In This Issue:
- Deepening Depopulation
- Marriage Boosts Women’s Happiness
- Europe Braces for Population Collapse
- Russia’s Birth Crisis Deepens
- Communist China
- Jimmy Lai Faces Life Imprisonment
- China Moves to Make Birth Free
- UN Misdeeds
- UN Abortion Vote Avoided
- Science Gone Mad
- IVF’s Ethical Crisis
- Pro-Life Around the World
- EU Votes to Fund Abortions Abroad
- Europe Pushes Abortion Abroad
- Pregnancy Care Crisis in Wales
- Australia’s Euthanasia Spike
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- GOP Targets Abortion Funding
- 64 Planned Parenthood Sites Close
- Assisted Suicide Faces Lawsuit
- Good News
- Pregnancy Centers Surpass Abortion Facilities
Deepening Depopulation
Marriage Boosts Women’s Happiness: New research from the Institute for Family Studies challenges claims that marriage harms women’s well-being. Using data from the General Social Survey, researchers found that married mothers are significantly happier than single, childless women, with the gap growing over time. Among liberal women, married mothers are now far happier than single, childless women, with a 30% gap in reported happiness in 2024. The difference among conservative women is also large, at about 20%. By contrast, single women without children now report the lowest happiness levels of any group, with their well-being declining sharply since the COVID era.
“Radical feminists pretend that they are happier than women who marry and have children,” says Mr. Mosher. “Recent studies show they are delusional. Married women live longer, earn more, and are far happier than single, childless women. But too many young women have been propagandized to believe the opposite.”
Europe Braces for Population Collapse: Europe is bracing for a historic population decline, with the European Union (EU) expected to reach its population peak next year before entering its first sustained decline since the Black Death. The EU fertility rate has fallen to a record low of 1.38 births per woman, with only 5 of 27 countries above 1.5. Governments are rolling out costly family incentives—such as Hungary, which now spends 5% of GDP on family policy—but across Europe, even the most aggressive efforts have so far only slowed, not reversed, population decline as aging accelerates and workforces shrink.
Russia’s Birth Crisis Deepens: Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the country’s existing demographic measures are failing to halt declining birth rates, despite expanded state support for families. Speaking at a Kremlin review meeting, Putin said “negative tendencies persist,” citing worldwide demographic trends and Russia’s overlapping population declines from the mid- and late-20th century. Russia has allocated nearly 567 billion rubles (about $7.1 billion) for maternal capital in 2026—up from the previous year—supporting an estimated 7.3 million working parents and 11 million children. Yet Russia’s population has fallen to about 142 million, down from 147.2 million in 2021.
Communist China
Jimmy Lai Faces Life Imprisonment: Hong Kong media mogul and Catholic human rights advocate Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of multiple national security violations under China’s sweeping security law and is now facing a life sentence. 78-year-old Lai has already spent more than five years in prison following what critics describe as a politically motivated show trial targeting his pro-democracy journalism. His conviction comes amid growing international condemnation, with U.S., U.K., and Catholic leaders calling for his immediate release as China tightens its grip on Hong Kong’s freedoms.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s show trial of Jimmy Lai has reached its predictable conclusion,” says Mr. Mosher. “He was found guilty of fabricated crimes and will probably be sentenced to life in prison. Lai, who converted to Catholicism in 1997, is China’s most famous political prisoner. He was baptized by Cardinal Joseph Zen, who was present at the trial, and who has been a harsh critic of China for its persecution of Catholics in that country. I truly hope that Pope Leo XIV speaks out strongly against the unjust treatment of not only Jimmy Lai, but of all Christians in China.”
China Moves to Make Birth Free: China has announced plans to fully cover childbirth costs nationwide, aiming for “no out-of-pocket expenses” for deliveries as its fertility crisis deepens. State media reports the expanded maternity insurance would also cover prenatal care and labor pain relief, building on pilot programs in seven provinces and a system currently covering 255 million people. The move comes as annual births have collapsed from 21.19 million in 1992 to just 9.02 million in 2023, with fertility falling to 1.09 children per woman and China’s population declining for a third straight year.
“With even China getting ready to cover the costs of childbirth it is past time for the U.S. to make births free,” says Mr. Mosher. “Of course, China is in far worse shape demographically than America is thanks to—or rather ‘no thanks’ to—the brutal one-child policy. But the sooner we can raise the birthrate back up to replacement, the better off we will be, both materially and, more importantly, spiritually.”
UN Misdeeds
UN Abortion Vote Avoided: European diplomats withdrew a UN resolution on humanitarian assistance rather than risk defeat on pro-life amendments proposed by the Trump administration, revealing a reluctance to allow an open debate on abortion at the General Assembly. The U.S. amendments would have explicitly excluded abortion as a “right” and reaffirmed maternal health care aimed at eliminating the “need for abortion.” Observers say the last-minute withdrawal highlights Europe’s reliance on vague language to advance abortion and gender ideology in UN programming, and points to growing momentum to challenge these agendas within the UN system.
