👩‍🦲👳‍♀️Leaders weigh in

Welcome to Tuesday's weather on repeat, humid and partly cloudy 🌤 with early evening rain showers a possibility.

As we continue with all things fun in the sun, I couldn't resist celebrating the Sunshine State's newly crowned Florida bass, formerly known as a largemouth bass by the American Fisheries Society . The title, determined by genetics, now establishes the Florida bass as a separate species from the largemouth bass. St. Augustinians, we just got ourselves a new fish! According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission , anglers will not be affected in how they fish for the freshwater beauty, just what they call their catch.

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Republican and Democrat leaders react to Biden's news 👩‍🦲👳‍♀️

One could easily describe the summer of 2024 as historic for America’s political landscape.

Barely a week after a brazen assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump, and three days after Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination for president, naming the youngest vice presidential pick in U.S. history — Ohio Senator J.D. Vance — President Joe Biden Biden ended is reelection bid.

The St. Augustine Record reached out to Denver Cook, chairman of the Republican Party of St. Johns County and Robin Dion, the former chairwoman of the Democratic Party of St. Johns County.

Click here to read what they had to say.

What else you should know today: 🔊

🥃Yummy is here: The St. Augustine Distillery released a new limited edition Reserve Rum that began the aging process in a Vino de Naranja cask (Spanish orange wine) and followed suit in a cask that aged cognac for 10 years. Price tag $150 a bottle.

🎨 Vote for your favorite artist: The City of St. Augustine ’s Public Art Committee is asking residents to rank the artistic proposals of Vicki Scuri, Ivan Depeña, and Patrick Marold for the art installation at May Street and the San Marco Avenue roundabout on Tuesday, July 30. Details can be found here .

🚤We have a winner: Red Boat Tours LLC won Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award 2024, which honors businesses ranking among the top 10% of listings around the world on Tripadvisor .

✨Come celebrate: The Feast of St. James, which commemorates the Camino de Las Américas and the Alliance of Cathedrals, takes place on Thursday, July 25, at 6 p.m. beginning with a procession with a specially commissioned statue of St. James at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument , followed by a Mass celebrated by Most Reverand Erik Pohlmeier , Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine .

Talk to me St. Augustine... Reader Mailbag 📧

Susan Garner: Several times over the last week or so, barges towed lengths of huge pipes out to sea. What is this project they are part of and who does it benefit?

The St. Augustine Record (yours truly) reached out to Wayne Larson, the county's director of public affairs, who connected us to Stephen Hammond, the county's EIT coastal environment project manager for disaster recovery.

Hammond: "The equipment you see staged in the ICWW north of the Vilano Bridge and the large pipes periodically being pulled out of the inlet are supporting multiple beach nourishment projects in Northeast Florida. This includes the ongoing St. Augustine Shore Protection project at the pier in St. Augustine Beach, as well as the Duval County and potentially the Flagler Beach nourishment projects."

Thank you, Susan Garner, Wayne Larson and Stephen Hammond.

May we remind you as we do every day to share your favorite St. Augustine moments with us via pictures and stories of family celebrations, friends and solo days brimming with funny, historical or simply pleasant moments as well as the "Hey, I have an idea; and did you know; and why is this happening in St. Augustine?" and of course, Tuesday's, "I've got a question" notes to Lviti@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: 👩‍🦲👳‍♀️Leaders weigh in