MONDAY, OCTOBER 12

POPE LEO XIV TO UNDERGO SURGERY AFTER DOCTORS FIND LUNG NODULE Pope Leo announced Sunday after his Angelus address that doctors discovered a localized nodule in one of his lungs during recent medical examinations and have recommended surgery to remove it. The Vatican has not said whether the nodule is benign or malignant, but the Pope described it as having been caught early and asked the faithful for prayers ahead of the procedure. READ

SCHOOLS URGED TO TEACH COMMUNISM’S AND SOCIALISM’S HUMAN TOLL Ahead of Victims of Communism Day Nov. 7, which honors those who suffered and died under communist regimes, the Department of Education is urging schools nationwide to teach students about the human toll of communism and socialism and America’s founding principles of liberty. The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation welcomed the appeal and highlighted its teaching resources, warning that students who do not know history risk falling for the “siren song of Marxism.” READ

TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY Attorney and longtime Trump supporter Katie Zacharia will host an introductory press conference Oct. 13. Active in Republican politics for decades, President Donald Trump said that she “has been with me, in spirit, from the very beginning, and will do a fantastic job!” READ

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DOJ MOVES TOWARD INDICTING CASSIDY HUTCHINSON OVER JAN. 6 TESTIMONY Prosecutors have reportedly presented evidence to a federal grand jury calling into question the veracity of her House January 6 Committee testimony that involved accounts of Trump advisers meeting for a “war room” planning session. READ

REPORT: MORE THAN 8 IN 10 GEN Z DEMOCRATS EMBRACE SOCIALISM An OnMessage poll reportedly found that 84% of Gen Z Democrats view socialism favorably, which one pollster said signals an appetite for the party to move left as it seeks to retake Congress in November. READ

TREASURY SAFEGUARDS PROTECT $3.7T FROM FRAUD Over the course of the 2026 fiscal year, the Treasury Department implemented a host of measures to identify and prevent fraud before making federal payments, rather than following what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called a “pay and chase” approach. READ

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POPE LEO XIV SAYS DEATH PENALTY IS AN ATTACK ON HUMAN DIGNITY The Holy Father reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s opposition to capital punishment, calling the death penalty an attack on human dignity. His remarks came as Vatican and U.S. Church leaders criticized the planned Dec. 3 execution of Nidal Hassan, who was convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. READ

EUROPEAN COURT TO DETERMINE WHETHER DATA PRIVACY LAWS COMPEL ERASURE OF BAPTISMAL RECORDS A 2023 case from Belgium has reached the European Court of Justice, where the European Union’s advocate-general argued that those who are baptized Catholic as minors and subsequently leave the Church have a legal right under data protection laws to demand the destruction of their baptismal records. READ

EASY SWAPS TO LIMIT MICROPLASTICS Limiting your household exposure to microplastics doesn’t have to entail an expensive whole-home overhaul. Zeale Lifestyle’s Rose Church offers seven tips for small, affordable changes that can make a big difference. READ

CATHOLIC 101 Word on Fire has released its first-ever theatrical film, a documentary diving into the great cathedrals of Europe seven years after the world watched in horror as Notre Dame burned. Zeale’s Johanna Duncan shares what viewers can expect from this powerful film. READ

SAINT OF THE DAY Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the life and witness of St. Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be canonized. As a computer whiz and an early internet user, St. Carlo Acutis led souls to Christ by documenting Eucharistic miracles online. READ

DAILY PSALM “Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 113) READ

DAILY READINGS Today's Mass readings. READ

NEW EPISODE Hollywood gave us the unbeatable girlboss. TikTok answered with the Pinterest-perfect tradwife. On the newest episode of The Deep, Erika digs into Disney princesses, forgotten women who formed families and grew civilizations, and two modern saints who offer a richer vision of feminine strength. Check it out now on Zeale. WATCH ON ZEALE

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