The LOOP

The Saturday Loop - January 31, 2026

PRO-LIFE LETTER URGES TRUMP TO RESTRICT ABORTION PILLS

More than 2,000 pro-life advocates from all 50 states and the District of Columbia sent a letter to President Donald Trump this week urging his administration to tighten regulations on abortion drugs and reinstate in-person dispensing requirements. The letter came on the heels of the Department of Justice's controversial decision to ask a judge to dismiss a pro-life suit aimed at restoring the restrictions.

JUDGE REMOVES CAPITAL CHARGES AGAINST MANGIONE

A federal judge on Jan. 30 dismissed the only death-penalty-eligible charges against Luigi Mangione, the man on trial for killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, ruling that prosecutors could no longer seek capital punishment in the case.

FEDS ARREST DON LEMON OVER CHURCH DISTURBANCE

Don Lemon, a former prime-time anchor for CNN, was arrested by federal authorities late Thursday in connection with an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a Sunday church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The church's pastor responded to the arrest, saying he is “grateful that the Department of Justice acted swiftly to protect” the church.

CELEBRATE THE ENTIRE CHRISTMAS SEASON WITH CHARITY MOBILE!

Charity Mobile’s Christmas offer is available for the entire Christmas season! Through 2/2/26, new customers get a free phone after instant credit, plus free activation, free standard shipping, and a free power bank while supplies last. Support your favorite pro-life, pro-family charity when you switch to the Pro-Life phone company! Use promo code LOOP.

ARCHBISHOP: US MUST 'RETURN' TO ITS 'MORAL FOUNDATION'

“As your shepherd," Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver wrote in a stirring public letter this week, "I call all people of goodwill to peace, justice and a return to the moral foundation on which our country was founded.” Responding to heated rhetoric and tensions surrounding debates over ICE and immigration, Archbishop Aquila stated that peace "is not born of silence or indifference, but of rejecting violence, turning away from harmful rhetoric, and choosing dialogue rooted in truth and charity.”.

REPORT TALLIES EARMARKS TO SENATORS' ALMA MATERS

Twenty-four senators have requested roughly $636 million in federal earmarks for colleges and universities they once attended, according to a Jan. 26 analysis by the nonprofit watchdog group OpenTheBooks. Here are the details.

BISHOPS THANK ADMIN FOR EXPANDING MEXICO CITY POLICY

Three bishops who chair committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a joint statement yesterday welcoming the Trump administration’s recent expansion of the Mexico City Policy, which protects taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortion overseas.

EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEW WITH FIERCE'S SAMANTHA KELLEY

Two weeks after standing outside the Supreme Court, one sentence from that day sticks with Samantha Kelley, foundress of the Catholic women's sports ministry FIERCE. “Right before I stepped up, the Lord said to me, ‘Proclaim you’re a Catholic,’” Kelley tells Zeale in this exclusive interview.

PRIORITIZE FAITH, FAMILY, & FINANCES.

Taylor Frigon Capital actively manages portfolios designed for those who prioritize faith, family, and long-term stewardship.

CANDLEMAS: A REFLECTION OF THE LIGHT OF CHRIST

After a January full of darkness and snow, the feast of Candlemas calls us back to the light of Christ. For Zeale, Felix Miller reflects on what this ancient holy day can teach American Catholics in 2026.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL UNIFORMS RECONSIDERED

Some people argue Catholic school uniforms are "restrictive." Zeale's Mary Rose writes that she experienced the opposite. "Spared the early pressure to dress for attention, I was given space to grow inwardly, to become myself without performance," she recalls of her years in a Catholic school. "And in that sense, the uniform was not about hiding who I was, but about protecting who I was becoming. It formed in me a freedom rooted not in visibility, but in belonging."

HIGH-PROTEIN, DIVERSE MEALS TO BOOST YOUR HEALTH

The revised food pyramid emphasizes the need for a diet based in healthy proteins. With that in mind, here are 10 creative recipes to keep the whole family healthy and full.

SAINT OF THE DAY

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Bosco, an Italian priest who devoted his life to educating and caring for poor and working-class youth during the Industrial Revolution. Known for his joyful, practical approach to faith, he founded the Salesians and emphasized reason, religion, and loving kindness.

SATURDAY'S PSALM

"The salvation of the just comes from the Lord." (Psalm 37)

SATURDAY'S READINGS

Today's Mass readings.

SUNDAY'S PSALM

"Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people." (Luke 1)

SUNDAY'S READINGS

Sunday's Mass readings.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA

St. John Bosco's middle name was Melchior. Tradition holds that Melchior was the name of one of the three wise men who traveled from the East to visit the newborn Christ Child in Bethlehem.

JUSTICE

Today is Samuel Alito's 20th anniversary on the Supreme Court. He will forever be remembered for authoring the ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. “That’s certainly his crowning achievement," said CatholicVote's Joshua Mercer, "but he has been a leading light on all constitutional issues. Today marks twenty years of solid jurisprudence from a sterling Supreme Court!”