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FRIEDMAN: Not all political scandals are created equal
Should Americans care if their politicians are kinky? That question sits at the heart of a recent controversy surrounding Chris Gallant, the Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives in New York’s 1st Congressional District. The New York Post reported on Sept. 13 that Gallant, an openly gay man, had modeled for a...
Private equity's political problem
If Democrats take Congress, private equity may need to play defense.
Tired of old politicians? Vote.
Since Trump’s first presidency in 2016, no U.S. president has been younger than 70-years-old This current Congress is the third oldest in U.S. history; 24 members are over the age of 80. Age is a serious variable when it comes to someone’s ability to complete a job in any field, especially politics. Our country has...
State Legislative Chambers Could Flip in the Midterms. Here's Where
The race to control Congress in the 2026 midterm elections has dominated the public’s attention. But in many cases, state legislatures may have an even greater impact on Americans’ lives – and there’s a lot of ferment in this year’s contests. With partisan gridlock often hampering lawmaking in ...
This Week in Politics: Lead-up To Midterm Elections
With the 2026 midterm elections next week on Tuesday, Nov. 3, tensions are rising as Democratic candidates seek to flip key Republican-held seats while President Trump and his party fight to defend their majorities in both chambers of Congress. Democrats need a net gain of three seats to secure a majority in the House of...
Years after their political paths wound through D.C., Riley Owen and Ben McAdams vie to return
A generation apart, Republican Riley Owen and Democrat Ben McAdams paths have followed different paths to a crossroads where one will become the next representative in Utah's new 1st Congressional District.
Daylight Saving Impact on Health | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Congress wants to “lock the clock” to daylight saving time, but scientists argue permanent standard time is better for our health.
Two Blocks in Pennsylvania Show Why It’s So Hard for Campaigns to Reach Voters
In a competitive House district, residents get their election news from under-the-radar sources — or no sources at all.
Your phone knows you’re at the doctor, and data brokers are profiting from it
Privacy and legal experts want more states or Congress to ban advertisers from tracking Americans’ locations via their phones.
Jeff Crank and Jessica Killin share latest on campaigns, political analyst weighs in on tight race
Election day is soon, and the race for Colorado's Fifth Congressional District is tight.
Jeff Crank and Jessica Killin share latest on campaigns for Colorado's Fifth Congressional District, political analyst weighs in
Jeff Crank and Jessica Killin share latest on campaigns for Colorado's Fifth Congressional District, political analyst weighs in
Estill County students host political candidate forum ahead of election day
Students asked questions of U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker and congressional candidates Zach Dembo and Ralph Alvarado.
Democrats have a shot in Mississippi, but it’s a ‘long shot,’ political strategist says
Democratic strategist Matt Bennett analyzes the battle for control of Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections on ‘Special Report.’
FBI agent says he feared case against ex-FBI officials tied to Hunter Biden probes would look political
WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - An FBI agent who helped lead the case against two former senior bureau officials accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden investigations testified on Tuesday that...
A procrastinator’s guide to NH’s 1st Congressional District
This race is tight, and the result could have huge impacts.
Mike Rogers Solicits Donations to “Protect Elon,” the Biggest Political Donor in Modern History
The Republican’s campaign made the plea to help Musk avoid congressional inquiry into his DOGE work.
Crypto Industry's Political Spending Hits $176 Million Ahead of Midterms
The industry is racing to secure allies in Congress before pro-crypto President Donald Trump leaves office in 2029
Amo Celebrates $1.2 Million Federal Investment in Cumberland Stormwater Improvements to Protect Local Businesses and Jobs
Cumberland, RI – TODAY, Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI-01) joined local leaders today to celebrate the completion of a $1.2 million stormwater infrastructure project along Industrial Road, helping Cumberland address chronic flooding in its largest commercial area and better protect the businesses, workers, and infrastructure that keep its economy moving.
Congressional Democrats and candidates rush to condemn Cuba after Angie Nixon remarks
Florida lawmakers from both sides of the aisle readily condemned the socialist regime.
