Saturday, 21 February 2026

WEEKEND LOOP: SCOTUS nixes tariffs, Trump starts new ones

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21

SUPREME COURT NIXES TARIFFS, TRUMP IMPOSES NEW ONES The Supreme Court yesterday blocked President Donald Trump's use of an emergency law to impose sweeping tariffs on imports from nearly every U.S. trading partner, ruling that he exceeded his authority. Trump lambasted the decision in a speech hours after the ruling, and announced a new 10% "global tariff" that will be "over and above our normal tariffs." READ

MEMO: WEAKNESS ON ABORTION ALIENATES GOP BASE A polling firm warned this week that the GOP will lose support if it goes weak on abortion. Seventy-one percent of likely GOP primary voters oppose Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to allow mail-order mifepristone without in-person consultations. Also, 65% of all GOP voters surveyed opposed what the memo described as "the overall HHS direction on abortion." READ

US BISHOPS OPPOSE TRUMP MASS DETENTION PLANS The U.S. Catholic bishops are raising serious moral concerns over the federal government's reported plan to dramatically expand immigration detention, warning that the scale and structure of the proposal should "challenge the conscience of every American." READ

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CARDINAL DOLAN: 'I WAS TICKED OFF' BY MAMDANI "I was ticked off he didn't invite me to his inauguration," Cardinal Timothy Dolan said of Democratic New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The cardinal added that he was "really ticked off" that Mamdani did not attend Archbishop Ronald Hicks' installation. "That defied precedent, the mayor not showing up to the installation." READ

SCARE AT CALIFORNIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL MASS A 20-year-old man was detained after attempting to enter a Catholic school Mass in Sacramento, California, with a loaded handgun on Ash Wednesday. READ

CATHOLIC FIRST THINGS EDITOR: 'I AM A ZIONIST' In an opinion piece published yesterday at The Washington Post, R.R. Reno, editor of the journal First Things, called himself a "Catholic and a Zionist," pushing back against recent comments made by his fellow Catholic Carrie Prejean Boller, who rejects Zionism. Reno argued that Christians bear some "culpability" for fostering antisemitism in the West, and that this guilt is one reason for a Catholic to support Zionism. "As a Catholic, my commitment to Zionism atones for the sins of my forefathers in the faith." READ

POLLING: AMERICANS WANT LESS SPENDING, OR NOT... More Americans say they want overall government spending reduced, yet large majorities support boosting funds for specific programs and oppose tax increases unless they target corporations and billionaires, according to RealClearPolling. Here are the perplexing numbers. READ

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LENTEN DINNER RECIPES Zeale author Lindsey Fedyk offers ideas on how to honor the solemn liturgical season of Lent while bringing a spirit of penance and anticipation to your dinner table. READ

UNCOMFORTABLE TALKS TO HAVE BEFORE MARRIAGE Lay a strong foundation for a happy and healthy marriage by checking these hard conversations off your pre-wedding to-do list. READ

ALMSGIVING: ARE YOU PURSUING THIS LENTEN PRACTICE? There is no shortage of public discussions and reflections from Catholics considering what they would like to fast from and what prayer they would like to add into their daily routine. But when it comes to almsgiving, such conversation is relatively scarce. Here's a guide from Zeale's McKenna Snow to get you started! READ

SAINT OF THE DAY Today the Church honors St. Peter Damian (1007-1072), a Benedictine monk who lived a life of seclusion, prayer, and penance. He served as a papal ambassador and confidant to several popes before becoming the cardinal-bishop of Ostia, near Rome. READ

SATURDAY'S PSALM "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth." (Psalm 86) READ

SATURDAY'S READINGS Today's Mass readings. READ

SUNDAY'S PSALM "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned." (Psalm 51) READ

SUNDAY'S READINGS Sunday's Mass readings. READ

ANSWER TO TRIVIA False! But it's a trick question! Bishop Richard Luke Concanen, a Dominican, was indeed Irish-born and served as the first bishop of New York, but due to travel restrictions stemming from the Napoleonic Wars, he never made it to America to serve his flock in person. Bishop John Connolly, O.P., technically the SECOND bishop of New York, was also Irish-born, also a Dominican, and became the first bishop to directly administer the New York Diocese.

THE DEEP We finance everything now – even burrito delivery. Americans closed 2025 with $1.233 trillion in credit card debt. Nearly half of cardholders carry balances. One in five thinks they'll never pay it off. This isn't just "bad budgeting" – it's an economy built on revolving debt and minimum payments. In this episode of The Deep, Erika asks the question: how did we normalize installment plans for lunch? And is modern credit a convenience… or a quiet form of slavery? WATCH

Friday, 20 February 2026

LOOP: Trump pledges $10 billion for Gaza

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20

TRUMP ANNOUNCES $10 BILLION US PLEDGE FOR GAZA REBUILDING Yesterday, during the inaugural U.S.-led Board of Peace talks, President Donald Trump announced a $10 billion U.S. pledge alongside $7 billion in international commitments for Gaza's reconstruction. Speaking to attendees, Trump described the $10 billion U.S. contribution as a "very small number" compared with "the cost of war." READ

