with Chelsi on instagram @journey4jazz and Facebook: Chelsi Crawford  Extra To Love is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of people with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13 by supporting their families. Through Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast, we hope effected families will be empowered, connected, supported and educated by hearing personal stories from parents and healthcare providers. To receive support or learn more about our mission, visit www.extratolove.org Follow us on socials!https://www.facebook.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovepodcast

In this Ministry Moment, Julie provides the ever-empowering reminder - If God is for us, who can be against us? In God we are strengthened and equipped to face each challenge, with Jesus - the source of our strength - walking right beside us.  Extra To Love is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of people with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13 by supporting their families. Through Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast, we hope effected families will be empowered, connected, supported and educated by hearing personal stories from parents and healthcare providers. To receive support or learn more about our mission, visit www.extratolove.org Follow us on socials!https://www.facebook.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovepodcast

Our guests this week hold special meaning to ETL, as they have been the physical therapy providers for the kids of our ETL team members and have been cheerleaders for them every step of the way. In this episode, Rianna Silverstein, DPT and Kaitlyn Evers, DPT share their perspectives on their experience treating children with trisomy 18, discuss what to look for in a PT, explain the purpose of DMI, and speak to the power of intensive therapy. We hope you will feel encouraged by hearing the way these two amazing therapists champion the trisomy community and the abilities of children with a trisomy diagnosis. Disclaimer: The thoughts and opinions shared in this episode are personal perspectives and experience and are NOT meant to replace the guidance of your child's licensed healthcare and therapy providers. Please consult with your child's therapists and doctors for care specific to their needs.  Extra To Love is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of people with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13 by supporting their families. Through Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast, we hope effected families will be empowered, connected, supported and educated by hearing personal stories from parents and healthcare providers. To receive support or learn more about our mission, visit www.extratolove.org Follow us on socials!https://www.facebook.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovepodcast

In this Ministry Moment, Julie encourages listeners to lean into community with the reminder that scripture repeatedly demonstrates the power of joining with others, especially in challenging times.  Extra To Love is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of people with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13 by supporting their families. Through Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast, we hope effected families will be empowered, connected, supported and educated by hearing personal stories from parents and healthcare providers. To receive support or learn more about our mission, visit www.extratolove.org Follow us on socials!https://www.facebook.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovepodcast

Jeanna Polacek, mom to 5 year old Mia who has full Trisomy 18 and co founder of Edwards' Syndrome Association joins Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast to discuss their surprising birth diagnosis, the milestones Mia has reached, the relationship Mia has with her baby sister, as well as the heart and mission of Edwards' Syndrome Association. We also discuss the intentionality behind choosing to use ‘Edwards Syndrome', following in the foot steps of the Down syndrome (trisomy 21) community. To connect with ESA visit edwardssyndrome.org or find them on social media @edwardssyndromeassociation Extra To Love is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of people with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13 by supporting their families. Through Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast, we hope effected families will be empowered, connected, supported and educated by hearing personal stories from parents and healthcare providers. To receive support or learn more about our mission, visit www.extratolove.org Follow us on socials!https://www.facebook.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovepodcast

On this episode of Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast , we're talking to Jennifer Springer, Director of Operations for ETL. Jennifer is connected to the trisomy community through her granddaughter, Sage, who had trisomy 18. Jennifer talks about the choice to be the "village" that is needed to raise a child with disabilities, her love for the trisomy community and her passion for her role within ETL.  Jennifer shares wisdom for those who are close with a family expecting a child with a trisomy diagnosis, such as a grandparent or sibling to the child's mom or dad, and how they can speak life and hope into their story.  Extra To Love is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of people with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13 by supporting their families. Through Extra To Love: A Trisomy Podcast, we hope effected families will be empowered, connected, supported and educated by hearing personal stories from parents and healthcare providers. To receive support or learn more about our mission, visit www.extratolove.org Follow us on socials!https://www.facebook.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovehttps://www.instagram.com/extratolovepodcast

TRIGGER WARNING - This episode discusses the loss of a baby. If you're not in a place to be comfortable with hearing about pregnancy or baby loss, you may want to skip or revisit this episode when you're in a place to listen. If you know someone that this conversation might help, please share it with them. This conversation includes conversations about advanced maternal age, genetic disorders and difficult decisions. You are encouraged to approach it with an open heart and an open mind. Kyle is courageous in sharing her story and her desire to help others is inspirational. She shares what's helpful (and not so helpful) when navigating through grief. She shares what she learned about genetic disorders, including trisomy 18, aka Edwards Syndrome. About our guest, Kyle Mack: The best way to describe her is a Wanderlust. A love for travel, adventures and meeting/making fast friend is a true passion. This love translates perfectly into the ever changing fast paced, real estate world.Born and raised in South Dakota, she attended college at Minnesota State University in Mankato where she continued her study in ballet/dance and exercise science. After college, she became a “Desert Rat” and moved to Palm Springs, California which she called home for over 11 years. Working in the hospitality industry managing and running events for numerous golf clubs help lend a hand in her attention to detail and ensuring clients are treated to their best experience. Working as a sales assistant prior to her move to Minneapolis present a plethora of knowledge and experience in the home buying and selling process.She married her Montana native husband where they decided to move to Minnesota and reside in the North Loop. In 2020 they welcomes a baby girl, Piper, into their lives and loving every minute of the new adventure & title.You can find Kyle forcing her golf pro husband to caddy for her, dancing or in the center of any social setting. Her spirit animal is a Shark, and looks to make Shark Week a national holiday! Connect with Kyle: Website: https://kylemack.evrealestate.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kmarmack/ Connect with Ginny: Website: https://www.ginnypriem.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginnypriem/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ginny-priem/message

Families are often told to consider the burden their child with special needs will have on their neurotypical children. What better way to remove the stigma than to allow the opportunity for their siblings to speak on their experience! Five children ranging in ages 13 to 17 joined the Extra to Love podcast to discuss their prospective of having a sibling with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13. The teens get vulnerable with an inside look into their experience, they share about their joys and struggles with each other on this episode! Listen in to hear about the beautiful journey that is absolutely worth it to them!Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

Emma Belle is English and lives in Dubai. She a Mentor to those living with Bipolar and also to parents going through TFMR Baby Loss. She is the founder of Not for profit called TFMR Mamas, an organisation that helps families after TFMR Baby loss. TFMR is Baby loss due to Termination for Medical or Birthing persons Heath reasons.  She set up this organisation in 2020 after going through this type of baby loss. She was told at the beginning of her second trimester of pregnancy that her daughter, Willow, had Edwards Syndrome and would likely die in utero before reaching term or if she did make it to full term was only expected to live a few hours or days after birth and would likely not leave the hospital due to the extensive medical support needed.  After 5 rounds of fertility treatment this is not a decision she or her husband imagined they would ever have to face and make. They made the heartbreaking ‘choice' to say goodbye to their desperately wanted baby girl and start to navigate life after loss.  Emma now helps others that sadly walk the same path, whilst also working with hospitals and clinics globally to improve care pathways and provide more bereavement and trauma informed care for TFMR parents.  https://www.emmakbelle.com/mystory Ashlynn Allen kicks divorce & betrayal in the teeth. With her real world example of what's possible after betrayal & how to live boldly with compassion & forgiveness while being boundaried & free from the past. She is an advocate for women who want to live a life full of adventure & freedom. Come listen to her perspectives while she has conversations with those she loves & respects who share their #bethebuffalo moments that may just help you shift your own journey in a beautiful way. Follow her on social media at HERE Retreats with her at HERE Mentor with her at HERE Move "Beyond Betrayal" with her at HERE --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ashlynn-allen/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ashlynn-allen/support

Emma, Jenn and Amber announce some exciting changes and goals for 2024 with services offer from Extra to Love. Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

