- [Announcer] This is CBN Newswatch.

- And thanks for joiningus for CBN Newswatch.

I'm Heather Sells.

We begin with a major development tonight

involving an internationalfaith-based foster care

and adoption agency.

Michigan based Bethany Christian Services

announced this week it willplace children in LGBT homes.

Mark Martin joins us now fromthe CBN newsroom with more.

Mark.

- Heather, Bethany changed course

after a recent legal settlement.

The international agency isresponsible for around 8%

of Michigan's more than 13,000 foster care

and adoption cases centeredaround kids from troubled homes.

The non-profit organizationissued a statement, saying:

We are disappointed with howthis settlement agreement

has been implemented bythe state government.

Nonetheless, Bethany willcontinue operations in Michigan,

in compliance with ourlegal contract requirements.

Michigan's DemocraticAttorney General Dana Nessel

announced the settlement last month

after homosexual couples sued in 2017.

The settlement bans faith-basedagencies like Bethany

from refusing to place kids

in LGBT homes for religious reasons

if the agencies have accepted the children

for referral from the Michigan Department

of Health and Human Services.

The Associated Press reports

that, of the faith-basedagencies in Michigan

who are known not to serveLGBT couples or individuals,

Bethany does more work forthe state than any other.

Bethany handled more than1,150 cases as of February.

AP reports CatholicCharities had a caseload

of more than 400, and St.Vincent Catholic Charities

had 80 cases.

Michigan State Human ServicesDepartment spokesperson

Bob Wheaton said the department was glad

it will be able to continueits long-standing partnership

with Bethany in providingservices to children and families.

Nessel tweeted last weekend:

Having more adoption agencieswhich don't discriminate

equals more children adoptedinto loving, nurturing

forever homes.

Thank you to Bethany Christian Services.

The Associated Press reportsthat Nessel is a lesbian

and, as a private attorney,battled to overturn

Michigan's ban on same sex marriage.

And Heather, ChristianityToday reports that Bethany,

which has been in existence for 75 years,

made it clear its missionand Christian beliefs

have not changed.

The change will not have animpact on infant adoptions,

international adoptions,or foster placements

in the 34 other stateswhere Bethany serves.

- Okay, and Mark, are there any agencies

fighting the Michigan settlement in court?

- Yes, Catholic Charities West Michigan

filed a lawsuit againstMichigan's new rule.

Also, St. Vincent Catholic Charities

filed a lawsuit in federal court,

claiming the settlementviolates the US Constitution

and Federal ReligiousFreedom Restoration Act.

Heather, back to you.

- All right, thank, Mark.

And DC Attorney Nick Reaves

with the Becket Fund forReligious Liberty joins us now

with more on what's happening in Michigan

and across the country whenit comes to religious liberty

for faith-based fostercare and adoption agencies.

Thanks for joining us, Nick.

- Sure, Heather, happy to be here.

- Tell us, Becket has several faith-based

child placement agencies thatit is representing right now.

and tell us what is happening

with St. Vincent CatholicCharities in Michigan.

What is it challenging in court?

- Yes, we represent twodifferent faith-based agencies,

one in Philadelphia and St.Vincent, like you mentioned.

We also represent a number of families

that work with these agencies

and that would lose the ability

to partner with an agency they can rely on

and have relied on for years.

For example, the Buck familyhas worked with St. Vincent

to adopt five special needs kids,

and if St. Vincent closes,they would lose the ability

to continue providingthat important ministry.

- All right, and ofcourse, critics are saying

that you're discriminating

when you won't work with LGBT couples.

What's the argument thatyou're making in court?

- The argument is that the state contracts

with a diverse array of agencies

and the state has recognizedthat that diversity

is important to helping kids in need.

For example, Catholicagencies like St. Vincent

have about 45% of thekids adopted each year

have special needs, andthat's a particular niche

and a need that these agencies fill

that no one else in thestate is able to accomplish.

Similarly, agencies likethe Catholic Charities

that we represent betterplace older children

and sibling groups in a waythat other agencies can't.

So when you lose thisdiverse array of agencies

serving Michigan's diverse population,

it hurts kids in need,and putting kids first

is really the most important thing here.

- Well and that's interesting

because the Michigan attorneygeneral and others, of course,

have made the argumentconsistently that more children

will be served if faith-based agencies

are forced to work with LGBT couples,

but it sounds like you'resaying the opposite,

that more children will be served

if you're allowed to stay in the arena

and carry out your beliefs.