Small business owners challenge incumbent to represent Ohio District 4
Voters are slated to decide this November who will represent Ohio’s 4th Congressional District for the next two years.
NC Republican Congressmen buy TV ads in deep-red districts as election looms
Incumbent Republicans in Congress from seven conservative districts in North Carolina are running TV ads to help their re-election campaigns. It's a sign that the GOP could be worried about districts designed to be safe for Republicans amid what could be a wave year for Democrats.
IAM Union at the Center of Politics and Power in the Hawkeye State
Iowa’s working-class champions gathered just outside Des Moines, in the town of Altoona, to court IAM voters ahead of the political midterms. Speakers ranged from established state politicians to surging candidates for U.S. Congress and Senate.
Connie Chan Inherits a Chinese American Political Dream. Can She Take It to Congress?
Connie Chan's bid to become San Francisco’s first Asian American U.S. House representative is built on generations of Chinese American political organizing.
Get up to speed fast on the California election with our guide for the still undecided
Californians have a full ballot for the November 2026 election, including a governor's race, congressional seats and 14 propositions.
Q&A with Bob Harvie
The PA-1 Democratic congressional candidate talks healthcare, affordability and government accountability
Coffee Conversation: Trina Swanson talks 8th District Congressional Campaign
In the lead-up to the Nov. 3 general election, FOX 21's morning show wanted to bring in candidates that Northland residents will be seeing on the ballot to speak live
Editorial: How to lower costs in higher education
The soaring cost of higher education has been a problem for decades. Congressional Republicans have shown how to fix it. Last year, President Donald Trump signed his One Big Beautiful
Will Republicans block Democrats from Congress if they win the midterms? We asked them
Will Republicans try to block Democrats from being sworn in if they take control of Congress? We asked California Republicans. Here’s what they said.
Machine learning models predict common cancer risks using routine health data
Machine learning models using routinely collected health information, such as blood tests, medical history and lifestyle factors, could help identify people at higher risk of several common cancers, according to an international study reported at the ESMO Congress 2026.
(Most) Democrats at Question 3 rally, Harbeson heads out, more in political notes
While most top Democrats rallied again Monday for Question 3, the proposed constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting, one was notably absent, LCV's Kristen Harbeson moves on; and voting deadlines loom, in political notes.
Global cyberscams bilk Americans out of billions. A fragmented US response means few get money back
A U.S. congressional investigation has found that the U.S. government’s response to surging cyberscams remains fragmented and leaves victims struggling to recover losses
Poll: Likely voters favor Democrats as Trump disapproval drives early turnout
Democrats hold an 8-point lead among likely voters in the fight for control of Congress with one week until Election Day, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll.
Iowa politics: Meet the candidates for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District
Will Iowa voters reelect Zach Nunn for a third term, or send Sarah Trone Garriott to Washington? Here’s how the candidates compare.
Amid her reelection bid, Hochul aims at retaking Congress
Hochul spoke exclusively with NY1.
Illinois man charged with mailing white powder to members of Congress
Court records show a 37-year-old Illinois man is charged with sending threatening letters to members of Congress containing a white powder, including one with a note reading “HAH enjoy the gift.”.
After a flurry of ethics cases, sexual harassment rules for Congress are under review
Lawmakers reviewing the issue of sexual harassment on Capitol Hill say they're disturbed by what they've found.
Man charged with mailing threatening letters with white substance to members of Congress
Matthew Unglesbee, of Illinois, allegedly mailed four letters to members of Congress in envelopes that contained a white granular substance and his name and home address.
A guide to the key ballot measures voters will decide on Election Day
When Americans cast their ballots in this year’s midterm elections, they’ll not only be picking who represents them in Congress, but also weighing in on a range of topics that could change their state laws and constitutions.
Op-ed: New York’s business community deserves a debate in NY-12
NY-12 congressional candidate Caroline Shinkle argues that the race to replace Rep. Jerry Nadler should center around economic issues and that her opponent, Micah Lasher, refuses to debate.
