Culture of Death Advances With Euthanasia Legalization in Illinois and New York, See also Dutch Law

David Closson 

Within a single week, the governors of Illinois and New York both announced their support for physician-assisted suicide legislation.  

In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat [pictured above], signed a bill legalizing the practice Dec. 12. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced Dec. 17 that she has reached an agreement with the state legislature and will sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act in January 2026. 

With these developments, Illinois and New York join 11 other states and Washington, D.C., that have already authorized physician-assisted suicide [and euthanasia].

Hochul explained her decision in a personal essay published shortly before her Wednesday press conference. She noted that bodily autonomy ultimately shaped her thinking about the bill: “I have come to this as a matter of individual choice that does not have to be about shortening life but rather about shortening death,”

Hochul’s Deal Limits Access to Patients with Less than Six Months to Live

By Katelyn Cordero, 12/18/2025 

ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s tortured decision to sign legislation that will allow some terminally ill New Yorkers to obtain life-ending medications caps a contentious, decade-long debate over the issue.

But the governor’s move was blasted by the Catholic Church and even sparked blowback from aid-in-dying advocates due to additional restrictions Hochul insisted on adding to the law.

The final deal, which limits access to patients with less than six months to live, includes some controversial safeguards that advocates fought and say will make it the most restrictive such measure in the country. Thirteen states now allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medications for terminally ill patients, with Illinois enacting such legislation last week.

The Catholic governor said she wrestled with the decision for weeks, but ultimately spoke with advocates — some of whom were terminally ill — whose personal stories swayed her to sign the measure.

NY Governor Kathy Hochul Seeks Changes to ‘Nightmare’ Assisted Suicide Bill

https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/ny-governor-kathy-hochul-seeks-changes-to-nightmare-assisted-suicide-bill/

New York Governor Kathy Hochul [pictured right] is requesting substantial changes to a “nightmare” bill that would turn New York into a destination state for physician-assisted suicide.

The New York Assembly approved the Medical Aid in Dying Act (AB 136) on April 29 in a 81-67 vote. The state Senate subsequently passed the bill on June 9 in a 35-27 vote.

The bill permits individuals with “an incurable and irreversible illness, with six months or less to live,” to kill themselves with a doctor’s help via a lethal cocktail of drugs.

Importantly, the bill currently contains no residency requirement, allowing terminally ill individuals from out of state to come to New York to end their lives. This provision would essentially ensure all Americans could access physician-assisted suicide.

Diane Coleman Inducted Into New York State Disability Rights Hall of Fame, Class of 2025

Sunday, December 7, 2025

In collaboration with the 2025 New York Association on Independent Living’s (NYAIL) statewide conference, the New York State Independent Living Council (NYSILC) held its sixth New York State Disability Rights Hall of Fame awards ceremony and dinner, and Not Dead Yet’s Founder and CEO, Diane Coleman, [pictured right] was the first of the night to be honored with a posthumous award “For lifelong achievements which positively impact people with disabilities in society.”

For those who couldn’t attend the awards ceremony and dinner, the Patients Rights Action Fund’s (PRAF) Executive Director, Matt Vallière, and NDY’s Executive Director, Ian McIntosh, accepted the award on behalf of Diane Coleman who passed away suddenly, last November 1, 2024.

Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

Thursday, December 4, 2025

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul [pictured left] wants to add a requirement that people videotape their requests for physician-assisted deaths, one of several conditions she’s put forward to sign the hotly debated Medical Aid in Dying Act.  

The Democratic governor proposed the amendments to the Legislature late last month, according to two people briefed on the negotiations but not authorized to speak publicly about them. Talks are ongoing, the people said.

The amendments are Hochul’s first foray into the wrenching debate over the topic, which has prompted lawmakers to share personal stories that touch on religious faith, individual liberty and their own experience caring for dying loved ones.

New York Porch Pirates

Fourteen men have been arrested in connection with a large-scale “porch pirate” operation in Long Island, New York, in which authorities say the group targeted 31 communities over the course of nearly two years. The ring allegedly focused on areas including Brentwood, Central Islip, Shirley, and Deer Park. Investigators tracked the thefts from October 2023 through February 2025 until the operation was dismantled.