- Yes, I think that's exactly right.

Agencies like St. Vincent,

consistent with Catholic teaching,

aren't able to endorsesame sex relationships

and that's a really minor partof the foster care system,

but an important part foragencies like St. Vincent.

So if the state doesn't allowthem to continue operating

as they have for the past several decades,

they will have to shut down,

and that's not good for anybody.

- Well several states, including Michigan,

have passed laws protectingthe religious beliefs

of child placement agencies,

but the Michigan attorney general

now says that law doesn't apply

if agencies are undercontract with the state.

So I'm wondering, are theselaws that we're seeing

not much of a protection?

- I think the attorneygeneral has just chosen

not to apply the law,

and I think that's the real problem here.

The law that was passed in2015 was specifically designed

to protect agencies like St. Vincent.

And several fosterfamilies and other agencies

that contract directlywith the state testified

in support of the law.

And much of the preambleof the law talks about

the value of these privatefaith-based agencies

working with the stateto help kids in need.

So I think the law does what it says

and the state has chosen to ignore that.

- Well we know there areseveral of these cases

around the country right nowand a lot of disagreement.

Do you see this ultimatelygoing to the Supreme Court?

- I do.

We just had a ruling in the 3rd Circuit,

which is covering Pennsylvaniain our case there,

and we're looking at thenext steps in that case.

There's a case developingin New York as well,

and there's some recent development

in South Carolina that's been in the news,

so I think this issue ispercolating nationally

and I think it's no surprise

because we see a large needfor more foster parents

with the opioid crisis and other things.

We need more parents helping these kids

who have been displaced from their homes,

and when the states look to do that,

one of the first lines of defense

is these faith-based agencies

because they're so goodat recruiting families

that might not otherwisechoose to foster or adopt.

- A lot of high stakes for kids.

Nick Reaves with the BecketFund, thanks for your time.

- Sure, thank you, Heather.

- Well in Kansas, a setbackfor the pro-life movement.

The Supreme Court ruled today

to block a 2015 ban ondismemberment abortions.

The decision prevents the state

from enforcing a previously passed law

that greatly limitedsecond trimester abortions.

The law was the first in thenation to ban the procedure

known as dilation andevacuation abortions.

Two abortion providerslater challenged the ruling.

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled

that the state's Constitutionprotects abortion rights.

Pro-life advocates are now calling

for amending the Kansas Constitution,

asking lawmakers to add an abortion ban

to the state Constitution

ahead of their next session next week.

President Trump is touting the US economy

as the number one economy in the world.

His comments come after theFriday morning announcement

that the US economy grewat a solid 3.2% annual rate

in the first three months of this year.

- We're doing great.

GDP is an incredible number.

But remember this, not only that,

we have a great growth, which is growth.

We have great growth, andalso, very, very low inflation.

Our economy is doing great,number one in the world.

We're number one economyright now in the world.

- The president made the comments

before boarding Air Force One for Indiana.

He is in Indianapolis today

to address the National Rifle Association,

the nation's largestgun rights organization.

We'll have more stories like this

from our Washington bureauthis evening on Faith Nation.

You can watch it hereon the CBN News Channel.

In New York State,Rockland County has issued

a second declaration of emergency

as the measles outbreak there continues.

- Our federal governmentcannot sit idly by.

They must ensure that anyoneentering this country,

for any reason, producevalid documentation

or appropriate immunization records.

This needs to be done.

This is not a Rockland County issue.

It's a nationwide, and somerespects, worldwide issue.

Not tomorrow, not ina week, not in a year.

It must be done immediately.

I would recommend eventhrough executive order

from the president.

We need to have immediate action.

To do any less is both a disservice to

and a betrayal of thepeople of this country.

- On Wednesday, New York Cityhealth officials reported

61 new cases since late last week.

Most of those cases havebeen in unvaccinated people

in Orthodox Jewish communities.

Officials say there isno religious exemption

for the vaccine within the community.

The CDC continues to recommend the vaccine

for every American over one year old.

This is the worst year formeasles in the US since 1994.

Well officials in SriLanka say Mohamed Zahran,

the suspected leader of the group

they say carried out thoseterrorist attacks, was killed.

He apparently died in the blast

at one of the hotels that was bombed.

Police have arrestedZahran's second in command.

Sri Lanka's prime minister says

militants may be planning more attacks.

- Well, just rounded up a lot of suspects,

but there are still some ofthe active people on the run.

