WEDNESDAY, MAY 13

MAKARY OUT AT FDA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary resigned yesterday amid mounting criticism from pro-life leaders over the agency slow-walking its investigation into the deadly abortion drug mifepristone. Makary's 13-month tenure was also marked by internal upheaval, staff departures, and clashes over drug approvals and vaping regulations. READ

TRUMP ANNOUNCES 6 CONSERVATIVE JUDICIAL NOMS President Donald Trump announced six federal judicial nominees this week, including two conservative district judges he appointed during his first term for seats on federal appeals courts. Here's how these conservative appointments could shape the judiciary. READ

INFLATION HITS 3-YEAR HIGH The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that consumer prices rose 3.8% in April compared with a year earlier, marking the highest inflation rate in three years. The worsening economic conditions are driven largely by rising energy costs linked to the war and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, WSJ noted. READ

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EX-MAYOR TO PLEAD GUILTY OF SERVING AS ILLEGAL CHINESE AGENT Eileen Wang resigned as mayor of Arcadia, California, this week, and she has now agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government. READ

SOUTH CAROLINA STUDENTS TURN TO FAITH In South Carolina, the college Catholic population has more than doubled over several decades. Here's a look into why. READ

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NEW EPISODE What makes authority legitimate? Cardinal Raymond L. Burke explains how the Fourth Commandment shapes civic duty, legitimate authority, and the dignity of the human person. Join Zeale for America 250, and watch the latest from The Virtue of Patriotism. JOIN & WATCH

APOSTOLATE DECRIES SYNOD REPORT OVER 'GAY' CONTENT The executive director of Courage International sharply criticized a Vatican synod study group report this week, calling it “intellectually dishonest” and saying it “wounds the Church.” READ

IDF PUNISHES SOLDIERS OVER PHOTO DISRESPECTING MARY The Israeli military said yesterday it had sentenced two soldiers to military jail after one was photographed placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in a predominantly Christian village in southern Lebanon. READ

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

Swiss Cardinal Paul Emil Tscherrig, former nuncio to Italy and San Marino, has died at 79. READ
The U.S. Religious Freedom Commission is asking Trump to nominate an ambassador. READ
Students at Johns Hopkins University erased pro-life messages. READ

5 POEMS TO READ THIS MAY Here are five poems to read over and pray with during the month of May. Through them, may you grow closer to Mary, who, according to St. Therese, “is more mother than queen.” READ

CATHOLIC 101 "The call to contemplation is, in many respects, a call to second conversion." READ

SAINT OF THE DAY Today is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, commemorating Mary’s 1917 apparitions to three Portuguese children asking Catholics to pray the Rosary daily for world peace and for the conversion of sinners. READ