Rise Right

October 14th, 2026 - Happy feast of Pope St. Callixtus I!
Shortened episode today.
The Vatican announced this morning that Pope Leo XIV “had a peaceful night” after having surgery yesterday. Doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, a sort of lung cancer. The Vatican also announced that further information regarding the pope’s health would be provided later today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday confirmed that Ukraine's security partners had not warned Kyiv of Russia's attacks on the country over the weekend. His remarks come as President Donald Trump has feuded with Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities. Trump has claimed to have negotiated a deal with Russia to inject diesel into global markets, hoping to stabilize prices. Anita Meston, 63, is pursuing a discrimination claim against Biddick Academy in Sunderland. ADF International is supporting her claim. During a discussion about the moral questions surrounding military conflict, when one student asked whether she was “pro-abortion,” Meston responded that she was “pro-life.” The day after the March history lesson, Meston was called to a meeting with the school’s headteacher and informed that a complaint had been made about the lesson. The headteacher told Meston that she could not express personal views in the classroom and that her contract would be terminated. U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle confirmed her departure from the position in a social media post yesterday, in which she said that her time in the role was "coming to an end." The White House announced that it had asked her to leave yesterday morning, amid a scandal involving her allegedly seeking $100,000 to pay off a credit card bill.
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.
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October 13th, 2026 - Happy feast of King St. Edward the Confessor & Our Lady of Fatima!
NATO's top military commander warned Monday that what he called the "lethal alliance" would destroy "anything and everything" supporting an attack on allied territory and "break" enemy warfighting systems to thwart any potential future Russian assault. Pope Leo XIV is undergoing surgery to remove a small, localized nodule discovered on one of his lungs during a routine health check. He is being admitted to Rome's Hospital today. Reports indicate that President Donald Trump has privately expressed “misgivings” about the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the Dec. 3 execution of Nidal Hasan by firing squad. Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout urged Virginians to reject the state’s pro-abortion amendment Nov. 3, calling a “no” vote “clear Christian witness” and defending the Church’s opposition as a moral responsibility. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched the next phase of a federal program providing newborn and postpartum essentials to families, including diapers, breastfeeding supplies, and maternal health resources. Federal agents searched Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home in a criminal investigation reportedly involving alleged immigration fraud tied to documents her father completed during her childhood. Over 122,000 Florida customers remained without power as of last night after Hurricane Isaiahs ripped through over the weekend, claiming the lives of four people in Florida and Alabama.
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.
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October 9th, 2026 - Happy feast of Ss. Denis, John Henry Newman, John Leonardi and more!
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re from the office of Dean of the College of Cardinals. Pope Leo also approved the election of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as the new Dean of the College of Cardinals. The election was carried out by the Cardinals of the Order of Bishops. Tagle reportedly won that election against Cardinals Parolin, Ouellet, Sandri, and Filoni. The FDA expects to complete its safety review of the abortion drug mifepristone by March 2027, prompting pro-life advocates to demand immediate in-person safeguards. Vice President JD Vance announced investigations into nine universities, including Harvard and Yale, over allegations they used foreign researcher visas to undercut American workers’ wages. The FBI arrested an 18-year-old Minnesota man accused of plotting an ISIS-inspired mass shooting set for later this month at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Authorities say he planned to kill 30 to 60 people before agents intervened. Months after the Obama Presidential Center opened, workers are seeking to unionize over concerns about workloads and benefits. In a letter to Republican lawmakers, Democrat-aligned campaign fundraising giant ActBlue pledged to implement a passport verification program, an announcement that Republicans have said amounts to a confession that ActBlue violated federal law and likely allowed foreign actors to influence American elections. The Trump administration mailed $500 checks last week to people who live in the 30 states that use Healthcare.gov for their insurance marketplace. Qualifying people are those who use the healthcare marketplace but do not receive taxpayer subsidies.
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.
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October 8th, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Bridget of Sweden!
President Donald Trump emphasized the need to defend American cities against potential Iranian aggression Wednesday, warning of catastrophic consequences if Tehran were to obtain a nuclear weapon. Some news outlets then reported that he was threatening left-leaning cities. Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike is awake and speaking after surviving a failed lethal injection attempt. A judge ordered execution evidence preserved Oct. 7 as her attorneys continue seeking clemency. FOCUS has unanimously selected Jonathan Reyes as its next chief executive officer. A co-founder of the Augustine Institute, Reyes returns to the missionary organization where he once helped form Catholics to share the faith. President Donald Trump urged Texans to elect Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton and preserve GOP control of Congress amid polls showing Democratic opponent James Talarico ahead in the toss-up race. Pope Leo XIV will join religious leaders from around the world in Assisi Oct. 27 to pray for peace. The visit marks 40 years since Pope John Paul II’s infamous visit. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will elect a conference secretary and leaders for six committees at its Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore next month. Bishop Emeritus Frank Dewane, who led the Diocese of Venice in Florida for nearly two decades until his retirement earlier this year, died yesterday at 76 years old.
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

