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LESSON for FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2026 – “WILDFIREWORKS for AMERICA’S 250th!”

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July – a special Fourth, being, in the words of the wordslingers, a Sesquicentennial (as means 250 years since the declaration - if not, at the time, reality – of Independence).

Human beings in the United States are celebrating (or, in some cases, denouncing) America’s forcible extraction from the then-omnicient British Empire, with food, fun and fireworks.

According to the AI Overview on the holiday, government offices, they’ll be repeating the first organized celebrations which took place in Philadelphia in 1777, while the war was still in progress, featuring “bonfires, musket and cannon fire, and the first recorded fireworks display.”

Today, United States Postal Service, and most banks are to be closed while the Fourth is “celebrated across the country with fireworks, parades, concerts, and family barbecues.”

History Facts (June 25, ATTACHMENT ONE) highlighted the prevalence of good times, good drinks (for the sinners) and good eats... taking us back to 1776 for both holiday and ordinary meals.

“In 1776, the newly declared independent United States didn’t have a national cuisine. In fact, it barely had a national identity. A farmer in Massachusetts, a merchant in Philadelphia, and a rice planter in South Carolina might all consider themselves Americans, but they were unlikely to eat the exact same foods.”

What they did share was a diet shaped by a remarkable mix of influences – borrowed from the indigenous people already in North America, from European settlers, African slaves – and dating back nearly two centuries.

The colonists arrived with familiar ideas about what constituted a “proper” meal (as might, in most cases, be reserved for special occasions by the ordinary working blokes of the new nation: “bread, beer, meat, dairy products, and puddings.”

More common were the corn-based standards as benefitted by being cheap, plentiful and easy to make... cornmeal porridges, johnnycakes and bread. “Other Indigenous crops, including beans and squash, also became common ingredients,” according to History Facts while, in the South, African ingredients such as okra as well as sugar, molasses, rum, and spices from the Caribbean are “still associated with American cuisine today.”

For the working folks, meat was a luxury as opposed to a necessity – rural colonists could supplement their cuisine by hunting and fishing, while what Americans now take for granted as their holiday birthright... the steaks, chops, burgers and barbecue... were apportioned out to the colonists as a factor of income.

Sunday’s Fresno (Ca) Bee, picked up by Yahoo, contained several takeaways on the theme of “what makes someone an American” and, while diet remains a factor of wealth, national origen and the occasional quirk (such as the mania for ranch dressing among World Cup tourists from the Old World), issues of substance are even intruding on the American holiday. (ATTACHMENT TWO)

While acknowledging the holiday spirit and “our pride to live in the greatest country in the world,” some of the Central Valley correspondents depicted ongoing problems in America... some recent, like the immigration crackdowns leading to thousands of people in our streets being rounded up and deported — some few being violent criminals, to be sure, but most having families and jobs, “just trying to live the American dream.” Another contributor brought up the climate change caused by extraction and burning of fossil fuels with implications that private greed and government corruption are defining the nation down.

Fossil fuels... largely oil... have been a determining and contributory factor to the controversial war between the U.S. and Iran; the military aspects of the war for independence brought forth an article by William H. McRaven in the Atlantic (ATTACHMENT THREE, June 25, 2026).

The disposer-in-chief of Osama bin Laden back in the day, has frequently opined on questions of war, peace and the importance of military preparedness so that we may continue to keep the liberty and prosperity stemming from 1776.

Using examples from the Civil to Cold Wars, McRaven may have been referring to the recent Iraniac controversy over Sen, Mark Kelly’s contention that military officers have the right and duty to refuse orders that violate the Constitution and might threaten democracy itself.

“Every president and secretary of defense has the right and, moreover, the responsibility to remove officers who are failing to meet the high standards expected of senior leaders,” McRaven wrote. “But when crucial decisions regarding the professionalism, effectiveness, or morale of the military are made, the people and their duly elected representatives have a right to know why these decisions were made.”

On the other hand, Douglas MacKinnon read why the historical account of the 56 Signers of The Declaration of Independence and the story behind the 4th of July are so critically important…before they and the 4th of July are banned from American society in The Hill (June 13, ATTACHMENT FOUR) makinge the case for MAGA by denouncing the leftists who, for the July 4, 2020 “celebration” voiced support for blowing off (or, in a few cases concurring with Bin Laden, blowing up) the Fourth of July, tearing down statues of our Founding Fathers and sandblasting their names off schools and buildings, in effect canceling their very existence.

Citing exemplary warnings from Victor Hugo, Ayn Rand and George Orwell — warnings that are mostly going unheeded today (except for a few strange Libertarians like Ayn’s namesake in Kentucky) — whereas past Fourth of Jul holidays “united (us) all in pride”, today we inhabit the “Siloed States of America...” cratering from within via “the toxic effects of hate, misinformation,” and... hold the reins, MAGA... “dark money.”

Dougie proudly recites his unhappy childhood as a white boy in black neighborhoods, as well as the suburbs and rural towns among the 34 evictions occasioned by his dysfunctional and poverty-stricken caretakers – finding role models and heroes amidst the likes of Sens. Bob Dole (R-Kan.), George McGovern (D-SD), and Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) who opposed, but did not hate one another... unlike “the hundreds of thousands of my fellow Americans loudly cheered that murder on or at least rationalized it.”

Moreover, multiple polls (such as Axios) show an increasing number of Americans (like Sergio Mangione) sanctioning the murder of political or business leaders they oppose, with 72 percent of Americans believing the U.S. is “heading in the wrong direction” but the sole and glorious exceptions are the patriots responding to Fox News with what the Fox calls “resilient discontent.”

I have long believed that if our history is bad, we should condemn it and learn from it. If it is good, we should praise it and build upon it. But we should stand with Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams  never, ever “determine their noble dream ha(s) finally run its course” and so cancel our shared American history. 

Ah... those polls!

Tuesday’s Economist (ATTACHMENT FIVE) cited climate, immigration, war and other factors contributing to “an anxious and divided nation” through a series of polls on contemporary issues... represented in charts and graphs here.

Other polling ventures assessing the state of the nation on its 250^th birthday include surveys by the aforementioned NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, commissioned by the Associated Press and outlined on June 24^th (ATTACHMENT SIX) finding that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults feel “proud” about the country’s 250th anniversary, according to the survey; roughly 3 in 10 say “excited” describes their emotions.

But other Americans feel “indifferent or conflicted about celebrating the country.” Another Gallup polling shows that most Americans now feel the signers of the Declaration of Independence “would be disappointed with how the U.S. has turned out,” a substantial increase from 25 years ago.

Partisanship is, of course, running rampant across the 250^th (including rival celebratory establishments, as below) - frequently by political, ethnic and - as the A.P cited polls added – age. “Older Americans — those ages 60 and older — are also mostly feeling proud, with about 6 in 10 saying this describes how they feel about the nation’s anniversary.”

About 4 in 10 Democrats and roughly 3 in 10 adults under 30, however, say “conflicted” describes their feelings “extremely” or “very” well. About 3 in 10 in each case feel “indifferent.”

But Americans of all ages and all demographics have joined the 80% of Gallup respondents as now say the signers of the Declaration of Independence “would be disappointed with how the country has turned out.” Only about 2 in 10 say the signers would be pleased. That’s down significantly from 1999 — the first time the question was asked — when 55% believed they would be disappointed and 44% said they would be pleased.

A.P.’s Peanut Gallery included a contribution by “Autodidactyl” who denounced the corruption and narcissism running from Watergate, Monicagate and Irangate and expressed depression that “(s)ome people in this country won't be happy until they taken away all of our rights. And the crowd on one side is actively cheering it on, because their traditions say some people having freedom is somehow an attack on their personal beliefs.”

Writing in opposition but, eventually, concurrence... “Chablis28” celebrated the Founders up to Lincoln, “maybe” Ford, Reagan and Carter, but not “selfish” Nixon, Kennedy, Obama and Trump – a bipartisan roasting that concluded with the premise that the real heroes are the ordinary who believe in the American Dream – the veterans and working Americans.

JFK and Nixon have gone to their rewards, or punishments if you will, but Djonald UnChained has been bouncing from the Washington Mall to Mount Rushmore and back for a Saturday Night Special sermon at the National Mall.

POTUS previewed his pique Friday night last during an address at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2026 Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton.

“These are not social democrats. These are hardcore, godless communists. They’re godless communists. All communists are godless. They don’t believe in God. This is the most serious threat to our country since its existence. In my opinion, 250 years ago. This is a major threat to our country,” Mr. Trump told the Godly (lunar version) Washington Times (ATTACHMENT SEVEN) after Zorro’s fighting legions voted to freeze rents in Gotham City, kiss off the landlords’ dark money and welcome three new Commies to join the despicable AOC among the city’s Congressional delegation

“For the first time in history, the powerful Rent Stabilization Board, as an example that sets rents in New York City, just happened today. They’ve done it for years and years, and they’ve been very far left,” he said.

