Today on the LOOPcast, we break down America’s new “Accommodation Nation,” where elite campuses are flooded with disability claims and students can’t pass middle-school math. We look at why most Americans now say college isn’t worth it, then unpack Trump’s new Invest America accounts and the Dells’ multi-billion-dollar boost. Plus: big Catholic converts at ASU, a key conservative win in Tennessee, the Word of the Year (“rage bait”), and the rise of therapy as a religion.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Welcome back to LOOPcast!

4:53 - Breaking News Trump pardons Cuellar

7:23 - Rise of students claiming disability accommodations

41:30 - Trump Accounts for children

49:00 - Josh's early twilight zone

59:18 - Good news

1:07:52 - Wikipedia 2025 top searches

1:12:00 Twilight Zone

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Daily Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, I come before you seeking your calming presence to bring peace to my troubled heart. My soul feels like a restless sea, tossing and turning with worries. I place my trust in your boundless love, knowing that you will heal the stress and anxiety that weights me down and burdens me. Light up the darkness Lord and let your light shine the way for me. Amen.

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Today on the LOOPcast: Trump issues a stunning ultimatum to Maduro and declares Venezuela’s airspace “closed,” escalating a decades-long standoff now backed by U.S. warships, CIA ops, and rising talk of military action. Then we break down the D.C. ambush where an Afghan migrant—once vetted and brought here as a U.S. ally—opened fire on National Guardsmen just blocks from the White House. Plus: good-news medicine, Pope Leo’s historic trip through Turkey and Lebanon!

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Advent 

06:34 Venezuela 

16:33 Nation Guard Shooting

41:10 Good News

47:59 Pope Leo

57:45 Twilight Zone

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All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Daily Prayer: 

Lord Jesus,
Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
We who have so much to do and seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day,
We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.
We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.
To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!'
Amen.

Henri J.M. Nouwen

What is the best way to respond to relatives with differing political views at Thanksgiving gatherings? Tom and Josh reveal what they're most grateful for. And the liberal young adults aren’t having children, shown in new study from Brad Wilcox. All this and more on today’s episode of the LOOPcast!

This podcast is sponsored by Charity Mobile! Get your FREE PHONE as a new Charity Mobile user with every new line plus a FREE power bank while supplies last, now through February 2, with promo code LOOPCAST at https://bit.ly/LOOPcast_CharityMobile.

Your Alternative to Traditional School Starts Here Tired of rigid schedules and one-size-fits-all classrooms? Discover HomeschoolConnections.com—the flexible, faith-filled alternative to traditional school. With expert Catholic instructors, 100% online courses, and learning that fits your family’s pace, you can educate with confidence, freedom, and purpose. https://bit.ly/HomeschoolConnectionsCatholic

Timestamps:

0:00 - Happy thanksgiving LOOPcast!
3:16 - How to deal with political differences at thanksgiving gatherings?
21:37 - Tom and Josh: what are they most grateful for?
37:04 - The left has a family problem: new study
48:10 - Good News
58:32 - Twilight Zone

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Daily Prayer: 

O merciful God, take pity on those souls who
have no particular friends and intercessors to
recommend them to Thee, who, either through
the negligence of those who are alive, or through
length of time are forgotten by their friends and
by all.  Spare them, O Lord, and remember Thine
own mercy, when others forget to appeal to it.
Let not the souls which Thou hast created be
parted from Thee, their Creator.
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through
the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

A Russia-Ukraine peace deal may finally be within reach. What's the plan? Meanwhile, Marjorie Taylor Greene announces her resignation from Congress. Is she stepping back or stepping up to something bigger? And finally, Candace Owens claims she is the target of a France assassination plot. All this and more on the LOOPcast!

The professionals at Ave Maria Mutual Funds have a morally responsible investment philosophy that’s aligned with Catholic teaching. Start your morally responsible investment journey today by calling 1-866-AVE-MARIA or by visiting here: https://avemariafunds.com/Loopcast 

Explore everything Holy Heroes has to offer to help you cultivate the Catholic faith with your children! Use promocode "LOOPCAST" for 10% off: https://bit.ly/HolyHeroesLP  

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Welcome to the LOOPcast
04:08 Russia/Ukraine Deal
13:02 Trump Meets with Zohran Mamdani
20:31 MTG Announces Her Resignation
30:37 Good News
40:30 Twilight Zone
1:02:37 Closing Prayer
1:03:14 Erika’s Conversation with Holy Heroes!

