Latest news with #NewYorkStateCatholicConference
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NY state Senate approves doctor-assisted suicide bill, sends it to Hochul's desk for approval
ALBANY – State Senate Democrats passed highly controversial legislation that would allow terminally ill people to take their own lives with the help of doctors in a razor-thin vote Monday — leaving it up to Gov. Kathy Hochul whether to sign it into law. 'This is one of the great social reforms of our state,' state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan), the bill's sponsor in the upper chamber, touted at a press conference earlier in the day Monday — putting the measure on the same tier as the legalization of gay marriage. 'This is about personal autonomy, this is about liberty, this is about exercising one's own freedom to control one's body,' Hoylman-Sigal continued. The measure passed 35 to 27, with six Democrats – Senators April Baskin, Siela Bynoe, Cordelle Cleare, Monica Martinez, Roxanne Persaud, and Sam Sutton – voting against it. 'The governor will review the legislation,' a spokesperson for Hochul said. The bill's passage follows a years-long campaign that was fought tooth and nail by a diverse group of critics, including disability rights activists and the Catholic church, as well as many black and Orthodox Jewish communities. 'The Governor still has the opportunity to uphold New York's commitment to suicide prevention, protect vulnerable communities, and affirm that every life—regardless of disability, age, or diagnosis—is worthy of care, dignity, and protection,' The New York Alliance Against Assisted Suicide wrote in a statement following the vote. A Catholic group slammed the bill's passing as 'a dark day for New York' and also called on Hochul to refuse to sign it. 'For the first time in its history, New York is on the verge of authorizing doctors to help their patients commit suicide. Make no mistake – this is only the beginning, and the only person standing between New York and the assisted suicide nightmare unfolding in Canada is Governor Hochul,' Dennis Poust, Executive Director of the New York State Catholic Conference, wrote in a statement. Ahead of the vote, the nearly three-hour debate on the Senate floor got emotional, with several lawmakers holding back tears as they explained their votes. Syracuse-area state Sen. Rachel May (D-Onondaga) shared the story of her late husband, who was receiving morphine in the final stages of his battle with cancer, which he eventually succumbed to at 32 years old. 'I don't know if the last largest dose he took also took his life, but I know that he died in peace,' May said. 'It isn't about controlling the disease or controlling the pain, it's about having control at the end of your life,' she said before voting in favor. Critics fear the legislation lacks critical safeguards over how doctors approve patients looking to receive the prescription for a lethal cocktail of drugs, such as a statutory waiting period, establishing clear chain of custody for the pills, mandating the doctor and recipient meet in-person, and requiring a disclosure that someone indeed used the drugs to take their own life. Under the bill, recipients would need approval from two doctors and a sign-off from two independent witnesses, after which they would receive a prescription for drugs they could use to take their life at a time of their choosing. Doctors also do not have to conduct a mental health screening for each patient, but may refer a patient for one under the legislation. 'I don't think requesting end-of-life medication when an individual is suffering and in pain and dying suggests a mental health condition, if anything, I think it's quite rational,' Hoylman-Sigal said. Hoylman vowed the bill would not lead to such 'unintended consequences.' 'It was a professional organization that provided us crucial guidance, that helped us develop the state-of-the-art safeguards in this legislation that gave my colleagues and the general public, I believe, the assurance that there will not be unintended consequences,' he said. The legislation is referred to by its supporters as the 'Medical Aid in Dying' bill. 'The option of medical aid in dying provides comfort, allowing those who are dying to live their time more fully and peacefully until the end. I am profoundly grateful to Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for giving her conference the space to have this important and emotional discussion,' Corinne Carey, Senior Campaign Director of Compassion and Choices, the main group driving the effort to pass the bill, wrote in a statement.
10-06-2025
- Health
New York lawmakers approve bill that would allow medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Terminally ill New Yorkers would have the legal ability to end their own lives with pharmaceutical drugs under a bill passed Monday in the state Legislature. The proposal, which now moves to the governor's office, would allow a person with an incurable illness to be prescribed life-ending drugs if he or she requests the medication and gets approval from two physicians. A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would review the legislation. The New York Senate gave final approval to the bill Monday night after hours of debate during which supporters said it would let terminally ill people die on their own terms. 'It's not about hastening death, but ending suffering,' said state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat who sponsored the proposal. Opponents have argued the state should instead improve end-of-life medical care or have objected on religious grounds. 'We should not be in the business of state-authorized suicide,' said state Sen. George Borrello, a Republican. The state Assembly passed the measure in late April. The proposal requires that a terminally ill person who is expected to die within six month make a written request for the drugs. Two witnesses would have sign the request to ensure that the patient is not being coerced. The request would then have to be approved by the person's attending physician as well as a consulting physician. The legislation was first introduced in 2016, Hoylman-Sigal said, though it has stalled year after year in the New York statehouse. Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, which has opposed the measure, said 'This is a dark day for New York State." Eleven other states and Washington, D.C., have laws allowing medically assisted suicide, according to Compassion & Choices, an advocacy organization that backs the policy. Corinne Carey, the group's local campaign director, said lawmakers had 'recognized how important it is to give terminally ill New Yorkers the autonomy they deserve over their own end-of-life experiences.' 'The option of medical aid in dying provides comfort, allowing those who are dying to live their time more fully and peacefully until the end,' said Carey.