“They hate our country, they hate our people, they hate the Democrat party. The Democrat party is in big trouble, because this isn’t stopping with New York,” he said, according to NBC News.

Speaking ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebrations, the president argued the socialist surge was stealing focus from America’s founding achievements.

“Our most important birthday so far, 250 years and instead of speaking about Christ and instead of speaking about freedom and victories of all different kinds, we’re speaking about yet another threat to the foundations of America,” Mr. Trump said.

Trump has been having his rows with the RINOs in the culture, Congress and in the media, of late, but one of his often-targeted Old Right spokesthings, Mr. Buckley’s National Review stood strong for the President on Sunday morning – denouncing the despicable Hispanic Society of New York for daring to showcase Sandy Rodriguez: Tierra Insurgente – the first (and hopefully last, according to Buckley Boy Brian T. Allen) New York solo exhibition of work by that Los Angeles Chicana artist whose paintings, maps, and sculptures connect early anticolonial uprisings with “contemporary struggles around migration, policing, racial justice, and the climate crisis,” which, Mr. Allen scoffs (as New York temperatures top triple digits day after day after day) “doesn’t exist.” (ATTACHMENT NINE)

“It’s a tin-eared shame that the Hispanic Society is giving this intellectual caca a platform during America’s Semiquincentennial. Praise the Lord this mind-polluter closes on Sunday” or, if not, the police or military or ICE storm the upper Manhattan neighborhood where heroes like Mrs. Aaron Burr, John Jacob Astor and numerous kin... even Ed Koch... who rest in a peace now disturbed by scrofulous Spaniards who should be hiding from ICE, Mamdani Gen Z types educated beyond their intelligence and now gentrifying the northern tip of Manhattan and HS director Ryan Pinchot (who “oversees classes of neighborhood school children... filling their minds with junk history and encouraging them to believe that every personal shortcoming or failure or setback is always the fault of society, the country, and the generic gringo.

The curators, says Brian, “should have come to me!”

He could teach the rabble that, in the late 1770s, the Spanish Empire — “then at its geographic peak and enjoying a second political and economic wind” — commenced its “intrigues to push the Patriot cause over the line while in public claiming strict neutrality” by dumping its own dinero oscuro into the anti-Colonial pockets. “It’s a fascinating story with plenty of art potential and real, relevant history rather than invented, dispiriting trash.”

Listing several of these “heroes” who supported the American cause... perhaps as revenge for the British defeat of the Spanish Armada nearly a century earlier... the Buckley Boys ask isn’t their story “more enticing, more consequential, more big-screen than George Floyd, BLM’s petty grifters, the bores and charlatans taking the knee, and atrocity porn? Putting personalities aside, big and not-so-big issues abound.”

The New Republic’s designation of (Trump’s) American celebration as a lost cause also evokes nostalgia... Jason Linkins yearning for those good old days of burning Confederate flags and championing the algae in the White House Reflecting Pool which POTUS called “gruesomely vandalized by thugs, bad people, but soon will be looking as beautiful as it looked just two weeks ago. In fact,” said Trump, “I looked at it just a little while ago. It looks perfect already, but we’re fixing it...” which statement Linkins attributed to ego, but also highly reminiscent of Confederate kitsch. Apparantly seeing Jefferson Davis lurking behind every weir and woodpile, Linkins logs in his conviction that the President (son of a rent control hating New York real estate speculator) is animated by the same idea as the Lost Cause: to lend legitimacy to a period of betrayal and to ensure this malevolent force lives on. (June 27^th, ATTACHMENT TEN)

“Allowing the Confederacy to commemorate itself was a profound failure on our part, and it seeded the earth for the weakening of our democracy. As Trump plans to sully the District of Columbia’s skyline with his triumphal arch (now with more fist!), I can see history repeating: Trumpism as the new Lost Cause as was also noted by The Atlantic’s David Graham back in 2020 – contending that Trump spends his Independence Daze “marinating in a variety of Lost Cause grievances: the decision to remove the Confederate iconography from the Mississippi state flag and NASCAR events, the renaming of the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians, along with the usual suspects (“the radical left, the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing”).

(Graham and Linken, however, apparently gave a pass to that old blue rebel, Joe Biden!)

Since 2024, the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Rivka Maizlish contends that the “unrelenting propaganda of the Lost Cause” has returned with a vengeance. The names of Confederacy luminaries stricken from U.S. military bases were restored, there was a renewed push to whitewash the sins of slavery, the Confederate anthem “Dixie” played at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27, 2024, and the Civil War era’s gobs in gray were conflated with the nations’ Founders so “it’s no accident that Trump believes our latter-day insurrectionists should be the ones to get government reparations.”

The payouts have been squelched and now, as Linkens concludes “cosmetic de-Trumpification” continues by the removal of His Name from the Kennedy Center, even as His Face has been imposed onto passports and, perhaps, a $250 bill. But the Daily Beast’s David Rothkopf predicts that the real fireworks marking America’s 250th birthday will come on Election Day. (June 26, ATTACHMENT ELEVEN)

“The President of the United States has just one thing on his mind,” Rothkopf forewarns: “Ending free and fair elections in the United States.”

To advance his vehicle, the so-called SAVE Act (which Rothkopf calls “a Trump-conceived scheme to help him and his party cheat to win in November”) the President has declared that he will refuse to sign a bipartisanly supported bill to construct more affordable housing.

Further, Trump’s Postmaster General went before Congress and defended a proposed regulation that would have the postal service deny service for mail-in ballots in states that refused to provide them with voter rolls. Why does POTUS need voter rolls? Because he wants to be able to challenge potential Democratic voters’ ability to participate in the elections?

(At least it has not yet been reported that, if passed, Trump will add to his crypto cornucopia by selling the data to Russian identify thieves or American telemarketers. But just wait!)

The Beast also included the latest of Djonald DeBrained’s “zero qualification” appointments... this of Bill Pulte as new acting Director of the Office of National Intelligence (ODNI).

Beastly creatures believe that Trump “wants to use widely and repeatedly debunked conspiracy theories about foreign interference in the 2020 elections to assert further foreign interference today—and thus allow him to question or challenge election results, seize voting machines, and take other actions that could conceivably tip the balance of the vote in favor of enough Republicans to maintain Trump-protecting majorities in the Senate and House.”

Whether sorting the seashells on James Comey’s beach or decrying the defeat of fellow reality show veteran Spencer Pratt in his bid to become Mayor of Los Angeles, Donnie’s November desperation... as the Beasts see it... arises not only from the prospect of political impotence but criminal charges after... or even before... he is out of office.

As Speaker Mike told a pod of pachyderms last week: “If we lose the midterms, these Democrats will turn every committee of Congress into an investigative body, and they’ll go after the president’s family, the Cabinet, his donors, friends. Half of you in this room will be targeted!”

But never fear, the Speaker assured his house party... “I run the protection program. We’ll take care of you.” Indeed, it may mean we have to wait several months to see this year’s real fireworks. And the Beastie Boys added that, “ if those fireworks come as Trump tries to steal the election and the rest of us rise up to fight back and preserve democracy in America, it may truly be a semiquincentennial that is truly worth celebrating.”

The partisan divide has even inserted itself into the celebratory process as the America 250 promoters... a somewhat bipartisan gang led by leading lights in the Congress... has been challenged by the Trump-backed Freedom 250 festival.

True believers are voicing their choice for the one or the other while the majority in the middle holds up fingers to the wind and worries how to get through the day without offending somebody.

Merchers like the souvenir vendors, barbecue butchers and, of course, legal and illegal fireworks purveyors are avoiding the A250/F250 intricacies and focusing on just making money.

Jacob Nava of Extreme Fireworks told WSBT (Indiana) that: "A very large majority of our sales come specifically from the fourth of July week. Around 75% to 80% of our sales happen like just on that one day, and a very large majority of our sales come specifically from the fourth of July week. Around 75 to 80 percent of our sales happen just on that one day just on the fourth of July." (June 25, ATTACHMENT TWELVE)

Nava says from a supplier standpoint, prices have gone up in recent years, stemming from rising costs overseas. However, he also says it won't affect customers’ wallets.

At Ba-Boom Fireworks in nearby Granger, Nicholle and Kirk Bryan say shipping costs have actually dropped from previous years, "Once you see that everybody in the community is starting to gear up and starting to celebrate, then you feel more reassured because you understand that your sales are coming in. You understand that people keep returning to you and it's very nice to see our business flow."