EMAIL US: [email protected] 

SUPPORT LOOPCAST: www.loopcast.org

Subscribe to the LOOP today! https://catholicvote.org/getloop   

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc., a registered investment adviser established in 1980, serves as investment adviser for Ave Maria Mutual Funds. The Adviser invests in securities only if they meet the Funds’ investment and religious requirements, and as such, the returns may be lower or higher than if the Adviser made decisions based solely on investment considerations. The Funds’ method of security selection may or may not be successful and the Funds may underperform or outperform the stock market as a whole. All mutual funds are subject to market risk, including possible loss of principal. The Funds’ investments in small and mid-capitalization companies could experience greater volatility than investments in large-capitalization companies. AVEWX invests in foreign securities and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations. Investments in these securities can involve additional risks relating to political, economic or regulatory conditions in foreign countries. These risks include less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards of some foreign markets; fluctuations in foreign currencies; and withholding or other taxes. AVEFX invests primarily in fixed income securities and as a result the Fund is also subject to the followings risks: interest rate risk, credit risk, credit rating risk, prepayment and extension risk and liquidity risk. AVEAX and AVERX are classified as non-diversified and may therefore invest a greater percentage of their assets in the securities of a limited number of issuers than funds that are diversified. At times, the Funds may overweight a position in a particular issuer or emphasize investment in a limited number of issuers, industries or sectors, which may cause their share prices to be more susceptible to any economic, business, political or regulatory occurrence affecting an issuer than funds that are more widely diversified. The issuers that the Funds may emphasize will vary from time to time.  Request a prospectus, which includes investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses and other information that you should read and consider carefully before investing. The prospectus can be obtained by calling 1–866–283–6274 or it can be viewed at www.avemariafunds.com. Distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC.

President Trump turns up the heat, accusing Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behavior." What provoked this? Meanwhile, AI toys are hitting the shelves, and parents have real reasons to be concerned. And finally, a debate breaks out online: should newborns be allowed at child-free weddings? We weigh in. All this and more on the LOOPcast!

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Today's Prayer:

O God, from Whose hands cometh the peace the world cannot give, give us the light to see that peace is the work of Justice, and the concord of all nations the fruit of obedience to Thy Law and Thy Commandments. May we seek not so much to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love, that in pardoning we may be pardoned, and in giving we may receive. We pray for our President, for our Congress, for our homes, our people, our children, our brokenhearted, that we may be reverent in the use of freedom, just in the exercise of power, generous in the protection of weakness, merciful to those who have been our enemies. Not for our worthiness, but because of Thy tender mercy hear our prayer that we may so pass through things temporal as not to lose the things eternal, O Christ Jesus, Our Lord.
Monsignor Fulton Sheen on The Catholic Hour (published 1946)

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Get everything you need for your traditional home blessing — including the St. Benedict Medal, Holy Water Bottle, and more — from our friends at Holy Heroes today! https://bit.ly/TheDeep_HolyHeroesHB

In a recent memo ahead of the annual Climate Summit, Bill Gates considerably toned down the narrative of climate change alarmism, saying the main focus shouldn't solely be on the climate, but instead on improving people's lives. In this episode of The Deep, Erika discusses the rise and fall of climate alarmism. She dives into the history of the "global warming" apocalypse narrative, and turns to John Paul II to gain a proper human-centered approach to environmentalism.

Timestamps:

0:00 - A shift in tone: Bill Gates walks back on climate change 
5:07 - A brief history: the rise of climate alarmism
8:02 - An apocalyptic narrative
11:01 - A house built on sand: the lies of climate change
14:22 - The collapse of alarmism
16:23 - The right approach to environmentalism 
21:00 - Climate alarmism is dying? Now what?

