Early Voting for the Primaries has begun in some counties, namely ORANGE COUNTY! From August 3-August 16 you can go vote on your own time and not wait in lines. For Orange County information voteorangefl.gov for other counties www.votemyflorida.com to learn when early voting begkns.

Survivors have been on Capitol Hill for months, courageously sharing their stories and demanding accountability. The Senate must listen. Todd Blanche is unfit to serve as our next Attorney General. Every Senator should vote NO.

This is the reality inside ICE detention centers. Children are being forced into jail-like conditions while this Administration strips away their basic human rights. We cannot allow this stand. We must hold this inhumane Administration accountable!

Early Voting has begun in Orange County, #Florida. The Lake Nona Democrats have a tent and table set up for the distribution of voter guides outside the Early Voting site at Valencia College's Lake Nona campus:

This week's edition of our "Things To Know" newsletter:

Things To Know: Fueling Up with Father

A Ride-Along Conversation with Paulist Fr. Mike Cruickshank in Grand Rapids, MI + Scripture Reflections from the Paulists + More!

mailchi.mp

Today's #Dailyjolt comes from #paullewisboese. www.bustedhalo.com

Could God be asking you to discern a call to be a #missionary, #priest, and person in religious life? If so, please learn about discerning a #Paulist #vocation at: beapaulist.org

Paulist Fathers Vocations | Be A Paulist

The Paulist Fathers, the first community of Catholic priests founded in the United States, are a community of priests who work to connect people to the Catholic faith and minister to those on the marg...

beapaulist.org

Paulist Fr. Dave Dwyer is our First Consultor and Executive Director of @busted-halo.bsky.social. He also hosts "The Busted Halo Show" on SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel. In this reel, Fr. Dave touches on the need for more #missionaries to bring a message of #faith and #hope to the United States:

Sycophants surround the throne.

Also HOW TIMELY

Dr. Emily Friedman@friede.bsky.social · 2mo ago

“Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself... Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards.” Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign

You can read her @mitpress.bsky.social book, Fire, Ice, and Physics, the Science of Game of Thrones (2019)

Fire, Ice, and Physics

Game of Thrones is a fantasy that features a lot of made-up science—fabricated climatology (when is winter coming?), astronomy, metallurgy, chemistry, ...

mitpress.mit.edu

The hits keep on coming: my brilliant classmate Becky Thompson died during an attempt to swim the Catalina channel this week. She was everything you’d want to be: gifted public scholar, dedicated athlete, beloved member of many communities. Her CV overflows & yet is only a fragment of what is lost.

I worked for New York’s largest medical center at the start of the pandemic. There were morgue trucks on the streets. They set up emergency medical tents in Central Park. Healthcare worker colleagues died. It is horrific that RFK Jr is on national TV lying that ICUs were empty.

Almost every city in the world needs to urgently understand the need to get really good at planning and designing for shade. #UrbanHeat

Bryn Davidson - Lanefab@lanefab.com · 3d ago

A friend’s recent photo of civic shading in Malaga

The polity thick with lies and corruption and egotistical old white men while a far-away war rages and the soldiers and civilians and hungry and sick people die. And gladiator games are played for the entertainment of the addled emperor.

Power holders are so afraid of losing power this fall that they will do *everything * they can to retain it. We need to wake up.

Paulist Fr. Matt Berrios celebrates the 5 p.m. Sunday Mass at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City:

Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time - August 2nd, 2026 at 5:00 PM

YouTube video by Church of St Paul the Apostle, NYC

youtube.com

Aaaand here’s how I’m spending my afternoon today!

Preferential treatment of one religion via government is the OPPOSITE of the founding principles of the United States. Totally un-American. AND, in the Gospels, Jesus himself says "my kingdom is not of this world" and eskews state authority. This opposition to religious pluralism is unacceptable:

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 5d ago

“You’ve said ‘we have a Muslim problem’ in Tennessee and you want to ban mosques… how is that constitutional?” FRITTS: “As a Christian how can I have any other perspective?”🤔 Ben Hall asks far right extremist Republican candidate for Governor Monty Fritts (a state rep) about his bigoted ideas.

You know it. Both ours AND my grandparents’ from 20 years earlier, and then I’d compare.

S. Kramer@libraryephemera.bsky.social · 6d ago

Were you a child who read The World Book Encyclopedia for fun?

This is an incredibly generous read — to be fair, I’ve never had a choice in where I work. But I’m lucky to have had good mentors & peers & students that remind me what land-grant universities are at their best, & (so far) academic freedom to keep learning & growing & bring it back to my classroom.

Narrative Matters (@itsnarrative on Twitter)@narrativematters.bsky.social · 6d ago

The discussion of how Dr. Friedman feels called to (phrased reductively for character count) be a lighthouse for students by being an iconoclast/Odd Fit at an SEC land-grant English department instead of being a department-aligned professor at a private liberal arts college is making me emotional

Happy Friday from Baguette! 🥖

What can Liberation Theology teach Catholics today? In our latest ‘Voices From the Back Pew’ column, Alejandro Villa Vasquez reflects on faith, mercy, and God's call to stand with those on the margins. buff.ly/JS9OkhL

Today's #DailyJolt comes from #CalvinandHobbes.

Orlando Sentinel Voters Guide candidate profile for Wes Hodge who is running for Orange County Commission District 2

2026 Voters Guide: Wes Hodge for Orange County Commission District 2

orlandosentinel.com

Judge Esther Salas: I can’t remember a time when we had leaders literally calling us monsters and criminals, which, unfortunately, we’ve been called by the leader of this country.

P.S. Please listen to this full new episode of @deaconspod.bsky.social at your podcast player or here:

Voices From the Back Pew – Jen Sawyer of Busted Halo

Deacons Pod · Episode

open.spotify.com

This is a snip from the new episode of our #podcast @deaconspod.bsky.social featuring Jen Sawyer, Editor-in-Chief of our media ministry @busted-halo.bsky.social. Jen speaks with @deaconmike.bsky.social and Deacon Mike Berstene about Busted Halo's new series "Voices From the Back Pew":

Paulist Fr. Larry Rice reflected on King Solomon's wisdom during his homily from Sunday, July 26, 2026. Fr. Larry is pastor at Saint John XXIII Parish and Catholic Center in Knoxville, TN, served by @paulistfathers.bsky.social 🌐beapaulist.org 📧vocations@paulist.org

Paulist Fr. Chris Lawton & @paulistfathers.bsky.social Vocations Recruiter Ernie Garrido share some thoughts about the great group of discerners who joined us for our Come & See discernment retreat at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, NYC. Come, Holy Spirit! 🌐beapaulist.org 📧vocations@paulist.org