abortion

WH Press Secretary Katie Zacharia’s Amazing Pro-Life Story

Katie Zacharia led her first briefing as the new White House press secretary yesterday, replacing Karoline Leavitt, who left the post in August to care for her growing family.

“It is my Great Honor to have just appointed, as Press Secretary, Katie Zacharia,” President Donald J. Trump announced on Truth Social on October 9. “Katie currently serves as Senior Communications Advisor to Truth Social (Trump Media & Technology Group), where she has been outstanding!”

The 41-year-old wife and mom of four previously served as spokesperson and deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. She graduated from Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law before working on the president’s campaign.

“I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary, as she has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration,” President Trump added.

During her first press briefing, Zacharia responded to a question about how she will balance her new role with her family life, saying her family will “always be a priority” even while she handles the demanding workload.

“I want to give my husband an amazing shout out. We have four kids, ranging from 12, 10, 8 and 6. Three of them are boys, so we have a handful,” Zacharia acknowledged. “I adore my family. I love them. They are my priority. I love being with my kids.”

“The idea of not spending evenings with kids is completely unacceptable. So, my husband is out here for the week because we have two birthdays in our family. And we are very protective of celebrating birthdays as a family. So, he brought the entire crew out here. And we will be moving out here.”

Upon Zacharia’s appointment, the pro-abortion group Reproductive Freedom For All slammed her as a “conservative commentator” who has “spread alarming anti-abortion disinformation.”

Zacharia has been consistently pro-life, once likening mifepristone (the first drug in a two-drug regimen commonly referred to as the abortion pill) to “the same chemicals that they used in the extermination camps in Nazi Germany.”

While not technically accurate, as mifepristone was first developed in the 1980s, the drug was manufactured by the same company (after several mergers) that developed Zyklon B – the chemical used in the extermination camps in Nazi Germany.

But Zacharia’s words are not the most remarkable aspect of her pro-life story. She, herself, was saved from the great human tragedy of abortion.

In a June 2025 interview, Zacharia discussed her pro-life principles, explaining that, when her mother was pregnant, she was “approximately 20, 30 minutes away from being aborted.”

“I learned this when I met my biological mom when I was 18,” she said.

When Zacharia’s 19-year-old biological mother was pregnant, her father demanded she “get an abortion.” However, moments before her mother’s aunt drove her to the abortion clinic, a Christian counselor called and urged her to “consider an open adoption rather than an abortion.”

The counselor encouraged Zacharia’s biological mother to give her preborn child the “opportunity to live” and warned “how painful abortion is for women,” including the “psychological, physical and physiological trauma” it involves.

The counselor voiced “hope and prayer” that she would choose life.

Thankfully, the counselor’s message resonated. Zacharia’s mom decided to carry the pregnancy to term and place Katie up for adoption.

“I was then adopted as a newborn, and the story really is one of a miracle,” Zacharia said. “This is an issue so near and dear to me because of the timeframe, the timeline that she looked at: finds out she’s pregnant, immediately wants to go get an abortion, we’re talking seconds, seconds of a phone call that really spared my life and saved my life.”

In hindsight, it’s easy to see the divine timing behind the Christian counselor’s call, a crucial moment which saved Zacharia’s life.

John 10:10 comes to mind: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV).

As Zacharia settles into her new role, it’s encouraging to see someone with such an impactful pro-life story in a position of influence at the White House.

We wish Zacharia the best in her new role, and give thanks that her mom chose life!

If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, you can visit My Choice Network.

Please considering supporting Focus on the Family’s Option Ultrasound program to place ultrasounds in pregnancy centers around the country. To date, we’ve helped save over 500,000 preborn babies from abortion.

Related articles and resources:

My Choice Network

I’m Pregnant, Now What?

Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy

Become an Option Ultrasound Life Advocate

How You Can Join the Pro-Life Movement

How To Join The Pro-Life Movement

Scriptures Advocating For The Pre-Born

The History of Christianity and Abortion

Photo from Getty Images.

FDA Delays Review of Abortion Pill, Leaving Women Unprotected

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) won’t complete its safety review of the dangerous abortion pill until later this year, and won’t release results until March 2027, a new filing from the Justice Department revealed.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ordered the FDA to file an update on its ongoing review of mifepristone by October 7.