Science Gone Mad
IVF’s Ethical Crisis: A new analysis argues that tighter regulation cannot resolve the fundamental ethical problems inherent in in vitro fertilization (IVF). While often marketed as a “pro-life” solution to infertility, IVF routinely involves the creation, freezing, and destruction of human embryos, treating nascent human life as a commodity. The article also highlights serious risks to patients, including data breaches—such as the recent ransomware attack on Australia’s Genea IVF provider—and documented embryo mix-ups that have forced mothers to relinquish children they carried. These harms don’t stem from poor oversight but from IVF itself.
Pro-Life Around the World
EU Votes to Fund Abortions Abroad: The European Parliament has voted to advance a proposal that would use EU taxpayer funds to pay for abortions abroad for women from countries with pro-life laws, including Poland and Malta. The nonbinding measure passed 358 to 202 and would override national protections by encouraging abortion tourism across member states. The scheme undermines national sovereignty, parental protections, and Europe’s Christian moral heritage. The measure pressures pro-life nations to subsidize abortion despite strong domestic opposition. The European Commission will decide in March whether to proceed.
“The European Parliament has approved a plan to fund abortions for women from countries, like Malta and Poland, that restrict abortion,” says Mr. Mosher. “It is unclear exactly how the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ law, as it is cutely called, will work in practice. Is the abortion network going to pay Polish women to cross into Germany for their abortions? However they intend to carry out their scheme, it is a gross violation of the sovereign rights of the countries that make up the EU and the citizens who live there.”
Europe Pushes Abortion Abroad: European governments, led by Sweden and the United Kingdom, are facing criticism for backing efforts to legalize abortion in Zimbabwe through funding pro-abortion NGOs. Pro-life leaders warn the push amounts to foreign interference, noting that 85% of Zimbabweans oppose abortion, according to the 2020 World Values Survey. The proposed law would permit abortion on demand up to 20 weeks, including for minors without parental involvement. 65% of Britons oppose using public funds for overseas abortions as the bill heads to a Senate vote.
Pregnancy Care Crisis in Wales: Women in Wales suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) report being denied access to Xonvea—the UK’s only licensed medication for severe pregnancy nausea—pushing some into abortions out of desperation. While the drug costs just £28 (roughly $37) and is widely available in England, it is rarely approved in Wales. A 2021 King’s College London study found that over 50% of women with HG considered abortion, 5% went through with it, and one-third became suicidal. Researchers say that inadequate maternal care is driving desperate outcomes.
Australia’s Euthanasia Spike: Euthanasia deaths surged in Australia’s New South Wales during the first full year of legalized “assisted dying,” according to a new government report. Between July 2024 and June 2025, 1,028 people died by euthanasia—an average of 20 people per week—marking a 53% increase from the previous reporting period. An additional 471 people have already been approved. About 80% of deaths involved lethal drugs administered by “authorized practitioners.” Archbishop Anthony Fisher warns that the rapid expansion is pressuring faith-based nursing homes to facilitate euthanasia services against their moral convictions.
Pro-Life on the Home Front
GOP Targets Abortion Funding: Republican lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration to halt taxpayer-funded abortion coverage in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), citing violations of the longstanding Smith Amendment, in force since 1984. In a December 5th letter, Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Chris Smith argue that FEHBP, covering roughly 8 million current and retired federal workers and dependents, illegally subsidizes elective abortions through accounting maneuvers. Lawmakers note that taxpayers cover 72–75% of premiums and insist federal law bars abortion funding for Members of Congress and staff.
64 Planned Parenthood Sites Close: A new Operation Rescue survey reports a continued decline in U.S. abortion facilities in 2025, with 54 clinics closing or halting abortions nationwide, the highest number since 2022. Of these, 36 were Planned Parenthood facilities, and an additional 28 Planned Parenthood referral locations also shut down, bringing the total to 64 Planned Parenthood closures in one year. The report notes that abortion clinic numbers have fallen for the fourth consecutive year and are down roughly 70% since 1991, dropping from 2,176 clinics to just over 650 today.
Assisted Suicide Faces Lawsuit: Disability rights groups have filed a federal lawsuit challenging Delaware’s new physician-assisted suicide law, warning it endangers people with disabilities. The law, passed in May 2025 and set to take effect January 1, 2026, allows terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to self-administer lethal drugs. Plaintiffs argue the statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and equal protection guarantees, lacks required mental health screening, and promotes discrimination by steering disabled patients toward suicide rather than care.
Good News
Pregnancy Centers Surpass Abortion Facilities: Pro-life pregnancy help centers now outnumber brick-and-mortar abortion facilities in the United States by more than 4 to 1, according to recent reports. A 2024 analysis identified 2,775 pregnancy centers nationwide, compared with 657 abortion facilities operating in 2025. The data reflects a continued contraction of the abortion industry, with 64 Planned Parenthood locations closed. The date shows that Planned Parenthood is replaceable, and Federally Qualified Health Centers and Pregnancy Help Centers could be receiving millions of taxpayer dollars instead of abortion facilities.
Quote of the Week
“The tragedy of falling birthrates isn’t merely national decline, strained pensions or a shrinking labor force. It is the intimate, human loss.”
~ Bethany Mandel
