‘PREGNANCY IS DANGEROUS!’ Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, pro-abortion activists have preyed on the heartstrings of Americans claiming: “Pregnancies are actually more dangerous than abortions.” Is this true? Are the risks of pregnancy really greater than the risks of abortion? CatholicVote dug into a few stats to find out.

 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1   WSJ: SCHOOL CHOICE CAUSES SPIKE IN ENROLLMENT  According to the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, a handful of states have seen a significant increase in the use of education vouchers or education savings accounts (ESAs) in the past year. “Many states have recently created or expanded school-choice programs, but are parents taking up the opportunity?” the Journal wrote Sunday. “It’s early days, but data from several states should encourage lawmakers that robust offerings are in demand.”  READ       WITNESS TESTIFIES BIDEN JOINED HUNTER CALLS  During testimony before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Monday in a closed-door meeting, Devon Archer reportedly said Hunter Biden would sometimes put his father on speakerphone during meetings with business partners. Archer, a former associate of the younger Biden’s, said the first son would put then-Vice President Biden on calls to sell “the brand.”  READ       ANTI-WOKE GROUP OFFERS JOBS TO FIRED BUD-LIGHT WORKERS  A recently-launched business platform is rapidly becoming popular for its pro-life, pro-family values. Now it’s gaining attention for reaching out to help 350 former Bud Light employees who were laid off last week. PublicSq., a “marketplace” for “values-aligned businesses,” connects shoppers with local and national companies that don’t support “woke” values.  READ       MUSK SLAMS BIDEN-BACKED ESG AS ‘COMMUNISM’  Elon Musk slammed environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) as a form of “communism” during an interview late last week. “We don’t basically do some sort of like bizarre, like communism rebranded thing, which is like a lot of what ESG is and to be inflicted upon corporate America without the knowledge of the actual shareholders, which is what’s going on!” Musk said.  READ       STUDY: YOUNG BOYS TRENDING CONSERVATIVE  What is in America’s political future? One way to find out is to look at American youth and their political ideas. And according to a 2022 survey, 12th-grade boys are beginning to lean more conservative, while girls are becoming more liberal. Read the details here!  READ       CREEPY OR HOPEFUL? APP SPARKS ‘BABY FEVER’  A new AI app is sweeping the app store, sparking “baby fever” in a generation known for low parenthood and marriage rates. “Remini” can generate ready-made images of a potential future self, including a self with a spouse and children. It’s intriguing to young adults who had not previously considered having kids, but are now able to “see” themselves in these roles vividly.  READ       JULY HEROES AND ZEROES  Things got hot in July on the Hill – and some Catholic leaders really brought home the bacon, while others wilted like kale in the heat. Who are your picks for the month’s heroes and zeroes?  READ       INTERVIEW  What would you do if David Koresh called in to your radio station? Today Tom talks with Charlie Seraphin, a veteran radio host and executive, about journalism in the internet age, brokering a cease-fire with the Branch Davidians, and a surprise invite to meet Ronald Reagan.  LISTEN         ‘PREGNANCY IS DANGEROUS!’  Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, pro-abortion activists have preyed on the heartstrings of Americans claiming: “Pregnancies are actually more dangerous than abortions.” Is this true? Are the risks of pregnancy really greater than the risks of abortion? CatholicVote dug into a few stats to find out.  READ       WHEN EVERYONE'S SUPER…  Are you sick of the modern phenomenon known as "the influencer?" Are you concerned about the effect "perfection" is having on young people (and perhaps yourself)? Read here to discover more about the death of mastery and the evil of being "influential."  READ       SAINTS OF AUGUST  August is a banner month for feast days in the Catholic Church! Check out this list of saint days to look out for this month – along with a few ideas about how to celebrate them with a dish, a T-shirt, or a coffee mug in their honor!  READ       CATHOLIC 101  Every Catholic knows—at least partially—how to use holy water: we dip our fingers in the font and bless ourselves as we enter the church. Ideally, we are supposed to recall our baptism and our baptismal promises, including our renunciation of Satan. We Catholics often forget the power of this sacramental, and take holy water for granted most of the time. But we shouldn’t let ourselves remain numb to holy water’s efficacy.  READ       SAINT OF THE DAY  St. Alphonsus Liguori became a lawyer at the young age of 19. He practiced civil law for eight years without losing a case. He eventually resigned from the profession of law and entered seminary. He earned a reputation as a gifted preacher and confessor, although he personally suffered from scrupulosity for much of his adult life.  READ       DAILY PSALM  “The Lord is kind and merciful.” (Psalm 103:8)  READ       DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ     FAITH  The statue of St. Rita of Cascia towers 183 feet, which is 65 feet taller than the famous Christ the Redeemer statue that sits atop Rio de Janeiro. But there are plans in Brazil to construct a statue of St. Michael the Archangel that would reach 187 feet – which would make it the largest Christian statue in the world.  SHARE        Credit: Macílio Gomes / Wikipedia       The LOOP is a publication of the CatholicVote Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization. The LOOP is organized, funded, and published by faithful Catholic laity. We do not claim to speak for any individual bishop or the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.   CATHOLICVOTE  |  PO Box 3310  |  Carmel, IN 46082  |  (317) 669-6127