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| MONDAY, DECEMBER 17 |
| OBAMACARE HALTED A federal district judge in Texas has ruled that the entire Obamacare law should be thrown out, putting the healthcare law’s status in jeopardy. The judge ruled that the penalty on the uninsured was central to making Obamacare work, but last year’s tax law reduced the penalty to $0. Without the penalty, the law becomes unworkable and should be thrown out, said state officials who brought the suit. Obamacare remains in place while waiting appeal in the Fifth Circuit Court. READ |
| MIGRANT GIRL DIES When 7-year-old Jakelin Maquin died soon after crossing the U.S. border, thousands of people on social media attacked the Trump administration and border patrol agents. But the father of the Guatemalan girl has “no complaints” about her treatment. The young girl had already stopped breathing when her bus arrived at the Border Patrol station in Lordsburg, New Mexico. (We at the Loop have often been critical of CNN reporting, but this story is actually very fair.) READ |
| MULVANEY AS CHIEF OF STAFF President Trump named Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, as his Acting Chief of Staff. Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, said that Mulvaney “will let Trump be Trump” and not try to rein in the president like former Gen. John F. Kelly. Mulvaney was endorsed by CatholicVote when he first ran for Congress in 2010, when he scored an upset victory over Budget Chairman John Spratt. READ |
| ZINKE OUT AT INTERIOR Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is leaving his post by the end of year. Zinke was likely to face numerous probes by Democrats once they take control of the House on January 3. Before being named to Interior, Zinke was considered the best candidate to challenge Sen. Jon Tester, D-MT, in 2018. Tester starts his third term next month. A replacement for Zinke at Interior is expected this week. READ |
| WEEKLY STANDARD After 23 years, The Weekly Standard closed Friday. Known as a neoconservative publication, the Standard was a big booster of the War in Iraq. More recently, publisher Bill Kristol became the most vocal opponent Never Trump voice in the Republican Party. Clarity Media said the decision to shutter the magazine was due to double-digit declines in its subscriber base all but one year since 2013. READ |
| NET NEUTRALITY A year ago net neutrality was abolished. At the time, Sen. Bernie Sanders called it “an egregious attack on our democracy.” But the internet remains as strong as ever, and speeds are 36% faster across the county. READ |
| ACTRESS PLAYS PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST “I’ve always considered myself pro-life but certainly not an activist. I had no idea who Abby Johnson was when I first auditioned to play her in the biopic ‘Unplanned.’ I was given just six pages. Six pages that ignited my curiosity,” said actress Ashley Bratcher. READ |
| CARDINAL PELL’S SECRET TRIAL An Australian court has issued a gag order on the trial of Cardinal Pell. Those who speak publicly about the accusation against Pell or his defense could be subject to contempt of court charges. The Catholic News Agency spoke with several sources familiar with the case on the condition of anonymity. One familiar with the evidence told CNA: “They have convicted an innocent man.” READ |
| POPE TURNS 82 Today is Pope Francis’ birthday. To help him celebrate, children at a Vatican charity gave the pope a birthday cake a day early. READ |
| A SPECIAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL A Catholic school in Louisville integrates students with special needs into each of their classrooms. “A classical education is, I think, the best education for a child with special needs because it is an education in everything that is beautiful, true, and good. It is perfect for these children,” said Penny Michalak, co-founder of the Immaculata Classical Academy. READ |
| SAINT OF THE DAY Saint Hildegard of Bingen was a remarkable woman who fulfilled many roles in her lifetime. A Benedictine nun, she became a rather well-known mystic whom Pope Eugene III encouraged to write. She ruffled feathers when she moved her monastery to Bingen, and confronted civil as well as ecclesiastical officials. Hildegard was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI. READ |
| DAILY READINGS “Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.” (Is 12:6) READ |
| MUSIC Why traditional hymns are simply better than modern ones. SHARE |