Most of the suspects are reportedly from the Bronx. Authorities say they hacked into computer systems to track when phones and electronics were scheduled for delivery to AT&T and Verizon customers. The group then dispatched runners to steal the packages from doorsteps. More than 200 cellphones and tablets were allegedly stolen during the operation.

"They were gaining access to the tracking numbers as well as the deliveries, and through that they could tell which would be an electronic device from AT&T and Verizon," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said, according to CBS News.

NYPD Officer Leaps Into Freezing River to Save Teenage Girl from Drowning

 By Emma Bussey Fox News, 

In a statement, the NYPD said: "When it came to saving a life, our officers had no hesitation. 32nd Precinct officers saw a woman in the East River and jumped into the frigid water to pull her to safety."

Reflecting on the rescue, Officer Gupta told the Post:

"I’m just glad that we were all there as a group. It was a team effort that gave her a second chance."  "It’s great when you save somebody. That’s what we signed up for in this job, right?" added Officer Amine.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE #WALKAWAY CAMPAIGN

On the Election of Zohran Mamdani as Mayor of New York City

Dear Patriots,

As the dust settles from last night’s election, we recognize a hard truth: New York City has chosen Zohran Mamdani, a radical socialist whose platform rejects the values of law, order, and freedom that built this city. This outcome is deeply disappointing, but we refuse to see it as a defeat.

Over the past weeks and months, the #WalkAway Campaign and our incredible community of patriots have poured our hearts into this fight. We spoke truth in the face of hostility. We rallied in the streets. We reached voters who had never heard another perspective. And in doing so, we planted seeds of courage and awareness that will continue to grow long after this election.

Our mission has never been about one candidate or one result; it’s about waking America up. It’s about empowering every citizen to think for themselves, reject extremism, and reclaim their voice.

So while New York may have taken a step in the wrong direction last night, we know the story isn’t over. This movement is alive. The spirit of freedom is burning brighter than ever. And we are more determined than ever to fight for truth, unity, and the American values we hold dear.

To everyone who stood beside us who volunteered, donated, prayed, and spoke up, thank you. You’ve proven that bravery and conviction still exist in this country.

This is not the end. This is the wake-up call.

And we will answer it.

With gratitude and resolve,

Brandon Straka

Founder, #WalkAway Campaign

Islamic Honor Killing on Long Island

By Robert Spencer, October 25, 2025

The left has been working for years on the world we live in now, and all around us we can see the fruit of their labors: dirty, dangerous cities, homeless encampments, cannabis stores, rising crime, and so much more. New York’s WABC on Friday gave us another reason to thank our leftist bureaucrats and elected officials as it told a harrowing story: “A man is under arrest on Friday in a gruesome homicide on Long Island after his wife was found dead and suffering from facial burns — covered with a chemical substance.”

Why would the horrific prospect of a husband murdering his wife be the result of the left’s policies? Because this was an attempted Islamic honor killing, that is, a killing carried out in accord with the teachings of the religion that the left insists is peaceful and tolerant, on pain of charges of “Islamophobia,” and professional and possibly even personal ruin.

In Herricks, Long Island, “authorities say Aleena Asif, 46, was suffocated with a cyanide-like compound by her estranged husband, who was stalking her after she demanded a divorce.” And now “her husband, 53-year-old Asif Qureshi, was arraigned on second degree murder charges on Friday morning and held without bail as a flight risk. Prosecutors said they will ask a grand jury to indict him on first degree murder charges.”

Man, Woman & Child Life-Flighted Following Buggy Wreck

By ErikWesner October 27, 2025

Yates County, New York saw a bad buggy wreck yesterday afternoon, leaving three seriously injured and a horse dead. But these (in all likelihood) weren’t Amish victims.

Yates County is home to an Old Order Mennonite population. Old Order Mennonites typically use horse-drawn vehicles similar to those of the Amish.  It’s a reminder that not only the Amish are exposed to horse-drawn accident danger on the roads. More details from WHAM ABC News:

Yates County Sheriff deputies responded to Six Corners Road in Barrington just before 2:35 p.m. for a crash involving a car and a horse and buggy.  An investigation found that a woman was traveling in the southbound lane of Six Corners Road when her car struck the buggy from behind, ejecting its occupants and causing extensive damage to both vehicles....

