Soros-backed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is not particularly fond of arresting and prosecuting actual criminals, but he’s a real tough guy when it comes to ICE agents enforcing American immigration laws.
The post DOJ Official Fires Back at Soros-Backed Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner for Threatening to Arrest ICE Agents appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Trump’s EPA chief Lee Zeldin and transportation secretary Sean Duffy were visiting a Ford plant in Ohio this week.
The post Lee Zeldin Has to Slowly Explain to a Reporter Why American Auto Workers Benefit From Lower Auto Prices (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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CNN’s Scott Jennings, the lone conservative voice on the network, recently ripped his fellow panelists for trying to cover for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
The post CNN’s Scott Jennings Calls Out Fellow Panelists for Trying to Run Cover for Tim Walz (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreO Christ Jesus, I am sinful dust and ashes,
but Thou callest to Thee all who labour and are burdened,
that Thou mayest refresh them.
Art not Thou my refuge?
To whom else shall I go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life,
Thou alone canst comfort me in every trouble.
Lord, I am weak and sick,
but Thou art my salvation.
Those who are well need not a physician,
but those who are sick.
Therefore I come to Thee,
my physical and my refuge,
hoping that this …
Jan 16, 2026 / 18:29 pm (CNA).
U.S. bishops and Catholic pro-life organizations will be watching to see if President Donald Trump’s health care plan includes pro-life language.
Trump has faced criticism over the past week from pro-life activists after he urged Republican lawmakers to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment when negotiating extensions for health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act.
Trump’s health plan, outlined in a four-point memo, will be negotiated with Congress over whether to include the strongest possible pro-life protections and prevent federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. The Hyde Amendment, long included in federal spending bills, prevents tax dollars from being used on elective abortions.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has urged Congress to uphold the Hyde Amendment amid the negotiations, saying: “Authentic health care upholds the dignity of all human life, and health care policy must not violate this dignity.”
The White House published a one-page memo that details some of the president’s priorities for the health care plan, although details have yet to be released. There was no mention of the Hyde Amendment in the 827-word memo.
According to the White House, the plan focuses on four issues: lowering drug prices, lowering insurance premiums, holding big insurance companies accountable, and maximizing price transparency.
“You’re going to get a better deal and better care,” Trump said in a video message. He urged the Republican-controlled Congress to take swift action to draft and pass legislation to achieve these goals.
To lower drug prices, the memo states Congress should allow more medicine to be sold over the counter and codify the administration’s recent deals with drug companies that require them to sell medicine in the United States at rates that are comparable to other developed countries.
According to the memo, the plan would lower health care premiums by providing health care subsidies directly to Americans rather than to insurance companies and support a cost-sharing reduction program to lower the most common Affordable Care Act premiums by more than 10%.
The plan would seek to hold insurance companies accountable by forcing insurance companies to publish rate and coverage comparisons in “plain English” that is easier to comprehend and by requiring them to publish the percentage of their revenues that are paid out in claims compared with overhead costs and advertise the percentage of insurance claims they reject.
According to the White House, the plan would improve transparency by requiring that insurance companies prominently display their pricing and fees to prevent surprise medical bills.
“Instead of putting the needs of big corporations and special interests first, our plan finally puts you first and puts more money in your pocket,” Trump said. “The government is going to pay the money directly to you. It goes to you, and then you take the money and buy your own health care.”
At least one Catholic health group has welcomed some of the priorities included in the plan. The Catholic Health Association of the United States generally aligns with Church teaching but has faced criticism for its stances on issues such as abortion.
Sister Mary Haddad, RSM, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, which represents numerous Catholic hospitals, said in a statement that the organization welcomes the initiative.
“We welcome the administration’s engagement in the vital work of expanding access to quality, affordable health care,” she said. “Ensuring that individuals and families can obtain the care they need is central to the mission of Catholic health care.”
Haddad asked Congress and the administration to advance a bipartisan deal on the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which narrowly passed in the House with broad support from Democrats and only a little support from Republicans. A key point of contention was the Hyde Amendment, which was not included in the House-passed version and could complicate the Senate negotiations.
