MILITARY // Trump has named tough talking retired general James “Mad Dog” Mattis as Secretary of Defense. Mattis will need Congress to waive the prohibition on former military officers heading the Pentagon less than seven years after retiring. http://cvote.it/2gevNKm
MILITARY // Right after Congress abandoned plans to force women to register for a draft, the Obama White House declared its support for registering women for the draft. Changing the policy would require an act of Congress, and there are no signs that lawmakers plan to move swiftly to alter the law. http://cvote.it/2gsBlEh
RED OR BLUE STATES // Despite what many say, there are no permanent red state or permanent blue states. “It is much better to think of the states as giant continental plates, always slowly moving across a mantle of voter restlessness. This continues until a candidate, event, or some combination forces a political earthquake — like 2016.” http://cvote.it/2gsSnSC
CATHOLIC // Ross Douthat asks if Catholic view of marriage has come to an end in the Diocese of San Diego. http://cvote.it/2geDbW5
LOOP >> You can still order the official Loop coffee mug with your $20 donation: http://cvote.it/supporttheloop
SUPREME COURT // Donald Trump told Sean Hannity that he’s narrowed his selection for the Supreme Court vacancy: “I’m down to probably three or four.” Hannity asked if these finalists were from the list of 21 candidates he campaigned on. Trump replied: “From the list. They are terrific people, highly respected, brilliant people. And we’ll be announcing that pretty soon, too.” http://cvote.it/2geEMeQ
CV BLOG // “Don’t let anti-Christian bigots call you ‘un-Christian’ because of Trump.” http://cvote.it/2geEnsE
ON THIS DAY // 1823 – The Monroe Doctrine is declared, which forbade European interference in the American hemisphere but also asserted U.S. neutrality in regard to future European conflicts. http://cvote.it/2gsoRMN
SAINT // Saint Bibiana – http:/cvote.it/DailySaint
DAILY READINGS // Today’s readings – http://cvote.it/Daily-Readings
AMAZING // Acclaimed atheist poet tells of her conversion to Catholicism: ‘My tears just stopped.’ http://cvote.it/2gnsHHd