Washington State House Passes Bill Requiring Clergy to Violate the Seal of Confession

After the Washington state House of Representatives failed to pass an amendment to a bill that would require clergy to violate the seal of confession, Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane reminded legislators that throughout history “all” such attempts by “kings, queens, dictators, potentates, and legislators” have failed, and that even if it passed, clergy wouldn’t capitulate.

Supreme Court Extends Administrative Stay in Abortion Pill Legal Challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court said it would extend the administrative stay in the abortion pill dispute until April 21, temporarily keeping in place status quo federal regulations regarding the use of an abortion drug, and giving the court additional time to consider a lower court’s ruling to stay the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug.

Big Pharma Settlement Cash Comes to NYC, But Not to S.I.

Staten Island has often been called “ground zero” in New York City’s opioid crisis. Despite the fact that it’s the smallest borough in terms of population, Staten Island sees an outsized number of opioid-related deaths, according to government statistics.

FBI Targeting Catholics Similar to NY’s Post-9/11 Surveillance of Muslims

While it remains unclear if, or how much, the FBI followed through on an internal proposal to investigate traditionalist Catholics’ association with extremists, the proposal itself somewhat mirrors tactics the New York Police Department used to investigate Muslim communities after 9/11.