As Trump brags about U.S. oil and gas company profits, his stocks gained millions during Iran war
A report from congressional Democrats found the president purchased millions in oil and gas stocks during the war.
Political Pulse: Attorney General Marty Jackley hopes to bring law and ag background to Congress
South Dakota congressional candidate Marty Jackley discusses his campaign as a Republican, public safety, affordability and meeting voters across the state.
In his own words: Trump on gas prices and energy costs since launching the war with Iran
Since launching the war with Iran nearly eight months ago, U.S. President Donald Trump has struggled to quell soaring energy costs, undermining Republicans’ attempt to keep control of Congress in the midterm elections next week.
We disagree about politics. But we see the same problems in health care.
Congress has several ways it can improve the industry.
We disagree about politics. But we see the same problems in health care.
Congress has several ways it can improve the industry.
Proposition A will determine fate of Missouri’s Trump-backed congressional map
Opponents of the 2025 redistricting plan are vastly outspending and appear more organized than proponents, who may be looking to the 2027 legislative session to redraw maps.
Inside the Trump Administration's Dismantling of a Health Care Research Office
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has few remaining grant officers and has redirected millions in taxpayer dollars without telling Congress.
Republicans are spending millions and still may not win districts drawn to favor them
Republicans redrew Congressional district lines to try to tilt the midterms in their favor. But now they are facing expensive and competitive races they had hoped to outmaneuver.
Republicans are spending millions and still may not win districts drawn to favor them
Republicans redrew Congressional district lines to try to tilt the midterms in their favor. But now they are facing expensive and competitive races they had hoped to outmaneuver.
Arkansan visits Washington, supports push to improve female veterans’ healthcare
WASHINGTON -- An Arkansas veteran was part of a recent push urging Congress to consider legislation to improve healthcare for women veterans.
‘Plans to die in office': Bay Area congressman's ex-aides protest challenger's ads
Seven former staffers of Rep. Mike Thompson demand that challenger Eric Jones' campaign remove a commercial targeting the North Bay legislator.
Young Scientists Congress: New technologies take centerstage at science exhibition in Wenzhou
The World Young Scientists Congress has opened in Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. More than 800 scientists and entrepreneurs from over 60 countries and regions are attending the event which includes an exhibition of the latest technologies. We spoke with some of the visitors to the event.
NH candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress clash over...
At a Manchester forum, New Hampshire candidates clashed over housing, energy, healthcare and other costs as affordability emerged as voters’ central concern. ...
Health care shakes up the Iowa election
If Democrats flip Congress, health care could find its way to the top of their 2027 agenda.
ESMO: Roche touts ‘convincing’ phase 3 KRAS data after win over rivals
Roche has shed more light on its investigational KRAS G12C inhibitor's phase 3 victory over Amgen’s Lumakras and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Krazati. The open-label Krascendo 1 trial enrolled 338 people with previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients who had already received a KRAS G12C inhibitor or pan-KRAS/RAS inhibitor were excluded from the trial. Participants received either divarasib once daily, Lumakras once daily or Krazati twice daily. Roche announced back in July that divarasib had demonstrated statistically significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), meeting the trial’s primary and key secondary endpoints. But the Swiss pharma had been holding back the detailed data until now. At the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Madrid, Roche revealed that median OS for the 167 patients who received divarasib was 17.7 months, compared to 12 months for the 171 patients who received Lumakras or Krazati. The benefit was similarly clear when it came to median PFS, which stood at 9.8 months versus 5.7 months, respectively. A total of 44% of patients receiving divarasib were alive without disease progression at one year, compared to 24% of the control group, according to Roche’s presentation. It was a similar story for the objective response rate, which came in at 58% for divarasib versus 32% for the control group, while median duration of response was 11.9 months versus 6.9 