Friday News Flyover, December 8, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, December 8th, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:Texas abortion bans creating legal confusion | MO Pastor jailed facing sexual abuse charges | Sen Josh Hawley and Rep Cori Bush speak against defense bill without funds for St. Louis residents exposed to radiation | AL Senator Tommy Tuberville gives up his misguided military holds | Dolly Parton gives books to millions of kids, if you didn't knowWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado. With me as co-host today is Adam Sommer, how you doing Adam?We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media with @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at thehearltandcollective.com Alright! Let's get into the storieshttps://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/06/1217637325/texas-woman-asks-court-for-abortion-because-of-pregnancy-complicationsUpdated Thursday, Dec. 7 at 1:55 p.m."Kate Cox needs an abortion, and she needs it now." Thus began a petition filed in a Texas district court this week, asking a judge to allow the abortion to be performed in the state, where abortion is banned with very limited exceptions.On Thursday, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of Travis County, Texas, ruled from the bench, granting permission for Cox to have the abortion she is seeking. Cox's fetus has a genetic condition with very low chances of survival and her own health and fertility are at risk if she carries the pregnancy to term.The petition was filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is the group behind a high profile case heard at the Texas Supreme Court last week.In that case the group's senior staff attorney Molly Duane argued on behalf of 20 patients and two OB-GYNs that the medical exception to the ban on abortion in the state's laws is too narrow and vague, and that it endangered patients during complicated pregnancies. An attorney for the state argued the exception is already clear and that the plaintiffs didn't have standing to sue.On the very day of those arguments, Nov. 28, Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two who lives in the Dallas area, got "devastating" news about her pregnancy, the filing says. At nearly 20-weeks gestation, she learned that her fetus has Trisomy 18 or Edwards Syndrome, a condition with extremely low chances of survival.So, as the Texas Supreme Court considered whether its abortion laws endangered patients with pregnancy complications in the past, Cox was trying to figure out what to do in her present situation.Cox had already been in the emergency room three times with cramping and other concerning symptoms, according to court documents. Her doctors told her she was at high risk of developing gestational hypertension and diabetes, and because she had had two prior cesarean sections, carrying the pregnancy to term could compromise her chances of having a third child in the future, the brief says.Last Thursday, she reached out for the Center for Reproductive Rights. Five days after that, the group filed this petition on her behalf.The filing asked a Travis County district court for a temporary restraining order against the state of Texas and the Texas Medical Board, blocking enforcement of Texas's abortion bans so that Cox can terminate her current pregnancy. It also would block enforcement of S.B. 8, which allows civil lawsuits to be filed against those who help patients receive abortions.That would protect the other plaintiffs in the case, Cox's husband, Justin, and Dr. Damla Karsan, who is prepared to provide the abortion if the court grants their request. Karsan is one of the OB-GYN plaintiffs in the Zurawski v. the State of Texas case.Thursday's ruling will allow Karsan to provide an abortion without threat of prosecution. It only applies to Cox, her husband and Karsan. Issuing the ruling, Judge Guerra Gamble said: "The idea that Ms. Cox wants so desperately to be a parent and this law may have her lose that ability is shocking and would be a genuine miscarriage of justice."There are currently three overlapping abortion bans in Texas. Abortion is illegal in the state from the moment pregnancy begins. Texas doctors can legally provide abortions only if a patient is "in danger of death or a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function, " the law says."I don't know what that means," Duane says of the language of the medical exception. "But I think [Cox's] situation must fall within whatever it is that that means."The Texas Attorney General's office did not respond to a request for comment on Cox's case, but the office argued in the Zurawski case that the medical exception needs no clarification.Sponsor MessageTexas Alliance for Life, a group that lobbied in the state legislature for the current abortion laws, published a statement about Cox's case Wednesday. "We believe that the exception language in Texas laws is clear," wrote the group's communication director Amy O'Donnell, and accused the Center for Reproductive Rights of pretending to seek clarity while really attempting to "chisel away" at Texas's abortion laws.The timeline of this case was very quick. "I have to be honest, I've never done this before, and that's because no one's ever done this before," Duane says. "But usually when you ask for a temporary restraining order, the court will act very, very quickly in acknowledgement of the emergency circumstances."The hearing was held via Zoom on Thursday morning.The State of Texas cannot appeal the decision directly, says Duane. "They would have to file what's called a writ of mandamus, saying that the district court acted so far out of its jurisdiction and that there needs to be a reversal," Duane explains. "But filing a petition like that is not does not automatically stay the injunction the way that an appeal of a temporary injunction does."In the meantime, the justices of the Texas Supreme Court are considering the Zurawski case, with a decision expected in the next few months. "I want them to take their time to write an opinion that gets this right and will protect patients, doctors and their families going forward," Duane says."But the reality is that in the meantime, people are going to continue to be harmed," and Cox couldn't afford to wait for that decision, Duane says.Duane praises Cox for her bravery in publicly sharing her story while in the midst of a personal medical crisis. "She's exceptional – but I will also say that the pathway to this has been paved by all the other women in our lawsuit," she says. "There is strength in numbers."https://www.kmbc.com/article/court-documents-independence-missouri-pastor-charged-child-molestation/46058889Court documents state that multiple people under the age of 18 accused Virgil Marsh of sexually assaulting them between 2011 and 2018.Marsh, 71, is now in the Jackson County jail.He was charged with two counts of first-degree of child molestation and first-degree statutory sodomy.A probable cause statement indicates that Marsh told police he was a current pastor in Independence and admitted he had "inappropriately touched" one of the victims.He did tell police he 'potentially kissed' a second victim on the mouth but denied sexually touching them.He also told police he has asked for forgiveness with God and is no longer the man who "had previously done things to the victim," the probable cause reads.https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/07/compensation-for-st-louis-victims-of-nuclear-waste-stripped-from-federal-defense-bill/Compensation for St. Louis victims of nuclear waste stripped from federal defense billProvisions that would have compensated those exposed to radioactive waste left over from the Manhattan Project were removed on WednesdayBY: ALLISON KITE - DECEMBER 7, 2023 9:03 AM      A joint investigation by The Independent and MuckRock.U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said Thursday he would do everything he could to stop a federal defense spending bill after a provision offering compensation to Americans exposed to decades-old radioactive waste was removed. Speaking on the floor of the Senate, the Missouri Republican called the decision to remove compensation for Americans who have suffered rare cancers and autoimmune diseases a “scar on the conscience of this body.”“This is an injustice,” Hawley said. “This is this body turning its back on these good, proud Americans.”This summer, the Senate amended the National Defense Authorization Act to expand the existing Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include parts of the St. Louis region where individuals were exposed to leftover radioactive material from the development of the first atomic bomb. It would have also included parts of the Southwest where residents were exposed to bomb testing. But the provision was removed Wednesday by a conference committee of senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives working out differences between the two chambers' versions of the bill.Even before the text of the amended bill became available Wednesday night, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri was decrying the removal of the radiation compensation policy. “This is a major betrayal of thousands and thousands of Missourians who have been lied to and ignored for years,” Hawley said in a post on social media Wednesday. Dawn Chapman, a co-founder of Just Moms STL, fought back tears Wednesday night as she described hearing the “gut-wrenching” news from Hawley's staff. Chapman and fellow moms have been advocating for families exposed to or near radioactive waste for years. “I actually thought we had a chance,” Chapman said. But she said the group hopes to get the expansion passed another way. “Nobody has given up on it,” Chapman said.The St. Louis region has suffered from a radioactive waste problem for decades. The area was instrumental in the Manhattan Project, the name given to the effort to build an atomic bomb during World War II. Almost 80 years later, residents of St. Louis and St. Charles counties are still dealing with the fallout. After the war, radioactive waste produced from refining uranium was trucked from downtown St. Louis to several sites in St. Louis County where it contaminated property at the airport and seeped into Coldwater Creek. In the 1970s, remaining nuclear waste that couldn't be processed to extract valuable metals was trucked to the West Lake Landfill and illegally dumped. It remains there today.During the Cold War, uranium was processed in St. Charles County. A chemical plant and open ponds of radioactive waste remained at the site in Weldon Spring for years. The site was remediated in the early 2000s, but groundwater contamination at the site is not improving fast enough, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.For years, St. Louis-area residents have pointed to the radioactive waste to explain rare cancers, autoimmune diseases and young deaths. A study by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found people who lived along Coldwater Creek or played in its waters faced an increased risk of cancer.Chapman said she knew two individuals who made calls to members of Congress while receiving chemotherapy. It's hard to ask people to keep fighting for the legislation, she said. “They're not going to see another Christmas, and they're not going to see the compensation from this,” Chapman said. “This won't help them.” An investigation by The Missouri Independent, MuckRock and The Associated Press this summer found that the private companies and federal agencies handling and overseeing the waste repeatedly downplayed the danger despite knowledge that it posed a risk to human health.After the report was published, Hawley decried the federal government's failures and vowed to introduce legislation to help. So did U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis. In a statement Wednesday night, she said the federal government's failure to compensate those who have been harmed by radioactive waste is “straight up negligence.”“The people of St. Louis deserve better, and they deserve to be able to live without worry of radioactive contamination,” Bush said. Missouri's junior senator, Republican Eric Schmitt, grew up near the West Lake Landfill. He said in a statement that the “fight is far from over” and that he will look into other legislation to get victims compensation.“The careless dumping of this waste happened across Missouri, including in my own backyard of St. Louis, and has negatively impacted Missouri communities for decades,” Schmitt said. “I will not stop fighting until it is addressed.”Already, two state lawmakers have pre-filed legislation related to radioactive waste in advance of the Missouri General Assembly reconvening in January. One doubles the budget of a state radioactive waste investigation fund. The other requires further disclosure of radioactive contamination when one sells or rents a house.In July, the U.S. Senate voted 61-37  to adopt Hawley's amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act expanding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include the St. Louis area. It would have also expanded the coverage area to compensate victims exposed to testing of the atomic bomb in New Mexico. The amendment included residents of New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Guam and expanded the coverage area in Nevada, Utah and Arizona, which are already partially covered.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that expanding the program could cost $147.1 billion over 10 years with St. Louis' portion taking up $3.7 billion of that. The amendment would have also renewed the program for existing coverage areas. Without renewal, it will expire in the coming months. Hawley said, however, the “fight is not over.” “I will come to this floor as long as it takes. I will introduce this bill as long as it takes,” he said. “I will force amendment votes as long as it takes until we compensate the people of this nation who have sacrificed for this nation.” https://www.azmirror.com/2023/12/06/in-bid-to-flip-the-legislature-blue-national-dems-announce-spending-on-az/With Republicans holding the barest of majorities in the Arizona Legislature, national Democrats are already making major investments in a bid to flip the state's legislature blue. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee on Wednesday announced it would spend $70,000 in Arizona to aid in candidate recruitment for key races, hiring staff, digital investments and more. The spending is the start of the DLCC's push in swing states where the committee hopes to either solidify Democratic majorities or pick up seats and win legislative control. The money is part of an initial $300,000 push in swing states by the DLCC, with Arizona and Michigan getting the lion's share of the money. The DLCC is also spending money in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. In Arizona, Republicans have one-seat majorities in both the 60-member state House of Representatives and the 30-member state Senate. DLCC interim President Heather Williams told the Arizona Mirror that the committee is hoping to flip the House and Senate in part by highlighting the extreme positions of Republican lawmakers. Many proposed law changes inspired by those extreme positions earned vetoes from Gov. Katie Hobbs earlier this year. “The Republican majority in both chambers is vulnerable,” Williams said, adding that this is only the committee's “initial investment,” as the group anticipates spending much more in 2024. Williams did not elaborate on which Arizona races the group plans to target, but mentioned that the group aims to do something similar to what happened in Virginia this year. Last month, Virginia Democrats gained control of the House and solidified their control of the Senate. The DLCC hopes to mirror that in Arizona. In that election, all 140 seats in the Virginia legislature were up for grabs, and Democrat wins will block Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's ability to fully enact his conservative agenda. The DLCC ended up spending more than $2 million in Virginia. “Here is what we know about Republicans, they are legislating in a way across the country that is not where their constituents are,” Williams said, citing access to abortion and health care for women as key. Republicans and Democrats are eyeing a number of key state house races for 2024 but Williams is confident that her party will come out on top, adding that the DLCC intends to have a dialogue with voters and to help people get registered to vote. “I think we feel really strong with our position as an organization,” Williams said, adding that having Hobbs, a former state lawmaker as a Democratic ally in the governorship will offer advantages. https://alabamareflector.com/2023/12/05/tuberville-relents-on-months-long-blockade-of-most-military-nominees-blaming-democrats/WASHINGTON — After blocking hundreds of U.S. military promotions for most of 2023 in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said Tuesday he will lift his holds on all of them except for a handful of four-star general nominees.The senator, who sits on the Senate Committee on Armed Forces, said he told his fellow Senate Republicans “it's been a long fight” but ultimately he said Democrats were to blame for stalling hundreds of service members from moving up in the chain of command. Tuberville had said repeatedly that Democrats could bring each of the nominees to the floor for votes, which would take hours of debate.