Subscribe to the LOOPcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theLOOPcast

Sources:

Shellenberger, Michael. “Scientists Deliberately Misled Public On Fires, Ice, Food, Floods, Heat, Islands, Coral, Sea Level, And Hurricanes.” Public.News, October 26, 2025. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.public.news/p/scientists-deliberately-misled-public. public.news

Voortman, Hessel G., and Rob De Vos. “A Global Perspective on Local Sea Level Changes.” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 13, no. 9 (2025): 1641. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13091641. MDPI

“Highest coral cover in central, northern Reef in 36 years.” Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Media Release, August 4, 2022. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.aims.gov.au/information-centre/news-and-stories/highest-coral-cover-central-northern-reef-36-years#:~:text=Highest%20coral%20cover%20in%20central%2C%20northern%20Reef%20in%2036%20years%20|%20AIMS. aims.gov.au

Bill Gates. “Three Tough Truths About Climate.” GatesNotes. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.gatesnotes.com/home/home-page-topic/reader/three-tough-truths-about-climate. Gates Notes+2Gates Notes+2

“Earth Day ’70 — What It Meant.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Archive. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/earth-day-70-what-it-meant.html

Inskeep, Steve. “Bill Gates Is Going Nuclear: How His Latest Project Could Power U.S. Homes and AI.” NPR, June 14 2024. Accessed November 17 2025. https://www.npr.org/2024/06/14/nx-s1-5002007/bill-gates-nuclear-power-artificial-intelligence#:~:text=Bill%20Gates:%20Well%2C%20absolutely.

Multiple authors. “The Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Cognitive Function and Attention Span.” Lone Star Neurology. Accessed November 17 2025. https://lonestarneurology.net/others/the-impact-of-smartphone-addiction-on-cognitive-function-and-attention-span/.

Roger Pielke, Jr. “What Is a Worst-Case Climate Scenario?” Substack. Accessed November 17 2025. https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/what-is-a-worst-case-climate-scenario

Polar Bears International. Accessed November 17 2025. https://polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears-changing-arctic/polar-bear-facts/status/

Pope Leo XIV sets the record straight: solidarity with migrants does NOT mean open borders. Meanwhile, Congress votes on the Epstein files, and Americans want answers. And finally… “May I meet you?” All this and more on the LOOPcast!

The professionals at Ave Maria Mutual Funds have a morally responsible investment philosophy that’s aligned with Catholic teaching. Start your morally responsible investment journey today by calling 1-866-AVE-MARIA or by visiting here: https://avemariafunds.com/Loopcast

This podcast is sponsored by Charity Mobile! Get your FREE PHONE as a new Charity Mobile user with every new line plus a FREE power bank while supplies last, now through February 2, with promo code LOOPCAST at https://bit.ly/LOOPcast_CharityMobile

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Welcome to the LOOPcast
06:11 Pope Leo: Solidarity With Migrants NOT Open Borders
35:20 Congress Votes on Epstein Files
51:09 Good News
59:15 Twilight Zone
1:20:07 Closing Prayer

EMAIL US: [email protected]
Subscribe to the LOOP today! https://catholicvote.org/getloop

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc., a registered investment adviser established in 1980, serves as investment adviser for Ave Maria Mutual Funds. The Adviser invests in securities only if they meet the Funds’ investment and religious requirements, and as such, the returns may be lower or higher than if the Adviser made decisions based solely on investment considerations. The Funds’ method of security selection may or may not be successful and the Funds may underperform or outperform the stock market as a whole. All mutual funds are subject to market risk, including possible loss of principal. The Funds’ investments in small and mid-capitalization companies could experience greater volatility than investments in large-capitalization companies. AVEWX invests in foreign securities and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations. Investments in these securities can involve additional risks relating to political, economic or regulatory conditions in foreign countries. These risks include less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards of some foreign markets; fluctuations in foreign currencies; and withholding or other taxes. AVEFX invests primarily in fixed income securities and as a result the Fund is also subject to the followings risks: interest rate risk, credit risk, credit rating risk, prepayment and extension risk and liquidity risk. AVEAX and AVERX are classified as non-diversified and may therefore invest a greater percentage of their assets in the securities of a limited number of issuers than funds that are diversified. At times, the Funds may overweight a position in a particular issuer or emphasize investment in a limited number of issuers, industries or sectors, which may cause their share prices to be more susceptible to any economic, business, political or regulatory occurrence affecting an issuer than funds that are more widely diversified. The issuers that the Funds may emphasize will

President Trump makes a U-turn on releasing the Epstein files: what changed, and what does it mean? Meanwhile, the USCCB weighs in on immigration with a video that’s raising eyebrows. And finally, the Ford CEO claims he cannot fill 5,000 mechanic jobs. What's behind this? All this and more on the LOOPcast!

