In This Issue:
- Deepening Depopulation
- Spain Births Rise Slightly
- U.S. Births Fall Again
- Türkiye’s Aging Population
- Affordability Drives NYC Decline
- Communist China
- CCP Escalates Christian Persecution
- China’s Bishops Back Worship Limits
- UN Misdeeds
- UN Gender Care Under Fire
- Science Gone Mad
- TrumpRx Boosts IVF Access
- Pro-Life Around the World
- Disability Abortions Rise in UK
- Bishops Move to Halt MAiD
- Abortion Pill Use Soars in Quebec
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- NY Embraces Assisted Suicide
- Abortion Clinics Decline Slightly
- FDA’s Mail-Order Abortion Scheme
- Good News
- Mississippi Bans Mail-Order Abortion Pills
Deepening Depopulation
Spain Births Rise Slightly: Births in Spain rose slightly in 2025—the first increase since 2014—with 321,164 births, up about 1% from 2024. The modest uptick failed to offset deeper demographic decline, as deaths climbed 2.5% to 446,982, producing a natural population loss of 122,167. Spain has recorded more deaths than births every year since 2017. The government continues to rely on mass immigration, with Pedro Sánchez proposing to legalize 500,000 undocumented immigrants.
U.S. Births Fall Again: New provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show U.S. births fell in 2025 to just over 3.6 million—about 24,000 fewer than in 2024—suggesting last year’s modest uptick was short-lived. Fertility in the U.S. has been declining for nearly two decades, and analysts say both birth and fertility rates are likely to keep falling, noting that childbearing is “highly related to economic conditions and uncertainty.”
“The chief reason births fell by 20,000 or so is because the border was closed, preventing tens of thousands of women from other countries from crossing over to give birth to anchor babies,” says Mr. Mosher. “Second to this would be the repatriation—voluntary in most cases—of over 2.2 million people, which would have reduced the birth rates by around 20,000. Hopefully, the robust economy, along with other factors, will spark a baby boom among the American population in the coming years.”
Türkiye’s Aging Population: Türkiye is aging rapidly as fertility continues to fall, according to new data from the Turkish Statistical Institute. The population aged 65 and over reached 9.58 million in 2025, rising to 11.1% of the total population, up from 10.6% in 2024. Fertility has plunged from 4.1 children per woman fifty years ago to 1.48 today and could fall to 1.4 in the near future. Projections show the elderly could make up 23% of the population by 2050, surpassing the child population.
Affordability Drives NYC Decline: A recent analysis suggests that in New York City, only the highest earners can afford larger families. Using Manhattan Institute tax data, researchers found that higher-income households approach the replacement fertility rate of 2.1, while most families fall far short. Raising a child in NYC now exceeds $30,000 per year, with infant childcare costing $18,200–$26,000 annually, far above the city’s $80,000 median household income. As costs soar, the population of children aged 0–3 fell by 15–20% between 2020 and 2023, demonstrating that affordability, not preference, is driving family decline.
Communist China
CCP Escalates Christian Persecution: A new annual report documents an unprecedented escalation in the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of the Church of Almighty God (CAG). At least 19,191 members were detained in 2025, the highest number since reporting began, with 2,291 prison sentences issued—more than 100 exceeding seven years. Elderly Christians were heavily targeted, with nearly 7,000 arrests of believers over age 60. The report confirms widespread torture and surveillance, the confiscation of at least 330 million yuan (nearly $50 million), and at least 23 deaths resulting from persecution.
China’s Bishops Back Worship Limits: China’s state-sanctioned Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China has endorsed new government restrictions banning unregistered clergy and limiting worship to approved venues, aligning closely with CCP controls. Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute condemned the move as aiding the “suppression of Chinese Catholicism” and urged Pope Leo XIV to summon the bishops to Rome. Shea warned that the policy conflicts with Vatican guidance affirming the clergy’s right to follow conscience and highlights Beijing’s effort to subordinate the Church to state authority.
UN Misdeeds
UN Gender Care Under Fire: A recent UN event sharply criticized the UN’s own promotion of “gender-affirming care,” warning it is harmful to children, scientifically unsound, and out of step with emerging international standards. Psychiatrist Miriam Grossman condemned UN-backed programs that teach children sex is “assigned at birth” and promote puberty blockers. Policy analyst Joseph Figliolia said these interventions lack scientific evidence and an artificially manufactured consensus. Panelists urged governments to reject UN pressure and protect children through counseling, not irreversible medical experimentation.