The punches are flowing, according to onlookers from Al Jazeera, who also cite the fireworks exploding between America 250 and Freedom 250... the American “semiquincentennial” — meaning half of 500 — and not just because Congress loves long words. The US has a history of throwing itself a party every 50 years. (June 14, ATTACHMENT THIRTEEN)

The Jazzies looked back into American history (Qatar, remember, gifted President Trump with a costly new Air Force one and has skin in the game as Shiite-y Iran steps up its bombing raids against the Gulf State Sunnis) and took note that the first 50-year anniversary, in 1826, was a “considerably more muted affair than the festivities to come” after former Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died within hours of each other on the day of the semicentennial.

The 100^th anniversary in 1876 was considerably more festive – including a world’s fair and a display of the original Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. But the 150^th, also in Philly was not nearly as successful; Variety magazine calling it “America’s greatest flop”.

Al Jazz called 1976, the 200^th anniversary nationwide , a “template” for tomorrow’s Fourth – the carousing, eating and merching received positively, although the sale of souvenirs — from umbrella hats to mugs — earned it the pejorative “the buy-centennial”.

As to the A/F cavalcade of controversies, this year, there have been and will be F250 – specific events... the UFC Freedom 250, a mixed martial arts fight on the White House lawn on June 14; the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, which will see IndyCars race around capital monuments from August 22 to 23, a naval flotilla and and the Great American State Fair, featuring booths representing all 50 states, presented on the National Mall from June 25 to July 10, the Jazzies previewed,

America250 was set up in 2016 to “plan and orchestrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence”, and it is led by private citizens.

A250 events are deemed more focused on community participation through initiatives such as America’s Block Party and its Giving 4th programme, which aims to boost charitable giving on the July 4 holiday.

The two organizations are “ostensibly playing nice”, with America250’s chairwoman, Rosie Rios (who replaced Abi Abergel whom Trump purged for “serious and repeated breaches” of his authority) lauding Freedom 250 as a way to advance presidential initiatives to “give the American people more ways they can celebrate America’s 250th birthday”.

Al Jazeera reports that both groups have been given taxpayer dollars. Congress appropriated $150m to the Department of the Interior for the celebrations, but it did not specify how the money was to be split between the groups.

The Interior Department allocated $100m to Freedom 250 (via the National Park Foundation) and $50m to America250, raising concerns that Trump was steering public funds away from the congressionally mandated organisation.

HAS THERE BEEN A BACKLASH TO FREEDOM 250?

The perception that Freedom 250 is a Trump organisation, rather than a nonpartisan one, has created snags for one of its tentpole events: the Great American State Fair.

“Almost as soon as its musical lineup was announced in May, artists started dropping out. Several performers said they felt misled by the organisers’ claims that the event (was) nonpartisan.

Several state governments have also declined to take part, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington State.

Left with only Vanilla Ice after even Milli Vanilli dropped out Trump replaced the concert, it with an ominously sounding “Rally to end all Rallies”, at which he will give a speech. His favorite country musician Lee Greenwood and tenor Christopher Macchio, as well as several military bands, will also be included in the lineup.

A sarcastic Rex Huppke from USA Today called Trump's Great American State Fair is a fabulous flop – venturing that he loved its emptiness, its expensive food (such as the $23 turkey legs) and its “ability to confound Trump-friendly media outlets that keep pretending it’s going great... like watching your high school bully host a party that no one attends.” (June 30^th, ATTACHMENT FOURTEEN)In a social media post on June 29, Trump ‒ who is definitely not mad ‒ wrote: “Do you think people appreciate what a fantastic job we did in building and operating the Great American State Fair at the National Mall, packed with happy people, and everybody loving it? Ask yourself this simple question, ‘DO YOU THINK THAT OBUMA OR SLEEPY JOE BIDEN COULD HAVE DONE IT?’ THE ANSWER IS NO!”“I’m a big fan of America, and of the freedom it has given me to share my opinions,” Mr. Huppke declares. “In fact, it’s that love for America that makes me feel good about President Trump feeling bad.”

Trump will be the featured speaker at the July 4 celebration. Trump was the featured speaker to launch the Great American State Fair. Trump is the one boasting constantly about these celebrations and promoting all the things HE is doing to make the celebrations “fantastic."

But as with all things Trump, nothing is fantastic. It’s all a shoddy ruse aimed at lining his or some friend’s pockets.

His rally to launch the fair was poorly attended. The subpar musical acts initially announced as performers quickly backed out. The fair itself seems half-baked and has been marred by logistical problems. 

Americans were born to stand up to bullies. America was bullied, via taxation and military occupation, by Great Britain. So we declared, and fought for, our independence. Laughing at bullies is kind of in our national DNA. It's part of what we're celebrating 250 years later.

Trump gets to learn that now.

Yesha Callahan of BET (June 30, ATTACHMENT FIFTEEN) says we’re all expected to come together – thus the Black tradition of celebrating this country regardless of its challenges. Black Americans built it, sacrificed for it, and fought for every right they have through writing, music, protest, and legal action. No matter what one twice-impeached, four-times-indicted real estate developer and the six justices supporting him do, they cannot erase the truth about who secured those rights, even if they are currently taking the rights themselves.

In April, his Court issued the Louisiana v. Callais decision, which nearly eliminated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. “This 1965 law, for which Black people—including teenagers—were beaten and killed, was weakened by a 6-3 ruling that told Southern states giving Black voters a fair chance in congressional districts was now considered an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.”

Then in June, the Court allowed Alabama to use a congressional map for the 2026 elections that a lower court had already identified as intentionally discriminating against Black voters. “What used to be subtle signals are now loud and clear.”

According to Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund, Republicans could gain over 190 seats now held by Democrats in 10 Southern state legislatures, with most of those seats currently represented by Black lawmakers in majority-minority districts.

While the Court has been advancing Trump’s agenda, the economy he often misrepresents is causing serious harm to Black Americans.

In May 2026, the Black unemployment rate was 6.6%, almost twice the white unemployment rate of 3.8%. It reached 8.3% in November 2025, the highest since the pandemic, after hitting a record low under Biden. The National Urban League has already said that Black America is in a recession, and the data supports this. The Trump administration has cut more than 327,000 federal jobs, weakened the civil service that has helped many Black Americans join the middle class, eliminated federal DEI programs on the first day, and signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which cemented policies that are destabilizing Black households. 

Additional Trump policies and SCOTUS decisions have made life worse for women, immigrants and – according to the liberal Guardian U.K. – the LGBTQ+ community which is fighting policy and legal rollbacks that have resulted in weaponizing anti-trans states against those seeking to support trans citizens by routing many anti-trans federal efforts through federal courts in states like Texas. (ATTACHMENT SIXTEEN)

Even in enclaves like New York and California, Federal regulations and funding cuts are preventing doctors and hospitals from providing gender-affirming care to trans youth. Protesters at various marches, including the Queer Liberation March and NYC Pride held signs referencing the Prairieland case, in which eight anti-ICE protesters – several of whom are trans or queer – were sentenced to a combined 450 years last week by the same Texas federal court targeting trans youth healthcare. The FBI’s evidence in the case, GUK opined, “was largely based on community organizing and sharing of leftwing information, particularly queer and trans writings.”

Right-wing counter protesters and police have stepped assaults against those they perceive as sexual deviants. At the beginning of June in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police officers reportedly blanketed Pride celebrations before arresting 15 crowd members, leading to community protests while crackdowns on Pride marches and block parties in the former mecca of San Francisco have resulted in dozens of arrests.

There has also been an age-related dissociation from long-established civil rights – pollsters at the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (Hill: Attachment Six, above) found that more than half of those under the age of 30 who responded to the survey said they believe “democracy isn’t essential to the country’s identity.” 

“Let that sink in for a moment,” wrote the conservative opinionator for The Hill. (Attachment Four, above) “More than half of those who will soon take control of the reins of our nation don’t believe democracy is essential. While chilling to me, there is no doubt that a U.S. under socialist or even communist governance is a growing aspiration for millions of our fellow citizens.”

Some might amend Mr. MacKinnon’s warning to an American takeover by National Socialists.

WHAT ARE PRESIDENT TRUMP'S JULY 4TH PLANS?

President Donald Trump is slated to attend the Freedom 250 Fourth of July fireworks on the National Mall, where he will give a brief rally speech at 9p.m. and watch a record‑breaking fireworks display later in the evening. (USA Today, July 1^st, ATTACHMENT SEVENTEEN)

The fireworks show, which is a part of Salute to America 250 Celebration and Fireworks, will take place at the Washington Monument in Washington, and will begin later than usual, at around 10:30 p.m. ET, according to Freedom 250's website.

Officials say more than 850,000 firework shells will be launched from 10 sites, with the president calling it the largest fireworks show in history. They are expected to last for 40 minutes.