October 7th, 2026 - Happy feast of Our Lady of Victory and the Holy Rosary!
The Department of Justice is moving forward with efforts to strip citizenship from 40 naturalized citizens who have been accused of lying about being convicted of serious crimes, including foreign espionage and child sexual abuse, during their naturalization process. A former CIA officer admitted in a plea deal yesterday that he disclosed details about a secret U.S. intelligence source to a foreign official and embezzled nearly $200 million from the federal government, after an FBI raid on his home in May uncovered 298 gold bars worth $46 million, $2.1 million in cash and dozens of luxury items. A Washington state family has asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency injunction after their teenage daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted during a girls’ high school wrestling match by a male athlete who identifies as “transgender.” Catholic priests are reportedly restricted from hearing confessions, distributing holy Communion, and celebrating Mass for ICE detainees at a Missouri facility. The archdiocese is challenging the policy in federal court. New records show that the FBI tracked Donald, Melania, and Barron Trump’s travels while preparing to search Mar-a-Lago in 2022 and later monitored future White House chief of staff Susie Wiles’ call records. Notre Dame university is honoring the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne’s commitment to serving the dying and upholding their patients’ dignity during their final days. They will be honored with a medal at a Mass and dinner in April. Classic Hollywood film actress and Oscar winner Eeva Marie Saint, known for her roles in "On The Waterfront" and "North by Northwest", died yesterday at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 102.
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

October 6th, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Bruno!
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said during a wide-ranging CBS interview that he will reconsider retirement each term. He also warned that the Dobbs leak made justices “targets for assassination” and condemned efforts to intimidate the court. Virginia Public Media voided a contract for a press conference with physicians opposing the state’s proposed abortion amendment, saying it had not been told the event was political. The cancellation comes a month before voters decide whether to make abortion a fundamental right in the state constitution and remove parental notification requirements. What began as a series of protests over the condition of schools in Paris has devolved into a week-long riot spreading across the country, fueled by left-wing politicians and mass immigration. Over 5,000 arrests have been made, and more than 300 police officers have been injured. Pope Francis’ private diary will be published Nov. 24 in a new book offering readers a glimpse into the late pontiff’s inner life. Cardinal Fernandez presents the writings with commentary on them. President Donald Trump has cleared the way for the Fort Hood Islamic terrorist to face an Army firing squad, nearly 17 years after the deadly rampage that killed 13 and wounded 32 others.
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

October 5th, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Faustina!
A Department of Homeland Security investigation found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was given more than 3 million leads on illegal visa overstays between 2021 and 2024. Due to a 2021 directive, ICE made only 12 arrests. Cardinal Pizzaballa mourned two Christian women, a mother and daughter, killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, offering prayers for their family and the enclave’s small Christian community. The Trump administration announced nearly $55 million in federal funding to improve care for mothers and babies, expand emergency services and cancer screening, and train healthcare workers in rural Alabama. A new Department of Health and Human Services review found widespread fraud in the vetting of sponsors for unaccompanied migrant children under the Biden administration, with a group of “representative cases” telling of children being raped, going missing, and dying. A mass shooting at a neighborhood block party in South Georgia left two people dead and 35 wounded early Sunday morning. Over 1,000 people were gathered when more than 50 shots were fired in at least two locations about a block apart in Vienna, Georgia. 
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

