FLYNN GUILTY PLEA President Trump denied that he pressured or asked former FBI director James Comey to investigate his former national security adviser Mike Flynn. On Friday, Flynn entered a guilty plea, admitting that he had made false statements to the FBI. http://cvote.it/2AH5lXn
HUGE MEDIA MISTAKE ABC News suspends Brian Ross for four weeks without pay over his “serious error.” Ross had reported that Flynn would testify that Trump had ordered him to make contact with the Russians when Trump was still a candidate. (Private individuals are forbidden by U.S. law from conducting foreign policy.) Later in the day, ABC issued a “clarification” to Ross’s report, saying that Trump’s alleged directive came after he’d been elected president. http://cvote.it/2AI48Pr
SENATE PASSES TAX CUT The Senate passed the biggest overhaul of the tax code in 30 years in a 51-49 vote. The bill would lower the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20%, double the Child Tax Credit to $2000 per child per year, and expand 529 savings plans to be used for K-12 education expenses — including homeschooling, private, and religious schools. Vice President Pence broke the tie vote on Cruz’s school choice plan. http://cvote.it/2AJGvq5
QUOTE OF THE DAY “The Senate joined together to provide historic tax relief, that serves as an investment in our nation and our economic well-being. As part of this historic effort, we’ve also invested in our children and expanded educational opportunities, with the expansion of 529’s to include K-12 elementary and secondary school tuition, including educational expenses for homeschool students.” -Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX. http://cvote.it/2AIw2uP
FIGHTING ABORTION IN COURT The new Illinois law requiring taxpayer funding of elective abortions is facing a lawsuit from pro-life groups. They argue that the law is illegal because there are not adequate funds to pay for elective abortions while still fulfilling the balanced budget requirements of the Illinois Constitution. http://cvote.it/2AI46HC
FEDS & SCHOOL LUNCHES Great news for parents and kids. Chocolate milk with 1% fat will likely be coming back to public school lunches, as the Trump administration published a new rule easing the strident regulations that were promoted by Michelle Obama. http://cvote.it/2AHMqeV
HOLLYWOOD FILTH Most of us would agree that a sexual relationship between a teenager and a man in his mid-twenties would be creepy, if not downright immoral. But the film “Call Me by Your Name,” which tells the story of a relationship between a man and an adolescent boy, has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews. http://cvote.it/2AEqZM1
SOCIETY How Poland is winning the modern age: And America can too! Read Carly Hoilman’s column over at CatholicVote. http://cvote.it/2AIhMSE
BIG BIZ VS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY A small Colorado bakery’s religious freedom lawsuit is being strongly opposed by 37 large companies, from Apple to Marriott to Uber. http://cvote.it/2AF4jLH
ADVENT PREP Just as we clean our house for a Christmas party, let’s prepare our souls for the Nativity of Christ. http://cvote.it/2AHPA2h
SAINT OF THE DAY Saint John Damascene – http://cvote.it/dailysaint
DAILY MASS READINGS “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord!” (Ps 122:1) – http://cvote.it/Daily-Readings
BEAUTY Who’s topping the charts? Answer: The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Listen: http://cvote.it/2AtgUPe