Other notable American politicians, artists and media who checked in... or were checked in, by reporters... included Veep Vance who gave an America 250 speech on the NAS Oceana in Newport News (WTKR, ATTACHMENT EIGHTEEN) praising the assembled military for their support of "Operation Epic Fury" against Iran.

The ongoing negotiations with Iran were then touted by Vance, who criticized the media's coverage of this development; saying that President Donald Trump has differentiated himself from previous administrations in his foreign policy. He added that the Trump administration has been negotiating from a position of strength.

“I think that you deserve to have a clearly defined objective, I think you deserve to have a president of the United States who believes in you and gives you the weapons to win. And I believe that you have a presidential leadership today that will never ask you to go to war unless he’s telling you why your going to war,” Vance remarked.

The Vice told the troops that he wants them all to know that the celebration belongs to them, as much as it belongs to anybody in the United States of America. “For 250 years, it is people like you, who have put on the uniform of the United States of America and made sure that our Constitution actually has meaning," Vance said.

He also endorsed Trump’s proposal for across-the-board military pay raises and for revitalizing the American shipbuilding industry, centered in the Norfolk area. “We're going to be building lots of ships and doing a lot of things that you haven't seen happen for 35 years. We'll soon revitalize our once great shipyards with hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments."

For his part, Speaker Mike... confounded by Republican hardliners' opposition to the SAVE America voting‑restriction bill (which they dismissed as too weak)... shut down floor activity and sent members home early for the July 4 recess, “leaving Congress unable to pass key legislation and highlighting GOP infighting ahead of the midterm elections.”

In the immediate aftermath, the Pentagon's annual must-pass defense policy bill was stalled. But the House also lost several voting days that would be difficult to make up.

The infighting is wreaking havoc within the GOP-controlled Congress, “jeopardizing Republicans' ability to achieve more of their policy goals as the midterm elections approach.” (USA Today. June 30, ATTACHMENT NINETEEN) More urgently, “it's continuing to stand in the way of Congress performing its more basic functions on which many Americans rely.”

"This is life with a small margin," the speaker told reporters before canceling votes. "We'll work through it."

Democrats did little to hide their frustration amid what House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called "Republican dysfunction."

"What on Earth are we doing here?" Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts, said in a floor speech. "Every week, wondering if someone’s going to throw a fit, if Donald Trump is going to post something crazy and blow everything up, if Mike Johnson is going to bring something to the floor when he doesn’t have the votes."

Even as Trump, fresh off a meeting with Johnson last week, encouraged Republicans like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, (R-Fl) her to "stop grandstanding" over his own demand to pass the voting restrictions bill, she and other hardliners haven't let up.

"The only thing that I can do is use my vote," Luna said. "Why not try to do everything we can possibly do?"

Admidst the Trump cabinet of curiosities – the most curious of all, RFK Junior, who proposed to limit treatment... even recognition... of disabilities such as autism “have drawn sharp rebukes from advocates and lawmakers” in one of a chain of takeaways from KSAT (San Antonio, ATTACHMENT TWENTY) as also included the Save America implosion (above), the President’s crypto cash-in, new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh on inflation, the death (or life) of NAFTA, China’s threat of world war over Taiwan, the minimum wage, old cold cases including those E. Jean Caroll and good o’l Jeffy, the never-ending Hormuz negotiations and death of Trump’s beloved Victor Willis, songwriter and policeman for the Village People.

“It’s a direct, frontal assault on the rights of people with disabilities to live their lives the way that people who are nondisabled live their lives,” Selene Almazan, legal director for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates said of the RFK disabilities purge (believed to also include war-wounded veterans). “I can’t imagine that as a country, that would be something that we would agree we should go back to.”

As the Fourth approached, AOL (June 30, ATTACHMENT TWENTY ONE) took notice of the escalating toll of walkouts, dropouts and denunciations from celebrities commissioned for the America 250 “Great American State Fair” stage.

Even before the total July meltdown, AOL reported that the event “reportedly faced a rocky start” including sparse crowds, logistical issues and the realization that the Trump branding was causing performers to wave bye-bye.

According to OK! Magazine, multiple musicians backed out of scheduled appearances after claiming they had not been informed that the event would carry a political tilt. The publication also reported that several states declined to participate in the festivities.

In their place, President Donald Trump later headlined the fair with a sort of test-drive rally for the big one Saturday night. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took the point, criticizizing artists who withdrew, referring to them as “libtards that canceled on us.” During his remarks, Trump called America the “hottest” nation in the world and that “Nobody’s laughing at us anymore,” the outlet reported.

Public relations experts told OK! Magazine that today’s entertainment industry is increasingly viewing appearances through the lens of brand protection rather than simple patriotism.

“The moment a national celebration becomes politically branded, it stops being a patriotic opportunity and starts being a brand safety calculation,” Amore Philip, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations, told OK! Magazine. She added that talent representatives now evaluate “who will be in the audience, who else is on the lineup, who is sponsoring it and what headlines the artist might inherit.”

Fox, the defender and upholder of capitalism as well as of President Trump and the billionaires, nonetheless scolded both A250 and F250 organizers for a sloppy and shoddy merching campaign. (June 30, ATTACHMENT TWENTY TWO)

”In a land of clever people who look to lean into every possible opportunity, it seems like our 250th has been a wasted one,” Foxy material girl Carol Roth complained.

“Sure, you can find some merchandise here and there, or your normal July 4th fare, but the economic response to this huge milestone event has been utterly milquetoast at best.”

I expected to see T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters and more in red, white and blue, emblazoned with oversized "America 250" and "America: Established 1776." I expected to see accessories proudly featuring the Stars and Stripes and "250." I expected every grocery store product, from condiments to candy, to feature not only limited-edition red, white and blue variations, but branding about celebrating 250 years of America.”

What a bummer!

Where. Ms Roth asks, are “the crazy themed decorations, the 250th balloons and the commemorative knick-knacks? Where are the blow-up Uncle Sams on the suburban lawns? Where are the special festivals and events? The big apple pie baking contests?”

Treating the righteous hate for anti-Americans and Communist to scold... the corporations!... Roth complained that we’ve witnessed “more American patriotism from foreigners visiting America for the FIFA World Cup than we have seen from American industry.”

Corporate America is usually first to jump on any theme, event, millstone or milestone. “The fact that they have largely ignored America’s 250th is incredibly disappointing.” Ms. Roth dismissed fears that corporations who get too "political," might suffer on the bottom line recommending, instead that the Fourth is something worth celebrating, “loudly, proudly and with an obscene amount of themed merchandise.”

Foreign media taking note of the American birthday responding according to traditional politics – if, perhaps, a worried glance on what the Yanks might do next. Japan Today (June 26, ATTACHMENT TWENTY THREE explained the A250/F250 divide as “tumultuous”, “dour” and… as Mark Updegrove, chairman of the LBJ Foundation and a presidential historian said… “Trump is putting himself at the center of the story.” The President "does not consider himself the steward of the presidency. He considers himself the embodiment of it.”

Heading into the final days before the holiday, the Japanese Today reporters noted that the main groups — Freedom 250 and America 250 — were outwardly aiming to downplay any tensions.

Freedom 250 spokesperson Rachel Reisner said the organization was focused on “signature events and initiatives,” including the fair, and is “sparking a unifying movement across all 50 states.”

Rosie Rios, the chair of America 250, said her main priority is delivering programming for all Americans, whether that's eight consecutive ball drops that will unfold across the country, student competitions or a massive volunteer effort. As for other organizations that have emerged like Freedom 250, “the more celebrations, the merrier.”

“We can't be all things to all Americans,” Rios said. “But we have something for every American and the more opportunities for everyone to participate in July 4th and beyond, we're thrilled.”

And as Al Jazeera (Attachment Thirteen above) agreed – the organizers have been “ostensibly playing nice”.

Ostensibly.

While Iran has reiterated its “Death to America” shrieks for the 250^th, China’s Xi has also ostensibly been playing nice, according to the Daily Excelsior of Jammu/Kashmir India.

Last month, the Chinese dictator had said: “This year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. I extend my congratulations to you and to the American people." (May 15^th, ATTACHMENT TWENTY THREE)

He added, "I firmly believe the common interests between China and the United States are bigger than our differences." But Xi sounded “more cautionary about what lies ahead for the world's biggest economic powers.”

"Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both," Xi said. "The two countries should be partners rather than rivals, achieve success together and pursue common prosperity, and chart a correct path for major-country relations in the new era."

Finally Leo, the American Pope, announced he would spend the Fourth on the small Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, a way station for migrants from Africa and Asia into Europe.

