TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

VA GOV QUIETLY KILLS PROPOSAL PROTECTING WOMEN’S SPORTS Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger quietly ended a regulatory effort launched under former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin that would have barred men from competing in women’s sports and entering certain female-only spaces. READ

CATHOLICVOTE CEO PRAISES VIRGINIA BISHOP’S ABORTION FIGHT Virginia’s bishops are urging the state’s nearly 700,000 registered Catholics to reject a proposed constitutional amendment that would establish abortion as a “fundamental right.” CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt praised Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge’s unusually direct campaign and warned the pro-abortion measure is not “about access” but rather “about permanence and about power.” READ

APPEALS COURT PUTS MISSOURI'S CONGRESSIONAL MAPS BACK IN ACTION A ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is finally giving Missouri’s election officials clear instructions for November and ordering the use of congressional district maps drawn in 2025 to favor Republicans. READ

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ITALY WEIGHS BANNING BURQAS AT SCHOOLS With an election on the horizon and immigration and Islam at the forefront of voters’ minds, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged to ban burqas and other Islamic face coverings at schools, limit the number of foreign students allowed in classrooms, and require foreign children to learn Italian to integrate into society. READ

ANTI-CHRISTIAN HATE CRIMES REACH 2026 HIGH ACROSS EUROPE Churches and sacred objects were among the targets as a religious freedom watchdog documented its highest monthly total of the year. READ

AFD WINS SECOND MAJOR GERMAN STATE ELECTION IN 2 WEEKS Fresh from a victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, the German immigration restrictionist party knocked the establishment Christian Democratic Union out of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state legislature. READ

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PUERTO RICO CHURCH REPAIRS MOVE FORWARD AFTER YEARS OF STORM RECOVERY A major construction push is bringing long-awaited work to Catholic communities still rebuilding from Hurricane Maria. Among the projects is the historic Cathedral of San Juan, where a new archbishop will soon be installed. READ

‘FACES OF REPRESSION’: NJ REP TO CHAIR HEARING ON CCP’S CHRISTIAN TARGETING Rep. Chris Smith will host a hearing today to highlight the plight of Christians who are imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party for not allowing state oversight. The hearing will feature a recently freed pastor and some of the more than 200 cases involving Americans detained in China under coercive measures. READ

MAKE YOUR OWN FERMENTED DRINKS Colder weather can bring low energy and more germs for your body to battle. Help boost your family’s health this season with these easy recipes for making homemade kombucha and fire cider. READ

CATHOLIC 101 Nearly 175 years ago, a Belgian-born Dominican established California's first congregation of women religious. Today, the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael are still teaching and preaching the faith in the Golden State. READ

SAINT OF THE DAY St. Thomas of Villanova lived simply and gave generously, seeing those who came to him in need with a heart shaped by Christian charity. READ

DAILY PSALM "Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.” (Psalm 119) READ

DAILY READINGS Today's Mass readings. READ

VERSELE How well do you know Scripture? Find out with Versele, a daily Catholic word game featuring a new hidden word every day. PLAY NOW

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