Trump to Award Mayor Giuliani the Medal of Freedom

Joseph MacKinnon September 02, 2025

Giuliani sustained a fractured spine after stopping to help a woman who claimed to be victim of domestic abuse.

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The announcement came just hours after Giuliani had a brush with death in Manchester, New Hampshire.

According to New Hampshire State Police, Giuliani and his driver, Theodore Goodman, were traveling southbound Saturday evening on the Interstate 93 when they were flagged down by a woman on the roadside who indicated that she had been involved in a domestic violence incident.

'This was not a targeted attack.'

The 81-year-old former mayor and his driver stopped to provide assistance, called police, then waited with the woman until troopers arrived to investigate.

After speaking with the troopers and disclosing what they witnessed, the mayor and Goodman got back into their rental Ford Bronco and pulled onto the interstate. Police indicated, however, that just moments later, a woman driving a Honda HR-V rammed into the rear of the vehicle "almost directly across from the scene of the reported domestic violence incident on the southbound side."

Rep. Jerrold Nadler Will not be Running for Re-Election

New York Democratic Representative Jerrold Nadler announced Monday that he will not be seeking re-election next year, after a 34-year congressional career. 

Nadler, 78, has been considered one of the leading liberal voices in Congress, saying that he is responding to the call for generational change that has recently been dividing his party. 

He recently told The New York Times of his plans, provided that they didn’t reveal them until Monday. He said that he hesitated to step aside at this time, while, in his view, President Donald Trump stands as a threat to the foundations of democracy, according to The Times. But he told them that he believes it is time for the changing of the guard. 

“Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” Nadler said, adding that a younger successor “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more.”

Diane Coleman’s Last Review: Life After, “A Wonderful Film.”

https://notdeadyet.org/diane-colemans-last-review-life-after-a-wonderful-film/

Ian McIntosh, Executive Director Not Dead Yet:

To the best of my knowledge, one of the last tasks Founder, President and CEO of Not Dead Yet (NDY), Diane Coleman completed, days before her sudden passing last November, was to watch Reid Davenport’s Life After.

Diane intended to write a fulsome review. And although she could not publish her thoughts in time, she left one of sorts, complete in its brevity, in an email to the film’s creators, saying that Life After is: “a wonderful film”.

In this arena and in our community, there’s no higher praise.  As Diane’s successor, serving as the Executive Director of NDY, and as a self-confessed cinephile, having seen the documentary several times now, I can confirm that like everything else Diane weighed in on: Of course, she’s right. Life After is a wonderful film for too many reasons to expand upon here and now.

But Multimedia Films, the production house for Life After, notes on its website a synopsis of the documentary, which in part reads:

New York’s Dangerous Killing Act Must be Rejected

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/3431931/new-york-medical-aid-in-dying-act-consequences/ 

New York‘s "Medical Aid in Dying Act" is under consideration in the state’s Senate Health Committee after passing in the state Assembly in late April. It has 25 co-sponsors in the Senate, and 32 votes are needed to pass it. Democratic leaders have expressed confidence that it will do so, and even some Republican senators are open to voting for it. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D-NY) position is ambiguous, but MAID advocates expect her support once the bill clears the Senate.

New York voters also overwhelmingly support it. A recent YouGov survey found that 72% back the measure, including 65% of Catholics. 

But the bill is a fast-rolling nightmare for the disabled, elderly, and the culture as a whole. Much support for physician-assisted suicide is well-intended. But crossing the bright red line from preserving life to intentionally hastening death has created moral catastrophes in countries that have made the move. New York should heed these examples.

What About Providing Aid in Living?

Yesterday, the New York State Assembly voted to pass legislation (A136/S138), the Medical Aid in Dying Act, to legalize state-sanctioned suicide [and euthanasia] for those diagnosed with a terminal illness. We strongly urge the New York State Senate to reject this legislation and we urge you to contact your state senators and ask them to vote against this legislation. Click here to contact your state senator.  

Proceeding down this path would be both a moral and practical failure, violating the sanctity of life and leading to a further erosion in the health and well-being of society’s most vulnerable.