Vice President Mike Pence singled out leaders in Venezuela and Nicaragua for their persecution of Catholic clergy during the closing day of a high stakes summit on religious freedom at the U.S. State Department on July 18.
National News
Moon Landing Inspired a Country and a Career in Aerospace Engineering
Retired Maj. Gen. Mike Wiedemer was an aerospace engineering and ROTC student at the University of Notre Dame in July 1969 when Apollo 11 launched and Neil Armstrong took a “giant leap for mankind” by becoming the first man to walk on the moon.
Puerto Ricans Demand Governor Step Down Following ‘Misconduct’
With their fists raised, their flags waving and through chants of “Ricky Renuncia” or “Ricky Resign,” Puerto Ricans took to Union Square Park to speak out against the island’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló on July 18.
Top Vatican Diplomat Calls Relationship With US ‘Strong and Solid’
Vatican foreign secretary Archbishop Paul Gallagher hailed the relationship between the United States and the Holy See as “strong and solid” on July 17 during a visit to the nation’s capital.
Broken Dreams and Items Left Behind at Border
Tom Kiefer, a photographer who lives in Arizona, is documenting the journey of migrants at the southern border, examining the lives and religious beliefs of those trying to enter the United States.
Census Won’t Ask Citizenship Question
In a July 11 announcement from the Rose Garden, President Donald Trump said he was ending his efforts to add a citizenship question to the census and would instead direct federal agencies by executive order to provide data about the country’s citizens and noncitizens to the U.S. Commerce Department.
Zuckerberg Confirms Facebook Blocked Pro-Life Ads
Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has come under fire after he publicly confirmed that the social media behemoth banned pro-life advertisements during Ireland’s abortion referendum in 2018 — a vote that led to the legalization of abortion in the traditionally Catholic country.
United States to Co-Host Vatican Summit on Religious Freedom
U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Callista Gingrich announced on July 17 that the United States and the Vatican will co-host a summit on religious freedom in October of 2019.
Appeals Court Says Title X Rule Can Take Effect While Suits Proceed
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced July 15 it would begin implementing the Trump administration’s “Protect Life Rule” to bar Title X funds from being used for promoting or providing abortion as family planning.
Clinics With Title X Funding Cannot Recommend Abortion to Mothers Under ‘Protect Life Rule’
On July 15 the Department of Health and Human Services notified family planning clinics that effective immediately per the Trump administration’s Protect Life Rule, they cannot refer mothers to abortion providers if they are recipients of Title X funding, which federally subsidizes abortion services.