Michael Sean Winters

Twice-weekly roundup of political news and commentary: Nursing homes want more COVID-19 testing; where is the bishops' pro-life chair; looking back to 2009 on ministerial exception; Federalist Society gets into videos; will Biden take Texas; Koch money still at work

Distinctly Catholic: The economic catastrophe brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has made Americans even more inclined to support government intervention in the economy.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Happy Bastille Day; not-so-neighborly in St. Louis; Twitter's effect on debate; a big warning for Democrats; goodbye to Ennio Morricone.

Distinctly Catholic: Let the net be cast wide. Let the tent be built big. Wipe the slates clean. The goal is to win and win big in November — and then to set about the task of uniting this great country.

Distinctly Catholic: Unless we seek a perpetuation of the culture wars forever, we need to be less arch in our concern for religious liberty. With a 7-vote majority, a little relaxation is warranted.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Biden and the Declaration of Independence; coronavirus cases spring up in churches; solidarity and the Payroll Protection Program; toppling Jefferson.

Distinctly Catholic: Solidarity — as a value and as a governing methodology — will see us through these crises. That is as apparent as the hypocrisy of small government and libertarian ideologues standing at the government trough waiting for their funds.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Russia charges a journalist with "justifying terrorism," Trump's numbers plummet, China limits free speech in Hong Kong.

Distinctly Catholic: The only real novelty of George Weigel's latest book is the degree to which he casts aspersions on the current pope with catty insinuations without sufficient courage to say plainly where he thinks Francis has erred.

Distinctly Catholic: Our patriotism must be more honest than it was in 1943. Americans must learn to pray for America with our eyes open. Make no mistake, however: America is still worth praying for and fighting for.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Israel's looming disaster; Oklahomans vote to expand Medicaid; conspiracy theories on the campaign trail; a priest's vicious attack on Black Lives Matter.

Distinctly Catholic: If we truly want to make sure that every child is "protected in law and welcomed in life," we have a lot more work to do than the kind of legal shenanigans that are currently consuming the pro-life and pro-choice movements.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: The justice of wearing a mask; Joe Biden narrowing search for running mate; look back at political conventions; entertainment's role in undermining bigotry

Distinctly Catholic: The federal government needs to assist the states and cities that administer the very services the pandemic is most straining. For us Catholics, this is not even a difficult issue.

Distinctly Catholic: EWTN is a primary conduit for information regarding the Catholic faith to millions of Americans. Those viewers may not know that the network has increasingly become a vehicle for Trumpian propaganda that is at odds with Catholic social teaching.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: How Viganò merged with MAGA; religious recession in post-coronavirus; the inequities between Black and white Americans; a cornerstone of classic liberalism

Distinctly Catholic: Vandalizing a statue is as objectionable as tossing the Pachamama statue into the Tiber at last year's Amazon synod. If we are to debate whether or not Serra and Columbus still deserve a place in the American pantheon, let us debate the issue, not destroy the statues.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: No social distancing among new priests; political fallout of the Trump-Viganò letter; coronavirus cases surge in southern states; climate change impacts unborn children

Distinctly Catholic column: In countless ways, the traditional Democratic Party, with its focus on economic and social justice, should be ready to take the reins of power and propel the nation forward with sustained, vigorous leadership.

Trump and the vice president should have worn masks at all group photo ops. He should have worked closely with governors who had shutdown late, states like Arizona and Florida, which are now seeing their caseloads spike, getting them increased resources and doubling down on preventive measures.