The LOOP

The Tuesday Loop - July 28, 2026

COMMUNISM SURVIVORS FEAR MAMDANI GOVERNMENT GROCERY PLAN

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is putting $70 million behind five city-owned grocery stores he says will sell staples 30% below market price. But survivors of the Soviet Union and Mao’s China are warning the socialist experiment points not toward abundance but toward rationing, empty shelves, and bread lines.

SETTLERS SEIZE PALESTINIAN HOME AS ISRAEL LOCKS DOWN WEST BANK

Israeli settlers seized a Palestinian family’s home in Jalud after months of harassment, while Israeli forces closed roads and tightened movement across the West Bank following deadly clashes near Nablus. Pope Leo XIV and Holy Land clergy have raised the alarm as settler violence, land seizures, and more than 1,000 checkpoints are bringing greater suffering to Palestinian families and pushing peace further out of reach.

ADVOCATE: TRUMP MUST NOT GIVE UP ON FREEING JIMMY LAI

Human-rights advocate Nina Shea is urging President Donald Trump to press Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the release of Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old Catholic newspaper founder sentenced to 20 years in prison under Hong Kong’s national security law. Trump’s direct pressure already helped secure freedom for evangelical pastor Ezra Jin. Shea says Trump should use September’s summit to win Lai’s freedom too.

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POPE LEO NAMES CORDILEONE TO VATICAN’S HIGHEST COURT

Pope Leo appointed San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone to the Apostolic Signatura, the Catholic Church’s highest court, where he will help safeguard justice and the rights of the faithful. A canon lawyer who previously served seven years assisting the tribunal, Cordileone will remain Archbishop of San Francisco while taking on the five-year Vatican appointment.

‘NEVER TOO LATE’: 98-YEAR-OLD WWII VET ENTERS THE CHURCH

Raymond “Ray” Martin Sr., a 98-year-old World War II veteran and retired police officer, recently received Baptism, Confirmation, and his first Holy Communion at his Arizona residence. After years of attending Mass and praying the Rosary with his late Catholic wife, Martin was moved to tears as he finally entered the Church.

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY SCIENTIST WINS $1M FOR AI-POWERED RESEARCH

Catholic University of America physics professor Tanja Horn secured $1.05 million in federal grants to bring artificial intelligence into the study of nuclear physics. The technology will help researchers sift massive experimental data streams in real time, accelerating discoveries about the tiny particles and forces that make up the universe.

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ARKANSAS AWARDS $1.7M TO PRO-LIFE PREGNANCY CENTERS

More than three dozen pro-life pregnancy organizations received over $1.7 million from Arkansas in fiscal 2026 to help women and families facing unexpected pregnancies with real alternatives to abortion. State lawmakers have approved another $3.5 million for the program in fiscal 2027, expanding support for mothers who choose life.

CHICAGO ARCHDIOCESE ALERTS 10 CHURCHES TO ABUSE CLAIMS

The Archdiocese of Chicago notified 10 Catholic communities about forthcoming lawsuits accusing retired priests Kenneth Fleck and Thomas Conde of sexually abusing minors decades ago. Both men deny the allegations. Cardinal Blase Cupich has asked them to step away from ministry while law enforcement, archdiocesan investigators, and an independent review board examine the claims.

5 GREAT AT-HOME DATE IDEAS

Date night does not require a sitter, a reservation, or a big budget. From slow dancing and reading poetry aloud to games, wine and charcuterie, and making a family photo album, these five easy ideas can help married couples reconnect without leaving home.

CATHOLIC 101

Between diapers, carpool, sports, and packed schedules, family prayer does not have to be complicated. Car-ride Rosaries, mealtime blessings, the Angelus, Scripture, and a few steady prayer anchors can turn even the busiest Catholic home into holy ground.

SAINT OF THE DAY

Today the Church honors St. Pope Victor I, the first known African pope, who guided the early Church through theological disputes and worked to preserve Christian unity.

DAILY PSALM

"For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.” (Psalm 79)

DAILY READINGS

Today's Mass readings.

BEAUTIFUL

Standing at the Servants of Mary Center for Peace in Windsor, Ohio, this stunning statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the tallest of its kind in the United States. WATCH & SHARE

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