DeSANTIS CONFRONTS HARRIS IN LETTER;BIDEN ADMIN DEFUNDS HUNTING PROGRAMS;BIDEN CANCELS SPACE COMMAND MOVE TO ALABAMA; MO DEMS DELETE TWEET THREATENING TRUMP SUPPORTERS

 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2   TRUMP INDICTED  Former President Trump was indicted Tuesday on four felony charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court in Washington D.C. for his arraignment on Thursday, August 3. Trump currently leads the Republican field of 2024 presidential candidates.  READ       DeSANTIS CONFRONTS HARRIS IN LETTER  Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-FL, on Monday sent a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris inviting her to have an in-person discussion with him about her controversial claims of racism in Florida’s African American history curriculum. “One would think that the White House would applaud such boldness in teaching the unique and important story of African American History. But you have instead attempted to score cheap political points and label Florida parents ‘extremists,’” DeSantis wrote.  READ       BIDEN ADMIN DEFUNDS HUNTING PROGRAMS  The Biden administration announced the defunding of archery and hunting programs in elementary and secondary schools due to a bill that Republican signees claim was misinterpreted. Schools have already begun canceling the programs, but Rep. Mark Green, R-TN, hopes to save them. “Hunting has been a tradition since the beginning of human history. The Biden admin’s decision to push its elitist values on Tennesseans isn’t going to fly,” Green said.  READ       BIDEN CANCELS SPACE COMMAND MOVE TO ALABAMA  President Joe Biden this week canceled the planned move of U.S. Space Command headquarters to Alabama. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-AL, described the move as “blatant patronage politics.” The news comes in the midst of Tuberville’s monthslong blockade of military promotions over the Biden administration’s policy of taxpayer-funded abortions among military personnel.  READ       MO DEMS DELETE TWEET THREATENING TRUMP SUPPORTERS   The Missouri Democratic Party deleted a tweet calling for a house adorned with Trump campaign merchandise to "burn" down. The state's Democratic Party responded to a Monday tweet by Democrat political influencer Jon Cooper asking Twitter users what they would do if the house covered with Trump campaign flags were their "next-door neighbor."  READ       OHIO TAXPAYERS FUND ‘HOW TO BE A DRAG QUEEN’  An Ohio county is using taxpayer dollars to teach children how to be drag queens and how to “express” their preferred “gender.” Colors+, a “trans'' youth center, offers “drag tutorials” in collaboration with Drag Queen Story Hour Cleveland, another LGBTQ+ organization. “Youth are able to creatively express themselves in a safe, affirming, and age appropriate way,” the website claims.  READ       DISTRIBUTORS: BUD LIGHT WILL NOT RECOVER  Bud Light is beginning to lose hope that sales will recover in the wake of the advertising nightmare involving “transgender influencer” Dylan Mulvaney. “Consumers have made a choice,” an executive at a Texas-based beer distributor told The New York Post. “They have left [Bud Light] and that’s how it’s going to be. I don’t envision a big percentage of them coming back.”  READ       SENATORS PRESS SMITHSONIAN NOMINEES  Senate Republicans are pressing the nominees to lead the Smithsonian Institution about their views on recent controversial policies, programs, and actions at the taxpayer-backed national museums. Sen. Mike Lee, R-UT, led eight other senators in a letter citing recent examples of drag performers, religious discrimination, and racialism at the Smithsonian.  READ       MERCH  Check out CatholicVote's most popular summer item. Get it before it's gone!  CLICK         GERMAN CARDINAL ADMONISHES PRIEST WHO GAVE ‘SAME-SEX BLESSINGS’  A German cardinal was publicly criticized by the powerful Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) on Monday for formally warning a priest over same-sex blessings in the Archdiocese of Cologne. Birgit Mock, a vice president of the ZdK, attacked Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne for admonishing Father Herbert Ullmann. Ullmann had illicitly blessed same-sex couples.  READ       AMERICANS STILL GIVE MOST TO RELIGIOUS CHARITIES  Among Americans who donate to charity, religious charities and nonprofits are the most popular, with about 1 in 5 Americans giving to these groups over the last year, a consumer research firm reported. While some Americans say they never give to charity, many say they can’t donate because they don’t have money.  READ       WHY THE RUSH?  Do you find yourself wondering why you are rushing all the time, even when you don't have to? What is our time for? What is our family’s time for? How does the way we treat time affect us? Read here to discover insights about the family and the Sabbath.  READ       CATHOLIC 101  Did your years-old scapular finally disintegrate? Did you snap a rosary after falling asleep with it clutched in your hand? Did your statue of St. Cecilia receive a second martyrdom via a stray bouncy ball? We all have had our favorite sacramentals fall apart (they are, after all, only signs of the real deal). Read here to discover how to reverently dispose of these holy weapons.  READ       SAINT OF THE DAY  St. Peter Julian Eymard knew he was called to the priesthood from a young age. He developed a deep devotion to the Eucharist. In his adult life, after being a part of multiple religious communities, St. Peter Julian created his own community dedicated to the Eucharist.  READ       DAILY PSALM  “Holy is the Lord our God.” (Psalm 99:9)  READ       DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ     DEVOTION  New York City parish installs first-ever perpetual adoration chapel in Manhattan.  SHARE        Credit: Jeffrey Bruno       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

 

Sound of Freedom star Jim Caviezel delivered this important message to Kevin McCarthy August 1, 2023..Sound of Freedom’s powerful message is taking the country by storm. It’s reached all the way to the halls of Congress.

