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• Senators demand Roe be upheld | A group of female Democratic senators said yesterday that they will vote against Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. unless he vows to uphold abortion rights (The Washington Times)

Church & state:

• Evangelical chaplains test bounds of faith in military | The percentage of Evangelical Christian chaplains is higher than their faith's representation in the ranks. The military directs them not to proselytize. But many say that would force them to deny a basic tenet of their faith (All Things Considered, NPR)
• Also: 'The Soldier's Bible' draws fire | Even though it's privately funded, critics think the emblem on the front brings up legal questions -- and may even violate the Constitution's ban on government-established religion (All Things Considered, NPR)
• Issues of church, state tough to tackle | The court is correct in attempting to find a compromise solution: the Ten Commandments may be displayed on public property, as long at their presence is not understood as a government endorsement of Christianity (Martin Albl, Aberdeen American News, S.D.)
• Oaths and freedom | If there's any justice in this state, or at least any understanding of the constitutional separation of church and state, a judge will soon clarify state law so that non-Christians can swear to tell the truth on their own religious texts - instead of the Bible (Editorial, Winston-Salem Journal, N.D.)
• The view from Saturday | Secular Israelis try to rescue the Sabbath (Judith Shulevitz, Slate)

Life ethics:

• Pharmacists' duties subject of hearings on Hill | Several states allow pharmacists to decline to fill prescriptions based on their conscience. Other states are trying to require that pharmacists provide medicines that doctors have prescribed. Now federal lawmakers are holding hearings on so-called "duty to fill" laws (Morning Edition, NPR)
• New stem-cell source sought | Moral and ethical issues aside, getting an adequate supply of human eggs for research is a major logistical hurdle. Deriving stem cells from an adult cell requires that an egg be "reprogrammed" so the adult cell nucleus behaves like an embryonic cell. But several groups around the world are trying to find an alternative to the egg for reprogramming (All Things Considered, NPR)
• 'One embryo' rule to cut multiple births in IVF | Regulators of fertility treatment are reviewing whether Britain should follow other European countries in making single-embryo transfer the norm (The Telegraph, London)
• Also: IVF multiple embryo use reviewed | The UK's fertility watchdog is to consider whether women undergoing IVF should only be able to have one embryo implanted at a time (BBC)
• Commission backs off Planned Parenthood | Led by Ronda Storms, the county cuts funding to a teen educational program (St. Petersburg Times, Fla.)

Death ethics:

• Dying man loses legal battle over right to be fed | A man who is terminally ill and fears that doctors may allow him to die of thirst said he was "disappointed" yesterday after the Court of Appeal overturned an earlier judgment in his favor (The Telegraph, London)
• Patient loses right-to-food case | The General Medical Council has won its appeal against a ruling which gave a seriously-ill patient the right to stop doctors withdrawing food and drink (BBC)
• Doctors win appeal over rights of the terminally ill | A legal challenge by a man with a degenerative brain disease, who feared doctors might end his life prematurely by cutting off artificial food and water, need never have been brought, three appeal court judges ruled yesterday in a case which has brought fresh scrutiny to the rights of the terminally ill (The Guardian, London)

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July (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49