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Welcome to the LOOPcast
02:43 Trump does Epstein U-Turn
15:42 USCCB & Immigration
37:05 Good News
54:15 Gallup Poll Shows Major Drop in Religiosity Among US Adults
1:04:40 Twilight Zone
1:28:16 Closing Prayer

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All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

We all see the obvious problems with surrogacy and IVF, but few want to pick that fight. Katy Faust believes it is the battle of our times and her movement, Them Before Us, gives people the framework to fight back. 

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
07:00 Doxxing Story 
15:00 Children's Rights v Adult Rights
21:00 Who Bears The Burden?
23:30 What Arguments Are Most Effective?
28:45 Gen Z
36:08 Obergefell Needs To Go
44:18 Is IVF Pro-Life?


Website: https://thembeforeus.com/
The video: “Colette” : https://youtu.be/Gl78C7b6G1o?si=b16uC4dxAjQOSTRJ 
Katy’s Substack: https://thembeforeus.substack.com/ 
Katy in First Things: “The End of Natural Parenthood” https://firstthings.com/the-end-of-natural-parenthood/ 

EMAIL US: [email protected]

Subscribe to the LOOP today! https://catholicvote.org/getloop

All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Get everything you need for your traditional home blessing — including the St. Benedict Medal, Holy Water Bottle, and more — from our friends at Holy Heroes today! https://bit.ly/TheDeep_HolyHeroesHB

Zohran Mamdami’s meteoric rise from a seemingly unknown state assemblyman to the next mayor of NYC signals a shift into a new era of politics. In this episode of The Deep, Erika breaks down how the age of social media is shaping the world of politics today. Is it dumbing down the electorate? Is it turning politicians into mere influencers whose success is based on their ability to go viral (instead of the quality of their policy ideas)? How should we respond to the "TikTok-ification” of politics?

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro: The rise of Zohran Mamdani
1:31 - The Mamdani playbook
3:59 - A new era of politics
5:15 - How media shapes politics
8:05 - What has changed?
9:40 - Why Zohran’s strategy worked
12:08 - Has social media dumbed the electorate?
13:21 - Once you win, reality hits 
14:46 - Conclusion: how to respond to the age of “TikTok politics”

Subscribe to the LOOPcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theLOOPcast

Sources:

Dhanyamraju, Sandeep. “The Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Cognitive Function and Attention Span.” Lone Star Neurology, published April 9 2025; medically reviewed by Chaitanya Bonda. Accessed November 13 2025. https://lonestarneurology.net/others/the-impact-of-smartphone-addiction-on-cognitive-function-and-attention-span/. Lone Star Neurology

Schleffer, Guy, and Benjamin M. Miller. “The Political Effects of Social Media Platforms on Different Regime Types.” Texas National Security Review, Summer 2021, pp. 77–103. Accessed November 13 2025. https://tnsr.org/2021/07/the-political-effects-of-social-media-platforms-on-different-regime-types/#_ftn42. UT Austin Libraries+2Texas National Security Review+2

Silver, Laura, Janell Fetterolf, Christine Huang, Sarah Austin, Laura Clancy, Sneha Gubbala, and Richard Wike. “Social Media Seen as Mostly Good for Democracy Across Many Nations, But U.S. Is a Major Outlier.” Pew Research Center, December 6 2022. Accessed November 13 2025. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/12/06/social-media-seen-as-mostly-good-for-democracy-across-many-nations-but-u-s-is-a-major-outlier/. Pew Research Center

Dunbar, Marina, and Andrew Witherspoon. “Where the Vote for Mamdani Was Strongest in New York City.” The Guardian, November 5 2025. Accessed November 13 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/05/mamdani-vote-new-york-city. The Guardian

“The Death of the Public Intellectual.” Substack, August 2 2025. Accessed November 13 2025. https://substack.com/home/post/p-158820994.