 

CULTURE

POLITICS

Sound of Freedom star Jim Caviezel delivered this important message to Kevin McCarthy

August 1, 2023

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Sound of Freedom’s powerful message is taking the country by storm.

It’s reached all the way to the halls of Congress.

And Sound of Freedom star Jim Caviezel delivered this important message to Kevin McCarthy.Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is hosting a series of movie nights throughout this session of Congress to boost camaraderie and morale for lawmakers.

McCarthy held a special screening of Sound of Freedom for his latest movie night with members of both parties invited.

The movie is the surprise box office hit of the summer taking in over $100 million and counting.

It’s based on the true story of former Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard who leaves the government to lead an effort to rescue children from sex traffickers in South America.“I think movies are a good thing to bring people together, but also educate the members of Congress,” McCarthy told Fox News. “The Sound of Freedom does exactly that. This is an educational film.”

Every Democrat skipped out on attending the movie after their media allies falsely accused it of being a QAnon conspiracy theory even though it has no connection to the movie’s story.

The movie’s star Jim Caviezel and Tim Ballard were invited to attend the special screening with McCarthy.

The pair were fresh off a screening of the movie for former President Donald Trump at Bedminster golf club.

Trump called for the death penalty for human traffickers after the screening and said he will defend the dignity of human life when he becomes President again. McCarthy sat down with Caviezel and Ballard before the movie for a discussion on human trafficking.

The House Speaker asked Caviezel what message he hoped audiences would take with them after watching the movie.

“When God tells you to do something, you don’t hesitate,” Caviezel replied.

Ballard explained why the movie made such a connection with audiences.

“The people are tired of just being entertained,” Ballard said. “They want to have a purpose to what they’re looking at and watching. I think God’s touched millions of hearts to wake up and they’ve used this amazing film to do that.”

McCarthy, like Trump, was moved by the movie’s powerful message.

He said that the movie was “difficult” to watch at times and upsetting but it should inspire Congress to come together to combat human trafficking.

“When you watch and get to the end and you think today, as a policy maker, I would love to sit down and watch this with the president,” McCarthy said. “What is transpiring to these young children? Human trafficking that is going on, let’s not put politics around it. Let’s put these children first.”

Sound of Freedom is a runaway success with audiences and now it’s inspiring politicians to take more action to stop trafficking.

The success of the movie is bigger than its box office numbers by shining a spotlight on one of the most overlooked tragedies in the country.

Man whose house had Nazi flags, fridge magnets and Adolf Hitler portrait jailed BY JEWISH NEWS REPORTER Samuel Doyle also called for the killing of members of the LGBT+ community and the extermination of Jewish people in a range of online posts.

 

THE DAILY EDITION Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Kisharon and Langdon merge to form new learning disability and autism community BY MICHELLE ROSENBERG Kisharon Langdon CEO Richard Franklin celebrates the beginning of “an exciting journey to make a positive impact on our community”

Twinning visit culminates in football match between Boreham Wood and Maccabi Shoham BY MICHELLE ROSENBERG   OPINION: Kisharon Langdon represents a brave new vision in learning disability and autism BY RICHARD FRANKLIN

West Bank terror attack leaves 6 wounded; Hamas welcomes ‘heroic shooting’ BY JOTAM CONFINO IN ISRAEL A 20-year-old Palestinian “opened fire in all directions” at a mall in the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.

Right-wing Israeli TV channel boots pundit for calling to free Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin BY BEN SALES (JTA)

Man whose house had Nazi flags, fridge magnets and Adolf Hitler portrait jailed BY JEWISH NEWS REPORTER Samuel Doyle also called for the killing of members of the LGBT+ community and the extermination of Jewish people in a range of online posts.

Terror suspects arrested in India had photos of Mumbai Chabad centre, police say BY BEN SALES (JTA)

Jewish man shot by police after attempting attack on Memphis Jewish day school BY JACKIE HAJDENBERG (JTA) The suspect was a man in his 40s who tried to enter the school but was prevented from doing so due to a security system.

War between Hezbollah and Israel ‘in Iran’s interests’ BY JOTAM CONFINO IN ISRAEL Israeli security official tells Jewish News that Iran ordered Hezbollah to provoke Israel on its northern border, thereby pushing Tehran’s conflict with Israel far away from home

Jewish author makes the 2023 Booker Prize longlist BY JEWISH NEWS REPORTER Sarah Bernstein’s book about the rise of xenophobia is among 13 publications in line for a Booker Prize

Survey: Tel Aviv among the worst cities in the world for a ‘good night’s sleep’ BY JOTAM CONFINO IN ISRAEL Israeli resort city is only surpassed by Bogotá in Colombia, Santiago in Chile and Athens in Greece.

New report: Wave of pessimism about Israeli democracy from UK Jews as ties ‘may fray’ BY JEWISH NEWS REPORTER

OPINION: Mayor’s kosher school meals pledge has national, even international, ramifications BY ANDREW GILBERT The London Jewish Forum’s Andrew Gilbert on the background behind Sadiq Khan’s decision to subsidise kosher meals in Jewish state schools in response to the cost of living crisis.

Opinion: Behind the numbers of Tu b’Av, the Jewish festival of love BY DR JONATHAN BOYD With 28% of Israelis considering leaving the country, Dr Jonathan Boyd shares his thoughts about assimilation and Israel

Teenager in year-long Rubik’s Cubes fundraising challenge in memory of her uncle BY JEWISH NEWS REPORTER The 14-year-old is part-way through a year-long challenge that will see her create 198 flags of the world out of mini Rubik’s Cubes, in aid of the charity Brain Tumour Research.