months. Stefan Frings, M.D., Ph.D., deputy chief medical officer at Roche Pharma, told Fierce that the data made for a “very comprehensive, strong package, which should be convincing to health authorities.” “It’s an important advance for patients with lung cancer,” Frings said in an interview at a Madrid hotel during the conference. “It's a second-line setting, and patients who receive divarasib benefit compared to the current first-generation KRAS G12C inhibitors by having far longer overall survival,” he continued. “They live longer. They have better progression-free survival, better response rates, and with a safety profile which is—if [anything]—even better,” he said. According to Roche, 4.8% of patients receiving divarasib discontinued treatment due to treatment-related adverse events, compared to 11.7% in the control group. Serious treatment-related adverse events were also less common with divarasib, at 7.8% versus 15.2%. Roche’s confidence in divarasib had been building even before this phase 3 success. The candidate had already shown better potency and selectivity than the incumbent KRAS G12C inhibitors Krazati and Lumakras in preclinical tests. After cross-trial comparisons suggested that the edge translated into better clinical outcomes, Roche axed a study comparing divarasib to the chemotherapy docetaxel and went toe-to-toe with Lumakras and Krazati. “We designed the drug on purpose with higher potency and better selectivity,” Frings explained. “So, based on preclinical models, we clearly knew it would be superior to the first generation.” “It’s honestly not so frequent that pharma companies go head-to-head,” he added. “But if you want to make a point, if you want to convince payers, prescribers and patients … then a head-to-head win is rather rewarding.” While Amgen and BMS reached the regulatory finish line first for KRAS G12C-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC in 2021 and 2022, respectively, they have struggled to capitalize on their head start. Krazati brought in $55 million for BMS in the second quarter, while Lumakras delivered $111 million to Amgen. For its part, Roche is aiming for peak divarasib sales of 1 billion to 2 billion Swiss francs ($1.2 billion to $2.5 billion), according to Frings. The Big Pharma is currently recruiting patients into a phase 3 trial comparing divarasib plus Keytruda against Keytruda plus chemotherapy in previously untreated advanced or metastatic nonsquamous KRAS G12C-mutated NSCLC. Roche has previously suggested that sales in metastatic disease would account for most of the forecast. Frings was tight-lipped on the exact timeline for a regulatory filing but said the Swiss pharma is “certainly keen to get this to as many patients as possible around the world.” Roche has more RAS drugs coming up behind divarasib. The pharma has already launched phase 1 trials of a pan-RAS inhibitor called RG6505 and a KRAS G12D inhibitor dubbed RG6620 in solid tumors. Roche’s partner Chugai Pharmaceutical is also testing a pan-KRAS inhibitor called AUBE00. Roche has made a “deliberate effort” to test a range of RAS drugs, Frings said. “If you have many rare mutations and you are scrambling to find sufficient patients, a pan-RAS inhibitor makes a lot of sense,” he explained.
At Issue: Oct. 25 focuses on political advertisements, Rep. John McGuire candidate profile
In less than two weeks, the votes will be in and you will know who will represent your hometown in Congress. But until then, the political advertisements will target you on every device and platform.
Political analysis favors Mendoza over Ciscomani
The Cook Political Report has switched its assessment of the congressional race for the House seat from a “toss-up” ranking to “Leans Democratic.”
Election Board: Cognetti makes her case on health care, tariffs and Iran
WILKES-BARRE — Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti said when she decided to run for Congress, she could not have predicted how much worse things could be across the board.
How China’s regional leadership changes offer clues to the party’s future
The coming months will see a series of provincial congresses as part of a process that will determine the membership of key party bodies.
This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional.
Swing seats, meaning districts that a presidential candidate won by 5 percentage points or fewer in the previous election, are disappearing from the national map.
This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional
The number of politically competitive U.S. House seats is shrinking rapidly. There are many reasons. People have stopped splitting their tickets when voting and now usually support one party in all races. More people now live in areas with similarly-minded voters. The battlefield shrunk further a...