Mifepristone is the first drug in a two-drug abortion regimen commonly referred to as the abortion pill.

The court-ordered update comes in the case of Louisiana v. FDA, where the state of Louisiana and Alliance Defending Freedom are suing the FDA over its relaxing of the in-person dispensing requirement, a regulation that had been on the books since 2000. The requirement mandated women obtain the abortion pill in person because of its serious safety concerns.

In 2023, when the Biden FDA removed the requirement from its Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for the drug, it allowed mifepristone to be sent through the mail and administered without medical oversight. The change permitted doctors in pro-abortion states to mail mifepristone to individuals in pro-life states, effectively nullifying those states’ laws restricting abortion.

It also opened the door to abuse of the abortion pill, as occurred in the case of Rosalie Markezich, who was forced by her violent boyfriend to take abortion drugs after he obtained them online from a doctor in California and had them mailed to Louisiana. Markezich is a party to Louisiana’s lawsuit.

In its filing to the court, the FDA disclosed it “is on track to obtain study results by mid-December 2026. FDA will then need to review and evaluate/interpret the results and draft a report. FDA expects to complete that process not later than March 2027.”

The FDA’s study of mifepristone’s safety, which the agency initially launched in 2025, was reportedly set to conclude in September. That has now been pushed back several months.

Multiple pro-life leaders criticized the delay.

Alliance Defending Freedom official counsel Erin Hawley said the FDA has “failed to deliver” the study that it “has promised for nearly two years.”

“Nearly 90,000 unborn babies … will die between now and [March] by illegally obtained abortion drugs in states like Louisiana that have taken great care to protect babies and mothers from the harms of abortion,” Hawley warned.

“Every month of additional delay puts nearly 15,000 additional babies at risk in states where mail-order abortion drugs are unlawful – 1,000 in Louisiana alone.”

Lila Rose, founder and president of Liva Action, called the delay unacceptable.

“Every day, women are put at risk and preborn children are killed,” Rose said. “The FDA must pull the abortion pill from the market NOW.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life American President Marjorie Dannenfelser said the agency’s move “should concern every American who cares about unborn babies and women’s safety.”

“Twenty months in, we’re still not seeing the gold-standard study that was promised,” she said. “The Trump administration must act by settling the case with Louisiana and ending mail-order abortion.”

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “The FDA’s deregulatory actions regarding abortion drugs allow innocent children to be destroyed and women to be harmed. … The FDA needs to reinstate safety measures for abortion pills now!”

The update comes just a couple weeks after a coalition of 50 leading pro-life groups urged Dr. Heidi Overton, nominee for FDA commissioner, to commit to restoring safeguards on the abortion pill should she be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Dr. Overton, who is widely seen as friendly to the pro-life movement, said she couldn’t make a categorical commitment that would “prejudge the determination of the safety review that’s currently ongoing.”

The Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) released a study last year finding nearly 11% of all women who abort their children with mifepristone suffer from serious health complications, including sepsis, infection or hemorrhaging, sparking the FDA’s investigation.

While it’s unclear what the results of the FDA’s study will show, what’s perfectly clear is that thousands of women are being harmed from the abortion pill, and millions of preborn babies’ lives are being lost.

The FDA should act as soon as possible to reinstate safeguards on the abortion pill and reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement. Vulnerable women and preborn babies would be safer for it.

If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, you can visit My Choice Network.

Please considering supporting Focus on the Family’s Option Ultrasound program to place ultrasounds in pregnancy centers around the country. To date, we’ve helped save over 500,000 preborn babies from abortion.

Related articles and resources:

My Choice Network

I’m Pregnant, Now What?

Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy

Become an Option Ultrasound Life Advocate

How You Can Join the Pro-Life Movement

How To Join The Pro-Life Movement

Scriptures Advocating For The Pre-Born

The History of Christianity and Abortion

Pro-Life Groups Urge FDA to Restore Abortion Pill Safeguards

Photo from Getty.

Tony Dungy: ‘I am pro-life and I’m not going to be ashamed to say that.’

Was legendary NFL football coach Tony Dungy fired by NBC because of his Christian faith and related pro-life convictions?

During a podcast interview with former ESPN host Sage Steele, the Super Bowl-winning head coach and former NBC Sports analyst discussed his departure from the network – including suspicions about why they parted ways.

