Democrats call for military to defy Trump; Saudi Crown Prince meets with Trump in DC, ups investment in US; Journalist says Trump must improve cost of living for Americans before midterms; House speaker says bottom line for Dems is to destroy Trump; Notre Dame ditches Catholic mission statement for staff; Journalist has strong words for mayor of Dearborn; Curia cardinal pooh-poohs accusations Pope Leo snubbed transgenders at Vatican event; and more —
Six Democrats urge military members to ‘refuse illegal orders’ in viral video; Hegseth responds
A group of Democrat lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds released a video Tuesday urging service members to “refuse illegal orders,” a message conservatives blasted as a call to defy President Donald Trump and his Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The one-minute video, posted by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and viewed more than 1.6 million times, features six lawmakers invoking their prior service while telling members of the military and intelligence community that “the threats to our Constitution are coming from right here at home.”
Slotkin and her colleagues have spent recent weeks introducing legislation to limit President Trump’s ability to deploy National Guard members domestically or launch military action against narcoterrorists without congressional approval.
Read more at Fox News
Video of Dems encouraging military to defy Trump’s orders
Watch @CJPearson
Saudi Crown Prince Pledges to Raise U.S. Investment to Nearly $1 Trillion
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told President Donald Trump on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia will be upping its investment commitment in the U.S. to nearly $1 trillion, up from the $600 billion pledged in May. …
“I believe, Mr. President, today and tomorrow, we’re going to announce that we are going to increase that $600 billion to almost $1 trillion of investment, real investment, and real opportunity by details in many areas,” the crown prince said.
“And the agreement that we are signing today in many areas of technology, [artificial intelligence], and materials, magnets, etc, that will create a lot of domestic opportunities,” he added. …
“I appreciate that. … if you didn’t see potential in the U.S., you wouldn’t be doing it … You don’t want to lose money,” Trump said.
Read more at Breitbart
Trump promises Saudi investment will create jobs and support Americans
See more @WhiteHouse
Warning to Trump: Inflation Low, but Cost of Living remains High
Watch @DailySignal
Pro-Life Groups Announce $80 Million Campaign To ‘Fire Up Pro-Life Americans’ For 2026 Midterms
More than three years after the Supreme Court put an end to the 1973 ruling that federalized the murder of the unborn, the fight for life is far from over. Much is at stake in the year ahead.
On the cusp of a critical midterm election year, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA) and Women Speak Out PAC (WSO) have announced they will spend $80 million in the 2026 midterms in an effort to retain pro-life majorities in Congress. The plan is to reach 10.5 million voters nationwide through a mix of canvassing, digital advertising, voter contact mail and “a robust early vote campaign,” the organizations said in a statement. …
SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser knows what pro-life espousing Republicans should understand well by now: they can’t win without their pro-life base, particularly in low-turnout midterm elections that traditionally aren’t kind to the party in charge.
Read more at The Federalist
Trump-Appointed Judge May Have Just Cost Republicans Nearly Half A Dozen House Seats
A three-judge federal panel ruled on Tuesday that Texas can’t use the GOP-drawn redistricting map designed to boost Republican chances in the 2026 midterm elections.
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the new map into law in August, which would add up to five additional House seats for the Republican Party in the midterms, The Texas Tribune reported. However, the 2-1 Tuesday ruling asserts the map was “racially gerrymandered.”
A judge appointed by President Donald Trump joined a judge appointed by former President Obama in the ruling. A judge appointed by former President Ronald Reagan dissented. …
Texas is anticipated to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to the Associated Press.
Read more at the Daily Caller
Speaker Johnson: Democrats don’t have a platform so they’ve defaulted to the one thing they know how to do: attack President Trump
Watch @SpeakerJohnson
Megyn Kelly calls out Dems, media on hypocrisy over Epstein files
Watch @Chicago1Ray
Trump administration takes major step toward dismantling US Education Department
The U.S. Education Department is handing off some of its biggest grant programs to other federal agencies as the Trump administration accelerates its plan to shut down the department.