This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional
The number of politically competitive U.S. House seats is shrinking rapidly. There are many reasons. People have stopped splitting their tickets when voting and now usually support one party in
This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional
(AP) — In 2022, Democrat Wiley Nickel ran as a moderate and narrowly won North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District by about 9,000 votes. Two years later, the current congressman, Republican Brad Kn...
This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional
The number of politically competitive U.S. House seats is shrinking rapidly. There are many reasons. People have stopped splitting their tickets when voting and now usually support one party in all races. More people now live in areas with similarly-minded voters. Swing seats have taken a hit sin...
This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional
The number of politically competitive U.S. House seats is shrinking rapidly.
This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional
The number of politically competitive U.S. House seats is shrinking rapidly.
This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional
The number of politically competitive U.S. House seats is shrinking rapidly.
This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional
The number of politically competitive U.S. House seats is shrinking rapidly.
Epstein files take back seat in midterms but experts say issue has not gone away
Other voter concerns have prevailed but return of Congress likely to see renewed focus on late sex offender’s activities
Voters angry about high prices may get little relief from the next Congress
Even if Democrats win control of Congress on Nov. 3, lawmakers can do little about prices that are uncomfortably high -- and will stay that way even as the rate of inflation is expected to slow.
This decade has been missing its big-impact midterm
Every other decade over the past hundred years has produced at least one midterm that made a big difference in Congress and in national politics more broadly.
Americans agree on health care costs. Why can't Congress act?
Opinion: Patients need health care relief they can actually feel.
Americans agree on health care costs. Why can't Congress act?
Opinion: Patients need health care relief they can actually feel.
Politics Unplugged Podcast: Election countdown with Laura Gersony
With Election Day nearing, Arizona’s congressional races are drawing national attention. Arizona Republic reporter Laura Gersony joins Politics Unplugged to break down the high-stakes fights in AZ-01 and AZ-06, where the House majority could be on the line. The conversation examines whether Republican candidates can separate themselves from President Donald Trump as affordability concerns and negative ads dominate the closing days. The episode also looks at outside spending, Elon Musk-backed turnout efforts and the unexpectedly competitive race involving Rep. Eli Crane in northern Arizona. Plus, Dennis Welch and Colin Stanton discuss Arizona’s statewide races, polling, campaign cash and the Valley’s rough sports week.
Politics Unplugged Podcast: Election countdown with Laura Gersony
With Election Day nearing, Arizona’s congressional races are drawing national attention. Arizona Republic reporter Laura Gersony joins Politics Unplugged to break down the high-stakes fights in AZ-01 and AZ-06, where the House majority could be on the line. The conversation examines whether Republican candidates can separate themselves from President Donald Trump as affordability concerns and negative ads dominate the closing days. The episode also looks at outside spending, Elon Musk-backed turnout efforts and the unexpectedly competitive race involving Rep. Eli Crane in northern Arizona. Plus, Dennis Welch and Colin Stanton discuss Arizona’s statewide races, polling, campaign cash and the Valley’s rough sports week.
Asheville drag queen says attack ad that falsely links her to Jamie Ager was made with AI
An Asheville-area drag queen is speaking out after being featured in a political attack ad targeting Democratic Congressional candidate Jamie Ager.
The Violent Cost of Being a Woman in Politics Spans Continents
Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world ... with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment. This week: —There is not (yet) the political will in the U.S. to talk about gender quotas ... but 35 nations in Europe have either been mandated or volunteered to implement them. —Weeks after the brutal rape of Arizona congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia, Australian independent member of Parliament Helen Haines is in hospital in a critical condition after she was struck by a car outside her office in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said appears to have been "a deliberate act." —"Politicians are no longer treated like we’re human,” says Arizona state legislator Alma Hernandez, who is facing rising harassment and threats. —Federal agents searched the Washington-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, a frequent critic of Republican President Donald Trump. —If elected governor of Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms would become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history. ... and more.