Science Gone Mad
TrumpRx Boosts IVF Access: The Trump administration has launched TrumpRx, offering coupons for just 43 medications, including several used in IVF. The administration claims discounts could save up to $2,200 per IVF cycle. Fertility drugs typically make up about 10–20% of total costs, which can reach $30,000 per cycle. These cycles have only a 30% chance of resulting in pregnancy but guarantee the discarding of embryos. The policy expands access to unethical fertility treatments such as IVF, while leaving broader prescription drug prices largely untouched.
Pro-Life Around the World
Disability Abortions Rise in UK: New figures from the Department of Health and Social Care show disability-selective abortions in England and Wales rose 2.59% in 2023, with 3,205 unborn children aborted due to diagnosed disabilities. This included 685 abortions for Down syndrome and 300 late-term abortions at 24 weeks or beyond, a 17.19% increase from the previous year. Under current law, abortions are permitted up to birth for perceived disability—even for treatable conditions—highlighting a growing eugenic trend.
Bishops Move to Halt MAiD: As euthanasia deaths continue to rise in Canada, Catholic bishops are backing legislation to halt its expansion. Euthanasia, known as MAiD, was legalized in 2016 and claimed 16,499 lives in 2024, accounting for over 5% of all Canadian deaths nationwide. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has endorsed Bill C-218, which would block plans to allow euthanasia for mental illness alone beginning in 2027.
Abortion Pill Use Soars in Quebec: Abortion pill use surged in Quebec in 2025, with prescriptions for Mifegymiso jumping nearly 80%, according to the province’s public health insurance board, RAMQ. A total of 2,852 women were reimbursed for the drug last year, up from 1,586 in 2024, following the removal of longstanding restrictions in 2022. The sharp rise illustrates how deregulation has accelerated chemical abortions, even as overall abortion rates are claimed to be “stable.”
Pro-Life on the Home Front
NY Embraces Assisted Suicide: New York has legalized doctor-assisted suicide, becoming the latest jurisdiction to allow the practice, which is now legal in more than a dozen states. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Medical Aid in Dying law this month, citing personal experience with suffering. Faith leaders, including the bishops of New York, strongly condemned the move, warning that it places pressure on the sick, elderly, and disabled to choose death. The law creates a “sense of coercion” and signals a dangerous shift away from protecting the most vulnerable citizens.
Abortion Clinics Decline Slightly: A new report from the Guttmacher Institute shows the number of brick-and-mortar abortion clinics in states without total bans fell 2% between 2024 and 2025, dropping from 765 to 753 facilities. Despite the decline, clinics still carried out about 80% of abortions in those states in early 2025. The report also underscores the rapid expansion of telehealth and mail-order abortion pills, which now account for roughly 20% of abortions in non-ban states and enabled up to 50,000 abortions in states with total bans.
FDA’s Mail-Order Abortion Scheme: A group of 60 Members of Congress has filed an amicus brief condemning the Biden administration’s Food and Drug Administration for unlawfully expanding mail-order chemical abortions. Lawmakers argue the FDA violated the Comstock Act, ignored clear congressional limits, and dismantled vital safety protections for women and girls. By removing in-person requirements, the FDA enabled coerced abortions, failed to screen for life-threatening conditions, and placed women at serious risk.
“My comment on this is exactly the same as pro-life Congressman Christopher Smith’s,” says Mr. Mosher. “Mifepristone is baby poison that starves the innocent unborn child to death and is extremely dangerous to women. It should be banned from the mail.”
Good News
Mississippi Bans Mail-Order Abortion Pills: The Mississippi House has passed HB 1613 by a 77 to 39 vote, classifying the unlawful distribution of abortion pills as felony drug trafficking. The bill would require an in-person physical examination before abortion-inducing drugs could be prescribed, while preserving their use for miscarriage care. Sponsor Celeste Hurst said the measure aims to stop mail-order abortion pills, protecting women from coercion and abuse and curbing the illegal flow of chemical abortion drugs into the state.
Quote of the Week
“The UN should play a key role in fostering dialogue and humanitarian support, helping to build a more just future…. and more focused and efficient in pursuing policies aimed at the unity of the human family instead of ideologies.”
~ Pope Leo XIV