“We fought hard. We did the right thing for the unborn and for our military, fighting back against executive overreach, and an abortion policy that's not legal,” Tuberville said after announcing his about-face to his fellow Senate Republicans during their regularly scheduled weekly lunch.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said Tuesday that he would move the nominations to the floor “as soon as possible, possibly later this afternoon.”“I hope no one does this again, and I hope they learned the lesson of Sen. Tuberville. And that is he held out for many, many months, hurt our national security, caused discombobulation to so many military families who have been so dedicated to our country, and didn't get anything that he wanted,” Schumer said.Tuberville has blocked hundreds of nominees since the spring because he opposes a recent Pentagon policy that allows armed services members time off and travel reimbursement should they need to seek an abortion in a state where it remains legal.Roughly 80,000 active-duty female service members are stationed in states where legislatures enacted full or partial bans following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a RAND analysis.The Biden administration and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin maintain the policy is legal, as did a 2022 Department of Justice opinion.The list of nominees affected by Tuberville's months-long hold grew to 451 members of the military as of Nov. 27, according to a Department of Defense official. Majority staff for the Senate Armed Services Committee list 445 affected nominees.Tuberville's agreement to halt his protest means that all but 11 of those nominees are expected to clear final Senate approval, according to figures from committee's majority staff.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Tuesday that GOP senators are “pleased obviously that that situation seems to have been ameliorated by recent announcements by the senator from Alabama.”Sen. Jack Reed, chair of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, said in a statement Tuesday he's “glad that hundreds of our nation's finest military leaders will finally receive their hard-won, merit-based promotions.”“They, and their families, have shown us what grace and grit look like in the face of hardship. Senator Tuberville's actions have been an affront to the United States military and the Senate,” said Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island.“He has jeopardized our national security and abused the rights afforded to all Senators. No Senator should ever attempt to advance their own partisan agenda on the backs of our troops like this again.”Threat of Democratic-led procedure changeTuberville's change in course arrived as Schumer was poised to bring to the floor a Democratic-led rules resolution to bypass the Alabama senator's blockade.The proposed temporary change in floor process would have allowed senators to quickly approve large blocs of nominations simultaneously on the floor, saving hours and hours that would have been required to vote on each individually.Tuberville said Tuesday that he and fellow Republican senators decided they did not want to see any changes to Senate floor procedures and that is the reason he decided to lift his blockade.“All of us are against a rule change in the Senate, OK. We're all against it,” Tuberville said.The Alabama senator's own Republican colleagues have grown publicly frustrated with his stalling of military promotions.GOP senators, including Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Todd Young of Indiana, have on two occasions held the Senate floor into the wee hours bringing forward the names of nominees, only to meet Tuberville's objections.Some frustrated Republicans last week mulled whether to support the Democratic-led effort to override Tuberville's blockade. Democrats would have needed nine of them to pass the change in procedure.“I have said that right now I support Tommy Tuberville, but if he makes a statement that he's going to maintain this posture through this Congress I intend to vote for nominations under the rules suspension,” Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told States Newsroom Nov. 29.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/12/06/ohio-senate-wants-to-stop-you-from-growing-weed-house-fights-back/Ohio Senate wants to stop you from growing weed; House fights backBY: MORGAN TRAU - DECEMBER 6, 2023 4:55 AMWhile Ohio Senate Republicans move to dramatically change recreational marijuana policy, the House is fighting back in a bipartisan fashion — saying the will of the voters must be followed.On Thursday, adults 21 and older in Ohio will be able to smoke weed and grow up to six plants.When Issue 2 passed in November, state Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) knew he could be part of clarifying public policy. He invited WEWS/OCJ's Morgan Trau to his introduction of H.B. 354 in a “skeleton” session Tuesday morning. Skeleton sessions are when typically two lawmakers gather with the House clerk and take less than five minutes to introduce policy.“We preserve the things that the people voted on,” he told Trau after he banged the gavel and Finance Chair state Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) watched.Callender, who has been an outspoken supporter of marijuana, has been working on recreational implementation for years. Issue 2 came after all of his efforts were purposely stalled in the Statehouse.“The Marijuana Legalization Initiative” allows Ohioans to grow up to six plants, with 12 per household. In addition, the proposal would impose a 10% tax at the point of sale for each transaction. It also establishes the Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce.Ohioans voted in favor of the statute 57-43%.“I'm glad it passed and I'm excited that we're going to be able to take some of these measures that make it a more responsible act,” Callender said. “I want to make sure that here in this chamber, the People's House, that we carry out the will of the people — and the people have spoken.”His bill doesn't make major changes, but it does add safeguards — like guidelines on advertising, public smoking bans and provisions that give local governments more of a say in where tax revenue goes. It also explains that home grow must take place at residential addresses.“We've seen folks aggregate those six plants and, in essence, create a mega farm which is simply an aggregation or a co-op of a whole lot of home grows,” he said, saying that he is trying to prevent that.The bill, one that Callendar says has bipartisan support in the House, deeply contrasts the Senate's version.The proposal by state Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) also includes guard rails to prevent exposure to children, including advertising guidelines. It would require marijuana to be packaged in a child-resistant container and prevents “cartoon character” or other pop culture figures whose target audience is a child from being used in weed marketing.However, those safety guidelines are the end of the common ground.The Senate proposal would reduce how much weed you could possess from 2.5 ounces to 1 ounce and 15 grams of marijuana concentrates to 5 grams; It would make weed less strong by limiting THC levels for plants to 25%, when the minimum was 35%. In addition, it would limit extracts to 50%, when the minimum was 90%; and it would make marijuana more expensive by raising the tax from 10% to 15%.It also changes where the taxes go.As mentioned, it was a 10% tax at the point of sale. It was 36% revenue to the cannabis social equity and jobs fund; 36% to the host community cannabis fund to provide funds to jurisdictions with adult-use dispensaries; 25% to the substance abuse and addiction fund; and 3% to the division of cannabis control and tax commissioner fund. Issue 2 capped the number of dispensaries permitted at once to 350, but the bill cuts that down to 230.The Senate version ups to 15% tax at the point of sale. It is 30% to the law enforcement training fund, 15% to the marijuana substance abuse treatment and prevention fund, 10% to the safe driver training fund, and the remaining 45% goes to the grand revenue fund — aka, the state lawmakers.“The social equity program — when you really got down to the nuts and bolts of it — it was tax revenue being collected to be put right back into the hands of the industry,” McColley said. “It was a tax grab by the industry to prop up more dispensaries within the industry.”The “Social Equity and Jobs Program” was established by Issue 2. It is designed to fix “the harms resulting from the disproportionate enforcement of marijuana-related laws” and “reduce barriers to ownership and opportunity” to those “most directly and adversely impacted by the enforcement of marijuana-related laws,” according to the initiative.The most significant change is the proposal eliminates home grow.“The opposition has been all around the black market,” McColley said. “It's been around, ‘how do we keep these plants from then being transferred and sold illegally?'”After facing backlash, McColley assured he wasn't going against the will of the people, since he believes that the voters didn't really know everything that they were voting on.“I think what the voters really voted for would have been access to products,” the senator added.Clearly, the voters want home grow, Callender argued. Access to products means access to home grow, he said.It isn't just Callender who is frustrated with the legislation moving through the other chamber. Dozens of Republican and Democratic representatives are infuriated with the Senate.One with a unique perspective is state Rep. Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Twp.) The Senate took his legislation, H.B. 86, that revised the limit on the gallons of spirituous liquor that a micro-distillery may manufacture each year and added their marijuana proposal onto his bill.“Slap in the face of Ohio voters,” LaRe told WEWS/OCJ.The lawmaker doesn't support recreational marijuana, but he does respect the will of Ohioans, he added.“It's unfortunate they want to use a bill that is focused on helping certain small businesses recover from the pandemic to fast-track language that changes the intent of the ballot initiative,” he said. “I believe we should look into where the tax dollars are spent, but this goes way beyond those details.”Democrats agree. House Minority Whip State Rep. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) says she can't and won't support the Senate version.“I'm not a fan of turning my back on the Ohio voters and the will of what they said when they overwhelmingly passed Issue 2,” Miranda said.When asked what happens if the two chambers don't reach a compromise, Callender said he will be in better standing — since the House can just block the Senate version.“I'm okay with just letting the initiated statute go into effect, which is a pretty strong bargaining position,” he said. “If we don't come up with an agreement, I'll trust the rule-making process, trust Commerce to make good rules to do this.”The Senate is expected to pass the marijuana bill out of committee Wednesday morning, putting it on the floor for a full vote later in the day. The House version is set to be heard Wednesday, as well.This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/dolly-parton-imagination-library-officially-launches-statewide-in-illinoisPritzker says goal is to send free books to all children, ages 0-5By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Illinois families with infants and toddlers now have access to free children's books that can be sent directly to their home, regardless of their income.Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced the official launch of the state's partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program founded by the country music legend in 1995 in her home county in east Tennessee. It now sends free books every month to nearly 3 million children in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland.“Today, I couldn't be prouder to announce that the Imagination Library is working with the state of Illinois to begin our journey to provide every child under the age of five an opportunity to receive a free book delivered to them every single month,” Pritzker said at an event at the Bloomington Public Library.Pritzker first announced in June that the state had formed a partnership with the Dollywood Foundation, Parton's philanthropic organization, after Illinois lawmakers included $1.6 million in this year's budget to fund the state's share of the program. Other funding comes from the Dollywood Foundation and local, county-based organizations.Since then, about 44 local programs have been operating in the state, serving roughly 4 percent of eligible children. But Dollywood Foundation executive director Nora Briggs said the goal is to reach all of the estimated 755,000 children under age 5 in Illinois.“We know that nothing is more basic, more essential, more foundational to a child's success in life than the ability to read,” Briggs said. “The research is clear. We cannot wait until kindergarten for children to have access or exposure to books. It must happen early. It must start in the home environment. And reading at home requires books.”People who are interested in enrolling their child in the program can find their local provider on the “check availability” tab located at imaginationlibrary.com. From there, applicants submit basic information including their address, their child's name and date of birth, and the parents' information.Once a child's eligibility is approved, they will start receiving one book each month, addressed to them. Each child within an age group receives the same monthly book. Books on the distribution list are chosen by a panel of early childhood literacy experts who review potential titles for inclusion in the distribution list. In addition to funding the Imagination Library program this year, lawmakers also approved Pritzker's “Smart Start Illinois” initiative that will provide $250 million this year for early childhood programs, including expanded access to preschool, wage support for child care workers, early intervention programs, and home visiting programs.“We're making our mark on every aspect of early childhood, and working with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library literacy efforts will begin now at the earliest ages,” Pritzker said. “Illinois is well on its way to solidifying our status as the number one state in the nation to raise young children.