DOJ Targets SPLC + Bishop Clarifies Synodality

August 13th, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Jan Berchmans! White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced yesterday that she will leave the Trump administration at the end of August, saying she wants to spend more time with her children. Boston Archbishop Richard Henning condemned Massachusetts’ newly enacted law allowing abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy and urged the faithful to continue defending unborn life. Following nearly seven hours of jury deliberations, Australian Bishop Christopher Saunders, 76, was convicted of abusing two young men. He will be sentenced at a later date. After narrowly defeating democratic socialist Francesca Hong in Wisconsin's Aug. 11 Democratic gubernatorial primary, nominee David Crowley said he would campaign alongside his former rival on a statewide “unity tour” aimed at reuniting the party's progressive and establishment wings. The State Department announced that it has revoked more than 175,000 visas from foreign nationals under President Donald Trump, citing criminal activity, calls for violence against Americans, fraud, abuse of the immigration system, and threats to national security. Former Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) intelligence director Heidi Beirich was arrested Aug. 12 in California on federal fraud and money laundering charges stemming from allegations that she helped oversee secret payments to informants inside white supremacist groups. Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics during his General Audience yesterday to reclaim Sunday as the Lord’s Day, emphasizing that the Eucharist draws the faithful into Christ’s Resurrection and directs them toward the hope of his return. He called Sunday the “weekly Easter.” After the Diocese of Oakland asked one of its Catholic high schools to remove pride flags displayed on campus, the school replaced them with a new rainbow-colored "Inclusive O" symbol meant to affirm its “LGBTQ+” community. An Apache attack helicopter based at Fort Hood crashed into a field in Salado, Texas, yesterday afternoon, bursting into flames and killing the two soldiers on board. Please pray for the soldiers and their loved ones. Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org