LOOP: Trump hopes Ukraine peace efforts help him get to Heaven

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20 TRUMP HOPES PEACE EFFORTS GET HIM INTO HEAVEN  President Donald Trump told an interviewer that his efforts to end the war in Ukraine could be one of his chances of reaching Heaven. "I want to try and get to heaven if possible," he said. "I hear I'm not doing well. I hear I'm really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to Heaven, this will be one of the reasons."  READ CRIME RATES PLUMMET IN DC AFTER FEDERAL TAKEOVER  Crime in Washington, DC, has declined sharply since Trump ordered federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to assume control of policing the capital earlier this month. According to FOX News, carjackings are down by 83%, robbery by 46%, violent crime by 22%, and car theft by 21%.  READ EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO CUT OFF VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS  The Department of Education plans to cut federal funding for five Northern Virginia school districts that refuse to stop allowing boys into girls' bathrooms and locker rooms. One of the districts, Loudoun County, was the location of an infamous case in which a male student wearing a dress raped a girl.  READ POPE WARNS AMAZON BISHOPS AGAINST NATURE-WORSHIP  Pope Leo sent a telegram to the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon as the bishops hold their first assembly in Colombia, encouraging them to preach Christ "with clarity." The Pope also warned against any thinking that would make one "a slave or worshiper of nature." READ OHIO BECOMES FIRST STATE TO TACKLE AI IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS  Ohio has made history by becoming the first state to require every public school district to adopt formal AI policies. The move puts Ohio at the forefront of discussions about how to address AI in the classroom. READ POPE LEO'S ADVICE TO A STRUGGLING CATHOLIC MOM  In a heartfelt exchange published in Piazza San Pietro Magazine, Pope Leo recently offered words of encouragement to a mother seeking guidance on how to live her faith more fully amid the challenges of daily family life. READ JIMMY LAI: PROFILE OF A CATHOLIC HERO  A priest and longtime friend of the Catholic media mogul and anti-communist hero Jimmy Lai recently shared some inspiring details about the man. Lai's advocacy for freedom in Hong Kong led to years of solitary confinement ahead of a trial that could lead to worse. "Jimmy Lai reminds us what it looks like to live without fear. To speak without permission. To suffer for the truth," wrote the priest. "He reminds us, in other words, of what it means to be free."  READ AD: NEW – CARLO'S '8 HABITS' & PIER GIORGIO'S '3 APOSTOLATES'  Did you know Carlo Acutis taught First Communion catechism classes eight steps to become a saint? Did you know Pier Giorgio Frassati encouraged teens and young adults to share their faith through three apostolates? You can get two NEW beautiful prayer cards from Holy Heroes with Carlo's '8 Habits to Sainthood' and Pier Giorgio's '3 Apostolates' to inspire young and old! Get enough for your parish, school, homeschool co-op, and everyone for the upcoming canonizations on Sept. 7!  ORDER NOW WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! MAN WHO SHATTERED CATHEDRAL WINDOWS STILL AT LARGE  Police in Anchorage, Alaska, are searching for a man who damaged several windows of a historic Catholic cathedral Aug. 13. Security camera footage shows the suspect approaching Holy Family Cathedral in the middle of the night and using bricks from a nearby planter to shatter the cathedral's stained-glass windows.  READ BOYS SUSPENDED FOR NOT WANTING GIRL IN LOCKER ROOM  Virginia's Loudoun County Public Schools is suspending two boys who attend Stone Bridge High School for objecting to a female student who identifies as male using the boys' locker rooms. "I would say the first reaction was some anger," said the father of one of the boys, "because we're just really concerned with all this stuff."  READ BONUS NEWS...  Here are the stories we couldn't fit in today's LOOP: •    Homeschooling has hit a record high in Virginia. READ •    Two New York pro-lifers won after challenging a county law restricting speech near abortion facilities. READ •    The State Department applauded Scotland for dropping its case against a pro-lifer who'd talked with mothers outside an abortion facility.  READ GEN Z NEEDS TO JOIN THE FIGHT  Gen Z has its problems with screens, isolation, and artificial reality. It's a lonely and anxious generation, and most of the commentary you see about these young people is dismissing, despairing, or worse. But the world needs Gen Z. Here's why.  READ CATHOLIC 101  The leading mistake theologians in favor of Catholic deaconesses make is contending that women won't be equal to men unless they are in the sanctuary too, Monica Migliorino Miller recently wrote. Here's what's wrong with the case for deaconesses.  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  Today is the feast of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a Doctor of the Church whose writings and sermons greatly influenced Europe during the 12th century. READ DAILY PSALM  "Lord, in your strength the king is glad." (Psalm 21)  READ DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ CHILDREN & JESUS WIN AT STATE FAIR  A terrific LEGO recreation of the Last Supper won a blue ribbon at the North Idaho State Fair! Rep. Heather Scott, R-Idaho, who shared a photo of the scene online, took it as an encouraging sign: "The kids are going to be alright!"  READ Paid for by CatholicVote Civic Action, a 501(c)(4) organization. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here. 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