via cleveland.com: Ohio on Friday became the fourth state to ban abortions performed after a prenatal test shows the fetus has or might have Down syndrome. Gov. John Kasich signed into law House Bill 214, the 20th abortion restriction passed since he took office in 2011, and 14 other bills Friday morning. Under the law,… Read More Ohio Bans Aborting Children after Down Syndrome Diagnosis

John Gehring writes: Republican leaders in Washington have long worshiped at the altar of free-market fundamentalism — and reverently recite the dubious creed of trickle-down economics — but this gaudy handout to the rich is a festival of greed that will deepen already scandalous levels of inequality…. Extreme inequality is not inevitable. We create opportunity… Read More The GOP’s Tax Bill Flies in the Face of Catholic Teaching and Values

via USCCB: Today, Congress passed its tax reform legislation, The Tax Reform and Jobs Act, and it has been sent to the President to consider. The legislation achieves some laudable things, like doubling the standard deduction, which will help many struggling families avoid tax liability, expanding the use of 529 education plans, and increasing the child… Read More US Bishops Criticize GOP Tax Bill for Harming the Poor and Threatening Programs for the Vulnerable

Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego writes: In Francis’ message, the core of the vocation of public service, and of all politics, is to promote the integral development of every human person and of society as a whole. It is a vocation that requires special and self-sacrificial concern for the poor, the unborn, the vulnerable… Read More Bishop McElroy: Why Civic Virtue Must Prevail Over Tribal Politics

via ZENIT: At 10:30 this morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience, in Paul VI Hall, the children assisted by “Saint Martha’s” Paediatric Dispensary. Here is a ZENIT translation of the Pope’s impromptu greeting to the volunteers, the parents and all the children present. Children’s joy is a treasure — joyful children . .… Read More Pope Celebrates Birthday with Children Assisted by Pediatric Clinic

via The Atlantic: During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russian hackers attacked the U.S. on two fronts: the psychological and the technical. Hackers used classic propaganda techniques to influence American voters, bought thousands of social media ads to propagate fake news, and broke into Democratic party email servers to steal information. And it won’t be the… Read More How Russia Hacked America—And Why It Will Happen Again

Millennial writer Allison Walter writes: Faced with the prospect that we might imminently see on the national scale the fiscal devastation we saw in Kansas, it seems useful to recap a couple lessons learned from the colossal Kansas tax disaster that began five years ago: Brownback and the Kansas Republican-majority legislature decided to put into… Read More Republicans Are Copying Sam Brownback’s Disastrous Tax Experiment