WHEN LIFE BEGINS The Department of Health and Human Services is going to define human life as “beginning at conception.” HHS also made it clear that their mission is to improve health care for all Americans, including those still in the womb. http://cvote.it/2ykEDSN
HEALTH CARE President Trump to end government bailout to insurance companies — worth an estimated $7 billion this year. Trump threatened for months to cut off the payments since they were never appropriated by Congress. This might just be the action needed to get Congress to move on repealing the failed Obamacare system. http://cvote.it/2gfuxwb
DEATH PENALTY Over the centuries, scholars and theologians have long debated the death penalty. Catholic tradition has always upheld the use of the death penalty in some circumstances. Mostly recently, Pope John Paul II said those circumstances were “practically non-existent.” J.D. Flynn says that Pope Francis’ comments suggest that there is further development on the Church’s understanding of the death penalty. http://cvote.it/2gf7LUP
DRAIN THE UN SWAMP The United States pulls of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) because of its anti-Israeli bias. http://cvote.it/2gf6eyr
TAX PLAN Pro-Trump website Breitbart breaks with the President over his tax plan, saying it won’t benefit hard-working Americans like truckers. http://cvote.it/2gfJUVg
NEW MOVIE “I don’t want to just survive. I want to truly live,” says the disabled character in this life-affirming movie Breathe. Read the review or at least just watch the preview. Looks like a great film. http://cvote.it/2gesmJ4
CATHOLIC VOTE RADIO HOUR If haven’t been listening to the Catholic Vote Radio Hour podcasts, you’re simply missing out. You’ll instantly notice that it has the production quality of NPR — but with strong Catholic content. This week’s interview with Chad Felix Greene is equal parts jaw dropping, illuminating, and inspiring. http://cvote.it/2geXubp
CATECHISM AT 25 Twenty-five years ago, Pope John Paul II issued the first universal catechism since Trent. http://cvote.it/2gg0VP9
SAINT OF THE DAY Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher – http://cvote.it/dailysaint
DAILY MASS READINGS “The Lord will judge the world with justice.” (Ps 9:9) – http://cvote.it/Daily-Readings
FATIMA The ‘Miracle of the Sun’ happened exactly 100 years ago today. And it broke the darkness of Portugal’s atheist regimes. http://cvote.it/2gfNqil