The LOOP

The Saturday Loop - October 18, 2025

BISHOPS DENOUNCE TRUMP'S NEW IVF PUSH AS IMMORAL

The bishops who chair key committees for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops yesterday denounced the Trump administration’s in-vitro fertilization (IVF) push, stating that they "strongly reject the promotion of procedures like IVF," which "freeze or destroy precious human beings and treat them like property."

MIYARES CONFRONTS JONES OVER MURDEROUS TEXTS

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, and Democratic challenger Jay Jones clashed this week in a tense debate dominated by the scandal surrounding Jones’ violent text messages about a Republican lawmaker. Miyares called the threatening texts "unconscionable," adding that if Jones were "truly ‘sorry,’" he "would not be running for this office."

10,000 US TROOPS STATIONED NEAR VENEZUELA

President Donald Trump has sharply expanded U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, bringing the number of deployed troops in the region to roughly 10,000 as part of an escalating campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to several reports.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ASKS TRUMP FOR TOMAHAWK MISSILES

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday proposed a deal to Trump that the U.S. trade its Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine’s drone technology, saying the swap could strengthen Ukraine in the war against Russia.

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JERUSALEM PATRIARCH DISCUSSES GAZA PEACE PLAN

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, recently provided his perspective on what is needed for long-term peace in the Holy Land. “People are returning" to their homes and communities in Gaza, he said, "but they are returning to the ruins. Hospitals are not functioning; schools do not exist.”

INSPIRING: THE WOMAN WHO GAVE DIGNITY TO THE DISCARDED

In 1988, a group of pro-lifers rescued the bodies of hundreds of aborted babies that had been dumped onto a loading dock from being destroyed as “medical waste.” The woman behind an effort to give them a proper burial and a place of memorial will be honored today in a ceremony at a Delaware graveyard.

CHRIST'S VICTORY OVER THE ACLU?

Following a court victory that approved a disputed $5 million state grant to the College of St. Joseph the Worker in Steubenville, Ohio, the Catholic trade school is expanding its campus into West Virginia, its founder and president recently told CatholicVote.

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RETURN OF THE DVD PLAYER

Prime Video has started running ads in its standard plan, while Netflix keeps hiking prices and cracking down on password sharing. Families who want more control over what comes into their homes are beginning to rethink how they watch movies. Introducing... the comeback of the DVD player. Could this be a good option for your household?

COOKING HABITS TO AVOID

There are a few cooking habits you might be doing that diminish the nutritional content of your food. Here are 6 things to avoid to get the full value of what you're eating (and it doesn't mean you have to eat everything raw!).

HOW TO FELL A TREE

An important part of manhood has always been about having competence for any situation, says Brett McKay. If something disastrous happens and we need to survive on our own, you'll want to know for warmth and shelter. Here's how to do it with nothing but a knife.

SAINT OF THE DAY

Today the Church honors artist, historian, and physician Saint Luke the Evangelist, who wrote the Gospel that became the most extensive history of Christ. Not only did Luke’s Gospel chronicle Christ’s life, but it also included the best representation of the importance of Mary in Salvation History.

SATURDAY'S PSALM

"Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom." (Psalm 145)

SATURDAY'S READINGS

Saturday's Mass readings.

SUNDAY'S PSALM

"Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 121)

SUNDAY'S READINGS

Sunday's Mass readings.

ANSWER TO THE TRIVIA

Only one president was born after the 50th star was added to the U.S. flag: Barack Obama.

LOOPcast

Tom is joined by Congressman Riley Moore of West Virginia for a conversation on faith, work, and America’s economic future. They dive into Bishop Robert Barron’s vision, the dignity of hands-on trades like welding, and what a healthy economy built on real work should look like. Moore also weighs in on violence against Christians in Nigeria, the challenge of balancing foreign intervention, and even gives his prediction for when the government shutdown will finally end.