September 25th, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Finbar of Cork!
The Iranian President flatly denied yesterday that Tehran wants a nuclear bomb while claiming Iran is willing to submit its nuclear program for international inspection, blaming Washington for the nearly seven-month war in the Middle East and accusing it of blocking diplomacy. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration would immediately ask the Supreme Court to intervene after an appeals court blocked its current deportation policy. President Donald Trump issued a message yesterday marking the beatification of Blessed Fulton Sheen, who became the first American-born bishop beatified by the Catholic Church. Firebrand conservative Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, slammed both Democrats and Republicans who have resisted passage of the SAVE America Act after a report found that 30,000 noncitizens were "mistakenly" registered to vote in states across the country since 2000. A divided panel of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stayed a lower court injunction Sept. 23, allowing Ohio to continue enforcing a law requiring documentary proof of citizenship before Bureau of Motor Vehicles workers offer voter registration forms to driver’s license applicants. A Pittsburgh children's hospital doctor was stabbed to death and his wife critically injured after a man allegedly entered their Pennsylvania home and attacked the couple as they slept early yesterday. Pope Leo XIV arrived in France today for a four-day visit to the country that begins with a packed first day, with stops at UNESCO headquarters, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the national stadium for a prayer vigil with 80,000 young people. Leo is the first pope to visit Paris since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
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

September 24th, 2026 - Happy feast of Our Lady of Ransom!
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made the surprising admission that, by ignoring fraud and abuse in government programs, the political left has allowed the right to dictate the narrative and has lost the people's trust. The Supreme Court decided not to stop a California court ruling recognizing a couple as the legal parents of an infant carried by surrogate mother McKenna West, who refused the parents’ request to abort the child after doctors diagnosed him with a serious yet treatable heart defect. Six major hospital systems have now agreed to end gender “transition” procedures for children under deals with the Trump administration. Attorney General Todd Blanche vowed that the hospitals “that target children in these practices and then fraudulently obtain payment for the procedures will be held to account.” Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for a summit with President Donald Trump, four months after the two leaders reached a sweeping agreement that included Chinese commitments on rare earths, agricultural purchases, trade and investment. President Donald Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico suffered a setback yesterday after a federal judge ordered the administration to restore White House access to the outlets. The order will be in effect for 14 days. 
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

September 23rd, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Padre Pio!
President Donald Trump said he is poised to make a “big decision” on the war with Iran, threatening to “annihilate the Islamic Republic” if it rejects a deal. A new survey conducted by the Center for Strategic Politics found that nearly six in 10 would feel positively if military leaders removed Trump from power to “safeguard the Constitution” and assumed control of the U.S. A network of socialist and communist organizations helped organize and promote an anti-ICE protest in Austin, Texas, within hours of an ICE-involved shooting, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) used established local and national networks to promote the demonstration shortly after the shooting. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced that it has launched a research program to improve autism diagnosis and care. In the case of the MA couple fighting to regain custody of their daughter, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey cited criminal charges while disputing the parents’ account. However, newly reported DCF records revealed the state agency found no reasonable cause to believe the parents had abused their daughter.
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

September 22nd, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Maurice & Companions!
President Trump is expected to address the United Nations General Assembly today. U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz told reporters that Trump’s remarks would highlight peace deals the president has worked on, U.S. actions in the Western Hemisphere and progress on his 20-point peace plan in Gaza. French intelligence is now almost certain there will be a major Russian attack on Europe by 2030. Current projections assess the attack will happen in autumn 2027. Poland recently went on alert as Russian air operations took place near the Polish border. With an election on the horizon, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged to ban burqas and other Islamic face coverings at schools, limit the number of foreign students allowed in classrooms, and require foreign children to learn Italian to integrate into society. Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger quietly ended a regulatory effort launched under former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin that would have barred men from competing in women’s sports and entering certain female-only spaces. The anti-immigration AfD party won a second major win in Germany, knocking out the establishment Christian Democratic Union. Rep. Chris Smith will host a hearing today to highlight the plight of Christians who are imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party. The hearing will feature a recently freed pastor and some of the more than 200 cases involving Americans detained in China under coercive measures. France has invited all the country leaders of the European Union to Metz for Pope Leo's speech on Europe next Monday.
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