“Renewing them would immediately ease financial pressures on households while helping ensure people maintain their health coverage,” Haddad said. “We will continue to work with the administration and with Congress to strengthen health care access for communities across the country.”
Read MoreSoumya Banerjee from Kolkata, India Orion the Hunter rises in the winter sky in this nightscape taken from Singalila National Park in India. The photographer used an astromodifed Canon 700D that captures the glowing hydrogen of the Orion molecular cloud complex (including Barnard’s Loop and M42), taking 22 one-minute sky frames at f/2.8 and ISO 800.
The post Hunting season appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of Samuel
9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1
There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.
When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
“This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”
Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
“Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish.”
Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head;
he also kissed him, saying:
“The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.
“This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.”
From the Gospel according to Mark
2:13-17
Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Like Matthew the tax collector, each of us trusts in the grace of the Lord regardless of our sins. We are all sinners, we have all sinned. By calling Matthew, Jesus shows sinners that he does not look at their past, at their social status, at external conventions, but rather, he opens a new future to them. I once heard a beautiful saying: “There is no saint without a past nor a sinner without a future”. This is what Jesus does. There is no saint without a past nor a sinner without a future. It is enough to respond to the call with a humble and sincere heart. The Church is not a community of perfect people, but of disciples on a journey, who follow the Lord because they know they are sinners and in need of his pardon. Thus, Christian life is a school of humility which opens us to grace. Such behaviour is not understood by those who have the arrogance to believe they are “just” and to believe they are better than others. Hubris and pride do not allow one to recognize him- or herself as in need of salvation, but rather prevent one from seeing the merciful face of God and from acting with mercy. (…) We all need to be nourished by the mercy of God, for it is from this source that our salvation flows. (Pope Francis – General Audience, 13 April 2016)
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![NYPD increasing presence at churches after incidents at Staten Island Catholic parishes - #Catholic -
Staten Island, New York | Credit: John McAdorey/Shutterstock
Jan 16, 2026 / 17:40 pm (CNA).
The New York Police Department (NYPD) says it will increase officer presence at local churches after several crimes committed at Catholic parishes on Staten Island.Several Catholic churches on Staten Island have been vandalized or attacked in recent weeks, including a robbery and a violent incident during a morning Mass in which two police officers were injured. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton called for increased police presence at churches in the area after the incidents. At a Jan. 15 press conference, local leaders including NYPD Staten Island Borough Commander Melissa Eger said police presence would be heightened at churches across the borough. Eger said at the press conference that none of the incidents indicated that the Catholic churches had been targeted due to religion, describing the crimes as “acts ... of opportunism and theft" as well as one incident involving a mentally ill person. “That said, any incident, especially a disruption of service that occurs at any house of worship, generates serious concern from our community and we know that,” the commander said. Scarcella-Spanton said at the press event that “nobody should feel unsafe where they are praying.”Addressing the Catholic community, she said: “I just want you to know that we stand with you.”“We’re going to be making sure that this issue is highlighted, because I think it’s important to bring light to the fact that this has happened now four times,” the state senator said. Also at the press conference was Father Jacob Thumma, the pastor of both St. Ann’s Church and St. Sylvester’s Church, both of which were the site of recent criminal incidents. Referring to the incident at St. Ann’s on Jan. 9 where a man violently disrupted morning Mass and injured two responding officers, Thumma said the altercation “highlights an urgent societal concern — the need for enhanced services and compassionate care for those suffering from mental illness.““We must continue to invest in mental health resources that support families [and] provide timely interventions before crises occur,” the priest said. He further called on the public “to join us in prayer for the individual involved in this incident, that he may receive the healing he needs, [as well as for] for the injured police officers and their families.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/nypd-increasing-presence-at-churches-after-incidents-at-staten-island-catholic-parishes-catholic-staten-island-new-york-credit-john-mcadorey-shutterstockjan-16-2026-1740-pm-cna-t.jpg)
Jan 16, 2026 / 17:40 pm (CNA).
The New York Police Department (NYPD) says it will increase officer presence at local churches after several crimes committed at Catholic parishes on Staten Island.
Several Catholic churches on Staten Island have been vandalized or attacked in recent weeks, including a robbery and a violent incident during a morning Mass in which two police officers were injured.
