The LOOP

The Wednesday Loop - March 25, 2026

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION

TRUMP: IRAN HAS AGREED 'TO NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON'

President Donald Trump yesterday said Iran has agreed never to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has also announced it will allow “non-hostile” ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon, meanwhile, is reportedly preparing to deploy 3,000 more troops to the Middle East.

TALIBAN RELEASE US RESEARCHER WHO SPENT YEAR IN DETENTION

The Taliban freed American researcher Dennis Walter Coyle yesterday after he spent more than a year in detention, following pressure from the Trump administration to release U.S. citizens held in Afghanistan. Coyle, 64, had been held without charges in near-solitary confinement after being taken from his Kabul home in 2025.

SENATE CONFIRMS NEW HEAD OF DHS

Republican former Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma was confirmed as DHS secretary yesterday, weeks after Trump dismissed Kristi Noem from the role.

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ISRAEL PLANS TO OCCUPY SOUTHERN LEBANON

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said yesterday that up to the Litani River — roughly a tenth of the country. Katz said Israeli forces would control key crossings, destroy infrastructure used by Hezbollah, and prevent local residents from returning home amid a widening conflict that has displaced more than 1.2 million people.

PRIESTS GIVE THEIR LIVES SAVING ALTAR BOY FROM DROWNING

Two Catholic priests in Ecuador lost their lives March 13 after jumping into action to save an altar boy who was caught in strong waves during a Lenten retreat. Father Alfonso Avilés Pérez, 60, and Father Pedro Anzoátegui, 43, brought the boy to safety, but were overtaken by the current, prompting tributes from Church leaders who said the two clerics “reacted as a shepherd would” in giving their lives.

SENATE STALEMATE DRAGS ON OVER VOTER ID BILL

Debate over the SAVE America Act stretched into a second week yesterday as Senate Republicans, backed by Trump, pushed to advance the voter ID legislation while Democrats continued to block it. The bill, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register and photo ID to vote, faces steep odds in the Senate, where it lacks the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

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ILLINOIS PARENTS APPEAL TO VATICAN TO SAVE SCHOOL

Parents at St. Hubert Catholic School in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, have appealed to the Vatican to overturn the Archdiocese of Chicago's decision to close the 65-year-old institution at the end of this school year. St. Hubert's currently serves about 200 students.

PRO-LIFERS CALL FOR PROBES TO STOP GOSNELL-LIKE ABORTION CLINICS

After Kermit Gosnell died in prison this week, Illinois Right to Life is calling on state officials to ensure that abortion facilities are not operating with the kinds of health and safety violations that went unchecked at the late serial killer's infamous clinic in Philadelphia. Gosnell was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 for the murder of three babies who survived illegal late-term abortions. He was also responsible for the deaths of several women due to botched abortions and careless procedures.

"Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will." (Psalm 40)

DAILY READINGS

Today's Mass readings.

BEAUTY

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