FORMER PRINCE ANDREW ARRESTED AMID NEW ALLEGATIONS IN EPSTEIN FILES Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British Prince Andrew who was stripped of his royal titles over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was reportedly arrested yesterday before being released hours later. He was suspected of misconduct in public office after the newly released U.S. Justice Department's files allegedly showed him sharing confidential government information with Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy. READ

US WOMEN'S HOCKEY WINS OLYMPIC GOLD IN OVERTIME THRILLER Team USA defeated rival Canada 2-1 in overtime at the Milan Cortina Winter Games to capture Olympic gold and cap a dominant 7-0 run through the tournament. Megan Keller sealed the victory in sudden death after captain Hilary Knight tied the game late in regulation, securing the Americans' ninth gold medal of the Olympic Games. READ

SSPX PROCEEDS WITH UNAUTHORIZED BISHOP ORDINATIONS DESPITE VATICAN'S WARNINGS OF SCHISM The Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) said yesterday it will move forward with its planned July 1 episcopal ordinations despite warnings from the Vatican that proceeding without papal approval would imply schism and carry grave consequences. In a letter to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, SSPX superior general Father Davide Pagliarani rejected the DDF's proposal requiring the suspension of the consecrations. READ

KANSAS PASSES BILL DEFINING GENDER AS TRUE SEX AT BIRTH The Kansas House of Representatives voted yesterday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a bill that defines gender as a person's biological sex at birth. The new bill will require Kansans to use restrooms in public buildings that align with their true sex and mandates that driver's licenses and birth certificates must reflect a person's true sex. READ

WITNESS: CATHOLIC CELEBRITIES SHARE THEIR ASHES From Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie to Gwen Stefani, Mario Lopez, and Patricia Heaton, Zeale News rounded up Catholic celebrities, news anchors, public officials, and advocates who shared photos wearing ashes on Ash Wednesday. These Catholics used their platforms to share a visible reminder of the Church's call to repentance this Lenten season. READ

COLORADO WON'T REQUIRE PARENTS TO AFFIRM CHILD'S 'GENDER IDENTITY' IN CUSTODY COURTS A Colorado Senate committee voted yesterday to remove a provision of a newly proposed bill that would have required courts to consider whether parents affirm a child's "gender identity" in custody disputes. The provision drew opposition from parents and advocacy groups who warned it threatened parental rights, with an advocate for the Colorado Catholic Conference saying it could mean parents would lose custody "if they do not affirm their minors' trans identity." READ

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HOLY LAND FRANCISCAN LEADER ASKS FOR SUPPORT THROUGH GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION Ongoing conflict and violence have reduced pilgrimages to the Holy Land, worsening economic hardship for local Christian communities, said Father Francesco Ielpo, custos of the Holy Land. The annual Good Friday collection supports schools, parishes, and social projects, which he described as a "concrete sign of communion" that helps sustain the Christian presence in the land of Christ's Passion and Resurrection. READ

'LISTEN WITH THE HEART': DENVER ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS SHARES LENTEN MESSAGE Archbishop Samuel Aquila is calling Catholics to deeper silence, prayer, and a fast from harmful speech this Lent as the Archdiocese of Denver prepares to welcome a new leader, describing the season as a "personal invitation" to conversion and renewed friendship with Christ. READ

NOT TO BE MISSED... Here are the stories we couldn't fit in today's LOOP:

40 Days for Life launched its Lent campaign, calling on Catholics nationwide to sign up for prayer shifts during its peaceful vigils outside abortion facilities. READ
Pope Leo XIV addressed participants of the General Chapter of the Legionaries of Christ. READ
The Daughters of St. Paul co-developed a series on online safety for families. READ

I TRIED EMILY WILSON'S CATHOLIC DATING APP — HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED Zeale author Ava Cilento gives an honest, first-hand review of the new dating app launched by Catholic speaker and YouTuber Emily Wilson. READ

CATHOLIC 101 Why do Catholics wear ashes if Jesus encourages us to make private penances? Word on Fire's Fr. Steve Grunow offers a reflection on the private and public aspects of penance. READ

SAINT OF THE DAY Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto are the young shepherd siblings who witnessed the Marian apparitions at Fatima in 1917 along with their cousin Lucia. Despite ridicule, interrogation, and even jail, they remained steadfast in sharing Our Lady's call to pray the Rosary and offer sacrifices for sinners. Both died of the Spanish flu soon after the apparitions and were canonized by Pope Francis in 2017 — the youngest non-martyrs ever declared saints. READ

DAILY PSALM "A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn." (Psalm 51) READ

DAILY READINGS Today's Mass readings. READ

A CHINESE CATHOLIC UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED Starting out as a penniless child who stowed away from China to Hong Kong, entrepreneur Jimmy Lai worked his way to great success, and then used that success as the foundation for his work in advocating for democracy and freedom from Chinese Communism. CatholicVote President and CEO, Kelsey Reinhardt, relates Lai's story and describes his mistreatment at the hands of China's government. READ