The Hill reports: House Chaplain Patrick Conroy’s sudden resignation has sparked a furor on Capitol Hill, with sources in both parties saying he was pushed out by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Conroy’s own resignation announcement stated that it was done at Ryan’s request… Four different sources — two from each party — say Conroy was… Read More Paul Ryan Forces Out Catholic Priest as House Chaplain

Former presidents often avoid criticizing their successors in office, but George W. Bush has broken from that trend this week. In response to a question about Donald Trump referring to the mainstream media as the enemy of the American people, Bush defended the media’s key role as a democratic check on power: I consider the… Read More George W. Bush Breaks from Tradition, Challenges Trump on Media, Russian Interference, Islam

A recent poll shows that 82% of Republicans support Donald Trump’s (currently suspended) refugee ban. The depth of this support, particularly among so many who identify as Christian, should not be ignored—it is deeply troubling and highlights why Trump pushed for measures that fly in the face of our highest American ideals. But these numbers… Read More Republicans and the Refugee Ban

We encouraged all of our writers and readers to analyze last night’s debate through the prism of Catholic social teaching. While we have seen a great deal of discontent about both presidential candidates among those who share Millennial’s commitment to human dignity, the sanctity of life, social justice, free democracy, and universal human rights, the… Read More Reactions to the First Presidential Debate of 2016

Kristen Day and Charles Camosy write about the Democratic Party’s extreme abortion plank in the LA Times: The abortion plank in the 2016 Democratic platform effectively marginalizes the voices of 21 million pro-life Democrats. It means the party that is supposedly on the side of justice for the vulnerable no longer welcomes those of us who #ChooseBoth;… Read More The Fight for a Big Tent Democratic Party

via Jacob Lupfer: The platform Democratic convention delegates will adopt in Philadelphia later this month will be more pro-choice than ever before, ceding even less to Americans who oppose abortion rights or have moral concerns about the procedure. Upon learning that the Platform Committee called for eliminating the Hyde Amendment, a legislative procedure that generally… Read More Pro-life Democrats Hit Back at Democratic Platform’s Extremism on Abortion

The New York Times reports on the food crisis in Venezuela, where authoritarian ideologues have once again created disastrous living conditions: With delivery trucks under constant attack, the nation’s food is now transported under armed guard. Soldiers stand watch over bakeries. The police fire rubber bullets at desperate mobs storming grocery stores, pharmacies and butcher… Read More The Hunger Crisis in Venezuela