State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton called for increased police presence at churches in the area after the incidents. At a Jan. 15 press conference, local leaders including NYPD Staten Island Borough Commander Melissa Eger said police presence would be heightened at churches across the borough.
Eger said at the press conference that none of the incidents indicated that the Catholic churches had been targeted due to religion, describing the crimes as “acts … of opportunism and theft" as well as one incident involving a mentally ill person.
“That said, any incident, especially a disruption of service that occurs at any house of worship, generates serious concern from our community and we know that,” the commander said.
Scarcella-Spanton said at the press event that “nobody should feel unsafe where they are praying.”
Addressing the Catholic community, she said: “I just want you to know that we stand with you.”
“We’re going to be making sure that this issue is highlighted, because I think it’s important to bring light to the fact that this has happened now four times,” the state senator said.
Also at the press conference was Father Jacob Thumma, the pastor of both St. Ann’s Church and St. Sylvester’s Church, both of which were the site of recent criminal incidents.
Referring to the incident at St. Ann’s on Jan. 9 where a man violently disrupted morning Mass and injured two responding officers, Thumma said the altercation “highlights an urgent societal concern — the need for enhanced services and compassionate care for those suffering from mental illness.“
“We must continue to invest in mental health resources that support families [and] provide timely interventions before crises occur,” the priest said.
He further called on the public “to join us in prayer for the individual involved in this incident, that he may receive the healing he needs, [as well as for] for the injured police officers and their families.”
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Jan 16, 2026 / 17:10 pm (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:
Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a 28-year-old Dutch lawyer, activist, and Catholic convert, announced on X that her Electronic Travel Authorization was revoked as of Jan. 13 and she may not enter the U.K. The U.K. government said her “presence in the U.K. is not conducive to the public good” and that she may not appeal it. The notice came just days after she accused Britian’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer of allowing “the ongoing rape and killing of British girls by migrant rape gangs” and criticized Starmer for threatening to block X in the name of “safety.”
Vlaardingerbroek was received into the Catholic Church, along with her father, in April 2023 in London by Father Benedict Kiely, a priest in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.
The Archdiocese of Sydney has waded into the debate surrounding an inquiry by the New South Wales government into a law banning phrases such as “globalize the intifada” in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attack in December 2025.
The archdiocese pushed back against the prospect of hate speech laws, according to a Catholic Weekly report on Tuesday, writing in a submission regarding the inquiry: “Our first response to bad speech should be better speech … Engaging in respectful civil discourse should be possible without the threat of arrest and prosecution.”
The submission continued: “The better way to protect against hateful rhetoric is to educate people in civil discourse and positive human behavior.”
Lebanon’s Maronite League has issued a sharp warning over what it describes as an organized effort to purchase land in several key districts, including Baabda, Jezzine, Zahle, and the coastal Chouf, according to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News.
In a statement from Beirut, the league stressed that land in Lebanon is not merely a commercial asset but a core element of historical and cultural identity, particularly for the country’s Christian presence. The council cautioned that unregulated or distress-driven land sales could undermine Lebanon’s delicate demographic balance and erode long-standing communal roots. It called for clear legal safeguards to prevent indiscriminate transactions.
The league urged Christian youth to engage with state institutions despite long-standing governance challenges, reaffirmed its support for President Joseph Aoun, and reiterated its position that all weapons must remain exclusively in the hands of the state to preserve sovereignty and stability.
Against the backdrop of escalating instability across the Middle East, Bishop Jean-Marie Chami, Melkite Catholic patriarchal vicar for Egypt, Sudan, and South Sudan, has issued a spiritual appeal for peace. Addressing both believers and people of goodwill, he called for fasting, prayer, and extended periods of Eucharistic adoration, ACI MENA reported.
Acknowledging widespread feelings of helplessness in the face of violence and uncertainty, the bishop emphasized that faith remains a powerful response when human solutions falter. He encouraged a 40-day spiritual commitment as a preparation for Lent, offered specifically for unity among peoples and healing for a wounded humanity.
Christian educational institutions in Jerusalem have suspended classes in an unprecedented move highlighting mounting pressure on faith-based schooling in the city, ACI MENA reported.
