FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM // The U.S. Bishops launch the Fortnight for Freedom. “Religious freedom is one of the basic freedoms of the human person because without religious freedom, the freedom of conscience, all other freedoms are without foundation,” said Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami. http://cvote.it/2rXqVyt
FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM // Here is the Bishops’ website on the Fortnight, with a video, information on how to talk about religious freedom, as well as fact sheets and prayers for religious freedom. http://cvote.it/fortnight2017
PP SCANDAL // A court in San Francisco tossed out 14 of the 15 criminal charges against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, the investigative reporters who blew the whistle on Planned Parenthood’s gruesome market of selling baby body parts. The 15th charge involves conspiring to invade privacy. http://cvote.it/2sswqIN
HEALTH CARE // The Senate Republican leadership plans on unveiling its health care plan this morning. Last night some details of what might be included in the bill were leaked. Both moderates and conservatives in the Senate are balking at certain provisions. http://cvote.it/2ssurEE
HEALTH CARE // Republican Senators say that some of the anti-abortion language from the House health care bill will not survive the strict rules required to pass a bill by a simple majority vote. But pro-life Senators vowed to find other methods to accomplish the goal. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, said: “It would not be in the direct sense it was proposed in the House, but I think there are ways to address most of the concerns of the members.” http://cvote.it/2ssGQbz
DEMS IN DISARRAY // After a painful defeat in Georgia, Democrats finally start to question the wisdom of Nancy Pelosi as their leader. “I think you’d have to be an idiot to think we could win the House with Pelosi at the top,” said Rep. Filemon Vela, D-TX. http://cvote.it/2ssAngO
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM // A Senate panel voted 8-7 to confirm Russ Vought for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was attacked by liberal Bernie Sanders for being “Islamophobic” simply because Vought believed in the traditional Christian view of salvation. Here’s an article on Sanders’ nasty attack. http://cvote.it/2ssSbIz
SKILLS GAP // Finally someone listened to Mike Rowe. Forbes magazine just released a list of the top 30 two-year trade schools. http://cvote.it/2ssyr87
SHOOTING // Rep. Steve Scalise has been upgraded to fair condition. http://cvote.it/2st1Grl
CATHOLIC // Alan and Paula Sears will be inducted next week into the Order of St. Gregory the Great for their promotion of religious freedom. http://cvote.it/2ssRIWS
CATHOLIC // The Archdiocese of Newark claims that they were simply welcoming a group of LGBT pilgrims but that it was a “purely private event” and that Cardinal Tobin did not concelebrate Mass or preach at the pilgrimage. http://cvote.it/2ssCrFu
SAINT // Saint Thomas More – http://cvote.it/dailysaint
DAILY MASS // “Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.” (Ps 111:7) – http://cvote.it/Daily-Readings
TRUTH // Here’s the Devil’s Speech from A Man for All Seasons, a movie about St. Thomas More. http://cvote.it/2ssNlv7