Obama Administration Appeals Stem-Cell Ruling

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday filed an appeal of a federal judge’s order banning federal financing of embryonic-stem-cell research. The department said in its motion that plaintiffs opposed to such research faced no imminent damages from allowing the research to continue while the judge hears the case, and warned that continuing the restraining order during the trial phase could mean six to eight months of delays in medical research “aimed at curing the most devastating illnesses afflicting Americans.” The department acted one day after the judge declined to put his order on hold while the case is on appeal.