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Stories in today's show originally appeared in the Missouri Independent, Capitol News Illinois, Alabama Reflector, Michigan Advance, Arizona Mirror, KMBC9 Kansas City, Ohio Capital Journal, and NPR News @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Friday News Flyover, December 8, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, December 8th, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:Texas abortion bans creating legal confusion | MO Pastor jailed facing sexual abuse charges | Sen Josh Hawley and Rep Cori Bush speak against defense bill without funds for St. Louis residents exposed to radiation | AL Senator Tommy Tuberville gives up his misguided military holds | Dolly Parton gives books to millions of kids, if you didn't knowWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado. With me as co-host today is Adam Sommer, how you doing Adam?We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media with @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at thehearltandcollective.com Alright! Let's get into the storieshttps://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/06/1217637325/texas-woman-asks-court-for-abortion-because-of-pregnancy-complicationsUpdated Thursday, Dec. 7 at 1:55 p.m."Kate Cox needs an abortion, and she needs it now." Thus began a petition filed in a Texas district court this week, asking a judge to allow the abortion to be performed in the state, where abortion is banned with very limited exceptions.On Thursday, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of Travis County, Texas, ruled from the bench, granting permission for Cox to have the abortion she is seeking. Cox's fetus has a genetic condition with very low chances of survival and her own health and fertility are at risk if she carries the pregnancy to term.The petition was filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is the group behind a high profile case heard at the Texas Supreme Court last week.In that case the group's senior staff attorney Molly Duane argued on behalf of 20 patients and two OB-GYNs that the medical exception to the ban on abortion in the state's laws is too narrow and vague, and that it endangered patients during complicated pregnancies. An attorney for the state argued the exception is already clear and that the plaintiffs didn't have standing to sue.On the very day of those arguments, Nov. 28, Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two who lives in the Dallas area, got "devastating" news about her pregnancy, the filing says. At nearly 20-weeks gestation, she learned that her fetus has Trisomy 18 or Edwards Syndrome, a condition with extremely low chances of survival.So, as the Texas Supreme Court considered whether its abortion laws endangered patients with pregnancy complications in the past, Cox was trying to figure out what to do in her present situation.Cox had already been in the emergency room three times with cramping and other concerning symptoms, according to court documents. Her doctors told her she was at high risk of developing gestational hypertension and diabetes, and because she had had two prior cesarean sections, carrying the pregnancy to term could compromise her chances of having a third child in the future, the brief says.Last Thursday, she reached out for the Center for Reproductive Rights. Five days after that, the group filed this petition on her behalf.The filing asked a Travis County district court for a temporary restraining order against the state of Texas and the Texas Medical Board, blocking enforcement of Texas's abortion bans so that Cox can terminate her current pregnancy. It also would block enforcement of S.B. 8, which allows civil lawsuits to be filed against those who help patients receive abortions.That would protect the other plaintiffs in the case, Cox's husband, Justin, and Dr. Damla Karsan, who is prepared to provide the abortion if the court grants their request. Karsan is one of the OB-GYN plaintiffs in the Zurawski v. the State of Texas case.Thursday's ruling will allow Karsan to provide an abortion without threat of prosecution. It only applies to Cox, her husband and Karsan. Issuing the ruling, Judge Guerra Gamble said: "The idea that Ms. Cox wants so desperately to be a parent and this law may have her lose that ability is shocking and would be a genuine miscarriage of justice."There are currently three overlapping abortion bans in Texas. Abortion is illegal in the state from the moment pregnancy begins. Texas doctors can legally provide abortions only if a patient is "in danger of death or a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function, " the law says."I don't know what that means," Duane says of the language of the medical exception. "But I think [Cox's] situation must fall within whatever it is that that means."The Texas Attorney General's office did not respond to a request for comment on Cox's case, but the office argued in the Zurawski case that the medical exception needs no clarification.Sponsor MessageTexas Alliance for Life, a group that lobbied in the state legislature for the current abortion laws, published a statement about Cox's case Wednesday. "We believe that the exception language in Texas laws is clear," wrote the group's communication director Amy O'Donnell, and accused the Center for Reproductive Rights of pretending to seek clarity while really attempting to "chisel away" at Texas's abortion laws.The timeline of this case was very quick. "I have to be honest, I've never done this before, and that's because no one's ever done this before," Duane says. "But usually when you ask for a temporary restraining order, the court will act very, very quickly in acknowledgement of the emergency circumstances."The hearing was held via Zoom on Thursday morning.The State of Texas cannot appeal the decision directly, says Duane. "They would have to file what's called a writ of mandamus, saying that the district court acted so far out of its jurisdiction and that there needs to be a reversal," Duane explains. "But filing a petition like that is not does not automatically stay the injunction the way that an appeal of a temporary injunction does."In the meantime, the justices of the Texas Supreme Court are considering the Zurawski case, with a decision expected in the next few months. "I want them to take their time to write an opinion that gets this right and will protect patients, doctors and their families going forward," Duane says."But the reality is that in the meantime, people are going to continue to be harmed," and Cox couldn't afford to wait for that decision, Duane says.Duane praises Cox for her bravery in publicly sharing her story while in the midst of a personal medical crisis. "She's exceptional – but I will also say that the pathway to this has been paved by all the other women in our lawsuit," she says. "There is strength in numbers."https://www.kmbc.com/article/court-documents-independence-missouri-pastor-charged-child-molestation/46058889Court documents state that multiple people under the age of 18 accused Virgil Marsh of sexually assaulting them between 2011 and 2018.Marsh, 71, is now in the Jackson County jail.He was charged with two counts of first-degree of child molestation and first-degree statutory sodomy.A probable cause statement indicates that Marsh told police he was a current pastor in Independence and admitted he had "inappropriately touched" one of the victims.He did tell police he 'potentially kissed' a second victim on the mouth but denied sexually touching them.He also told police he has asked for forgiveness with God and is no longer the man who "had previously done things to the victim," the probable cause reads.https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/07/compensation-for-st-louis-victims-of-nuclear-waste-stripped-from-federal-defense-bill/Compensation for St. Louis victims of nuclear waste stripped from federal defense billProvisions that would have compensated those exposed to radioactive waste left over from the Manhattan Project were removed on WednesdayBY: ALLISON KITE - DECEMBER 7, 2023 9:03 AM      A joint investigation by The Independent and MuckRock.U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said Thursday he would do everything he could to stop a federal defense spending bill after a provision offering compensation to Americans exposed to decades-old radioactive waste was removed. Speaking on the floor of the Senate, the Missouri Republican called the decision to remove compensation for Americans who have suffered rare cancers and autoimmune diseases a “scar on the conscience of this body.”“This is an injustice,” Hawley said. “This is this body turning its back on these good, proud Americans.”This summer, the Senate amended the National Defense Authorization Act to expand the existing Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include parts of the St. Louis region where individuals were exposed to leftover radioactive material from the development of the first atomic bomb. It would have also included parts of the Southwest where residents were exposed to bomb testing. But the provision was removed Wednesday by a conference committee of senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives working out differences between the two chambers' versions of the bill.Even before the text of the amended bill became available Wednesday night, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri was decrying the removal of the radiation compensation policy. “This is a major betrayal of thousands and thousands of Missourians who have been lied to and ignored for years,” Hawley said in a post on social media Wednesday. Dawn Chapman, a co-founder of Just Moms STL, fought back tears Wednesday night as she described hearing the “gut-wrenching” news from Hawley's staff. Chapman and fellow moms have been advocating for families exposed to or near radioactive waste for years. “I actually thought we had a chance,” Chapman said. But she said the group hopes to get the expansion passed another way. “Nobody has given up on it,” Chapman said.The St. Louis region has suffered from a radioactive waste problem for decades. The area was instrumental in the Manhattan Project, the name given to the effort to build an atomic bomb during World War II. Almost 80 years later, residents of St. Louis and St. Charles counties are still dealing with the fallout. After the war, radioactive waste produced from refining uranium was trucked from downtown St. Louis to several sites in St. Louis County where it contaminated property at the airport and seeped into Coldwater Creek. In the 1970s, remaining nuclear waste that couldn't be processed to extract valuable metals was trucked to the West Lake Landfill and illegally dumped. It remains there today.During the Cold War, uranium was processed in St. Charles County. A chemical plant and open ponds of radioactive waste remained at the site in Weldon Spring for years. The site was remediated in the early 2000s, but groundwater contamination at the site is not improving fast enough, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.For years, St. Louis-area residents have pointed to the radioactive waste to explain rare cancers, autoimmune diseases and young deaths. A study by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found people who lived along Coldwater Creek or played in its waters faced an increased risk of cancer.Chapman said she knew two individuals who made calls to members of Congress while receiving chemotherapy. It's hard to ask people to keep fighting for the legislation, she said. “They're not going to see another Christmas, and they're not going to see the compensation from this,” Chapman said. “This won't help them.” An investigation by The Missouri Independent, MuckRock and The Associated Press this summer found that the private companies and federal agencies handling and overseeing the waste repeatedly downplayed the danger despite knowledge that it posed a risk to human health.After the report was published, Hawley decried the federal government's failures and vowed to introduce legislation to help. So did U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis. In a statement Wednesday night, she said the federal government's failure to compensate those who have been harmed by radioactive waste is “straight up negligence.”“The people of St. Louis deserve better, and they deserve to be able to live without worry of radioactive contamination,” Bush said. Missouri's junior senator, Republican Eric Schmitt, grew up near the West Lake Landfill. He said in a statement that the “fight is far from over” and that he will look into other legislation to get victims compensation.“The careless dumping of this waste happened across Missouri, including in my own backyard of St. Louis, and has negatively impacted Missouri communities for decades,” Schmitt said. “I will not stop fighting until it is addressed.”Already, two state lawmakers have pre-filed legislation related to radioactive waste in advance of the Missouri General Assembly reconvening in January. One doubles the budget of a state radioactive waste investigation fund. The other requires further disclosure of radioactive contamination when one sells or rents a house.In July, the U.S. Senate voted 61-37  to adopt Hawley's amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act expanding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include the St. Louis area. It would have also expanded the coverage area to compensate victims exposed to testing of the atomic bomb in New Mexico. The amendment included residents of New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Guam and expanded the coverage area in Nevada, Utah and Arizona, which are already partially covered.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that expanding the program could cost $147.1 billion over 10 years with St. Louis' portion taking up $3.7 billion of that. The amendment would have also renewed the program for existing coverage areas. Without renewal, it will expire in the coming months. Hawley said, however, the “fight is not over.” “I will come to this floor as long as it takes. I will introduce this bill as long as it takes,” he said. “I will force amendment votes as long as it takes until we compensate the people of this nation who have sacrificed for this nation.” https://www.azmirror.com/2023/12/06/in-bid-to-flip-the-legislature-blue-national-dems-announce-spending-on-az/With Republicans holding the barest of majorities in the Arizona Legislature, national Democrats are already making major investments in a bid to flip the state's legislature blue. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee on Wednesday announced it would spend $70,000 in Arizona to aid in candidate recruitment for key races, hiring staff, digital investments and more. The spending is the start of the DLCC's push in swing states where the committee hopes to either solidify Democratic majorities or pick up seats and win legislative control. The money is part of an initial $300,000 push in swing states by the DLCC, with Arizona and Michigan getting the lion's share of the money. The DLCC is also spending money in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. In Arizona, Republicans have one-seat majorities in both the 60-member state House of Representatives and the 30-member state Senate. DLCC interim President Heather Williams told the Arizona Mirror that the committee is hoping to flip the House and Senate in part by highlighting the extreme positions of Republican lawmakers. Many proposed law changes inspired by those extreme positions earned vetoes from Gov. Katie Hobbs earlier this year. “The Republican majority in both chambers is vulnerable,” Williams said, adding that this is only the committee's “initial investment,” as the group anticipates spending much more in 2024. Williams did not elaborate on which Arizona races the group plans to target, but mentioned that the group aims to do something similar to what happened in Virginia this year. Last month, Virginia Democrats gained control of the House and solidified their control of the Senate. The DLCC hopes to mirror that in Arizona. In that election, all 140 seats in the Virginia legislature were up for grabs, and Democrat wins will block Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's ability to fully enact his conservative agenda. The DLCC ended up spending more than $2 million in Virginia. “Here is what we know about Republicans, they are legislating in a way across the country that is not where their constituents are,” Williams said, citing access to abortion and health care for women as key. Republicans and Democrats are eyeing a number of key state house races for 2024 but Williams is confident that her party will come out on top, adding that the DLCC intends to have a dialogue with voters and to help people get registered to vote. “I think we feel really strong with our position as an organization,” Williams said, adding that having Hobbs, a former state lawmaker as a Democratic ally in the governorship will offer advantages. https://alabamareflector.com/2023/12/05/tuberville-relents-on-months-long-blockade-of-most-military-nominees-blaming-democrats/WASHINGTON — After blocking hundreds of U.S. military promotions for most of 2023 in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said Tuesday he will lift his holds on all of them except for a handful of four-star general nominees.The senator, who sits on the Senate Committee on Armed Forces, said he told his fellow Senate Republicans “it's been a long fight” but ultimately he said Democrats were to blame for stalling hundreds of service members from moving up in the chain of command. Tuberville had said repeatedly that Democrats could bring each of the nominees to the floor for votes, which would take hours of debate.