Department of Health and Human Services

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit ruled that the city of Philadelphia can bar Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from placing children in foster care with any family because the agency upholds traditional marriage.

Federal documents show that the U.S. government has received more than 4,500 complaints over the last four years alleging that children who are under government custody because of immigration matters faced sexual abuse.

A report published Jan. 17 says the number of immigrant children separated from their parents at the border last year is unknown and the number given out by government officials at the end of 2018, saying that 2,737 children were separated, is not accurate. The number may be much higher.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Consequences of Crowley's defeat in New York; religious liberty groups silent on travel ban decision; another link pops up between conservative Catholic organizations and right-wing political groups

The Department of Health and Human Services announced that its Office of Civil Rights now has a division whose job is to protect the conscience rights of healthcare workers and hospitals.

Employees, and likely students, will retain access to cost-free birth control through third-party insurers, despite the university's earlier announcements of the end of such coverage.

Distinctly Catholic: Lack of good-faith negotiation about the contraception mandate in the Affordable Care Act means the issue will continue to swing based on who is in the White House.