The LOOP

The Saturday Loop - August 8, 2026

ENES KANTER FREEDOM DECLARES FOR 2027 WNBA DRAFT

Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom has declared himself eligible for the May 2027 WNBA Draft, putting "transgender-inclusion" rhetoric within the league to the test. “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement,” Freedom said. Women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines called the move “genius.”

YOUNG WOMEN’S DEMOCRATIC SHIFT OPENS 22-POINT PARTISAN CHASM

A new analysis by political scientist Ryan Burge finds 66% of women ages 18–29 identify as Democrats, compared with 44% of men — a gender gap far larger than among older Americans. The widening divide appears to be driven chiefly by young women moving toward Democrats, rather than an equally dramatic Republican shift among young men.

HHS: HEAD START REFORMS COULD ADD 236,000 SLOTS

HHS has proposed sweeping Head Start reforms that would cut federal paperwork, cap administrative overhead, and shift rules on staffing, class sizes, and licensing to states and local programs. The department says the plan could save $2.2 billion and preserve or expand as many as 236,000 slots while strengthening nutrition, exercise, and parental involvement.

FULTON SHEEN CONFERENCE: THE DAY BEFORE HIS BEATIFICATION

On Sept. 23, gather in St. Louis with Msgr. Roger Landry, Arthur Brooks, Jason Jones, Kelsey Reinhardt, Bishop Joseph Coffey, and others alongside the Fulton Sheen Movement. Experience Mass and Adoration, encounter Sheen deeply, discover his urgent relevance for America today, and seek his intercession as our rising saint. Think. Pray. Love. Like Sheen. RESERVE YOUR SEAT

CELEBRATE LIFE! USE YOUR PHONE TO SUPPORT THE PRO-LIFE CAUSE.

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US DIRECTS NEARLY $2B IN AID THROUGH FAITH GROUPS

The State Department announced nearly $2 billion in global health and humanitarian partnerships with faith-based groups — the largest such health allocation in more than 20 years. Officials say at least 80% of resources must reach frontline services, with $538 million expected to aid 7 million people across 16 crises.

‘NEITHER WAR NOR PEACE’ IN THE HOLY LAND

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa warned that the Holy Land could remain trapped in an ambiguous condition of “neither war nor peace,” breeding cynicism and distrust as promised solutions are repeatedly violated. Yet the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem pointed to people building encounters across Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel as “antibodies” resisting the “virus of violence.”

PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION

We are called not only to believe, but to act. CatholicVote works every day to defend life, protect religious freedom, educate voters, and equip Catholics to engage the culture with clarity and conviction. Join the Champions Club with a monthly gift of $10 or more and help advance this mission every day. JOIN TODAY

DAILY MARIJUANA USE NOW TOPS CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL

New federal data show 21.4 million Americans used marijuana on at least 300 days in 2025 — more than the 19.9 million who smoked cigarettes daily and 17.2 million who drank frequently. Addiction researcher Dr. Mark Gold warns that daily cannabis use can produce tolerance, withdrawal, and a cigarette-like pattern of using the drug simply to feel “normal.”

TEXAS BISHOP EXPANDS LATIN MASS FOR ‘SALVATION OF SOULS’

Bishop Michael Sis announced that the Traditional Latin Mass will be offered at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Midland beginning Aug. 30 and on the last Sunday of every month thereafter. The 3 p.m. time is intended to serve Catholics across West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, while more diocesan priests learn to celebrate the TLM.

INDIAN COURT KEEPS 10 CATHOLICS JAILED AFTER MOB DISRUPTED MASS

Ten Catholics have spent more than three months in jail after confronting Hindu activists who allegedly disrupted a May 1 Mass in Rajasthan. A district court rejected their latest bail pleas Aug. 5. Police charged the Catholics with rioting, attempted murder, and illegal conversion, while reportedly refusing to register their complaint against the intruders. Their appeal now heads to the Jodhpur High Court.

SAINT OF THE DAY

Today the Church honors St. Dominic de Guzmán, the Spanish priest who founded the Order of Preachers to combat heresy through prayer, rigorous study, and persuasive preaching. His Dominican family would help shape the Church for centuries and give her saints and scholars including St. Thomas Aquinas.

SATURDAY'S PSALM

"You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.” (Psalm 9)

SATURDAY'S READINGS

Today's Mass readings.

SUNDAY'S PSALM

"Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.” (Psalm 85)

SUNDAY'S READINGS

Sunday's Mass readings.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA

The Rosary!

NEW EPISODE

Socialism is back, and for some reason, it's winning. Why are Gen Z voters embracing the DSA, Zohran Mamdani, and ideas many thought died with the Soviet Union? On the latest episode of The Deep, Erika breaks down how socialism made a comeback in America and what it will take to stop it. Check it out now on Zeale. WATCH