The Pope “announced his commitment to the dignity of migrants” and claimed that the issue was personal to him and his own story as a “descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate.” (Time, ATTACHMENT TWENTY FOUR)

“In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope,” Pope Leo wrote in a letter on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees last year and spoke out in support of migrants again when his hometown city of Chicago, Illinois, became the focus of Trump’s crackdown in October 2025. Leo has also replaced the Trump minion Cardinal Dolan with “pro-migrant successor Bishop Ronald Hicks” in the Diocese of New York... Hicks has released a statement supporting a message from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that expressed its opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” in the United States.

Lady Liberty remains in New York harbor, howsoever some may wish it no longer so. And the fireworks are selling – fast according to WSBT in Indiana, which confirmed this with pyrotechnical merchers Jacob Nava of Extreme Fireworks, who said that “while prices have gone up in recent years, stemming from rising costs overseas… it won't affect customers’ wallets”) and Nicholle and Kirk Bryan of Ba-Boom Fireworks, who noted that shipping costs have actually dropped from previous years, "Once you see that everybody in the community is starting to gear up and starting to celebrate, then you feel more reassured because you understand that your sales are coming in. You understand that people keep returning to you and it's very nice to see our business flow." (Attachment Twelve, Above)

	IN the NEWS: JUNE 26th, 2026 to JULY 2, 2026
Friday, June 26, 2026 Dow: 51,872.38	In a chaotic, calamitous meeting between President Trump and Republican Senators, Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy apologizes for losing his “Irish temper” over the war with Iran – which Djonald UnHinged continues saying is already won, despite Iranian closure of Hormuz. Some revolted Senators denounced “unforced errors” – most join the donkeys in a bipartisan housing bill that Trump vetoes, just to show he can. “They spoke at each other, not to each other,” media minions declare. Iranian drone strikes blast Hormuz cargo ships as oil prices rise and fall, so the American military strikes back against what Trump and DefSec Hegseth call “a foolish violation.” Leave it to Stephen – Miller, finding a bright light in the void as he boasts that “the country’s door to asylum seekers is closed,” so the dictators will get to slaughter the deportees with, perhaps, a few (such as the actual violent criminals) being sent to “another country.” Anyone for Paris in the Springtime? At the World Cup, tiny Cape Verde becomes the smallest nation ever to reach the Knockout Round after their third draw with the Saudis. Despite losing to Turkey, the Americans advance and will play Bosnia... the Scots lose and their Tartan Army goes home, but the Orange Army of the Netherlands celebrates while Germany is upset by Ecuador. “Toy Story Five” wins the weekend Box Office, defeating “Supergirl”.
Saturday, June 27, 2026 Dow: Closed	Summer heat and wildfires causing weatherpeople to exclaim: “We are seeing things we have never seen before.” It’s 107° in Nashville, 109° in Savannah and, in Utah, the Cottonwood Fire remains zero percent contained, with red flags now up in six other Western states. Don’t expect comfort overseas either as the Euroheat intensifies. And it’s even worse in Venezuela where the official death toll passes 1,450 with an estimated fifty thousand still missing. Now counting their good fortune over losing Maduro to the Yankees – which makes American deployment of rescue teams and relief supplies viable – sad but illuminating stories such as the FIFA star’s wife’s self sacrifice to save their daughter are joined by the heroic rescues of an infant from the rubble and even a dog. Reporters call the country “a hellscape”. President Trump and MAGA are on a roll. Djonald DeVoyager finalizes plan to put HIS FACE on all new American passports, traitor John Bolton and his mustache convicted of something and sentenced to five years (and a shave?) and Texas Second Amendment denialists order all schoolchildren to read the Bible – perhaps the version with The Donald as The Lord. The Sinner, however, netster Jacov, will be top-seeded at Wimbledon while gamblers zero in on a Fourth of July wedding for Travis and Taylor.
Sunday, June 28, 2026 Dow: Closed	It’s Talkshow Sunday and NYC Mayor Zorro casts off a Manifesto by Trumpitty Democrats saying Communism brings “squalor and dictatorship” and highlighting candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier’s proposed elimination of prisons, telling “This Week” host Jonathan Karl that Democratic Socialists stand for working people and that, being born in Uganda, he can’t and won’t run for President. Round Tabler Neera Tordem (Center for American Progress) says sensible Democrats want candidates who can in win in states like Maine and Michigan. ABC’s Jay O’Brien cites “emboldenment” of disloyal Pubs like Cassidy, SCOTUSblogger Sara Isgur says Trump “dog whistles” anti-Semitism, good dog Veep Vance won’t stand up to HIS MASTER and traitors like MTG and Tucker “don’t matter” and NatReview’s Ramesh Ponnuru says Tucker’s still close to the Vice. Senators Todd Young (R-In) and Mark Kelly (D-Az) promote bipartisan focus on shipbuilding and agree that Trump will exploit “America 250” to divide the country while CBS’ Douglas Brinkley says America has survived “worse, much worse!” On “Face the Nation” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La) CACOs on his vote against Trump’s war despite saying (meekly) Congress should approve it and calling Pulte an “appendage”. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va) cites purge of twelve generals by DefSec Hegseth, asking if he’s “pushing out the tuth tellers”. “60 Minutes” reports that US soldiers are using classified info to gamble on the war. The Hill/News Nation says Dems nominating extremists will lose in November while host Chris Stirewalt says 1975 was also a tough year for America w. Vietnam and Watergate.
Monday, June 29, 2026 Dow: 52,182.79	Under the Strawberry Moon SCOTUS hands President Trump several victories including the scalp of Trade Commissioenr Rebecca Slaughter but overrules him on Fed Commissioner Lisa Cook. They also uphold the E. Jean Carroll civil verdict against the President of the United States. The Slaughter slaughter, large and small “d” umb-o-crats contend, means that he will have almost unlimited power to fire critics and hire sycophants anywhere except the Fed, so plenty of purges are expected. Also in the courts, the old and new rub genitalia; Murdaugh and Mangione trials moving forward and the beginning of the Charlie Kirk killing proceedings. Tommy Tuberville’s residency has been challenged as he runs for Governor of Alabama and, of course, there’s always Epstein. Djonald DisTracted turns his back on the stinking algae in his reflecting pool and pivots to a plan to renovate a DC golf course while promoting passports bearing pictures of Himself. As to Iran, he continues contending that a new cease fire... this one dreamed up in Doha, Qatar... will stop attacks on the oil tankers in Hormuz – Iran answers that their continued policy is and will always be to make America “experience Hell” which Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) confirms. As millions of working, retired and Americans – including veterans and children – are kicked off Medicare, POTUS and Bobby Junior dismiss them as failed fraudsters... critics say they’re just happy to be killing kids.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 Dow: 52,319.20	Hurrying and scurrying to beat the 2025-6 term deadling, SCOTUS issues more ruling, but Djonald UnDeported loses the big one as Chief Justice Roberts issues the majority opinion that the Constitution protects birthright citizenship, no matter what any President might contend. The 5-4 verdict is opposed by Trumpsters Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and oldsters Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito who calls it “a serious mistake” while President Trump says that he is “disappointed” despite winning the other big docket decision: kicking transgender althletes out of women’s sports which, at least, brings an end to what MAGA calls “the war on women.” Iran’s war on women, Jews, Americans and infidel Muslims continues (despite an American poll by Verasight ranking New York Islamic Mayor Mandami third, behind fomer President Obama but ahead of Trump and all other Republicans) as does the Russo-Ukrainian war and a few others here and there. Domestically, oil prices have been up and down – down today leading to record stock market inflation – but gas at the pump holds high and steady, compelling POTUS to play populist and denounce “gouging” while cheering on the culture wars: Biblecrats defending its forcing kids to watch public executions – of the Devil. “Hey, it’s the Devil!” says a spokesman. Jersey, however, removes Hitler baby photos from a school yearbook. Gambling in the news with two NBA stars accused of collaborating with the Mob while millions of frenzied and distracted Joneses are betting on great and small aspects of the (maybe) upcoming Kelcey/Swift wedding at (maybe) Madison Square Garden
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 Dow: 52,305.24	A new month brings in new laws – student loan crackdowns that encourage poor students to stay away and, instead, take vocational courses that will lead to better paying jobs. Before taking off for (paid) summer vacation, SCOTUS gifts billionaires by lifting restrictions on partisan campaign contributions as Republicans hope they can buy their way out of unpopularity before November’s midterms that Rebecca Roiphe (CBS) says “buttresses” further sex suits. But SCOTUS also defeats the President on birthright citizenship, citing Constitutional protections that require a vote by Congress. Trump vows that the “flood of migrants” will be November’s dominant issue while pundits aske whether job losses are due to illegals or robots. Authorities rescue 16 children from “deplorable” house, but 117 dead dogs recovered from also-deplorable “animal shelter” in Also in anamaniacal news, five year old attacked by fox (not the network). Gators shomp biker girl, influencers warn reptile hunters not to kill Mexican axolotls that might lead to cures for cancer.
Thursday, July 2, 2026 Dow: 52,900.07	Persistent summer heat forces Philadelphia to shorten its July Fourth parade, daily records in Baltimore and Hartford CT hit 114° and it’s hotter in New York subways than in the street above. “It’s summer,” the weatherpeople say, “get used to it!” As the week ends, Venezuela’s EQ death toll tops 2,000 official, 50K missing (but another heroic rescue of a 3 year old overrides looting reports), Ewp. Monica LaCruz (R-Tx) denounces ICE arrest of an alien Sister, saying that new ICEman Lance Schroyer, former Oklahoma state trooper, should focus on violent criminals, not nuns on the run. And President Trump takes his first trip on the Qatari gift Air Force One to North Dakota to visit Teddy Roosevelt monument and proposes replacing NAFTA with a nebulous TAFTA before returning to give what he promises to be a lengthy speech at the de-celebritized Great American State Fair – a subsiziary of F250 (above). Left wing bean counters say that Trump’s 2.2B income for 2025/6 ($1.4B of which comes from crypto) which quadruples his 2024 income is evidence of corruption. The June jobs report touts 115,000 new hires, many due to FIFA. Critics say they’re only temporary, so the numbers are “disappointing”. Nonetheless, the Americans win their first FIFA knockout win over Bosnia and will next face Belgium.
A banner week for the flag, the Fourth and the Dow and the Don. The Dow set a record high on Thursday as investors interviewed by CNBC reacted to a weaker-than-expected nonfarm payrolls report while NASDAQ languished as semiconductors struggled once again. The 30-stock average added 594.83 points, or 1.14%, for a record close of 52,900.07. The index hit a new all-time intraday high of 52,903.85.  The Don also broke through the 16,000 – both exhibiting the strange concurrence of higher inequality with better overall fortunes... even if the real benefits only accrue to the wealthiest 10% (or 1%, or .1%).