Tony Dungy, who is now 71, spent 17 years as an analyst with NBC’s “Football Night in America.”

In his role on the program, Coach Dungy would regularly weigh-in on coaching decisions and game strategy. As a former NFL player for 13 seasons (Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers), he brought a unique perspective on a wide range of other issues – including occasional commentary on players who talked about their Christian faith.

“I feel like that’s one of the reasons God has me at NBC, to be the voice for some of these Christian athletes who want to say those things,” Dungy once reflected.

But behind the scenes, some network executives were growing increasingly nervous.

“There are some things that in TV especially, they want you to be careful because they want to attract everybody,” Coach Dungy told Steele. “They want to have an audience of everyone. They don’t always appreciate you speaking about your faith.”

Despite the unspoken misgivings from the brass, the former Indianapolis head coach plowed ahead.

“For me, I’m always going to do that, and I’m going to try to do it in a respectful way,” he said of discussing his faith and the beliefs of others. “People are going to know that I’m a Christian. So that part is never going to leave. I am pro-life, and I’m not gonna be ashamed to say that.”

Back in 2020, Dungy was asked about his tendency to invoke his faith on national television. In his usual nonplussed manner, the coach was unfazed and direct.

“There are people who don’t think Christianity specifically, but religion at all, should be involved in the information we give. I just don’t believe that,” he said. “You are Christian wherever you go. You can change jobs, but what you can’t change is who you are as a person.”

As the issue of abortion grew in the public sphere following the reversal of Roe, Coach Dungy was unapologetic about his support for preborn life. In 2022, he campaigned against a Michigan proposal to enshrine abortion “rights” and attended and spoke at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., in 2023.

So, was Dungy’s contract not renewed because of his commentary and pro-life support?

Coach Dungy never makes that direct accusation and even acknowledges how unusual it is for a network show to employ and feature someone for such a long period of time. 

But then again, how many national television sports shows have the privilege of hosting someone with the impressive resume of Tony Dungy?

Yet, given his public fervency of faith and extended broadcast tenure, the beloved analyst said he was anticipating a change.

“I kind of knew that was going to be the case,” he shared with Steele. “They wanted to get a little younger and change the voices, and they appreciated what we had done. But they were moving on and reshaping the show. So it was tough, but that’s happened before in my football career and happened there. So you just have to think, okay, what does this mean? Where am I going to go? What’s going to be my path now?”

Following his departure from NBC, Coach Dungy expressed confidence about the way forward.

“God has always directed me in these moments and while I’m not sure what the next step will be for me — whether it will be in football, in broadcasting, or getting more involved in church and community outreach — I know God has plans for my life and I can’t wait to see them unfold,” he said. “And I am reminded of one of my favorite verses in the Bible – Romans 8:28. ‘God works all things for His good for those who love the Lord.’”

In September, Dungy announced the launch of his own media brand called “Road to Sunday” – an online venture that will feature profiles and interviews with NFL players.

Prop 1 Would Create a Statutory ‘Right’ to Abortion Under Idaho Law

This November, Idaho voters will decide whether to pass Prop 1, the so-called Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act.

A “Yes” vote creates a statutory “right” to abortion in Idaho until fetal viability. A “No” vote would leave in place Idaho’s Defense of Life Act, which protects babies from fertilization.

Prop 1 is a citizen-initiated statute. If it passes on November 3, it will take effect on January 1, 2027, as new state law.

Under Idaho’s current law, the Defense of Life Act, babies are protected from abortion except to prevent the death of the pregnant mother or during the first trimester when rape or incest are reported to law enforcement.

If approved, Prop 1 would create a “right” to abortion for any reason until fetal viability — the point when a baby can survive outside the womb.

But the initiative goes even further. 

It redefines fetal viability as the point when a physician determines a preborn baby has a “significant likelihood of sustained survival” outside the womb “without extraordinary medical measures.”

The language does not define what counts as an “extraordinary medical measure” and would give abortionists the power to decide which babies die. 

That ambiguity could have significant consequences later in pregnancy, including in the third trimester, when a baby may be capable of surviving outside the womb but might require intensive medical support.

The measure does not say whether common NICU interventions for extremely premature babies— like a ventilator — would be considered an “extraordinary medical measure.” 