New York Post
06-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
NYS lawmakers set vote to make assisted suicide legal despite controversy
ALBANY – State lawmakers are 'likely' to pass a bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide next week –despite controversy over the legislation, the Senate Democratic leader said Thursday. The measure — which would allow people with six months or less to live to be prescribed a cocktail of drugs to end their lives — would be sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk after approval by the state legislature in a vote that could come as soon as Monday. 'I do believe there are the votes and it is likely it will come to the floor,' Senate Democratic Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins told reporters. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester) said the Medical Aid in Dying Act will likely be brought up for a vote before the end of session next week. Hans Pennink 'Ultimately, the majority of the conference felt comfortable with providing options for people during difficult end of life times,' the Westchester County legislator said. A source familiar said the vote is likely to be scheduled for Monday and Stewart-Cousins' acknowledgement it is set for a vote indicates wide support in the Democratic caucus, which controls both houses of the legislature. Critics of the legislation – which include the Catholic church and disability rights groups, amongst others – argue the bill doesn't have adequate safeguards against abuse. 'We appreciate the Senator's desire to have a conversation about end of life care, but handing sick people a suicide cocktail is not compassion nor is it healthcare,' Bob Bellafiore, spokesperson for the New York State Catholic Conference told The Post. 'We know many Democratic senators have very deep reservations about this bill and they should be allowed to vote their conscience instead of toeing a party line,' he added. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, one of the Senators driving the effort to pass the bill, said the legislation is about 'honoring choice.' A source said Stewart-Cousins' acknowledgement the measure is set for a vote indicates wide support for it in the Democratic caucus. Hans Pennink 'Passing the Medical Aid in Dying Act affirms New Yorkers' right to make deeply personal end-of-life decisions. This legislation offers terminally ill individuals the autonomy to choose a peaceful and dignified passing, surrounded by loved ones,' Scarcella-Spanton said. 'It's about honoring choice, alleviating suffering, and treating people with the compassion they deserve. I'm proud to see that we have the support to get this landmark piece of legislation done,' Scarcella-Spanton added.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump says he 'had nothing to do with' apparent AI-generated pope image he posted online
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways President Donald Trump pleaded ignorance to an apparent AI-generated image depicting him as the pope that was posted to his and the White House's social media accounts, accusing the media of fabricating the backlash over the image. 'You mean they can't take a joke? You don't mean the Catholics, you mean the fake news media,' Trump told reporters on Monday about the image, which shows him in papal clothing. 'No, the Catholics loved it.' He added: 'I had nothing to do with it. Somebody made up a picture of me dressed like the pope and they put it out on the internet. That's not me that did it. I have no idea where it came from. Maybe it was AI. But I know nothing about it.' Trump's Truth Social account and the White House's X account both posted the image on Friday night, sparking near-instant criticism from Catholics at home and abroad who said it was offensive. 'There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,' the New York State Catholic Conference wrote in a post on X the next morning. 'We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.' Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, told reporters on Sunday that the image was in poor taste. 'I hope he didn't have anything to do with it,' Dolan said about Trump. 'It wasn't good. Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi also weighed in. In a post on X, Renzi wrote in Italian that the image 'offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the global right enjoys being a clown.' Trump also suggested on Monday that he first saw the image 'last evening.' 'I think it's the fake news media that — you know, they're fakers,' he added. The purported AI image would not have been the first time Trump has suggested he should be pope. Earlier last week, when asked about the papal conclave, Trump said he was his own 'number one choice' for the head of the Catholic Church. As my colleague Steve Benen has pointed out, Trump has tried to evade responsibility for a litany of problems during his second term. From national domestic issues — like his immigration policy and the Signal group chat debacle — to smaller-scale controversies like the pope image, when faced with any degree of pushback, you can expect Trump to pass the buck. This article was originally published on
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump claims he had 'nothing to do with' AI image of himself as Pope amid backlash
Trump claims he 'had nothing to do with' a depiction of himself as the Pope that was shared on his and White House social media accounts, distancing himself from the AI-generated image Donald Trump has denied any involvement in publishing an AI image depicting him as the Pope - despite it being posted on his own social media account. The stunt has drawn sharp criticism from Catholic leaders and members of the public as the Vatican looks to appoint a new leader following Francis's death last month. 'I had nothing to do with it,' Trump said while in the Oval Office. 'Somebody made up a picture of me dressed like the pope, and they put it out on the internet. 'That's not me that did it, I have no idea where it came from - maybe it was AI. But I have no idea where it came from.' The image, which showed Trump in white papal robes and a ceremonial headdress, went viral over the weekend, sparking outrage among Catholics mourning the recent death of Pope Francis. The backlash intensified as critics called the post disrespectful and poorly timed, given that the Vatican is preparing for a conclave to elect a new pope. 'They can't take a joke,' Trump said when pressed on Catholic reactions, before quickly shifting blame. 'You don't mean the Catholics; you mean the fake news media. The Catholics loved it.' While Trump is not Catholic, his wife, Melania Trump, is. The president claimed she approved of the image. 'Actually, my wife thought it was cute,' he said. 'She said, 'Isn't that nice?'' When asked why the image had been shared on the official White House account and whether it diminished the platform's credibility, Trump gave no further explanation. 'Oh give me a break,' he said, before changing the subject. But Catholic leaders voiced serious concern. 'It's never appropriate to ridicule or mock the papacy,' said Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the state's Catholic bishops. The group later issued a direct rebuke on social media: 'There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St Peter. Do not mock us.' Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, attempted to downplay the incident. 'I'm fine with people telling jokes,' he posted on social media, responding to a question about the image. Online reaction to Trump's remarks remained divided. While some users condemned the image and the president's response as insensitive, others defended it. "Even if it was a joke, putting [it] up on the official WH account is in bad taste," one user wrote. "Especially since the Pope just passed away." Another added, "'Melania thought it was cute.' They are both disgusting and disrespectful." Supporters, however, dismissed the criticism. 'It was a joke. Get over it,' one post read. 'God, these people will feign outrage over ANYTHING.'
