Robert Barron, the somewhat controversial bishop of the Winona-Rochester diocese, is in the running this week to become president of the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops. The 65-year old prelate is well known for his social media empire, and has close ties to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. But some theologians and church watchers say the fiery conservative would be more of a dividing force in the American church, not the uniter who is needed now.

The Trump administration is again asking the Supreme Court to keep full food aid payments on hold. The request Monday is the latest in a legal fight over how the program that helps 42 million Americans buy groceries should proceed during the government shutdown. 

The Senate voted late Sunday evening on a compromise that could reopen the government following the longest shutdown in history.

• Minnesota’sU.S. Sens. Klobuchar, Smith oppose shutdown agreement

As President Trump’s call for National Guard deployments rings out across the U.S., a small contingent of Ohio guard members is quietly expressing concern in an encrypted group chat.

The Supreme Court has rejected a call to overturn its landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The justices on Monday turned away an appeal from a former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling.

The flight cancellations at airports across the U.S. are expected to persist even after the government shutdown ends. As of late morning, about 60 flights had been canceled so far Monday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.