The changes announced Tuesday represent a major step forward for the administration’s dismantling of the department, which has mainly involved cutting jobs since President Donald Trump called for its elimination with an executive action in March.
Six new agreements signed by the Education Department will effectively move billions of dollars in grant programs to other agencies. Most notable is one that will put the Department of Labor over some of the largest federal funding streams for K-12 schools, including Title I money for schools serving low-income communities.
Read more at AP News
Linda McMahon on the dismantling of the Department of Education
Watch @RapidResponse47
Ronald Regan on the Department of Education
Watch @DigitalGalX
Notre Dame bins Catholic mission statement for staff
The University of Notre Dame has removed its long-standing expectation that staff should “understand, accept and support” its Catholic mission.
In a press release, the University of Notre of Dame explained that it was removing its Catholic mission statement for staff. It will be replaced with a streamlined set of secular values that no longer makes explicit reference to the religious character of the institution.
The change was unveiled during staff town-hall-type meetings held on 29 and 30 October, where new organisational principles were presented as part of a wider refresh of internal culture at one of America’s most prominent Catholic universities.
Read more at The Catholic Herald
Supreme Court won’t hear Christian school’s challenge to loudspeaker prayer ban
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up a Florida Christian school’s challenge to an athletic association’s refusal to let them conduct a prayer over the loudspeaker at a championship game.
In an orders list released Monday morning, the Supreme Court denied without comment a request for oral arguments in the case of Cambridge Christian School, Inc. v. Florida High School Athletic Association.
The denial of the certiorari in the case leaves in place an appeals court panel ruling against the school, which had concluded that a loudspeaker prayer constituted government speech.
Read more at The Christian Post
Journalist decries treatment by Dearborn, Michigan police while covering anti-Islam protests
Watch @camhigby
Pope Leo XIV draws online backlash over climate, immigration and transgender outreach
Pope Leo XIV ignited a wave of criticism across social media this week after issuing a series of public messages calling for stronger climate action, expanded compassion toward migrants, and inclusion of transgender individuals.
The controversy accelerated after the pontiff posted on X on Nov. 16, urging world leaders to prioritize justice for vulnerable communities.
“I urge Heads of State and the leaders of nations to listen to the cry of the poorest,” he wrote. “There can be no peace without justice. The poor remind us of this in many ways, through migration as well as through their cries …
X’s AI chatbot Grok pointed out the Vatican’s extremely limited immigration policies, noting that citizenship is generally confined to clergy, diplomats, and staff, and is revoked once they leave their posts.
Read more at the Washington Examiner (subscription needed for full article)
Curia cardinal hits back over Vatican seating ‘snub’ for transgender activists
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski has responded to claims that transgender activists were intentionally excluded from Pope Leo XIV’s top table at the Vatican’s Jubilee Lunch for the Poor.
A group of 48 individuals who identify as “transgender women” attended the annual “Lunch for the Poor” at the Vatican on Sunday alongside Pope Leo XIV, with none being seated at the Pope’s main table.
In 2023 and 2024, two individuals identifying as “transgender women” were selected to dine at the head table. The arrangement this year prompted some secular newspapers to claim that the transgender activists were effectively snubbed by not being at the top table.
Read more at The Catholic Herald
German Protestant minister presides over a ‘poly wedding,’ touts ‘queer-inclusive’ approach
Read @father_rmv; see also at Catholic League
Nicki Minaj speaks out to end extermination of Christians in Nigeria
Watch @EricLDaugh; see also @WhiteHouse
Pope Leo weighs in on persecution in Nigeria, says both Christians and Muslims killed
Watch @Catholic Arena
Nigerian bishop compares violence on Christians in his country to Crucifixion of Christ
Watch @Arisetv
No matter what, Catholics seek the help of the Blessed Mother
See @GrainneMcD92925
