The LOOP

The Friday Loop - September 11, 2026

REPUBLICANS RALLY SUPPORT AT GOP MIDTERM CONVENTION

Republicans gathered in Dallas this week for a first-of-its-kind midterm convention, with President Trump urging turnout and pledging to campaign nationwide. Vice President JD Vance closed the event by drawing a sharp contrast with Democrats, as speakers also marked the first anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and warned that November will decide whether the “common sense revolution” holds.

MORE THAN 120 MILLION COULD CLAIM EDUCATION FREEDOM TAX CREDIT IN 2027

A new American Federation for Children analysis estimates 121.5 million taxpayers could claim the Education Freedom Tax Credit in 2027, more than double earlier estimates. The dollar-for-dollar credit of up to $1,700 for donations to K-12 scholarship groups takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt called it “one of the most consequential opportunities for Catholic institutional life in a generation.”

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HIGHLIGHTS 9/11 ACTS OF HEROISM

The Knights of Columbus is marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by remembering 46 members killed that day — including 12 firefighters, six law enforcement officers, and an elevator mechanic, who ran toward the towers to help others escape. The day after the attacks, the Knights launched a $1 million Heroes Fund for 419 families and later provided Catholic college tuition aid for children of deceased or disabled first-responder Knights.

FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS THREATEN REPERCUSSIONS OVER ISRAELI SETTLER VIOLENCE

The foreign ministers of 12 nations, including the U.K., France, Canada, Spain, and Poland, issued a joint statement Sept. 8 condemning “unprecedented levels of settler violence” in the West Bank and pledging restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee separately characterized some settler actors as “terrorists,” as polling shows support for Israel waning among the U.S. public.

TALARICO BACKS MINOR SURGERY BAN, WALKS BACK ‘SIX SEXES’ COMMENT

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico said he would “absolutely” vote for a national ban on “transgender” surgeries for minors and now says “there are two” sexes, walking back a 2021 claim that modern science recognized six. The shift comes in the final stretch of a dead-heat race against Attorney General Ken Paxton.

NEW YORK FAMILIES EMBRACE HOMESCHOOLING IN GROWING NUMBERS

New York recorded a 200% surge in the number of homeschooled children in the 2025-26 school year — more than three times the number 15 years earlier — as families cite stronger academics, flexibility, and more time together. Statewide homeschool enrollment has grown nearly 8% since 2023, outpacing charter-school growth, amid low pass rates in hundreds of New York City public schools.

ANALYSIS: HOW IMMIGRATION COURTS DENIED 94% OF ASYLUM CASES

Immigration courts denied 94% of asylum applications in June, with only 5.5% granted, after courts approved more than half of cases during the Biden years. Experts say the swing reflects a crackdown on fraud, faster case completions, and a bench reshaped after hundreds of judges left and Trump appointees filled the vacancies.

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ARLINGTON BACKS VOCATIONS WITH PRAYER AND VIANNEY DINNER

The Diocese of Arlington is supporting 41 seminarians with prayer, parish visits, and an endowment that already covers the $60,000 annual cost of formation. Its inaugural black-tie Vianney Dinner on July 24 sold out and raised $560,000, as Bishop Michael Burbidge told supporters the men give “tremendous hope” for the future of the local Church.

WHY RIGHT NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO READ ‘AMERICAN PONTIFF’ BY PAUL KENGOR

As the nation’s 250th anniversary year enters its final quarter, Paul Kengor’s biography of Pope Leo XIV offers a timely look at the first American pope and what it means to be Catholic in the United States. The book traces Robert Prevost’s path from Illinois and Peru to the Chair of Peter and examines the Illinois-born pontiff’s effort to heal a divided Church.

LATE SUMMER SIDE DISH: ZUCCHINI WITH PECORINO AND HOT HONEY

Zucchinis are still in season, and this side dish is sweet, savory, and salty all at once..

CATHOLIC 101

Dr. Anne Borik, the Phoenix physician who led the medical review of Dafne Gutierrez’s 2016 restoration of sight, told Zeale there was “no explanation” after the blind mother’s vision returned to 20/20 following a blessing with oil touched to a relic of St. Charbel. The case pulled Borik’s faith into her practice and led her to found a global prayer network devoted to the Lebanese saint.

SAINT OF THE DAY

Today, the Church celebrates the life of St. John Gabriel Perboyre, the French missionary who followed God’s call across the world, trusting Christ with every step of his vocation.

DAILY PSALM

"How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!” (Psalm 84)

DAILY READINGS

Today's Mass readings.

NEVER FORGET

Twenty-five years ago, America changed forever. We remember the 2,977 innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001, and honor the heroes who gave everything in the days that followed.

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