“We fought hard. We did the right thing for the unborn and for our military, fighting back against executive overreach, and an abortion policy that's not legal,” Tuberville said after announcing his about-face to his fellow Senate Republicans during their regularly scheduled weekly lunch.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said Tuesday that he would move the nominations to the floor “as soon as possible, possibly later this afternoon.”“I hope no one does this again, and I hope they learned the lesson of Sen. Tuberville. And that is he held out for many, many months, hurt our national security, caused discombobulation to so many military families who have been so dedicated to our country, and didn't get anything that he wanted,” Schumer said.Tuberville has blocked hundreds of nominees since the spring because he opposes a recent Pentagon policy that allows armed services members time off and travel reimbursement should they need to seek an abortion in a state where it remains legal.Roughly 80,000 active-duty female service members are stationed in states where legislatures enacted full or partial bans following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a RAND analysis.The Biden administration and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin maintain the policy is legal, as did a 2022 Department of Justice opinion.The list of nominees affected by Tuberville's months-long hold grew to 451 members of the military as of Nov. 27, according to a Department of Defense official. Majority staff for the Senate Armed Services Committee list 445 affected nominees.Tuberville's agreement to halt his protest means that all but 11 of those nominees are expected to clear final Senate approval, according to figures from committee's majority staff.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Tuesday that GOP senators are “pleased obviously that that situation seems to have been ameliorated by recent announcements by the senator from Alabama.”Sen. Jack Reed, chair of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, said in a statement Tuesday he's “glad that hundreds of our nation's finest military leaders will finally receive their hard-won, merit-based promotions.”“They, and their families, have shown us what grace and grit look like in the face of hardship. Senator Tuberville's actions have been an affront to the United States military and the Senate,” said Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island.“He has jeopardized our national security and abused the rights afforded to all Senators. No Senator should ever attempt to advance their own partisan agenda on the backs of our troops like this again.”Threat of Democratic-led procedure changeTuberville's change in course arrived as Schumer was poised to bring to the floor a Democratic-led rules resolution to bypass the Alabama senator's blockade.The proposed temporary change in floor process would have allowed senators to quickly approve large blocs of nominations simultaneously on the floor, saving hours and hours that would have been required to vote on each individually.Tuberville said Tuesday that he and fellow Republican senators decided they did not want to see any changes to Senate floor procedures and that is the reason he decided to lift his blockade.“All of us are against a rule change in the Senate, OK. We're all against it,” Tuberville said.The Alabama senator's own Republican colleagues have grown publicly frustrated with his stalling of military promotions.GOP senators, including Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Todd Young of Indiana, have on two occasions held the Senate floor into the wee hours bringing forward the names of nominees, only to meet Tuberville's objections.Some frustrated Republicans last week mulled whether to support the Democratic-led effort to override Tuberville's blockade. Democrats would have needed nine of them to pass the change in procedure.“I have said that right now I support Tommy Tuberville, but if he makes a statement that he's going to maintain this posture through this Congress I intend to vote for nominations under the rules suspension,” Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told States Newsroom Nov. 29.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/12/06/ohio-senate-wants-to-stop-you-from-growing-weed-house-fights-back/Ohio Senate wants to stop you from growing weed; House fights backBY: MORGAN TRAU - DECEMBER 6, 2023 4:55 AMWhile Ohio Senate Republicans move to dramatically change recreational marijuana policy, the House is fighting back in a bipartisan fashion — saying the will of the voters must be followed.On Thursday, adults 21 and older in Ohio will be able to smoke weed and grow up to six plants.When Issue 2 passed in November, state Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) knew he could be part of clarifying public policy. He invited WEWS/OCJ's Morgan Trau to his introduction of H.B. 354 in a “skeleton” session Tuesday morning. Skeleton sessions are when typically two lawmakers gather with the House clerk and take less than five minutes to introduce policy.“We preserve the things that the people voted on,” he told Trau after he banged the gavel and Finance Chair state Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) watched.Callender, who has been an outspoken supporter of marijuana, has been working on recreational implementation for years. Issue 2 came after all of his efforts were purposely stalled in the Statehouse.“The Marijuana Legalization Initiative” allows Ohioans to grow up to six plants, with 12 per household. In addition, the proposal would impose a 10% tax at the point of sale for each transaction. It also establishes the Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce.Ohioans voted in favor of the statute 57-43%.“I'm glad it passed and I'm excited that we're going to be able to take some of these measures that make it a more responsible act,” Callender said. “I want to make sure that here in this chamber, the People's House, that we carry out the will of the people — and the people have spoken.”His bill doesn't make major changes, but it does add safeguards — like guidelines on advertising, public smoking bans and provisions that give local governments more of a say in where tax revenue goes. It also explains that home grow must take place at residential addresses.“We've seen folks aggregate those six plants and, in essence, create a mega farm which is simply an aggregation or a co-op of a whole lot of home grows,” he said, saying that he is trying to prevent that.The bill, one that Callendar says has bipartisan support in the House, deeply contrasts the Senate's version.The proposal by state Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) also includes guard rails to prevent exposure to children, including advertising guidelines. It would require marijuana to be packaged in a child-resistant container and prevents “cartoon character” or other pop culture figures whose target audience is a child from being used in weed marketing.However, those safety guidelines are the end of the common ground.The Senate proposal would reduce how much weed you could possess from 2.5 ounces to 1 ounce and 15 grams of marijuana concentrates to 5 grams; It would make weed less strong by limiting THC levels for plants to 25%, when the minimum was 35%. In addition, it would limit extracts to 50%, when the minimum was 90%; and it would make marijuana more expensive by raising the tax from 10% to 15%.It also changes where the taxes go.As mentioned, it was a 10% tax at the point of sale. It was 36% revenue to the cannabis social equity and jobs fund; 36% to the host community cannabis fund to provide funds to jurisdictions with adult-use dispensaries; 25% to the substance abuse and addiction fund; and 3% to the division of cannabis control and tax commissioner fund. Issue 2 capped the number of dispensaries permitted at once to 350, but the bill cuts that down to 230.The Senate version ups to 15% tax at the point of sale. It is 30% to the law enforcement training fund, 15% to the marijuana substance abuse treatment and prevention fund, 10% to the safe driver training fund, and the remaining 45% goes to the grand revenue fund — aka, the state lawmakers.“The social equity program — when you really got down to the nuts and bolts of it — it was tax revenue being collected to be put right back into the hands of the industry,” McColley said. “It was a tax grab by the industry to prop up more dispensaries within the industry.”The “Social Equity and Jobs Program” was established by Issue 2. It is designed to fix “the harms resulting from the disproportionate enforcement of marijuana-related laws” and “reduce barriers to ownership and opportunity” to those “most directly and adversely impacted by the enforcement of marijuana-related laws,” according to the initiative.The most significant change is the proposal eliminates home grow.“The opposition has been all around the black market,” McColley said. “It's been around, ‘how do we keep these plants from then being transferred and sold illegally?'”After facing backlash, McColley assured he wasn't going against the will of the people, since he believes that the voters didn't really know everything that they were voting on.“I think what the voters really voted for would have been access to products,” the senator added.Clearly, the voters want home grow, Callender argued. Access to products means access to home grow, he said.It isn't just Callender who is frustrated with the legislation moving through the other chamber. Dozens of Republican and Democratic representatives are infuriated with the Senate.One with a unique perspective is state Rep. Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Twp.) The Senate took his legislation, H.B. 86, that revised the limit on the gallons of spirituous liquor that a micro-distillery may manufacture each year and added their marijuana proposal onto his bill.“Slap in the face of Ohio voters,” LaRe told WEWS/OCJ.The lawmaker doesn't support recreational marijuana, but he does respect the will of Ohioans, he added.“It's unfortunate they want to use a bill that is focused on helping certain small businesses recover from the pandemic to fast-track language that changes the intent of the ballot initiative,” he said. “I believe we should look into where the tax dollars are spent, but this goes way beyond those details.”Democrats agree. House Minority Whip State Rep. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) says she can't and won't support the Senate version.“I'm not a fan of turning my back on the Ohio voters and the will of what they said when they overwhelmingly passed Issue 2,” Miranda said.When asked what happens if the two chambers don't reach a compromise, Callender said he will be in better standing — since the House can just block the Senate version.“I'm okay with just letting the initiated statute go into effect, which is a pretty strong bargaining position,” he said. “If we don't come up with an agreement, I'll trust the rule-making process, trust Commerce to make good rules to do this.”The Senate is expected to pass the marijuana bill out of committee Wednesday morning, putting it on the floor for a full vote later in the day. The House version is set to be heard Wednesday, as well.This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/dolly-parton-imagination-library-officially-launches-statewide-in-illinoisPritzker says goal is to send free books to all children, ages 0-5By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Illinois families with infants and toddlers now have access to free children's books that can be sent directly to their home, regardless of their income.Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced the official launch of the state's partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program founded by the country music legend in 1995 in her home county in east Tennessee. It now sends free books every month to nearly 3 million children in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland.“Today, I couldn't be prouder to announce that the Imagination Library is working with the state of Illinois to begin our journey to provide every child under the age of five an opportunity to receive a free book delivered to them every single month,” Pritzker said at an event at the Bloomington Public Library.Pritzker first announced in June that the state had formed a partnership with the Dollywood Foundation, Parton's philanthropic organization, after Illinois lawmakers included $1.6 million in this year's budget to fund the state's share of the program. Other funding comes from the Dollywood Foundation and local, county-based organizations.Since then, about 44 local programs have been operating in the state, serving roughly 4 percent of eligible children. But Dollywood Foundation executive director Nora Briggs said the goal is to reach all of the estimated 755,000 children under age 5 in Illinois.“We know that nothing is more basic, more essential, more foundational to a child's success in life than the ability to read,” Briggs said. “The research is clear. We cannot wait until kindergarten for children to have access or exposure to books. It must happen early. It must start in the home environment. And reading at home requires books.”People who are interested in enrolling their child in the program can find their local provider on the “check availability” tab located at imaginationlibrary.com. From there, applicants submit basic information including their address, their child's name and date of birth, and the parents' information.Once a child's eligibility is approved, they will start receiving one book each month, addressed to them. Each child within an age group receives the same monthly book. Books on the distribution list are chosen by a panel of early childhood literacy experts who review potential titles for inclusion in the distribution list. In addition to funding the Imagination Library program this year, lawmakers also approved Pritzker's “Smart Start Illinois” initiative that will provide $250 million this year for early childhood programs, including expanded access to preschool, wage support for child care workers, early intervention programs, and home visiting programs.“We're making our mark on every aspect of early childhood, and working with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library literacy efforts will begin now at the earliest ages,” Pritzker said. “Illinois is well on its way to solidifying our status as the number one state in the nation to raise young children.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Stories in today's show originally appeared in the Missouri Independent, Capitol News Illinois, Alabama Reflector, Michigan Advance, Arizona Mirror, KMBC9 Kansas City, Ohio Capital Journal, and NPR News @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

