STICKER SHOCK Wow. Premiums for the most popular Obamacare plans will spike an average of 34% in 2018. Maybe Americans should send a copy of their bill to Senator John McCain? http://cvote.it/2lj0CEY
COURT VICTORY #1 A federal judge rejected a request from Democratic attorneys generals from 18 states and DC to force the Trump administration to restart Obamacare subsidies that he shut off this month. http://cvote.it/2lfZMIZ
COURT VICTORY #2 A Missouri judge ruled that the state’s 72-hour waiting period is constitutional. http://cvote.it/2lgJvnj
CHILD TAX CREDIT Ivanka Trump continued her push for expanding the Child Tax Credit with a visit to Capitol Hill. “Today in the vast majority of American homes all parents work. Our tax code has to recognize and support this reality and support our dual values of work and a family. http://cvote.it/2lhwxFC
RUSSIA Any way you cut it, the Clinton campaign lied about the infamous Trump-Russia dossier. http://cvote.it/2lhmv7w
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Governments have attempted to compel dissenters to publicly affirm and acquiesce in the dominant orthodoxy. The lawsuits forcing bakers and photographers to participate in same-sex “marriages” only prove that. http://cvote.it/2leFwYa
CRUCIAL BUDGET VOTE A close vote is expected today in the House after blue state republicans vowed opposition in an effort to protect a popular tax break in their high-tax states.. But House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was confident. “We’re going to get it done.” http://cvote.it/2lgZqSA
DIGITAL DANGERS Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila addresses teen social media use and the rise in suicides: “Bullying has always existed, and it always attacks the basic dignity of another human being through demeaning the person. But when we crossed the threshold in 2012 of more than 50 percent of Americans owning a smartphone, bullies gained access to their peers on a scale never seen before.” http://cvote.it/2ll2TQ7
CATHOLICS & SPORTS Here are 10 Commandments for sports parents. http://cvote.it/2lhbnY9
IRELAND Following Poland’s lead, Ireland’s Catholic plan massive border rosary against abortion. http://cvote.it/2lkZPDB
SAINT OF THE DAY Saint Peter of Alcantara – http://cvote.it/dailysaint
DAILY MASS READINGS “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” (Ps 40:5) – http://cvote.it/Daily-Readings
LITURGY Bishop Conley started celebrating Sunday Mass ad orientem (facing the east) during Advent in 2014. Since then, the practice has started to catch on in Nebraska. http://cvote.it/2litYmD