September 21st, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Matthew!
The Trump administration’s crackdown on fraud recently identified tens of millions of taxpayer dollars misused in what officials dubbed the “homeless industrial complex.” Alliance Defending Freedom and CatholicVote thanked senators for revising the Protect College Sports Act to address concerns that the bill could override state laws barring men from competing in women’s sports. An ICE agent was involved in a shooting in Texas. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that it is investigating the circumstances of the non-fatal incident, while the illegal alien who was shot awaits deportation in federal custody. In addition to Biship Barron, President Trump nominated Protestant Pastor Andrew Brunson to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Brunson spent 23 years as a missionary in Turkey before being detained for 2 years on false charges, and finally released after diplomatic pressure. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is calling on officeholders and candidates from both parties to sign a new “Declaration for Life” affirming human dignity from conception to natural death and calling for a national ban on mifepristone. The Department of Homeland Security's top lawyer sent a pointed letter to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, laying out a legal justification for tightening asylum standards and warning attorneys that those who file weak or fraudulent claims could face fines and are responsible for creating the 3.5-million case backlog.
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

September 18th, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Joseph of Cupertino!
The Environmental Protection Agency will analyze drinking water for more than 1,400 chemicals, including abortion drugs, contraceptives, and hormones sometimes used in gender “transition” treatments. A bombshell congressional report concluded that the Democratic Party-aligned fundraising giant ActBlue likely committed widespread fraud and knowingly accepted donations from foreign sources. The U.S. child poverty rate fell to a record low 13.4% in 2025, while overall poverty neared historic lows and inflation-adjusted median household income reached a record high, according to new Census Bureau data. The White House highlighted 250 actions it says demonstrate that Trump is “the most pro-faith, pro-life, and pro-religious liberty president in American history,” including religious freedom protections, conscience safeguards, and efforts to investigate anti-Catholic bias under the Biden administration. The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury has withdrawn an interfaith award she presented to a Pakistani Muslim cleric after reports revealed that he had previously praised Osama bin Laden. New satellite imagery shows Iran has added new defenses around tunnel entrances at Pickaxe Mountain, the deeply buried nuclear-linked site President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike. A left-wing journal in France has leaked a video of the chaplain of the elite 3rd Parachutist Marine Infantry Regiment preaching for a crusade against "leftists" and "the great replacement" during a Mass in a church filled with soldiers. 
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

September 17th, 2026 - Happy feast of Ss. Hildegard, Robert Bellarmine, and the Impression of the Stigmata of St. Francis!
The sole juror in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial who refused to find the accused “not guilty” of the murder of her three children has been identified as a Haitian Catholic. Seven House Republicans joined Democrats to approve a war powers resolution directing President Donald Trump to end U.S. hostilities against Iran not approved by Congress. President Trump said yesterday that Iran has contacted the United States “directly” and “Hopefully we’re toward the end of the war.” Natalie Khalil asked the President to help secure the release of her father, Sadad Mayor Suleiman Khalil, who is credited with organizing his town’s successful defense against ISIS. The Christian mayor was arrested without charge more than one year ago. Florida’s lawsuit against major pediatric organizations for misleading the public about the safety of transgender procedures can now proceed, thanks to a ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Texas’ Republican attorney general confirmed that seven foreign nationals have been arrested for voting in U.S. elections. The House of Representatives has unanimously voted to pass the Common Cents Act, which would send the United States penny into extinction. The European Commission President yesterday proposed making Canada the European Union's first "associate member."
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

September 16th, 2026 - Happy feast of Ss. Cornelius & Cyprian!
Vice President JD Vance said the U.S.-Iran conflict will enter a “much different phase” within months, declaring the first stage of the campaign complete as Washington moves to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its nuclear and military capabilities. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced a resolution yesterday to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” reading eight articles on the House floor that accuse him of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 in the Iran conflict. Charlie Kirk's family has filed a notice of claim — a precursor to a lawsuit — against Utah Valley University, the state and key individuals involved in campus leadership and security decisions, alleging that their failures led to the Turning Point USA founder's wrongful death. New York was joined by 21 other states and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s new restrictions on green cards for foreign nationals who rely on taxpayer-funded welfare programs. A Government Accountability Office report found that nearly five million Americans are enrolled in Obamacare plans that cover abortion, in contradiction to the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for abortion. Planned Parenthood’s Wisconsin branch filed a lawsuit against a state law making it a felony for anyone other than a physician to perform an abortion and another mandating a 24-hour waiting period between an in-person doctor’s visit and an abortion appointment. Pope Leo appointed Bishop Michael Saporito to lead a diocese in New Jersey. An NBC4 News helicopter crashed over Los Angeles. Three have been confirmed dead. Please pray for those lost.
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