"Though she be but little, she is fierce," describes Evalyn, more commonly known as "Nuggie" quite well. In this week's episode her mom, Amber, who is the host of the Extra to Love Podcast, tells the story of her birth diagnosis and life since then. Like many others, Nugget has continuously defied all of the odds set against her and impacted a lot of hearts along the way!Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

Charity joins Emma and Amber on this episode to talk about the way she juggles her many hats and accomplishments. Charity has a heart to serve and give Maggie a life well lived and loved! The diagnosis her daughter has wasn't the end, but a beautiful revelation of things that really matter in life! Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

Jenn, Emma, and Amber discuss the events and emotions leading up to the very emotional first birthday of their children with Trisomy. We are often told the chances of even getting one is slim to none, as the first has come to pass, they discuss what it feels like as each birthday for their child comes back around. Asher is a little boy who will be 5 soon, Sage just turned 3 and Evalyn is about to be 2!Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

The name "Journey" is the perfect name for a little girl who is described by her Mom as an answered prayer and a true blessing in her life! Listen in as her Mom, Deirdra tells the story of her birth, diagnosis, and the advocacy that has followed. Journey is a four year old girl who is quite the fashionista, and has a beautiful relationship with her sibling! Journey is pure sunshine and nothing short of an incredible testimony of God's Love! Deirdra is the first member of ETL's Parent Advisory Counsel and we look forward to sharing more from her!Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

Amber, Jenn, and Emma discuss their experience with "Hospice/Comfort Care" measures. One of us skipped over it, the other was not given a choice and the last of us chose it! In this episode we discuss our vastly different experiences and what lead us to make the decisions we did. We discuss the importance of titration of the FIO2 for your child. Disclaimer: "Amber here, in this episode we do discuss death, I want to put a quick disclaimer that my ease of using the word "dead" in the episode came from my own healing of trauma. I was at a beautiful retreat where I had the honor of hearing Bethany Bernard play her newest album. She discussed, there is a terrible stigma around using the words "death, and dead." It took me 9 months to be able to say that my own daughter had died and not using that verbiage for me, minimized her story."Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

Podcast Co-Host Jenn takes us through the journey of her own grief of loss and life with another medically complex child. Asher, is her four year old son who has Trisomy 18, the odds have been completely stacked against him from the beginning. Asher has done incredible and amazing things despite the statistics he was compared to! Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

Charity Nelson tells the story of her pregnancy, birth and life with daughter Maggie who is 3 years old and has Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome). With a trach and GJ tube and two fun siblings, Maggie's story demonstrates the way medical complexity and fullness of life can coexist. Charity shares how she has witnessed God in the details of Maggie's life and coming to terms with her diagnosis. Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

In this episode Kathryn discusses the impact her daughter's diagnosis had on her as a nurse and on her family. Indiana lived  for a brief moment in time but left a lasting impact on her family! Kathryn discusses the complications she had and all the things that make her daughter the blessing that she was. Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

Emma, Jenn, and Amber discuss the current state of their marriages and the impact a special needs child has had on their relationships and friendships. Our Website and Social's are listed Below!https://www.extratolove.org/https://www.facebook.com/ExtraToLove/https://www.instagram.com/Extratolove/

The world of genetics is an intricate and complex field, a web of codes that define every aspect of our being. Occasionally, unexpected changes that occur during the formation of these genetic blueprints, and these can lead to various genetic disorders. Among these disorders are Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13, also known as Edwards Syndrome and Patau Syndrome, respectively. Although relatively rare, their impact is profound, often leading to serious health challenges for affected individuals. Trisomy 18 - Edwards Syndrome: Trisomy 18, commonly known as Edwards Syndrome, is a genetic disorder caused by an error in cell division that results in an extra chromosome 18. The condition is often characterized by severe intellectual and developmental delays, as well as a myriad of physical abnormalities. Children born with Edwards Syndrome may exhibit a variety of signs, including a small, abnormally shaped head; a small jaw and mouth; and clenched fists with overlapping fingers. They can also have heart defects, kidney problems, and other organ abnormalities. Sadly, due to these severe health issues, many infants with Trisomy 18 do not survive past into birth and the majority to not survive their first year. Trisomy 13 - Patau Syndrome: Patau Syndrome, also known as Trisomy 13, is another chromosomal disorder, this time involving an extra copy of chromosome 13. Similar to Trisomy 18, this genetic condition results in severe intellectual and physical challenges. Infants with Trisomy 13 often have multiple malformations, including heart defects, brain or spinal cord abnormalities, very small or poorly developed eyes (microphthalmia), extra fingers and/or toes (polydactyly), and cleft lip or cleft palate. As with Edwards Syndrome, the prognosis for infants with Patau Syndrome is unfortunately poor, with many not surviving past infancy. Both Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13 are incredibly challenging conditions, not just for those directly affected, but also for their families. These disorders highlight the importance of genetic health and the complexity of our chromosomal blueprint. While medical advancements continue to strive for better understanding and treatment options, it's crucial to provide support and understanding for families affected by these conditions. Early diagnosis, comprehensive care, and a multidisciplinary approach are essential in managing these conditions. But equally important is a supportive and empathetic society that recognizes the unique challenges that individuals with Trisomy 18 or Trisomy 13 and their families face. Remember, behind every statistic is a person—a life filled with potential and a heart capable of giving and receiving love. In understanding disorders like these, we step toward a more inclusive world where every individual is acknowledged, respected, and celebrated.   Our practice website can be found at: Maternal Resources: https://www.maternalresources.org/ Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  Please consider leaving us a review.  Send us an email with your feedback at info@maternalresources.org Our Social Channels are as follows Twitter: https://twitter.com/integrativeob YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/maternalresources IG: https://www.instagram.com/integrativeobgyn/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IntegrativeOB    