They may be having explosives with them

or they may have hidden the explosives

so we have to find the suspects

as well as the explosives.

So that's still on.

- Australia's primeminister says the attackers

were supported by ISIS.

Orthodox Christians floodedthe streets of Jerusalem today

to observe Good Friday.

During the processionin Jerusalem's Old City,

the pilgrims walked andretraced Jesus' last steps

before his crucifixionas tradition dictates.

Orthodox Christians whofollow the old Julian calendar

are marking Easter this weekend.

Roman Catholic andProtestant congregations

that observe the new Gregorian calendar

held their Easter celebrations last week.

Coming up, how oneorganization in California

is helping victims of human trafficking

get back on their feet.

And here's a look at what'strending on CBNNews.com.

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] CBN presentsThe I Wills of God:

Your Path to Overcoming Fear and Anxiety.

- We're going to talk aboutsome of the incredible promises

God has made to his children.

- [Announcer] In PatRobertson's newest teaching,

you'll discover The I Wills of God.

I will rescue him,protect him, answer him,

be with him in trouble,deliver him, honor him,

satisfy him with long life,show him my salvation.

And see amazing stories ofGod's promises in action.

- What I felt was loved and treasured.

- God spared my life twice in three days.

- The good Lord hadgiven me a second chance.

- [Announcer] Break freefrom stress and despair.

- [Pat] The Lord doesn'twant you to live in fear,

but to know the rewardsgiven to those who love God.

- [Announcer] Call1-800-700-7000 or visit CBN.com.

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Your Path to Overcoming Fear and Anxiety.

- [Terry] Remember for a moment

what it was like to be a child.

You believed every story you were told.

You saw a world full ofendless possibilities.

What stories will the world's orphaned

and at risk children believe?

We believe the Bible tells the only story

truly worth believing.

We believe that every child

should have the opportunity to dream,

the chance to take challenges

and turn them into possibilities,

the chance to stand onthe promises of God,

to recognize their place inthe greatest story ever told.

They have their whole lives ahead of them.

Theirs is a world ofendless possibilities.

They are looking for a story to believe.

We will tell them that story.

Will you join us?

(soft music)

(child giggles)

- Many victims of sextrafficking who escape

find out they have a major barrier

when it comes to goingto school, getting a job,

or finding a place to live,

and that barrier is their criminal record.

It often comes from law enforcement

that mistakenly sees them ascriminals rather than victims.

Many states are working to provide

criminal record relief for victims,

and now, a new legal tool promises

to truly give victims a second chance.

It's called vactur, and here to explain it

is Jamie Quient, a San Diego attorney

who founded a non-profit, Free to Thrive,

for trafficking survivors.

Jamie, thanks for joining us.

- Thank you for having me.

- Talk a little about,

many people have heard of the practice

of expunging or sealing criminal records,

but vacatur goes a step further.

How does it work?

- It does go a step further.

So vacatur helps victimsof human trafficking

completely clear their criminal records,

and it's a special law justfor victims of trafficking.

And the way it works is that,

at least in California,the law works in that,

if you expunge your record,it actually still shows up

when an employer or anybodyelse runs a background check.

You still have to answer yes,that you've been arrested

or charged with a crime in the past,

and it's very hard to gointo any licensed profession.

The vacatur law is a findingof factual innocence.

It's as if it never happened,

and they actually have todestroy the records completely.

So it's a complete clean slate

for victims and survivorsof human trafficking.

- I know that you just usedit to help a San Diego woman

who was trafficked foryears starting at age 16.

How did vacatur help her?

- Well it's an incrediblefresh start for her.

Not only did it help her,it will help her get a job,

help her get housing,help her go back to school

and get student loans, butit goes to her identity

of who she is.

This fresh start is sayingto her she's not a criminal

and she never should've been treated

like a criminal to begin with.

- Talk a little bit moreabout some of the barriers

that criminal records are creating

for trafficking survivors.

What are you finding from their stories

that they're up against whenthey do have these records?

- So this goes across ourcriminal justice system.

Once somebody has been,even arrested for a crime,

even if the charge is dismissed,

but if you're arrested andconvicted or you plead guilty,

that stays with you the rest of your life.

It's really hard to get a job.

Most housing, whether it's public housing

or private landlords,all do background checks

and it's hard to getanybody to rent to you.

It's hard to get student loans.

I've had clients turned down from jobs

like a dog walking job.

They can't get jobs in themedical profession, retail jobs,

jobs that you wouldn't even think

that you would run a background check for,

they can't get those jobs.

