Rise Right

The Dance with NATO Continues + MORE Synodality

May 22nd, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Rita! President Trump has again stated he will speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. A US President has not directly spoken to a Taiwanese President, at least to the public's knowledge, since 1979, when the US and China established diplomatic relations and officially recognized Beijing as the only legal government of China. Federal officials announced sweeping new Medicaid fraud charges in Minnesota yesterday, accusing 15 defendants of such schemes. Aimee Bock, the “mastermind” behind the massive Feeding Our Future case, received the longest sentence yet connected to that fraud investigation, totaling 41 years. The House of Representatives has cancelled their vote on the war powers, which would stop new strikes on Iran, as they lack the votes to pass. The House has now failed 4 votes on the war powers resolution. The Largest US energy company, Exxon Mobil, is in talks with the Venezuelan government to reacquire oil production rights in Venezuela, after being kicked out of Venezuela almost 20 years ago. More than 3,000 Catholics gathered in Bell-view, Washington, for the ASCEND Eucharistic Revival, an event the organization described as one of the “largest gatherings of Pacific Northwest Catholics in decades.” Vice President JD Vance yesterday attended Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer’s “Catholic Connections” gathering, where the Catholic VP reportedly shared his personal faith testimony and discussed how the faith informs his approach to governing. 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 [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

Cuba Next? + An English Tragedy

May 21st, 2026 - Happy feast of the Mexican Martyrs! Federal prosecutors yesterday announced charges against 94-year-old former Cuban President Raúl Castro for the 1996 downing of two civilian planes operated by Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. In a letter to Congress, a coalition of 60 pro-life organizations across the U.S. urged lawmakers to extend a moratorium that protects taxpayer funds from being used for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. That moratorium is set to expire on July 4th. Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed laws protecting doctors' right to refuse care that violates their conscience and expanding free speech and religious freedom protections for public school students. Ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming encyclical on artificial intelligence (AI), new data from Gallup shows that seven in 10 Americans do not approve of building AI data centers in their local area. Israeli National Security Minister caused international outrage over footage that he posted on social media, showing the mistreatment of detainees. Elon Musk has expressed an interest in starting a lawsuit over the death and neglect of a young Englishman, Henry Nowak.  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 [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

Massie Out in Kentucky; Mamdani Endorsing Terrorist Fans?

May 20th, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Bernardine of Siena! Justices Charlie Bethel and Sarah Hawkins Warren were both reelected to the Georgia Supreme Court yesterday despite substantial Democratic and abortion-industry efforts to unseat them. The future of Georgia’s law protecting unborn children after six weeks hinged on the outcome. The Senate advanced a measure that would require President Donald Trump to end U.S. military actions against Iran unless Congress authorizes them. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, an outspoken critic of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files and recent foreign policy decisions, was defeated yesterday in the most expensive House primary in American history. Israeli settlers reportedly torched fields, attempted to burn a school, and tried to set homes on fire with families inside across at least nine West Bank locations the night of May 18, while Israeli military forces blocked fire trucks from reaching the scenes. A Colorado district judge ordered a coroner to release an unredacted autopsy report of a teen who died in 2025 of complications from a second-trimester abortion, a legal victory that pro-life groups have touted as a win for transparency surrounding abortions. 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 [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

How Do You Solve a Problem Like the Germans?

May 19th, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Peter Celestine! Israel has issued evacuation orders for parts of Lebanon, due to their resumption of operations against Hezbollah following ceasefire violations. A New York judge blocked some items found in Luigi Mangione's backpack from being used as evidence in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson. That includes including the magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet and computer chip. President Donald Trump said yesterday that he has postponed a planned U.S. military strike against Iran after Gulf leaders urged more time for negotiations. He also ordered that it remain prepared for a possible “full, large scale assault” on short notice if negotiations fail. The Education Department will now let eligible students use federal Pell Grant funds for trade and tech training programs. Two teenage gunmen opened fire at a mosque in San Diego yesterday, killing three men before fleeing the scene and dying of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds a few blocks away. A rule in New York prohibiting concealed carry unless business owners posted signs permitting it has been ruled unconstitutional. Vandals beheaded a Sacred Heart of Jesus statue outside a Catholic church on New York’s Long Island, and police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. Please consider making prayers of reparation. 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 [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

DOJ Cracking Down on "Trans" Hospitals

May 18th, 2026 - Happy feast of Ss. Felix of Cantalice and Pope John I! Vladimir Putin is set to visit President Xi this week, just days after President Trump’s visit. Tens of thousands of right-wing Brits protested on the streets of London in a "Unite the Kingdom” rally. Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his Louisiana Republican primary Saturday to Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow, becoming the first elected GOP senator to lose renomination since 2012 — five years after he voted to convict Trump in his impeachment trial. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has returned to his radio program after being hospitalized with viral pneumonia. Celebrating World Communications Day, Pope Leo XIV called on Catholics to resist forms of communication that undermine the truth and dignity of the human person. Ukraine killed at least four people and downed more than 1,000 drones across Russia in its largest overnight attack on Moscow in more than a year, as President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed retaliation for Russia's heaviest strike on Kyiv since the war began. Lawmakers heard testimony detailing allegations that prisoners of conscience and religious minorities in China are being systematically targeted for forced organ harvesting. 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 [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]