Ten Things that Caught My Eye Today (Jan. 15, 2015)

1. Your friend the one-note pony had a favorite debate moment last night:

Thank you @marcorubio for talking about the genocide of Christians by ISIS in the Middle East #GOPDebate

— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) January 15, 2016

2. And I, of course, always enjoy a Bill Buckley shout-out. Even if from Donald Trump. Even if I totally get what Ted Cruz is saying about New York values. On the other hand … I grew up here. And so did National Review. There was some pushback on Twitter to New Yorkers defending their town, especially from our parts last night. But totally see what we mean, too. Among those who have worked in NR NY offices over the years: Whittaker Chambers – WFB described him as “the most important American defector from Communism.” Good things happen here and good people reside here too. And we fight for our values – and work to build something better (I think of the Sisters of Life and Avail, Gianna Center and Good Counsel Homes and The Human Life Review and the Chiaroscuro Foundation and the World Youth Alliance, to name only a few).

And this seems like as good a time as any to consider re-reading Witness, and especially Chambers’ letter to his children in it. (Anytime is.)

3. 

.. I feel like everyone’s forgetting that every contested primary in recent memory has been transformed, often repeatedly, by actual voters.

— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) January 15, 2016

4. 

“It may happen at times that the church is most influential when it is indifferent to exercising influence.” Richard Neuhaus #KingdomFirst

— Andrew T. Walker (@andrewtwalk) January 15, 2016

5. Of course we would go into the 43^rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade with a Planned Parenthood lawsuit against the Center for Medical Progress.

My Q&A this summer with the man behind the videos here. In a way, it’s only appropriate. Like the anniversary of Roe always being on what seems like the coldest day in winter. (Not ALWAYS. But often.)

6. The National Right to Life Committee has issued its annual report on abortion in America. As has Americans United for Life, with a new state at the top of it’s most pro-life ranking.

7. The Supreme Court and Florida and the death penalty.

8. I’m running to this for some of the weekend and very much looking forward to it.

9. Speaking of, will you join me at the March for Life next week? Encouraging words to get things started from New York’s Cardinal Dolan (now head of the bishops’ pro-life office).

10. On Tuesday, the Knights of Columbus will join Marist Polling for a press conference at the National Press Club on new abortion polling. They always tend to be revealing, often encouraging. 

PLUS: If you have any interest: I’ll have new pieces this weekend on David Bowie and Pope Francis on Aletia, John Stamos on National Review Online, and the pope’s new book on Catholic Pulse.