I actually have one clientin particular who, right now,

is working minimum wageat a grocery store,

and she's been hired for a job

helping children who've been trafficked

start their lives and move forward

and she really wants to useher experience to help others.

She has a job offer andall she's waiting for

is to clear her record becauseyou can't work with children

if you have a criminal record.

So once we clear her record,

she's gonna be able to start this job,

no longer be working minimum wage,

and more importantly, helpothers who've been through this

so that they can moveforward with their lives.

- Jamie, it does seem thatthe process of vacatur

is complicated and expensive.

How realistic is it thatmany survivors of trafficking

will be able to access it?

- Well it is complicated,

and it's expensive onlyin time, attorney time.

Luckily, we have many pro bono lawyers

who are volunteering theirtime to help our clients.

One of the things that I'm doing

is training lawyers notjust here in San Diego,

but around the state ofCalifornia and around the country

to do this work so they can join us.

The reality is the hardest part is, first,

for our clients to identifyas a victim of trafficking,

and then to have lawyers equipped

with the skills to clear their records,

and if we can do those two things,

identify victims, help them self-identify

that they've been trafficked,and connect them to lawyers,

they can all clear their records.

- All right, good news there.

Jamie Quient with Free toThrive, thanks for your time.

- Thank you so much for having me.

- [Shawn] It's about the competition.

- I kind of put that pressure on myself

and I think people had expectations.

- [Shawn] It's about overcoming.

- We use this phrase allthe time, keep chopping,

keep practicing hard.

- [Shawn] It's about going the distance.

- You know, I think as afather, it's my job to lead.

Just be the husband and father I can be.

- [Shawn] Watch Going theDistance with Shawn Brown

Saturday night at 7:30on the CBN News Channel.

(rhythmic music)

- Woo-hoo!

Hi Superbook fans.

Here's something else you'll love.

Whoa-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!

It's the new Superbook Bible App.

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It's packed with games, activities,

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There's trivia, a fun daily devotional,

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Plus, an easy to understand Bible

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You can even create yourown Superbook character.

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- A Millsbrook Falls man com--- Sorry, sorry, pardon me,

sorry, excuse me, ouch.

- [Reporter] Are you getting this?

- Earn SuperPoints to win daily prizes too

and so much more.

(sighs)

Time to get back to my adventures.

See you soon.

It's the new Superbook Bible App.

Free downloads on iTunes,Google Play, and Amazon.

- [Announcer] Discover the I Wills of God.

I will rescue him,protect him, answer him,

be with him in trouble,deliver him, honor him,

satisfy him with long life,show him my salvation.

- What I felt was loved and treasured.

- God spared my life twice in three days.

- The good Lord hadgiven me a second chance.

- [Announcer] Call1-800-700-7000 or visit CBN.com.

The I Wills of God, the latestteaching from Pat Robertson.

- [Announcer] It has the powerto influence weight loss,

boost your immune system,and improve brain function.

- We've seen an explosion of data

on the role of the gutmicrobiome in health.

- [Announcer] The freeBuild a Better Gut booklet

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- [Announcer] And if you order online,

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for your free copy.

- And welcome back.

Here to bring us the top trending stories

from Faithwire, CBN's Jessica Chacko

and Faithwire's Dan Andros.

- Well a Canadian fatherhas been convicted

of, quote, family violence

after refusing to call his daughter a boy.

In addition, he's alsoreceived a protective order

preventing him from speakingto the media about the case.

Here to tell us more about it,

managing editor ofFaithwire.com, Dan Andros.

Dan.

- Yeah, we've been following this story,

and the family, whiletheir names are anonymous,

the daughter, who is14, is only referred to

as Maxine in court documents.

But basically, what happened here was,

back in February, the SupremeCourt of British Columbia

ruled that she could receive her desired

male hormone treatmentsthat she was seeking.

The father had actually requested

that she not get this, but- Wow.

- they went to court over it,

and the family is, it's a broken family,

there's a divorcesituation happening there,

so it gets complicated, butthe bottom line is this dad...

And it's not like the girl is 18 or 19

and approaching that age of adulthood

and independent decisions.

This is a 14 year old girl and the court

vehemently has ruled againstthis father multiple times.

It's a sign of, you know,there are a lot of candidates

out there now who are pushingfor a single payer system,

health care system, and that'swhat they have in Canada.

And these are some of the decisions

that you can potentiallyexpect to see in the future

where the hospital actually declined

to listen to the father,

so it's a pretty scary situation.

