TUESDAY, MARCH 3

TRUMP: WAR COULD LAST 'FAR LONGER' THAN 5 WEEKS President Donald Trump yesterday honored four American service members who have lost their lives in the U.S. attack on Iran and provided an update on the war. He said the operation will last four to five weeks, but U.S. forces "have the capability to go far longer than that," he added: "Whatever the time is, it's okay. Whatever it takes, we will do it." Earlier in the day, Trump told a reporter that the administration would not rule out boots on the ground in Iran. READ

DEATH TOLL MOUNTS THROUGHOUT MIDDLE EAST Iranian counterattacks spread March 2 across the Middle East into Israel, American bases, and several Gulf states. Six U.S. soldiers have died since the initial joint Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran, according to March 2 reports. READ

COLORADO BISHOPS URGE OPPOSITION TO LGBT BILL Colorado's Bishops' Conference is urging lawmakers and voters to oppose a newly introduced bill that would prohibit discrimination based on categories including sexual orientation, gender "identity," and gender "expression." Under the proposed bill, Catholic schools would need to follow these standards, leading, the bishops argue, to violations of Catholics' First Amendment rights. READ

NINE INJURED IN MASS SHOOTING AT CINCINNATI MUSIC VENUE Nine people were injured in a mass shooting at a music venue in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the early hours of March 1st. Officials are still searching for suspects, and the Columbus ATF is offering a $5,000 reward for information that might identify the perpetrators. READ

JEWISH SETTLERS ATTACK CHRISTIAN VILLAGE NEAR JERUSALEM A group of Israeli settlers attacked Taybeh, the West Bank's only remaining all-Christian town, just after the beginning of Israel's strikes on Iran Feb. 28. The settlers began "throwing stones at homes, preventing residents from being in the streets, blocking access throughout the village, and obstructing roads with their cars, spreading fear and terrorizing the entire community," according to an incident report from a U.S.-based Catholic apostolate. READ

DETROIT SEES BIGGEST INFLUX OF NEW CATHOLICS SINCE 2005 At this year's Easter Vigil, the Archdiocese of Detroit will receive 1,428 catechumens and candidates, the most to join the Church in the archdiocese since 2005. READ

PLANNED PARENTHOOD EXPANDS SERVICES TO OFFSET DEFUNDING Planned Parenthood affiliates are turning to Botox injections, intravenous (IV) hydration drips, and other cosmetic services to offset steep financial losses. The financial shortfall comes after their federal Medicaid reimbursements were cut last year. READ

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KENTUCKY AMENDMENT WOULD ENSHRINE ABORTION AS 'RIGHT' A Kentucky Democratic lawmaker has filed a proposed constitutional amendment that would establish a fundamental "right" to "reproductive freedom." The amendment would cover abortions, contraception, and sterilization. READ

STUDENTS COMPLETE PILGRIMAGE HONORING ST. FRANCIS A group of high school students completed the inaugural Camino de San Francisco, a 24.5-mile Catholic pilgrimage from San Rafael to San Francisco, to celebrate Saint Francis of Assisi on the 800th anniversary of his death. READ

TO SHARE OR NOT TO SHARE? Social media has made it possible to share pictures of your adorable little ones with pretty much everyone you've ever known and easily keep relatives updated when you live far apart. And who doesn't want to? But is there a hidden cost to sharing these moments? READ

CATHOLIC 101 Although Pope Leo XIV warmly recommends Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God, the beloved Carmelite has never been canonized, largely because no formal cause for sainthood was ever pursued. READ

SAINT OF THE DAY Born into wealth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Saint Katharine Drexel gave it all away for Christ. After she asked Pope Leo XIII to send missionaries to Native Americans, he challenged her to become a missionary herself. She went on to found the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, opening dozens of schools and missions for Native and African Americans despite violent opposition. The second American-born saint, she is the patron of racial justice and philanthropists. READ