FRIDAY, APRIL 5

FIRING FEDERAL WORKERS BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT The Biden administration announced Thursday that it finalized a new rule, seeking to protect the federal bureaucracy. The Daily Caller noted that “[u]nder the new rule an administration wishing to shift federal employees to a new category making them easier to fire would have to go through an elongated process, a move meant to be more time-consuming for a future president.” The announcement comes as former President Donald Trump leads Biden in the polls. READ

CATHOLICVOTE ASKS SCOTUS TO HEAR RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS CASE CatholicVote.org Education Fund (CVEF) filed an amicus curiae brief in support of broadcasters who hold that the federal government body is discriminating against them due to their religious views. In its brief, CVEF outlined that the “religious webcasters were treated worse than comparable NPR stations and were excluded from the benefits that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (“CPB”) provides to secular webcasters.” READ

MICHIGAN BISHOPS: SURROGACY LAW HARMFUL TO WOMEN The Michigan Catholic Conference, which includes all seven of Michigan’s Catholic bishops, has decried a new state law that legitimized surrogacy as dismissing the value of motherhood and opening the door to exploitation and human trafficking. The new law legalized and regulated surrogacy in the state and was signed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on April 1. READ

THE FIGHT FOR THE JUDICIARY President Biden is on track to match or perhaps surpass President Trump in appointing judges to the lower federal courts. Biden recently announced his 47th round of judicial nominees, bringing his total number of nominations to 229. According to the Daily Signal, that is just 10 fewer nominees than Donald Trump had at this point in his presidency in spring 2020. READ

‘HOW COULD THIS BE?’: JIMMY KIMMEL REACTS TO BIDEN TRAILING TRUMP IN POLLS On Wednesday night’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Kimmel reacted to a recent Wall Street Journal poll showing former President Trump ahead of President Biden in six key swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. “How could this be?” the late-night host asked. READ

CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVOR FACES JAIL TIME FOR ‘BLOCKADE’ OF ABORTION FACILITY Eva Edl, 89, an elderly concentration camp survivor, faces 11 years in prison for obstructing the entrance to an abortion facility in Tennessee in 2021. The Biden Justice Department described her actions as an illegal “blockade.” READ

CATHOLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT SHOWS PROMISE Catholic school enrollment trends across America look promising for the future of Catholic education, according to new data from the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). Though enrollment in Catholic schools nationally has declined 14.2% in ten years, the data showed that enrollment recently became more stable, with no loss of student population between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. The data showed that schools in Florida have done exceptionally well, with enrollment up 9% over the last ten years. READ

PRAYER America is suffering spiritually. Our Lady can help. Join CV staff to pray the rosary live TODAY at 10am ET on YouTube and ask her to intercede for our beloved country. JOIN

HOW TO CAPTURE THE SOLAR ECLIPSE A total solar eclipse will be seen in parts of North America on April 8. Here are some tips on how to photograph a total solar eclipse for amateur photographers. The rare event won’t occur in the United States for another 20 years. READ

MOVIE TO SHOWCASE HEROIC CATHOLIC WOMAN DURING WWII A new movie about a pro-life woman of faith will hit theaters across the U.S. on April 15 and 16. “Irena’s Vow” tells the story of Irena Gut, a Polish Catholic nurse who risked her life to help hide Jews during World War II, according to an April 3 news release. Bishop David Kagan of the Diocese of Bismarck, ND praised the movie saying it “should be seen by every Catholic and anyone of good will.” READ

MEEK AND PURE OF HEART? Many see meekness and purity of heart as personality traits – either you were born with it or you weren’t. But the truth is just the opposite. To be meek and pure of heart is to have won many hard-fought battles over time. Here is a dive into these oft-misunderstood virtues. READ

CATHOLIC 101 Eating meat today – on Easter Friday – will make you holier. Tom Nash explains: “The Easter octave is such an important celebration that the Church directs us not to fast… not even on Friday.” READ

SAINT OF THE DAY St. Vincent Ferrer is honored as the patron saint of builders – and during his life, helped build – and rebuild – the Church by using his God-given gift of preaching the Good News. Compared by some to John the Baptist, the Spanish Dominican friar traveled throughout Europe proclaiming the Word teaching of repentance but also Christ’s endless mercy and forgiveness. READ

DAILY PSALM “The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.” (Psalm 8:2) READ

DAILY READINGS Today's Mass readings READ

BEAUTY Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Mattoon, Illinois, recently underwent a renovation. The beams and the rafters have been restored to their original condition and the whole church got a facelift. SHARE