It is unconscionable to think that Prop 1 might sentence a viable premature baby to death because he or she needs a ventilator in the NICU.

Stop Prop 1, the campaign to defeat Proposition 1, explains that this initiative would:

• Legalize late-term abortions — for any reason.

• Eliminate requirements for minors to obtain parental consent before getting an abortion.

• Redefine “fetal viability.”

• Eliminate safety requirements that only doctors can perform abortions.

Idaho already has one of the strongest life-protecting laws in the nation. Prop 1 would remove that protection and give abortionists the power to decide which babies die.

This ballot measure is designed to replace Idaho’s life-protecting laws and make future protections for babies, women and families more difficult to pass.

The campaign supporting Prop 1 is led by Idahoans United for Women & Families. 

Opposing the measure is Too Extreme for Idaho/Stop Prop 1, a coalition that includes the Idaho Family Policy Center, Idaho Chooses Life, Right to Life Idaho and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise.

According to Idaho Capitol Sun, supporters of Prop 1 have reported about $5.2 million in contributions, compared with roughly $2.5 million raised by opponents, as of the latest financial filings. 

Activists need a simple majority of the votes to pass the abortion measure.

It is critical for pro-life Christians to pray, vote, and encourage friends and neighbors to do their part to defend human life. 

Early voting in Idaho begins as early as October 13. Election Day is November 3.

Please vote to defend life when you cast your ballot this fall.

Pray for an End to Abortion

How often do you pray for an end to abortion and that every human life is respected? If the answer is, “Not enough,” now is your chance.

October is Respect Life Month, giving pro-life supporters the opportunity to deepen their understanding of, and take action to support, the sanctity of human life.

One way pro-life supporters can get more involved is through 40 Days for Life, an impactful pro-life organization founded by Shawn Carney.

The organization began in 2004 with four individuals from Bryan/College Station, Texas, who launched the very first 40-day prayer campaign outside the city’s local Planned Parenthood.

The group committed to pray and fast, engage in community outreach, and run a peaceful, constant vigil outside the Planned Parenthood building to publicly pray for an end to abortion.

The four volunteers quickly became 1,000 pro-life prayer warriors who covered all 960 hours of the vigil. Since many abortion-minded women who see individuals praying outside abortion clinics think twice about aborting their child, the campaign caused the local abortion rate to drop by 28%.

In 2007, the four individuals began the first ever nationally coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign across 89 cities in 33 states.

Today, the organization runs 40-day prayer campaigns twice per year, the centerpiece of which is the focused, 40-day, round-the-clock prayer vigils outside Planned Parenthood clinics and other abortion businesses in communities across the nation.

Volunteers pray publicly for an end to abortion, for human life to be respected, for the closing of abortion businesses and for abortion workers to repent and end their participation in the evil of abortion.

The newest prayer vigil campaign runs from September 23 to November 1. Participants can sign up to pray for one hour per week (or more) outside their local abortion clinic.

The prayer campaigns help individuals put action to their belief in the sanctity of human life.

Since beginning in 2007, the public prayer campaigns have saved at least 26,714 lives from abortion, caused 187 abortion centers to close and 279 abortion workers to quit.

Today, the Planned Parenthood in Bryan/College Station, Texas, which the four prayer warriors originally interceded for, has become 40 Days for Life’s headquarters.

Carney believes prayer is essential to making abortion unthinkable.

“Our culture is starving for God. They’re starving for joy and they’re starving for mercy. And we all need it,” he explained. “But it can’t be witnessed to without prayer, because prayer gives clarity. And it gives clarity to a very confused world.”

You can learn more about 40 Days for Life and sign up to pray outside your local abortion business.

If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, you can visit My Choice Network.

Please considering supporting Focus on the Family’s Option Ultrasound program to place ultrasounds in pregnancy centers around the country. To date, we’ve helped save over 500,000 preborn babies from abortion.

Related articles and resources:

My Choice Network

I’m Pregnant, Now What?

Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy

Become an Option Ultrasound Life Advocate

How You Can Join the Pro-Life Movement

How To Join The Pro-Life Movement

Scriptures Advocating For The Pre-Born

The History of Christianity and Abortion

Photo from Shutterstock.