The father had actuallybeen reprimanded for

even showing her conservative commentary

and prohibited him fromdoing so in the future.

- Wow, we'll keep you allupdated on that story.

But we all could use some positive news,

and this Good Samaritanstory is just that.

James Cunningham was down and out

battling addiction, suicidalthoughts, and homelessness

until a stranger steppedin and changed his life.

Dan, what do you know?

- Yeah, this is a great, fantastic story,

and it really should, itconvicted me a little bit

because, I mean I thinkwe've all walked by somebody

who's begging for changeand shaking the cup,

and that's exactly what James said

he had basically been reduced to

after a series of events in his life

left him homeless, on drugs, on alcohol,

and he was basically hopeless

and had actually toldhis friends on the street

that, you know what, I don'tthink I'm gonna make it

to the next month.

This was in August.

He said I don't think I'mgonna make it to September.

He was contemplating suicide.

But it was during that time,

it was a very difficult month for him,

but towards the end of the month,

he ran into someone named Manny who,

instead of just throwing money in his cup,

said you know what, let'sgo eat a bite of pizza.

And so he bought him pizzaand he talked to him.

And that's when Jamessaid, you know, it hit me.

He was treating me like a human being

and I'd almost forgottenwhat that felt like.

And so just through a couple interactions,

Manny kind of helping him,using his own computer

to sort of get him his birth certificate

and help him get a job again,

just those couple simple little acts

got him back on his feetand now he's got two jobs,

he's going to church, hisfaith is strong again,

and he's praising God the whole way.

Beautiful story.

- Thanks, Dan.

Well if you want tofind stories like these,

just visit Faithwire onFacebook or on the web

at Faithwire.com.

Thanks.

- [Heather] Up next, wehear from pro-life activist

Abby Johnson and how shehopes the movie Unplanned,

based on her life, makes an impact.

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] As the worldwatches from the outside.

- It's a big diplomatic tug-of-warhere in the Middle East.

- [Announcer] Go inside thestory with Jerusalem Dateline.

- Israeli archaeologists aretalking about a discovery

that could change the thinkingabout the Temple Mount.

- [Announcer] Join CBN JerusalemBureau Chief Chris Mitchell

and get the biblical perspective

on the events shaping the world.

- What starts in Israel thenends up going to other places.

- [Announcer] Watch Jerusalem Dateline

Friday night at 9:30 onthe CBN News Channel.

- Orphan's Promise iscommitted to loving and serving

at risk children, to helpingkeep families together,

and to creating opportunities for strong

and sustainable communitiesaround the world.

We're working in over 60countries around the world,

and with your help, we can do even more.

There's an old Africanproverb I love that says:

If you want to run fast, run alone,

but if you want to run far, run together.

At Orphan's Promise, we want to run far

so we can touch thelives of as many orphaned

and vulnerable children as possible.

But we don't want to go alone.

We're out to change theworld one child, one family,

one community at a time.

Will you join us?

(uplifting music)

(child giggles)

(upbeat music)

- Meet the pastors whoare preaching the gospel

in a fresh, fearless way.

I'm Roberto Torres-Cedillo.

Join me each week for Next Gen Voices

and watch God transform a generation.

- The box office success forthe pro-life movie Unplanned

continues to grow.

Last weekend, sales hit 17.2 million

for the film about the transformation

of former Planned ParenthoodDirector Abby Johnson.

With only a $6 million budget,

the Pureflix film started making a profit

on its opening weekend afterdebuting with 6.1 million.

The movie overcame theobstacles of an R rating

by the Motion PictureAssociation of America

and having its ads banned onmajor television channels.

Johnson, who quit herjob at Planned Parenthood

after seeing an abortion via ultrasound,

now works to help othersleave the abortion industry.

She spoke with CBN News aboutthe success of the film.

- We've seen a lot of pro-lifemovies sort of come and go

and people have said what's the difference

here with Unplanned and Ireally think it's about timing.

We look at what's happening

and these crazy laws that are being passed

all across the country,late term abortions,

infanticide laws, and I thinkthat people are just ready.

I think they were ready to see the truth.

I think people were seeking truth

on the issue of abortion,and this film, hopefully,

will be a really powerfultool that people can use

moving forward to showthe truth of abortion,

and also, to show the powerfulredemptive nature of Christ.

- Beautiful.

Well that is it for thisedition of Newswatch.

We hope that you'll join us next time.

Have a great weekend.

(dramatic music)