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| THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 |
| STOCKS SLIDE The stock market’s October sell-off has now erased all of Dow Jones and S&P gains from 2018. Nasdaq fell 4.4% for its biggest single-day slide since August 2011. READ |
| BOMB SCARE Potentially explosive devices were sent to several critics of President Trump. None of the devices detonated and no one was injured. The devices were sent to Hillary Clinton, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former President Barack Obama, former CIA Director John Brennan, and left-wing billionaire George Soros. The FBI is investigating the devices. READ |
| CALL FOR UNITY REBUKED President Trump called for unity after packages containing potentially explosive devices were mailed to several Democrat lawmakers. “I want to say at these times we have to unify and send one very clear and strong message that acts of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America,” said Trump. But Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, rebuked Trump. “President Trump’s words ring hollow until he reverses his statements that condone acts of violence,” the Democratic leaders said in a joint statement. READ |
| OIL IN THE ARCTIC The Trump administration has approved what could be the first-ever oil and gas production facility in U.S.-controlled Arctic waters. The proposal involves the creation of a 9-acre gravel island off the northern coast of Alaska in the Beaufort Sea. READ |
| WEST VIRGINIA COMPETITIVE? An internal GOP poll suggests that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, might not be a lock for reelection after all. The poll shows Manchin at 44%, with GOP challenger Patrick Morrisey at 42%, with 12% undecided, and a Libertarian candidate at 3%. President Trump won West Virginia by 42 points in 2016 — his largest margin of victory. READ |
| MISSOURI DEMOCRAT’S ‘CRAZY’ AD Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-MO, is one of the most vulnerable Democrats up for reelection. Her latest ad says she’s “not one of those crazy Democrats.” Black leaders in Ferguson said that the ad was likely calling black voters “crazy.” READ |
| SANCTUARY CITIES A federal court ruled that the Trump administration could not cut funding to sanctuary cities for not complying with federal immigration laws. READ |
| OPIOID CRISIS President Trump signed a bipartisan bill to tackle the opioid crisis. Trump said at the bill signing: “We are going to end the scourge of drug addiction in America. We are going to end it, or we are going to at least make an extremely big dent in this terrible, terrible problem.” READ |
| YOUTH SYNOD Edward Pentin reports that controversial topics like homosexuality may be “subtly introduced in the final document by means of different language.” READ |
| POLITICIAN PRAISES CHURCH UN Ambassador Nikki Haley praises “everyday miracles” of Church despite abuse crisis. “I’ve been to refugee camps in Central Africa where young boys are kidnapped and forced to become child soldiers and young girls are raped as a matter of routine. Who was in the forefront of changing this culture of corruption and violence? The Catholic Church,” said Haley. READ |
| MEMPHIS BISHOP OUT The Vatican announced that Pope Francis “has relieved” Bishop Martin Holley of his duties as Bishop of Memphis. A Vatican spokesman said the decision had been taken over “an issue of management and had nothing to do with sexual abuse.” READ |
| VIRGINIA TO INVESTIGATE CHURCH Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced an investigation of clergy sex abuse. The news came one day after the Attorney General of Washington DC announced a civil investigation into whether the Archdiocese of Washington violated the law by covering up sexual abuse of minors. READ |
| BISHOP: STOP PLEASING THE MEDIA Bishop Andrew Fuanya of Cameroon: “I am scared of one thing, especially with regard to the Church in the West … they want to take some very fluid positions so that they can be applauded by media.” READ |
| SAINT OF THE DAY Born in Guarantingueta near São Paulo, Antônio attended the Jesuit seminary in Belem but later decided to become a Franciscan friar. Invested in 1760, he made final profession the following year and was ordained in 1762. READ |
| DAILY READINGS “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” (Ps 33:5) READ |
| TRUTH |