The LOOP

The Friday Loop - January 2, 2026

Editor's note: Happy New Year! This note is to remind you that today is a first Friday. We hope each of you will join your team at CatholicVote in attending Mass today and every first Friday throughout this year, in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to put our nation in His hands on its 250th anniversary.

POPE LEO'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE

Celebrating his first Holy Mass of 2026 on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to receive the year ahead as a gift of freedom, mercy, and peace, rooted in the “unarmed and disarming” love revealed in the mystery of the Incarnation.

HISTORIC DROP IN ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS IN 2025

Officials told Breitbart that the Trump administration oversaw a drastic drop in border crossings in 2025. There was a 93% drop in border crossings in 2025 compared with the previous year, they reported. In addition, no arrested immigrants were released for seven consecutive months, from May to November.

COPS DISPUTE DAYCARE CENTER'S STORY OF MISSING FILES

After the administrators of a Somali-run daycare center claimed a burglar had broken into their property and stolen documents that would disprove accusations of fraud, police in Minneapolis disputed the story.

IRAN ENTERS ANOTHER DAY OF MASS PROTESTS

Mass protests against the Iranian government have stretched on for nearly a week. Anti-regime groups in Tehran are reporting clashes with authorities, some resulting in deaths.

MAYOR MAMDANI INAUGURATED, PROMISES RADICAL AGENDA

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani vowed to return the city to “the era of big government” in a speech at his inauguration yesterday. “I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” he said. "We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism."

POPE LEO CALLS AGAIN FOR PEACE

At the Angelus prayer on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Pope Leo XIV renewed his call for peace, urging that it extend not only to nations torn by war but also into homes and families who have been hurt by violence and pain.

NEW CBS ANCHOR ADMITS MEDIA FAILURES

Tony Dokoupil, who will begin anchoring "CBS Evening News" on Jan. 5, raised eyebrows ahead of his debut, admitting that corporate media has lost much of the public's trust by failing to cover important stories correctly. Dokoupil cited the examples of Russiagate, Hunter Biden's laptop, and COVID lockdowns, saying of himself and other media figures, "we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites and not enough on you." Dokoupil was reportedly handpicked by CBS News' new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE STARTS HERE

‘Defend Us in Battle’ is your daily Catholic armor—rooted in the Auxilium Christianorum. This 148-page prayer guide equips you with powerful deliverance prayers, daily disciplines, and spiritual weapons for purity and peace. Stand firm, resist evil, and live clothed in God’s protection.