In one of the West's few swing races, a Democrat tries to keep a Trump district
Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is home to a tight race that will help determine the balance of power in the U.S. House.
WATCH: Smucker, Mannion to debate in Manor Township
Republican Congressman Lloyd Smucker and Democratic challenger Nancy Mannion are set to debate this afternoon at a forum hosted by the Lancaster Chamber and York County Economic Alliance.
Your Weekly Michigan Political Brief
End Citizens United has endorsed Democratic challenger Callie Barr for Michigan’s 1st Congressional District. William Lawrence, Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, has been endorsed by the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union and the Black Economic Alliance. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has formally endorsed state Senator Chedrick Greene (D-Saginaw) in the […]
2 ex-FBI officials charged with making false statements about Hunter Biden's laptop
Two former FBI intelligence officials who specialized in foreign election interference were charged Friday with making false statements about their roles in investigating the origins of Hunter Biden’s laptop in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election.
'This has no place for partisan politics' say Camp Lejeune contamination victim advocates
At a Greenville rally this week, President Donald Trump said he will order swift settlement of remaining claims only if Republicans hold Congress.
Poll: Low-information voters have turned hardest against Trump and the GOP
In 2024, the voters who knew the least about politics were some of Donald Trump’s strongest supporters. A Data for Progress poll released just before the election found Americans who didn’t consume any news at all said they’d vote for Trump over Kamala Harris by a 20-point margin, 60%1 to 40%. In February, we reported that many of these voters had soured on Trump. Voters who couldn’t name the party in control of Congress moved away from Trump at about twice the rate as high-information voters. But approval isn’t vote choice. With the midterms less than two weeks away, it is worth asking if these voters are turning against the president’s party in federal elections, too. In our October Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll, conducted Oct. 13–19 among 2,028 U.S. adults, we asked respondents two factual questions about politics: which party has the most members in the House, and which has the most members in the Senate. I classified anyone who got at least one of these questions wrong as “low-knowledge.” About 30% of adults miss at least one question, including 25% of 2024 Trump voters, 22% of Harris voters, and more than half of people who didn’t vote in 2024. In this article, I do two things with this data. First, I repeat my February analysis and compare how these two groups feel about Trump’s job as president; then I look at each group’s voting behavior in the upcoming House midterms. Register for free to read the rest of this piece.
Cook Political Report shifts AL-2 race rating towards Democrats
The Cook Political Report shifted Alabama's 2nd Congressional District race from likely Republican to lean Republican.
Pope hope, that’s entertainment, and getting ahead in the CIA
Happy Friday friends, I want to start by just breathing for all of us a big long collective sigh of relief at the news this week that the pope’s doctors have basically blown the all clear for Leo’s health. Going from knowing nothing to him declaring to the world he needed surgery, to a cancer diagnosis, to bouncing out of the hospital in barely even days, to ringing the bell in less than two weeks is whiplash inducing. But in the best possible way. We are living in a world in which the Roman pontiff, by dint of history, biography and circumstance, is once more at the epicenter of global affairs. Not just conversations about religion, or Christian and post-Christian values, but the bleeding edge of the most pressing issues of human affairs. Think I am exaggerating a touch? Consider the images of the crowds who greeted Leo in Paris just weeks ago, and juxtapose them with the absolute photo negative scenes unfolding there recently. Ask yourself how many world leaders are talking about AI right now and directly citing the pope as they do so. Try to name a country who has had as many top-ranked diplomats in and out of both Russia and Ukraine in the last three years as the Vatican has in the last three months. It has been fascinating to watch Leo XIV emerge as not just a kind of pop culture reference point or totem to be cited (Francis was often name-checked this way) but as a kinetic force in global conversation. Given the state of things, we need global figures of gravitas and values, even better if they have real wisdom behind what they are saying. So news of Leo’s illness was, it seemed to me, a tremor with potentially Richter Scale implications. That not only has the worst not come to pass but instead we’ve had the best of outcomes announced is something to really be grateful for. Humanity, it seems to me, is entering