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 178 A Rare Collection - Exhausted and Energized There's power in storytelling- for the listener and the storyteller. A Rare Collection is a monthly series featuring people from the rare disease community, sharing a story with a common theme.  EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Annie Kennedy, Rare disease advocate with the EveryLife Foundation I have a quote in my office that says "she took her power back without permission". As I stood in the back of the legislative conference during Rare Disease Week, the opening speaker asked a room full of more than 600 advocates to, by a show of hands, show who was in Washington for the very first time for Rare Disease Week to advocate on Capitol Hill. I realized that more than 50% of the room was raising their hands and I immediately thought of that quote. More than 50% of that room was taking their power back for the very first time. That was exhilarating. There were many other exhilarating moments throughout the week. While the week was absolutely exhausting, full of meetings, documentary screenings and conferences, it was exhilarating. More than 600 advocates traveled and came together for an exhilarating week during Rare Disease Week, advocated together and shared stories. We took our power back and changed the rare disease landscape forever. Sarita Edwards, Rare mama and co-founder of The E.WE Foundation Our son, Elijah, was diagnosed in utero with the rare disease Edwards Syndrome, or Trisomy 18. Events like Rare Disease Week are important to me because it's an opportunity to raise awareness about Elijah's diagnosis and champion legislation we believe can help families like ours. Several weeks ago, I celebrated Rare Disease Week, alongside 600 rare disease advocates and 300 patient organizations in Washington, DC. To say I was energized is an understatement. The days were long and full of content and conversations, and though I was energized, I was also exhausted. I was exhausted watching advocates push themselves to limits on behalf of the rare community. It was exhausting walking from building to building, speaking with legislators who are in charge of the decisions that affect our day-to-day lives. I was exhausted thinking about how much we believe all of this makes a difference, and hopeful it actually does. Exhaustion is the evidence of my energy being used properly. I was exhausted, but I'm energized and I'm just getting started as a rare disease advocate.  Abbey Hauser, Ehlers-Danlos patient and Rare Disease Advocate and Board Member with Team Telomere There were two versions of me that existed in Washington, DC last week. There was the excited, engaged, educated and enthusiastic patient advocate. There was also the rare disease patient who laid alone on their hotel room floor at the end of each night, taking extra pain medications, hoping that the next day would go better for their body. Both versions are equal and valid to my story, yet most people only see the excited and engaged advocate that I am. I know the quiet moments that I laid on my hotel room floor are part of what makes me such a powerful patient advocate. I left Washington, DC exhausted beyond words and my body was pushed to its limits. Being a patient is hard, but being energized is worth the exhaustion. LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED The E.WE Foundation https://theewefoundation.org/about/ Team Telomere https://teamtelomere.org/ EveryLife Foundation https://everylifefoundation.org/ CONNECT WITH EFFIE PARKS Website https://effieparks.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/OnceUponAGene Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onceuponagene.podcast/?hl=en Built Ford Tough Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1877643259173346/

In this episode, we review the high-yield topic of Edwards Syndrome from the Pediatrics section. Follow Medbullets on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/medbullets Instagram: www.instagram.com/medbulletsofficial Twitter: www.twitter.com/medbullets

Amanda King is an Aussie who fell in love with a kiwi while on a sailing trip around Croatia. She now lives on a sheep and beef farm on the south island of New Zealand. The transition to life on the land was a rollercoaster for the former city girl. But it was the next chapter in her life that proved the hardest. Amanda and her husband tried to have a baby for three years, before turning to IVF. Their first round was a success and Amanda discovered she was pregnant with twins. But at 17 weeks, she got the heartbreaking news that her babies had Edwards Syndrome and wouldn't survive. She was then faced with a heart wrenching decision of what to do next, and decided to end the pregnancy which was incredibly traumatic. It took six rounds of IVF to create the family she has now. This is her story.Introducing the Merry People Bobbi kids gumboot! Cute, fun, sturdy and long lasting, the kids boot is perfect for all their daily adventures. With a brand new black colour (the perfect black school shoe), the kids range is now available in 7 colours. Head to merrypeople.com to get your hands on a pair.'The Complete Australian Guide to Pregnancy and Birth' is your trusted companion as you make the transition to motherhood. It will educate you about all facets of pregnancy and birth so you'll never have to say: “I wish I'd known.” Grab your copy: www.australianbirthstories.com/bookhttps://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

In this episode, Chris shares the story of baby Emily who was diagnosed with Edwards Syndrome during pregnancy and Chris had her faith tested during this time. Emily exceeded all expectations and lived until she was 2 months old. The way that Chris talks about Emily's birth, life and death is so beautiful and full of joy

Sarita Edwards is CEO & President at the E.WE Foundation, a nonprofit healthcare advocacy organization. She began her efforts of advocacy and public policy after her 5th child was diagnosed in utero with rare disease Edwards Syndrome or Full Trisomy 18. Sarita is recognized as a world's top patient expert and social health ambassador. She is an award winning advocate and host of the Being Rare Podcast, a digital resource hub and community conversations platform popular for its 60 second episodes. Sarita serves on executive boards and advisory councils within her home state and across the country. She is a rare disease legislative advocate, a member of multiple coalitions, and an active participant in DEIA workgroups. Sarita also serves as a Community Congress member providing advice and insight on urgent policy initiatives. Sarita has a Bachelor of Science is Health Science and is a candidate for her Masters in Healthcare Administration. She has professional experience in Healthcare Operations & Patient Access. Sarita has certifications in Seizure Recognition & First Aid from the Epilepsy Foundation and Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Behavioral Health & Mental Wellbeing. Additionally, Sarita has continuing education studies in effective parenting, understanding childhood behavior, and child abuse & neglect prevention. Sarita lives in North Alabama with her husband and their five children.

Join us on this episode of The Birth Journeys as Bonnie shares her journey through a variety of birth experiences and a heartbreaking loss that reminds us that beauty truly comes from ashes. This episode covers hospital birth, cesarean, induction, VBAC, shoulder dystocia, trisomy 18, Edwards Syndrome, stillbirth, and placenta abruption. Connect with Alison here: Facebook: bonnie.somero Email: b3bsomero@truevine.net

Back in the first episode I mentioned our first daughter was born terminally ill. She was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome). Her name was Jessica. Without getting too science-y on you, I want to explain what Trisomy 18 is, share our story, and tell you why I'm talking about it on today's episode. Let's dive in ... T-18 Coaching Experience Trisomy 18 Foundation

In today's episode we are talking to a beautiful young lady named Jayde. Jayde is 34 years old and already has a 12-year-old son, however she had her worries around trying for baby number 2 given she is a little older and what specialists would say as approaching that “geriatric pregnancy age”. Much to her surprise last year she was fortunate enough to fall pregnant quite quickly and the first 12 weeks of her pregnancy were absolutely bliss! Unfortunately, this blissful feeling was short lived as Jayde received some unfathomable news after completing the NIPT test, and their greatest fears were then confirmed through a CVS test where they were told their little girl had Edwards Syndrome and was incompatible with life. Jayde was referred to an abortion clinic and talks about how traumatic her termination for medical reason truly was. She felt extremely unsupported and unheard and feels like there is a big gap in the health care system for families going through this. Thank you for being so brave and sharing such a raw and vulnerable story. LINKS: Instagram Support pages: @thetfmrdoula @timetotalktfmr @tfmrmamas Facebook : TFMR Pink Elephants Web : Children by choice - Sands.org.au If you haven't already, please jump over to our Instagram page @infertilityandbeyond_ and show us some love!! & If you enjoyed this podcast don't forget to subscribe and leave us a glowing review!

EPISODE OVERVIEW: Entering the season ready for a three-peat, Texas state, girls volleyball championship, pregnant with her second child, and seemingly having the world by the longhorns, learn how this week's guest went from having all her dreams realized, to learning the importance of when wishes change.Watch or listen now to this Remarkable and life-packed episode. Within it you will find hope in the midst of tragedy, opportunity in the middle of trials, and peace and joy after suffering great loss. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Tricia Roos story!GUEST BIO: Tricia Roos is a Dallas wife and mother who built her career coaching young athletes. Multiple state volleyball championships pale, however, next to what she gained through tragedy. Against the advice of medical experts, Tricia completed her pregnancy with a child diagnosed with a fatal chromosome condition. That season her team won, the child in her grew, and eventually Tricia held and loved the daughter no one expected to live. Then in six searing days, Tricia and her family rewrote the medical chapter on Trisomy 18, living out a story that galvanized the large high school she worked in, the media in her city . . . and inspires her audiences and readers today. FEATURED QUOTE(S): "To fight means you give it your all. You don't hold anything back." - Tricia Roos SHOW NOTES:  SPECIAL OFFERS, LINKS, GUEST CONTACT INFO, & OTHER RESOURCES MENTIONED:Contact Info:Website: www.whenwisheschange.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/whenwisheschangeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whenwisheschange/Resources Mentioned: Amazon book link: Click HereHOW TO SUPPORT THE REMARKABLE PEOPLE PODCAST:Subscribe, Rate, & Review  us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any of your favorite Podcast PlayersShare the podcast and specific episodes with your family, friends, co-workers, church groups, and total strangers to help more people be encouraged and growSponsor / Donate what you can financially to help us continue to bring great content that inspires you and people around the world with the Remarkable true life stories that inspire us all to grow, feel purpose, and overcome the obstacles in our way.  HAVE A QUESTION?Click Here to Connect with DavidTHANKS FOR LISTENING TO THE REMARKABLE PEOPLE PODCAST!

Our guest this week is Dr. Harsha Rajasimha of Herndon, VA who is the father of three as well as CEO and Founder of Jeeva Informatics, a human-centric software as a service, also known as SaaS, enabling clinical research at scale. Harsha and his wife, Ashwini, have been married for 16 years and are the proud parents of three daughters: Amulya (14), Mytri (7) and middle daughter Kahushi who, very sadly, died in 2012, shortly after birth due to Edwards Syndrome, also known as Trisomy 18, which is a rare congenital disorder.Harsha is also founder of Indo-US Organization For Rare Diseases, a non-profit focused on accelerating therapies for rare diseases by building collaborative bridges between the USA and the Indian subcontinent for education, advocacy and research.It's an uplifting story about a father's love for his family and how his heart has been shaped bya daughter's death. That's all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Jeeva Informatics - https://jeevatrials.com Indo-US Organization For Rare Diseases - https://indousrare.org LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/harsharajasimha/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations. Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

WHEN WISHES CHANGE Season 2 Episode 32 HOST: Sheila Glavee GUEST: Tricia Roos PwS's Quote: "It always seems impossible until it is done" - Nelson Mandela TRICIA ROOS is a Dallas wife and mother who built her career coaching young athletes. Multiple state volleyball championships pale, next to what she gained through tragedy. Against the advice of medical experts, Tricia completed her pregnancy with a child diagnosed with a fatal chromosome condition. That season her team won, the child in her grew, and eventually Tricia held and loved the daughter no one expected to live. Then in six searing days, Tricia and her family rewrote the medical chapter on Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome), living out a story that galvanized the large high school she worked in, the media in her city . . . and inspires her audiences and readers. We discussed her pregnancy journey and what life was like after the birth till date. Tricia says there can be hope in the light of tragedy. She says good things can come out of tragedy and and that there is purpose in pain and I totally agree to all three. This is the best motivational story to listen to if you are dealing with loss of any kind. Wishing you the very best in life from PODCAST with SHEILA CONTACT OF TRICIA ROOS www.triciaroos.com CONTACT OF PODCAST WITH SHEILA https://linktr.ee/Podcastwithsheila Please don't forget to support this mission of spreading positivity around the world by subscribing, liking and sharing our episodes. THANK YOU