THE DON JONES INDEX

CHART of CATEGORIES w/VALUE ADDED to EQUAL BASELINE of 15,000

(REFLECTING… approximately… DOW JONES INDEX of June 27, 2013)

Gains in indices as improved are noted in GREEN. Negative/harmful indices in RED as are their designation. (Note – some of the indices where the total went up created a realm where their value went down... and vice versa.) See a further explanation of categories HERE

ECONOMIC INDICES		(60%)
CATEGORY	VALUE	BASE	RESULTS by PERCENTAGE			SCORE				OUR SOURCES and COMMENTS
INCOME	(24%)	6/17/13 revised 1/1/22	LAST	CHANGE	NEXT	LAST WEEK Original Reconfig.		THIS WEEK Original Reconfig.		THE WEEK’S CLOSING STATS...
Wages (hrly. Per cap)	9% 8	1350 points	6/26/26	+0.29%	7/26	1,904.26	1350	1,909.78	1,353.92	https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/average-hourly-earnings 37.64
Median Inc. (yearly)	4%	600	6/26/26	+0.08%	7/10/26	1,472.81	600	1,473.51	600.48	http://www.usdebtclock.org/   67,937
Unempl. (BLS – in mi)	4%	600	6/26/26	+2.38%	7/26	542.60	600	555.52	614.28	http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000/  4.2
Official (DC – in mi)	2%	300	6/26/26	-0.014%	7/10/26	216.79	300	216.76	299.96	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    7,317
Unofficl. (DC – in mi)	2%	300	6/26/26	-0.061%	7/10/26	260.14	300	259.98	299.82	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    13,180
Workforce Participation Number Percent	2%	300	6/26/26	-0.005% -0.0033%	7/10/26	295.83	300	295.82	299.99	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    In 162,727 Out 105,169 Total: 267,869 60.748
WP % (ycharts)*	1%	150	6/26/26	-0.485%	7/26	149.98	150	149.25	149.27	https://ycharts.com/indicators/labor_force_participation_rate 61.50
OUTGO	(15%)
Total Inflation	7%	1050	6/26/26	+0.5%	7/26	901.77	1050	901.77	1050	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm     +0.6 .5
Food	2%	300	6/26/26	+0.2%	7/26	257.37	300	257.37	300	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm     +0.5 .2
Gasoline	2%	300	6/26/26	+7.0%	7/26	181.96	300	181.96	300	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm    +5.4 7.0
Medical Costs	2%	300	6/26/26	+0.5%	7/26	267.14	300	267.14	300	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm     +0.6 .5
Shelter	2%	300	6/26/26	+0.3%	7/26	238.38	300	238.38	300	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm     +0.0 .3
WEALTH	(6%)
Dow Jones Index	2% 3	300	6/26/26	+2.591%	7/10/26	400.43	300	410.82	307.77	https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/index/ 52,900.07
Home (Sales) (Valuation)	1% 1%	150 150	6/26/26	+3.73% +2.78%	7/10/26	137.08	150 150	137.08	155.60 154.17	https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics Sales (M):  4.02 .17 Valuations (K):  417.7 429.3
Millionaires (New Category)	1%	150	6/26/26	+0.049%	7/10/26	137.58	150	137.65	150.07	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    24,261 273 287 303 315
Paupers (New Category)	1%	150	6/26/26	+0.027%	7/10/26	134.77	150	134.73	149.96	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    36,910 920 932 945 955
GOVERNMENT	(10%)
Revenue (trilns.)	2%	300	6/26/26	+0.14%	7/10/26	484.29	300	484.99	300.42	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    5,480 487 493 564 572
Expenditures (tr.)	2%	300	6/26/26	+0.055%	7/10/26	287.56	300	287.40	299.84	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    7,136 139 142 221 225
National Debt tr.)	3%	450	6/26/26	+0.066%	7/10/26	345.28	450	345.05	449.70	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    39,213 239 268 331 357
Aggregate Debt (tr.)	3%	450	6/26/26	+0.201%	7/10/26	354.13	450	353.42	449.10	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    108,164 251 347 112,422 648
TRADE	(5%)
Foreign Debt (tr.)	2%	300	6/26/26	+0.53%	7/10/26	253.65	300	253.52	297.14	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    9,551 9,564 574 492 497
Exports (in billions)	1%	150	6/26/26	+1.93%	7/7/26	203.57	150	150	150	https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/current/index.html 320.9 327.1 nc
Imports (in billions))	1%	150	6/26/26	-0.47%	7/7/26	134.69	150	150	150	https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/current/index.html 381.2 383.0
Trade Surplus/Deficit (blns.)	1%	150	6/26/26	+7.87%	7/7/26	253.48	150	150	150	https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/current/index.html 60.3 55.9
SOCIAL INDICES (60%)
ACTS of MAN	(12%)
World Affairs	3%	450	6/26/26	nc	7/10/26	468.20	450	468.20	450	As the Eurosummer grinds on, France prohibits air conditioning in “historic” buildings. Albanians denounce Jared Kushner’s “corrupt” luxury resort. FIFA foreigners fanatic about ranch dressing, so Boston’s Logan Airport sells it to take home.
War and terrorism	2%	300	6/26/26	-0.2%	7/10/26	281.19	300	280.63	299.40	Authorities quell NC prison riot. In the wars, Iran and US honor “cease fire” by exchanging missile strikes while the Russo/Ukrainian combined casualties top 2M with 600K dead.
Politics	3%	450	6/26/26	nc	7/10/26	451.95	450	451.95	450	Trump nominates toady Lance Shroyer to hop to ICE chieftan as raids escalate; zealots propose tearing down the Statue of Liberty. Gotham leftists pass rent freeze, put billionaire tax on ballot. Former ComSec Pete Butt swatted over child molestations; Alabama football coach and Senator turned gubernatorial candidate menaced over residency rules.
Economics	3%	450	6/26/26	+0.2%	7/10/26	426.64	450	427.49	450.90	Dow hits record high, as investors profit on weaker-than-expected nonfarm payrolls report for June. Others say latest jobs report stronger, but perhaps tweakened by temporary FIFA jobs (see above)
Crime	1% 2	150	6/26/26	+0.1%	7/10/26	201.94	150	201.74	149.85	Athletic supporters of crime include Terrian Arnold (kidnapping and robbery), James Pierce. Ten year ol boy robs and stabs dollar soe worker in Pa. Two women and 2 year old murdered in Jackson, MS. ICE arrests, then releases alien nun in Brownsville, TX while Archdiocese of San Francisco pays $395M to victims of pervo priest. Skywalking lovers climb Empire State Building to marry and are taken to jail.
ACTS of GOD	(6%)
Environment/Weather	3%	450	6/26/26	-0.2%	7/10/26	277.49	450	276.96	449.10	Wildfires scorch six states, kill firefighters in Aspen and cause Utah to ban fireworks. Flooding causes Kentucky dam failure and evacuations.
Disasters	3%	450	6/26/26	-0.2%	7/10/26	463.09	450	462.16	449.10	As Venezuelan EQ toll rises, Americans are entranced by stories of heroic rescues and send help; even junkies send their extra pills. RV explodes in Arizona, creating dire wildfires. Homes explode in Cleveland. Plane crash into Chinese skyscraper, near crash in Texas after pilot accused of “showing off”; Saudi copter crash kills eleven, more die in Pennsylvania bus crash and Simi Valley, CA,Tesla ramming restaurant.
LIFESTYLE/JUSTICE INDEX		(15%)
Science, Tech, Education	4%	600	6/26/26	-0.1%	7/10/26	617.97	600	617.35	599.40	AI “chipflation” gobbling raises prices on devices from MS and Apple and boosts SoKo chipper industries. NASA trying to save Swift telescope (not Taylor’s) after attack by gamma rays. Happy robots include dog that confronts Mass. killer who suicides himself while drone minesweepers are clearing Hormuz. Diah pay TV can’t pay... files for bankruptcy. In the schools, Jersey recalls yearbook with Hitler baby photos while Kentucky bible school students forced to watch execution... teacher says “Hey, it’s of the Devil.” (No Prada.)
Equality (econ/social)	4%	600	6/26/26	+0.1%	7/10/26	671.70	600	672.37	600.60	Princess Kate climbs three U.K. mountains for cancer charity. Cultural critics say protest music (‘60’s variety) is back with Bruce, Bunny and newcomer Mon Rovia.
Health	4%	600	6/26/26	-0.2%	7/10/26	412.58	600	411.75	598.80	New laws kick millions off health insurance; Donnie and Bobbie say they were fraudsters. Pro-vaxxers and religious fundamentalists join to preach that one teenage kiss might cause deadly meningitis. TV docs say shingles vaxxes lower dementia risk, but tick bites cause Alpha Gal allergies to red meat (fish and chicken OK). Jaguar recalls 250K luxury vehibles for sub-proletarian airbags; tosic Zapps and Dirty Chips (potaro, not siicon) pulled; Amgen recalls heart and kidney meds contaminated by “foreign substances.”
Freedom and Justice	3%	450	6/26/26	nc	7/10/26	478.24	450	478.24	450	SCOTUS hands Trump and the billionaire class some big wins, but also a few losses (they’re afraid to say so, but most corporations want more immigrants whom they can pay less until the robots are ready to take over). Texas orders school kids to read, believe and submit to The Bible. Mustache man John Bolton pleads guilty to hoarding national security information, will get 5 years. And a shave. Juries vote to free Palisades fire suspect; Mangione, Murdaugh and Kirk killer Robinson still on trial.
CULTURAL and MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS			(6%)
Cultural incidents	3%	450	6/26/26	+0.1%	7/10/26	595.25	450	595.85	450.45	Serena ousted at Wimbledon by novice Maya Joint; top seeds Sinner and Avalenko move on, as does US men’s soccer team. FIFA waves bye to the orange and tartan armies. “Toy Story 5” crushes Supergirl at B.O. “Camp Rock 3” coming (but not Camp Mystic, bankrupt). Bill Maher wins Mark Twain Prize at de-Trumped Kennedy Center. IUK ranks “Vogue” as best song by Madonna. Taylor and Travis wedding plots grow complicated with hints Swifties are pulling swift ones on the media. Holding a Garden Party (capacity 22K) for a ceremony of a hundred on Friday, then a party for a thousand Saturday) may honor Rick Nelson upstairs, but thousands of blue seats will shimmer and groan at the waste while gamblers shoot the moon and former NBA stars arrested for point shaving; NFL’s Calais Campbell’s mother murdered by his brother. Other RIPs include Village policeman Victor Willis, Ukrainian journalist Max Oseredchuk (killed by Russians). (Retire)IP: C&W star Alan Jackson;
Miscellaneous incidents	4%/3%	450	6/26/26	+0.1%	7/10/26	553.95	450	554.50	450.45	Bean counters say President Trump made $1.3B in crypto profits while crypt next Marilyn Monroe sold for $195K to lonely tech guy; Knicks’ tip-in ball up for auction at only $4M. After 117 dead dogs found in “animal shelter”, animals fight back: Croc chomps tourist in Puerto Vallarta, three gators feast in Florida – TV zoologists blames mating season for reptiles. Other repticians say don’t kill endangered Mexican axolotls - they may cure cancer.

