Dear Friend,







Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top five articles, stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your friends and church families. <[link removed]>



We would be very grateful if you could make a donation of $100, $50, $25, or $10 today towards our work producing these Friday Fives and fighting for your values on the public square! <[link removed]>







<[link removed]>1. NC VALUES: Celebration of Carolina Values 2023







On Tuesday we held our Celebration of Carolina Values event in Raleigh, and had an opportunity to celebrate the hard work we all have done throughout the year. There was a lot to celebrate this year in particular. We were also blessed to hear from 12x All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, who experienced the injustice firsthand of allowing men in women’s sports.



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Check out some of these photos <[link removed]>of the event. You can also watch the livestream here <[link removed]> to hear Riley's compelling story for yourself.



Thanks again to everyone who was able to join us physically or virtually!



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2. CAROLINA JOURNAL: Cooper signs seven bills, vetoes two and allows the state budget to become law







"Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper signed seven bills, vetoed two, and let three become law, including the 2023 Appropriations Act, or the state budget, which passed both chambers on Sept. 22.



Among those he signed into law include H.B.125 NC Health & Human Services Workforce Act, H.B.142 Protect Our Students Act.-AB, S.B. 211 Permit Multistate Water/Sewer Authority, S.B. 579 Prevent Harm to Children, S.B. 477 Amend Bus. Corp. Act/Bus. Opp. Disclosures, S.B. 531 Dam Safety Law Clarification, and H.B. 8 Various Statutory Changes."



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<[link removed]>3. DUKE CHRONICLE: Federal judge temporarily blocks provisions of NC 12-week abortion ban







“Following three months of deliberation, U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles granted an injunction Saturday to temporarily block two provisions of North Carolina’s newly-enacted 12-week abortion ban from taking effect.”



“Some pro-life advocates believe <[link removed]> that Eagles’ decision will undermine the safety of patients undergoing both procedural and medication abortions. ‘True to form, [the plaintiffs] are now challenging the requirements that the doctor determine the location of the unborn child before dispensing chemical abortion pills and that 2nd and 3rd trimester surgical abortion must occur in a hospital,’ said Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of the pro-life North Carolina Values Coalition <[link removed]>.”



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4. NORTH STATE JOURNAL: Pro-life pregnancy centers see millions in budget proposal



“Crisis pregnancy centers and related pregnancy prevention services will receive tens of millions in the current state budget.”



“‘Pregnancy care centers are a vital resource supporting pregnant women and their babies,’ NC Values Executive Director Tami Fitzgerald said in a statement praising the spending. ‘The ability to see your child on an ultrasound before making a life and death decision for your child is imperative, so funding ultrasound machines was an important component of this appropriation.’” 



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5. DAILY SIGNAL: School Districts With DEI Officers See Worse Black, Hispanic Learning Loss and Secretive Transgender Policies



"Administrators focused on diversity, equity and inclusion have ballooned in public school districts across the country, but their presence doesn’t translate to educational improvement for black and Hispanic students, nor to the inclusion of parents in decisions about their kids’ health and well-being.



According to a new report from The Heritage Foundation, the percentage of large school districts with a chief diversity officer rose from 39% to 48% from 2021 to 2023, while school districts with a chief diversity officer experienced a decline in minority student performance and a greater likelihood of secretive transgender policies."



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Weekly Prayer: Life



LORD, we recognize that you are Sovereign over all creation. We recognize you made man from the dust, and in your mercy, you crowned creation with man and woman made in your image. What a wonder it is that you would bestow upon us this blessing and responsibility!



LORD, may we not take this blessing for granted. We pray that this great responsibility and dignity may motivate us to love You, our neighbors, and our families more. LORD, may we as a culture truly see and believe that children are a blessing from the LORD—born or unborn; able or disabled. All children should have an opportunity to experience the liberty of life. LORD, make us your vehicle to change our culture into one that cherishes and protects life. Keep at the forefront of our minds our responsibilities to respect, cherish, and serve the youngest and oldest in our society.



"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.'" (Matthew 18:1-6)



Amen













Will you chip in $100, $50, $25, or even $10 to help the NC Values Coalition continue to fight for your rights? You can donate by clicking here. <[link removed]> <[link removed]>



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Sincerely,





Tami & Team

NC Values



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NC Values Coalition - 9650 Strickland Rd, Suite 103-226, Raleigh, NC 27615-1902, United States

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