In this episode we talk to Jessica Herbert  about her love of tree climbing and getting comedian Mark Watson to tell jokes whilst dangling from a tree.   Jess talks about her son Oaken In spring of 2020, Jess was pregnant and had a 12 week scan. The scan identified concerns with the baby and it was soon confirmed he had a chromosome problem – Edwards Syndrome also known as Trisomy 18. This meant that their baby was likely to be miscarried and, if he did make it to birth, he would not live long – maybe a year if their were really lucky. Jess said Martin House provided support to us right from the start. They helped us write a care plan which ensured our objectives were articulated to the various medics involved. We desperately wanted to meet our baby, whom we named Oaken.This episode might not be our usual podcast but its a wonderful listen and if you can please donate. Thank youhttps://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jessica-herbertdreadlockheadshaveSupport the show (https://trowelsandtribulations.buzzsprout.com/)

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ cab.clickify(); }); Original Podcast with clickable words https://tinyurl.com/yffqm49y A case about a healthy baby abortion settled by a couple. Cás faoi leanbh sláintiúil a ginmhilleadh socraithe ag lánúin. In the High Court, a couple settled the case they brought about the abortion of their child who was mistakenly told that he was suffering from a fatal fetal abnormality. San Ard-Chúirt, shocraigh lánúin an cás a thug siad faoi ghinmhilleadh a linbh ar dúradh leo go hiomrallach faoi go raibh mínormáltacht mharfach féatais ag dul dó. After the abortion the baby was found to be healthy. Fuarthas amach i ndiaidh an ghinmhillte go raibh an leanbh sláintiúil. In court yesterday, five consultants, the National Maternity Hospital and a laboratory in Glasgow accepted liability for abortion. Sa chuirt inné, ghlac cúigear dochtúirí comhairleacha, an tOspidéal Náisiúnta Máithreachais agus saotharlann i nGlaschú dliteanas faoin nginmhilleadh. Today, the couple Rebecca Price and Patrick Kiely said they want to meet with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and work with him to ensure that this never happens again. Inniu, dúirt an lánúin Rebecca Price agus Patrick Kiely go bhfuil siad ag iarraidh bualadh leis an Aire Sláinte Stephen Donnelly agus obair i gcomhar leis lena chinntiú nach dtarlóidh a leithéid arís go brách. While Rebecca Price was expecting the baby, she was told that two tests showed the boy was suffering from a genetic disorder, called Edwards Syndrome. Agus Rebecca Price ag súil leis an leanbh, tugadh le fios di gur léirigh dhá thástáil go raibh neamhord géiniteach, a dtugtar Siondróm Edwards air, ag dul don bhuachaill. Edwards Syndrome is a fatal fetal abnormality under the relevant legislation in this State. Is mínormáltacht mharfach féatais é Siondróm Edwards de réir na reachtaíochta cuí sa Stát seo. After being advised by one of the five doctors, Rebecca Price said, the abortion was performed at the National Maternity Hospital on March 14, 2019. Tar éis do dhuine den chúigear dochtúirí comhairle a chur uirthi, a dúirt Rebecca Price, rinneadh an ginmhilleadh san Ospidéal Náisiúnta Máithreachais ar an 14 Márta 2019. However, a third test after the abortion confirmed that the baby did not have the disorder at all. Dheimhnigh an tríú tástáil a rinneadh i ndiaidh an ghinmhillte, áfach, nach raibh an neamhord ar an leanbh ar chor ar bith. Rebecca Price said there is no telling of the torture she has suffered - both body and soul - since. Dúirt Rebecca Price nach bhfuil aon insint ar an gcéasadh atá sí a fhulaingt - idir chorp agus anam - ó shin. The consultants and the National Maternity Hospital will pay the couple's legal costs. Íocfaidh na dochtúirí comhairleacha agus an tOspidéal Náisiúnta Máithreachais costais dlí na lánúine.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ cab.clickify(); }); Original Podcast with clickable words https://tinyurl.com/ydmt2rr4 A case about a healthy baby abortion settled by a couple. Cás faoi leanbh sláintiúil a ginmhilleadh socraithe ag lánúin. In the High Court, a couple settled the case they brought about the abortion of their child who was mistakenly told that he was suffering from a fatal fetal abnormality. San Ard-Chúirt, shocraigh lánúin an cás a thug siad faoi ghinmhilleadh a linbh ar dúradh leo go hiomrallach faoi go raibh mínormáltacht mharfach féatais ag dul dó. The abortion was found to be healthy after the abortion. Fuarthas amach i ndiaidh an ghinmhillte go raibh an leanbh sláintiúil. In court yesterday, five consultants, the National Maternity Hospital and a laboratory in Glasgow accepted liability for abortion. Sa chuirt inné, ghlac cúigear dochtúirí comhairleacha, an tOspidéal Náisiúnta Máithreachais agus saotharlann i nGlaschú dliteanas faoin nginmhilleadh. Today, the couple Rebecca Price and Patrick Kiely said they want to meet with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and work with him to ensure that this never happens again. Inniu, dúirt an lánúin Rebecca Price agus Patrick Kiely go bhfuil siad ag iarraidh bualadh leis an Aire Sláinte Stephen Donnelly agus obair i gcomhar leis lena chinntiú nach dtarlóidh a leithéid arís go brách. While Rebecca Price was expecting the baby, she was told that two tests showed the boy was suffering from a genetic disorder, called Edwards Syndrome. Agus Rebecca Price ag súil leis an leanbh, tugadh le fios di gur léirigh dhá thástáil go raibh neamhord géiniteach, a dtugtar Siondróm Edwards air, ag dul don bhuachaill. Edwards Syndrome is a fatal fetal abnormality under the relevant legislation in this State. Is mínormáltacht mharfach féatais é Siondróm Edwards de réir na reachtaíochta cuí sa Stát seo. After being advised by one of the five doctors, Rebecca Price said, the abortion was performed at the National Maternity Hospital on March 14, 2019. Tar éis do dhuine den chúigear dochtúirí comhairle a chur uirthi, a dúirt Rebecca Price, rinneadh an ginmhilleadh san Ospidéal Náisiúnta Máithreachais ar an 14 Márta 2019. However, a third test after the abortion confirmed that the baby did not have the disorder at all. Dheimhnigh an tríú tástáil a rinneadh i ndiaidh an ghinmhillte, áfach, nach raibh an neamhord ar an leanbh ar chor ar bith. Rebecca Price said there is no telling of the torture she has suffered - both body and soul - since. Dúirt Rebecca Price nach bhfuil aon insint ar an gcéasadh atá sí a fhulaingt - idir chorp agus anam - ó shin. The consultants and the National Maternity Hospital will pay the couple's legal costs. Íocfaidh na dochtúirí comhairleacha agus an tOspidéal Náisiúnta Máithreachais costais dlí na lánúine.

**Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss stillbirth, Edwards Syndrome (also known as Trisomy 18) and pregnancy termination.** This week we had the absolute honour of talking with Rainey about her experience with stillbirth, and then with Edwards Syndrome, resulting in pregnancy termination. Rainey has been through so much in the past few years and was so open and honest with us about her experience. This episode is touching, raw, genuine, and heart breaking. We want to say a huge thank you to Rainey for being so honest and brave, and for sharing her story so publicly so that other women know they are not alone. We strongly believe this topic needs more exposure and were so honoured that Rainey was willing to share her experience on our platform. Sending so much love to Rainey and any other women who have encountered loss. To learn more about Rainey and her experience, visit her on instagram at @raineyalyshia__ or head to her blog at https://raineyalyshia.wixsite.com/website. For other support services, please see below: https://www.sands.org.au/ Miscarriage, still birth and newborn death support Bears of Hope Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support https://www.bearsofhope.org.au/ The Pink Elephants Support Network https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/ Red Nose Grief and Loss http://www.rednosegriefandloss.com.au/ Still Birth Foundation Australia https://stillbirthfoundation.org.au/ Abnormal Decision Support Australia http://www.apdsa.com.au/ Centre of Perinatal Excellence https://www.cope.org.au/planning-a-family/pregnancy-loss/ What to expect grief and loss support group https://community.whattoexpect.com/forums/grief-loss.html

- Story surrounding Infant Loss shared - In this episode Yvonne shares her story of experiencing the loss of her son, Noah at 34 weeks gestation. She received the devastating news that Noah had Edwards Syndrome which is considered a life limiting genetic condition. Yvonne shares details of his birth along with so much more which I'm very grateful for. We then chat about her little girl Ayla who recently celebrated her 2nd birthday. Ayla was diagnosed with both Edwards Syndrome & Down Syndrome after birth. I have followed Yvonne's story for some time and have seen Ayla grow from strength to strength. The early days were incredibly tough but now, she is oozing with personality, sits up unaided, giggles away at her mammy and is very much loved, adored and cherished. Thank you Yvonne for sharing your story, your profound words will stay with me   https://feileacain.ie   https://www.softireland.com/pregnancy-and-infant-loss-ireland/  https://alittlelifetime.ie  https://pregnancyandinfantloss.ie  https://lmcsupport.ie  https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org 

This podcast is all about Trisomy 18/Edwards Syndrome.

In this episode, Emma Belle, a domestic abuse and sexual violence survivor shares her story with immense courage. She talks about her disturbed childhood, non-existent concepts of boundaries as a minor and the aftermath of being groomed by a close relative. She also talks about her battle with bipolar since 10 years, and how she is stepping up to speak about her experiences as a mental health and trauma mentor in order to help and empower others. Emma Belle: @emmakbelle Podcast: @vulnerabilityrockspodcast Update: At the time of recording this episode, Emma was pregnant but recently had #tfmr termination for medical reasons at 13.5 weeks. The baby was diagnosed in utero with Edwards Syndrome #t18 which meant that her baby would likely not make it to term and if they did would probably only live a few hours/days. My heartfelt love and support to Emma

This episode covers chromosome disorders.Written notes can be found at https://zerotofinals.com/paediatrics/genetics/chromosomedisorders/ or in the genetics section in the Zero to Finals paediatrics book.The audio in the episode was expertly edited by Harry Watchman.

He's an amazing guy. After living through the loss of his son, Eliot, after only 99 days, due to Trisomy 18, or Edwards Syndrome, Matt and his wife Ginny went on to form the charitable group 99 Balloons.org. Then despite all they'd been through, they adopted Lena, a young girls with special needs from an orphanage in Ukraine. Matt is David Hirsch's guest in this Dad to Dad podcast, presented by the Special Fathers Network. To find out more about the Special Fathers network go to 21stcenturydads.org.