The Don Jones Index for the week of June 26^th through July 2^nd, 2026 was UP 29.54 points

The Don Jones Index is sponsored by the Coalition for a New Consensus: retired Congressman and Independent Presidential candidate Jack “Catfish” Parnell, Chairman; Brian Doohan, Administrator. The CNC denies, emphatically, allegations that the organization, as well as any of its officers (including former Congressman Parnell, environmentalist/America-Firster Austin Tillerman and cosmetics CEO Rayna Finch) and references to Parnell’s works, “Entropy and Renaissance” and “The Coming Kill-Off” are fictitious or, at best, mere pawns in the web-serial “Black Helicopters” – and promise swift, effective legal action againth parties promulgating this and/or other such slanders.

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ATTACHMENT ONE - FROM	HISTORY FACTS
ATTACHMENT TWO - FROM	THE FRESNO BEE
ATTACHMENT THREE - FROM	ATLANTIC
ATTACHMENT FOUR - FROM	THE HILL
ATTACHMENT FIVE - FROM	THE ECONOMIST
ATTACHMENT SIX - FROM	AP/NORC
ATTACHMENT SEVEN - FROM	WASHINGTON TIMES
ATTACHMENT EIGHT - FROM	JAPAN T ODAY?
ATTACHMENT NINE - FROM	NATIONAL REVIEW
ATTACHMENT TEN - FROM	NEW REPUBLIC
ATTACHMENT ELEVEN - FROM	DAILY BEAST
ATTACHMENT TWELVE - FROM	WSBT (INDIANA)
ATTACHMENT THIRTEEN - FROM	AL JAZEERA
ATTACHMENT FOURTEEN - FROM	USA TODAY
ATTACHMENT FIFTEEN - FROM	BET
ATTACHMENT SIXTEEN - FROM	GUK
ATTACHMENT SEVENTEEN - FROM	USA TODAY
ATTACHMENT EIGHTEEN - FROM	WTKR (NEWPORT NEWS)
ATTACHMENT NINETEEN - FROM	USA TODAY
ATTACHMENT TWENTY - FROM	KSAT (SAN ANTONIO)
ATTACHMENT TWENTY ONE - FROM	AOL
ATTACHMENT TWENTY TWO- FROM	FOX
ATTACHMENT TWENTY THREE - FROM	JAPAN TODAY DAILY EXCELSIOR
ATTACHMENT TWENTY FOUR - FROM	TIME

X00 AI overview

X00 AI overview

AI Overview

Fourth of July (Independence Day) is the annual federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which declared the United States an independent nation. It is celebrated across the country with fireworks, parades, concerts, and family barbecues. [1, 2]

History and Significance

• The Date: While the Continental Congress actually voted in favor of independence on July 2, 1776, the formal adoption of the Declaration occurred on July 4, which has been celebrated as America's birthday ever since. [1]
• Traditions: The first organized celebrations took place in Philadelphia in 1777, featuring bonfires, musket and cannon fire, and the first recorded fireworks display. [1]
• National Parks: As part of patriotic commemorations, the U.S. National Park Service typically offers free entry to all national parks for residents. [1]

Federal Closures

• Because it is a federal holiday, government offices, the United States Postal Service, and most banks are closed.
• Regular mail delivery is suspended for the day. [1, 2]

If you are looking for local events, fireworks displays, or restaurant specials in the Columbus, GA area, let me know and I can help you find exactly what is happening nearby.

Wikipedia

Fourth of July: Independence Day Holiday - History.com

Jun 17, 2026 — The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—celebrates the birth of American independence from the British Empir...

A6X01 FROM A.P. polling

By  LINLEY SANDERS Updated 12:55 PM EDT, June 24, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — Duane Mitchell has big plans for America’s 250th anniversary.

Mitchell, a 78-year-old veteran in Montana, plans to take a red, white and blue 1954 Chevrolet pickup that he restored and drive it in local parades for the Fourth of July. In honor of the country’s milestone anniversary, he bought a decorative eagle to mount on the back of the truck, accompanied by American flags.

“I’ll be driving my pickup,” he said, referring to his role in the parades. “Usually we freeze a whole bunch of candy, and I have a couple of kids from down the block who get in the back and throw candy out. Everybody loves it.”

Mitchell isn’t the only one looking forward to this year’s festivities. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults feel “proud” about the country’s 250th anniversary, according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Roughly 3 in 10 say “excited” describes their emotions. The milestone will be marked with events across the country, and President Donald Trump has planned several for the nation’s capital, including a fair on Washington’s National Mall.

