With billions of dollars in cuts, the U.S. bishops’ international humanitarian aid agency says the House of Representatives State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025, could have “dire consequences” for people in need worldwide.
National News
Oklahoma Schools Required to Teach Bible, Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments are getting a lot of attention these days. A week after Louisiana passed a law requiring public school classrooms in the state to display the Ten Commandments, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public schools announced in a memo that all state schools are required to incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments in their curriculums for grades 5 through 12.
Court Rules in Favor of Oregon City in Case with Major Impact on Homelessness Policy
The Supreme Court June 28 rejected a constitutional challenge to an ordinance adopted by Grants Pass, Oregon, prohibiting public camping within city limits that critics said unfairly punished people who are experiencing homelessness.
6 Things to Expect at the National Eucharistic Congress
With less than a month to go, more than 40,000 Catholics have registered for the National Eucharistic Congress, the pinnacle of the U.S. bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival. Organizers expect the July 17-21 congress, held in Indianapolis, to be a watershed moment, igniting American Catholics’ belief in and devotion to Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. Here are six things to expect.
Biden and Trump Address Abortion, Immigration in First Election Debate
The first presidential debate on June 27 in Atlanta between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump turned to the topic of abortion about 15 minutes into the hour and a half discussion.
Supreme Court Sides with Biden Administration in Social Media Case
The Supreme Court June 26 ruled in favor of the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over the government’s effort to restrict misinformation on social media on topics including COVID-19.
Lawsuit Challenges Louisiana Law Requiring Classrooms to Display Ten Commandments
Less than a week after the Louisiana governor signed a bill into law requiring all public school classrooms in the state to display the Ten Commandments, civil liberties groups representing parents of Louisiana schoolchildren from different religious backgrounds filed a lawsuit against it, calling it unconstitutional.
Supreme Court Ruling Allows Emergency Abortions in Idaho for Now
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 27 formally dismissed an appeal over Idaho’s strict abortion ban to allow emergency room doctors in the state to perform abortions.
What to Expect at the National Eucharistic Congress in July
The United States’ first event of its kind in more than half a century, the National Eucharistic Congress is expected to draw more than 40,000 Catholics July 17-21 for five days of prayer, speakers, liturgies and worship, all entered on Jesus in the Eucharist.
Surgeon General Calls Gun Violence a Public Health Emergency
The U.S. surgeon general June 25 issued an advisory declaring gun violence a public health emergency, citing “the urgent threat firearm violence poses to the health and well-being of our country.”