one of its irregular but cyclical phases where the pace of change — technological, social, and geopolitical — outstrips the ability of previously settled norms and received wisdom to cope. Such periods – and I think the first decades of the last century were a similar such time – throw into question the viability of all kinds of institutions. And many of ours have been straining to breaking point for a few years now. The papacy has the power and the potential to be a steadying pole in all of this. That’s my hope, anyway. It’s a lot to freight the office with, though it is arguably its ultimate purpose from its founding, to be a steadying rock on which all that matters can be anchored. It’s also, of course, an intolerable weight of responsibility to place on a single man. But I am encouraged to have hope in – and for – Leo. The apostle whom he succeeds, after all, was famously unequal to some moments, failed some tests of faith, and resiled from taking the road which led ultimately to the circus on Vatican hill. Human frailty and limitations, of health, of character, of temper, can open us to Christ, whose strength is greatest in our weakness, so St. Paul learned. That gives me hope, and I am sure it consoles Leo, too. And so I will continue to pray for him. Because we need apostles of rock right now. Here’s the news. Subscribe The News The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued yesterday a new document “Venite ad me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change.” It’s not a short document, and it is at pains to stress this isn’t a doctrinal note from the dicastery, either. Rather, it brings together reflections on an important issue from the Church around the world. Some of it I actually found really rather powerful. It is, however, 25,000, which is a lot for a busy reader to get through on a weekday. So, you can read our busy reader’s summary right here. — News broke yesterday of an Oct. 22 meeting of U.S. bishops with President Donald Trump. The meeting was organized by an official at the Heritage Foundation, according to several sources close to the meeting. Video of several U.S. bishops praying in the Oval Office over President Trump was posted on social media Thursday afternoon, first by White House Communications Advisor Margo Martin, and then by the official twitter.com account of the Archdiocese of Denver. The meeting has drawn sharp criticism because of its proximity to the upcoming midterm Congressional elections, in which Democrats are widely expected to win control of the House of Representatives, while control of the Senate remains closely contested. Sources close to the bishops’ conference told The Pillar that some USCCB senior officials were surprised by the existence of the meeting when video of it first emerged online. And a source close to conference president Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City told The Pillar that the archbishop was “deeply frustrated” by the occasion of the meeting. An official conference spokesperson told The Pillar that the meeting was “not organized with or by the USCCB” and was “not affiliated with the conference.” You can read the whole story here. — The next National Eucharistic Congress will be held in Indianapolis in 2029, a return to the city that hosted the last gathering in 2024. You read it here first. By here, I don’t mean this newsletter, I mean at The Pillar. We broke the story this week. It’s a big deal, in as much as the last congress was a roaring success and the next installment has the potential to be a real focal point for evangelizing efforts in the coming years. Read all about it here. — As Pope Leo prepares for the longest trip of his pontificate, Church leaders in Uruguay say the pontiff will encounter a highly secularized culture, in a country with a very different Catholic history than many of its South American neighbors. The nation has not had a papal visit since 1988, and leaders who spoke with The Pillar say it has a dire need for evangelization, even amid the prospect of a small revival in faith. This is real reporting on the Church in the country, and frankly a story you simply are not going to be able to read anywhere else. Read the whole thing. — The Archdiocese of Detroit announced this week a plan that would see the vast majority of its parish priests reassigned next summer, amid a restructuring process expected to dramatically shrink the number of parishes in the archdiocese. Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said this week that the plan “asks much of our priests,” but is a “sacrifice they are making as brothers of one, unified presbyterate.” The thing is, as JD pointed out in an analysis yesterday, pastors of parishes have a legal right to stability in office, so the only way this kind of wholesale reassignment goes ahead is if all of the archdiocesan clergy agree to resign. That creates its own kind of legal issues, though, and re-raises longstanding questions about the effectiveness of canonical due process protections for priests when dealing with coercive exercises in authority. Read the whole thing here. — More than three months after the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued its decree declaring the excommunication of the leadership of the Society of St. Pius X, questions remain about the full effects of the society’s schism. Specifically, the DDF’s July claim that marriages witnessed and confessions heard by SSPX priests are now invalid remains contested — and it emerged this week it appears that the Vatican’s own legal experts don’t agree. You can read my whole analysis of the situation and what it means here. All I would add is that the DDF’s undeveloped, some would say unsubstantiated, claim about the invalidity of some SSPX sacraments came in their July Explanatory Note on the schismatic consecrations by the society that month. It touches directly on both papal acts of governance — indeed it purports to nullify them — and the most intimate pastoral encounters possible in a parish setting. If there is one aspect of the Francis-era style of governance I would like the curia to finally cut out, root and branch, it would be these attempts to try to effect extraordinarily sensitive legislative acts via a note. — At least a dozen French bishops have spoken out following an eruption of violence on the country’s streets Oct. 17. Not surprisingly, they unanimously condemned the violence, but the length and content of their interventions varied significantly. Several sought to distinguish between the actions of rioters and what they suggested were the legitimate concerns of peaceful young protesters. Many also evoked Pope Leo XIV’s Sept. 25-28 visit to France, suggesting it offered a powerful counter-image to the scenes of looting and destruction. A number of bishops also stressed their solidarity with law enforcement officials who struggled to contain the disorder, as well as the owners of the roughly 3,000 damaged or looted businesses. What’s the background to the nationwide unrest that the French media calls “les violences du 17 octobre”? And what exactly are the bishops saying? Read all about it here. — A Polish bishop called for the firm defense of unborn children as well as compassion for their mothers this week, as the lower house of Poland’s parliament passed two bills seeking to liberalize the country’s abortion laws. The bill on decriminalizing assistance in an abortion passed by 217 votes to 213, while the abortion in cases of fetal abnormality bill passed by 233 to 203, thanks to the government’s majority in the lower house. Both bills will now move to the Polish Senate, the upper house of parliament, where the ruling coalition has a larger majority. The fetal abnormality bill is symbolically significant because if it became law, it would effectively overturn a 2020 ruling by Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal that a 1993 law permitting abortion for a severe and irreversible disability or a life-threatening incurable disease was unconstitutional. Read the whole story here. Subscribe **[The St. Paul Center App | Bible Study On-The-Go Read and understand the Bible with St. Paul Center’s new app! With today’s leading Catholic Scripture scholars as your guides, the St. Paul Center app empowers you to read the Bible](https://stpaulcenter.com/app?utm_source=pillar&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=applaunch)** from the heart of the Church. Download the app for free at either the Apple or the Google app stores. https://stpaulcenter.com/app That’s entertainment I have written before about my deep and sincere reservations about the celebrity exorcist subculture which has taken root in American Catholicism. And, because I am very ill at ease with the entire thing, I try to keep a weather eye on the phenomenon without being drawn into the kind of online back-and-forth which these figures sometimes generate. Earlier this week, JD noted that one such celebrity exorcist type, Fr. Chad Ripperger, has undertaken, on the request of his bishop, a year’s fast from interviews and public speaking. I’m sure that will be salutary for him, if for no other reason than that receiving with docility requests from one’s rightful ecclesiastical superiors always comes with graces. Then a second thing happened this week which caught my eye. Apparently, another fixture in the celebrity exorcist world, Fr. Carlos Martins, has initiated a lawsuit against two lay men — apparently associates of Rippenger, though I am unclear in what way, exactly — for allegedly defaming him and his ministry on a podcast. It seems the suit was initiated nearly a year ago and is now pending. At issue, I read, is that the two men described Martins on a podcast as “not who he says he is” with regard to his exorcism ministry and that he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” These statements Martins considers to be false and defamatory and, his suit claims, “directly affected the sale and reception of [his] The Exorcist Files book that was newly released at the time these episodes aired.” I don’t want to get too into the weeds of the details here, but a couple of things struck me about all this.
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