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Now on to the news.

How will Ginsburg's death affect the election?

The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is like a personal wound to many women who are grateful for her lifelong work removing the hurdles of sexism.

But what impact will Ginsburg's death have on the upcoming presidential election?

"The short answer is that it helps President Donald Trump," writes NCR political columnist Michael Sean Winters. "But it is not clear if that help will be significant or not."

The court vacancy serves Trump in getting the country talking about something other than COVID-19, Winters points out, especially with the recent news of the president admitting he downplayed the danger posed by the virus.

"Some commentators are saying that the vacancy will rile up Trump's base," Winters writes. "They are pretty riled up already. Any voter whose primary concern is the future direction of the courts, or the abortion issue in particular, had already decided for whom to vote."

More background:

In battleground states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Florida, Catholics are a pivotal swing vote, reports The Associated Press.
Controversial Catholic, Amy Coney Barrett, re-emerges as potential Supreme Court pick.
The National Catholic Prayer Breakfast award for Attorney General William Barr is dividing Catholics, writes Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese.
All of NCR's 2020 election coverage can be found here.

Silverstream Priory, founded by conservative US monk, gets visitation

A monastery in Ireland founded by a U.S.-born Benedictine monk - whose popular, though scrutinized, theological writings have been heralded by a number of leading traditionalist church prelates, including Cardinal Raymond Burke, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò and Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland - has been subject to a canonical visitation.

A five-page report on the visitation, obtained by NCR, enumerates concerns about the financial management of the monastery and the structure of its community life.

More headlines

ICYMI: The Vatican has reiterated its objection to the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide, calling the intentional killing of sick patients an "intrinsically evil act" akin to murder and warning that legislators who approve such laws "become accomplices of a grave sin."
ICYMI: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith defended the request that Redemptorist Fr. Tony Flannery sign four strict oaths of fidelity to Catholic teachings, saying the move, while "very unpleasant," was part of the CDF's duty as the global church's orthodoxy watchdog.
Not all Catholics believe that abortion is the single defining issue in deciding how to vote. For many, character - despite being difficult to define - is more important, writes Patrick Carolan, Catholic outreach director for Vote Common Good.

Final thoughts

NCR Executive Editor Heidi Schlumpf has joined Season 7 of "The Francis Effect" podcast with co-hosts Franciscan Fr. Dan Horan (columnist for NCR's "Faith Seeking Understanding") and David Dault, executive producer and host of "Things Not Seen: Conversations about Culture and Faith." Listen to the latest episode here and catch up on all of the episodes for this season here.

Until Thursday,

Stephanie Yeagle

NCR Production/Online Editor

[email protected]

Twitter: @ncrSLY

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