Morning Briefing

Republican budget blueprint sets stage for defense spending split while whacking food stamps and Medicaid

And Michael Sean Winters weighs in: The GOP's Budget Joke: Who's Laughing?

After three decades of debate over its stance on homosexuality, members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have voted to change the definition of marriage in the church’s constitution to include same-sex marriage.

A follow up on yesterday's report: Adelaide (Australia) Archbishop charged with concealing child sex abuse

Poland's Catholic Church has suffered a defeat after President Bronislaw Komorowski ignored its complaints and signed legislation to approve an international convention combating violence against women.

Bibi's Back: Netanyahu Defeats Main Rival in Israeli Vote

Danbury, Conn. -- 'Monsignor Meth,' the drug-dealing, sex-shop-owning cathedral pastor, seeks lenient sentence. "Kevin Wallin is an extraordinary man whose remarkable character and acts have touched thousands of people," Wallin's public defender wrote in the sentencing request.

Starting in the early 1970s, an organization founded by two women religious worked to increase educational and leadership opportunities for Latinas, advocated for more Latino bishops and fought for the right to work with Hispanics. Las Hermanas helped create new way of being 'church'

Part III of Tom Fox's profile of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in San Francisso: 'There's nothing gay about what we do here'

Meanwhile, across town: Hundreds attend forum opposed to San Francisco handbook changes

Jeb Bush, 20 Years After Conversion, Is Guided by His Catholic Faith

Death Penalty: Good News -- Conservatives converge in Topeka for death penalty repeal, while Mo. execution looms

Death Penalty: Bad News -- Missouri executes Cecil Clayton, state's oldest death-row inmate and diagnosed as severely mentally impaired

Contemplate This: a weekly column from Global Sisters Report: Exercising contemplative power in the face of growing racial, religious and sexual diversity by Nancy Sylvester

Looking for a little inspiration to begin your day? NCR's sister publication, Celebration, gives you two options, both based on the Scripture readings of the day:

Pencil Preaching is blog in which Celebration editor Pat Marrin combines Scripture and sketching to reflect on the Word.

Daily Bread is a series of short reflections written by four authors who meet regularly to share the readings. Daily Bread is intended to help daily preachers and others who pray from the assigned Scriptures each day to orient themselves to the Living Word addressed to the church in the world. It's a great way to begin the day.