Fourteen schools affiliated with the Christian Educational Institutions Secretariat, along with several independent schools, halted operations after Israeli authorities restricted teacher access permits. School leaders warn that the measures threaten their ability to continue a centuries-old educational mission that has served students of all backgrounds. According to the schools, more than 170 teachers and staff have been affected, preventing the start of the second academic term. Church officials stress that these schools are not only academic centers but also vital pillars of Jerusalem’s cultural and social fabric, and caution that continued restrictions risk undermining the city’s pluralistic character.
The Eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie, the youngest ecclesiastical jurisdiction within the Ethiopian Catholic Church, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.
Despite ongoing instability in the region, Eparch Lisane-Christos described the milestone, which comes along with the construction of the eparchy’s first cathedral, as “a sign of a new era of grace,” according to a report from Fides News Agency. “While the foundation stone will be laid during the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie, the construction of the cathedral is a long-term project that will require ongoing support after the festivities end,” he said.
The Egyptian minister of labor is facing backlash after announcing his decision to grant five paid holidays to Orthodox Christians in Egypt but only three to Catholics and Protestants in the country.
“The Catholic Church in Egypt follows with great concern the recent government decision regarding holidays for Christian citizens,” said Bishop Ibrahim Ishaq, patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church, according to a Manassa News report.
The bishop further emphasized his “deep regret at the lack of full equality among Christian denominations, especially regarding the celebrations of the Catholic Church’s children.” The bishop noted he is in talks with the Egyptian government to change the policy to include Catholics and Protestants.
The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is providing hope for people affected by Cyclone Ditwah and flooding that swept through the country late last year, Fides News Agency reported.
“The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is making a significant contribution to rekindling hope,” said Father Basil Rohan Fernando, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Colombo, in the report.
“The Catholic community in Sri Lanka has become involved and is committed to a single goal: to instill new hope,” he continued. “We have assumed a special responsibility; namely, to keep hope alive. This is being done by supporting many people with material, financial, but also spiritual, psychological, and social assistance, as was the case during the Christmas season and continues to be the case today.”
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Jan 16, 2026 / 16:40 pm (CNA).
Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to speak at the 2026 March for Life Rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23.
Vance, who is the nation’s second Catholic vice president, will join Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, among other speakers at the 53rd annual pro-life event, organizers said.
“Vice President Vance is grateful to the tens of thousands of Americans who travel to the National Mall each year to speak out in support of life and looks forward to joining them for the second consecutive year,” a spokesperson for the vice president told EWTN News.
Vance will be attending and speaking at the event for the second time as vice president. He spoke at the March for Life in 2025 where he delivered his first public remarks in the leadership position.
Addressing the crowd at the 2025 march, Vance said becoming a father helped to solidify his convictions that “an unborn life is worthy of protection.”
“You remind us that the March for Life is not a single event that takes place on a frigid January day,” he said to the crowd. “The March for Life is the work of the pro-life movement every day from this point forward,” he said.
“We will be back next year,” he said.
While President Donald Trump will not be attending the 2026 March for Life in person, he told EWTN News’ White House correspondent Owen Jensen on Jan. 16 he will address the crowd through a “beautiful” prerecorded message.
“And they’re going to play it,” he said. “And those are great people. I want to tell you they’re great people,” Trump said about attendees.
While the president will deliver the virtual message, the Trump administration is receiving backlash from pro-life activists following his claim that Republicans need to be “ flexible” with the Hyde Amendment and the reinstatement of funds to Planned Parenthood.
When asked about the Hyde Amendment, Trump said “you’re going to hear about it” in the message.
Vance is set to deliver his remarks at the pre-march rally at 11 a.m. on Jan. 23. The March for Life is scheduled to begin after the rally.
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Come to see historic small towns, scenic hiking trails, and the “Grand Canyon of New Mexico.”
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Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, January 9Cygnus may be sinking toward the horizon a few hours after sunset, but there’s still a bit of time to glimpse some of this constellation’s many treasures. Today let’s try for M39, a loose open cluster in the northeastern reaches of theContinue reading “The Sky This Week from January 16 to 23: Caroline’s Rose blooms”
The post The Sky This Week from January 16 to 23: Caroline’s Rose blooms appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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