0:00 / 40

AP AUDIO: How Americans are feeling about the country’s 250th anniversary, according to new polls

AP correspondent Donna Warder reports on a new poll on what Americans think of the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

But as the celebrations begin, many Americans also feel indifferent or conflicted about celebrating the country. Other Gallup polling shows that most Americans now feel the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be disappointed with how the U.S. has turned out, a substantial increase from 25 years ago.

MOST REPUBLICANS AND OLDER ADULTS FEEL PROUD

Most Republicans say that “proud” or “excited” describes how they are feeling about the United States’ 250th anniversary. About 7 in 10 Republicans say pride describes their emotions, compared with about 3 in 10 independents and roughly 2 in 10 Democrats.

Older Americans — those ages 60 and older — are also mostly feeling proud, with about 6 in 10 saying this describes how they feel about the nation’s anniversary.

Mitchell, the Montana veteran, wants the country to be “celebrating it to the maximum.” As a Vietnam War veteran who was drafted into the war, he wants Americans to remember the men and women who have given their lives to protect the freedoms they have today.

“It was a sacrifice,” Mitchell said, referring to his service. “The most important thing about the celebration is understanding that freedom is not free, and it never will be free, so you need to celebrate that.”

About half of Republicans, 54%, say they feel excited about the country’s anniversary.

As the country marks 250 years of independence, most Americans believe the country has succeeded in achieving its founding ideals, according to new Gallup polling. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults say that America has succeeded “a great deal” or “a fair amount” in achieving the ideals for which the country was founded. That view is shared by a majority of Democrats, independents and Republicans — though Republicans are especially likely to say the country has succeeded.

DEMOCRATS AND YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL CONFLICTED OR INDIFFERENT

More Democrats and young people say “conflicted” or “indifferent” describes their feelings about America 250.

About 4 in 10 Democrats and roughly 3 in 10 adults under 30 say “conflicted” describes their feelings “extremely” or “very” well. About 3 in 10 in each case feel “indifferent.”

Laura Davis, a 44-year-old in Chicago who identifies as a progressive liberal, has struggled with what she describes as the “American declarations of grandiosity” this year, including Trump’s White House ballroom construction and the repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. She believes that money could be better spent on Americans in need, as well as international aid, and she worries the country’s reputation is being damaged by the Trump administration’s actions.

“It doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the things that do make America a unique and in some ways exceptional place to be,” she said. “But I think it’s more nuanced than that, and I hope that doesn’t get lost in the celebration.”

About 8 in 10 Americans say the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be disappointed with how the country has turned out, according to a new Gallup poll. Only about 2 in 10 say the signers would be pleased. That’s down significantly from 1999 — the first time the question was asked — when 55% believed they would be disappointed and 44% said they would be pleased.

Sydney Crispin, a 39-year-old Democrat in Maine, believes the country’s “incredible” foundation is worth celebrating. Still, she is conflicted by what she sees as a decline in people’s ability to have respectful discourse, something she believes is at the heart of America’s identity. She hopes communities find ways to celebrate the remarkable parts of America this Fourth of July while still reflecting on its areas for improvement.

CELEBRATING THE 250TH: SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY TOPS ON LIST

Just under half, 44%, of U.S. adults plan to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary by spending time with friends or family, according to a recent Gallup-With Honor poll. About 3 in 10 U.S. adults say they plan to watch coverage of America 250 events on television or social media.

More than half of adults ages 65 and older plan to celebrate with friends or family, while nearly half plan to watch coverage of the event on television or social media. Adults under 30 are more likely to say they are not planning to celebrate at all.

The Gallup-With Honor poll found about 2 in 10 U.S. adults plan to participate in a neighborhood or community event, while approximately 1 in 10 say they will be attending an official America 250 event.

Lyle Nelson, a 67-year-old in Idaho, said he plans to maintain his tradition of watching the annual Macy’s firework show at home.

Nelson — who agrees with a lot of what Trump has done in office — remarked that even though Trump was disappointed that he did not get reelected in 2020, he might be pleased that he’s the one in the White House during this historic event.

“I wonder if he’s thankful that he gets to be president during the 250th anniversary,” Nelson said. “I think he’ll be excited for that.”

___

The AP-NORC poll of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

The Gallup-With Honor poll of 3,199 adults was conducted May 12-22 using a sample drawn from Gallup’s probability-based panel. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points. The separate Gallup poll of 1,001 adults was conducted May 1-17 using a sample drawn from Gallup’s probability-based panel. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

PG

All Comments

1. Comment by UhOh.

July 4th: Flags at half mast.

2. Comment by HomeoftheKnave.

I pledge to conscientiously object to the Felon in the White House;

And to the billions he hides behind;

One Administration, under Greed, Unconstitutional, wilfully Ignorant and Unjust to All

3. Comment by Autodidactyl.

I'm deeply saddened and disappointed in my country this anniversary. In my youth I was an Eagle Scout, and I participated in flag ceremonies, and I would have considered myself extremely patriotic.

But the politics of the last 20 years has definitely disillusioned me, and now as a supreme narcissist runs the country and treats it like his personal piggy bank, corruption is happening right out in the open, and scandals that make Watergate, The Lewinsky affair, and more pale by comparison to the extreme, and bald faced corruption on display. It really does tear out my heart. Last July 4th, I felt more a sense of melancholy with everything going on then.

And now with the big 250 being presided over by such an unfit leader, and a corrupt administration, and the daily assault on our personal liberties, and the revocation of civil liberties that were hard fought and won in decades past, now we are watching the regression of American politics. Some people in this country won't be happy until they taken away all of our rights. And the crowd on one side is actively cheering it on, because their traditions say some people having freedom is somehow an attack on their personal beliefs.

So yeah, I feel deep sadness. I'm ashamed to be an American when the world watches on as our leader tells stupid lies for his own vanity. Whatever we've convinced ourselves of, the rest of the world sits by and is laughing at the stupid Americans. So yeah, it's embarrassing to say the least. Pride? Nope. I don't have pride for my country. Especially not when I feel we're on the wrong track, and doing not just the wrong thing, but the complete opposite of progress. We are losing freedom. We are losing our rights. We have lost our reputation. We are losing our place in the world order.

o Reply by Chablis28.

Reply to Autodidactyl

Couldn’t disagree more! It’s a sad statement about any who allow 1 person in the oval office to ruin their entire outlook for themselves & our magnificent people & country.

No modern president is remotely like you & I. They’re certainly not like the founding fathers who became Presidents. Personally, I celebrate those early presidents & Lincoln on July 4. Maybe Ford, Regan & Carter bear some semblance to the founders in purity of motives. Of country before self. But it’s you & I who makes America best!

Modern Presidents like Nixon, Kennedy, Obama & Trump are all in it mainly for SELF. I wanted Niki Hailey & defaulted to Trump only because he denounced the size & waste of BIG Gov. Obama is Ivy League educated & been running for the prestige of the winning the office since the day he was born. In his recent speech in Chicago for HIS “Presidential Library” he spoke of the need to “give back” & the library as his gift to us??? LOL! I can’t name another President who needs more celebrity & hero worship than Obama. He expects us to appreciate his fake humility while drooling over his carefully metered out .. profound words.

So, for me my hero’s are not modern Presidents. Rather my hero’s are; my dad, my mom & my friends who believe in the American Dream and live it to the fullest. The 440.000 young Americans who gave their lives in WWII to defeat evil & save Europe. Our daughter Ana, a VP of Sales in a tech firm and our son Joe who has a lower IQ but a cashier in Target for 20+yrs.

In America if you believe in yourself & resilient you can realize the same American Dream my; dad, mom, I & my kids have.

You say you are an Eagle Scout. Congrats, hold your chin up & control what you can. Neither Obama nor Trump control your happiness.

4. Comment by OhWillie.

Of course Democrats don't feel proud. They want a Mandami type president and patriots don't.

o Reply by CritiqueFreak.

Reply to OhWillie - view message

Dems are just feeling defeated and trampled on by the man in the White House who Hay-Eights them and doesn't treat them equally.

o Reply by Chablis28.

Little early to lump Mamdani in with McCain. I met McCain and he was the real deal.

A4X02 FROM THE HILL

By Douglas MacKinnon — June 13, 2026 (UPDATED)

I spent about one year of my life in 1776. My time travel began on July 4 of 2020. 

After listening to various voices on the left speak about blowing off the Fourth of July, tearing down statues of our Founding Fathers and sandblasting their names off schools and buildings, in effect canceling their very existence, I became quite alarmed. I have long believed that if our history is bad, we should condemn it and learn from it. If it is good, we should praise it and  build upon it. But we should never, ever cancel our shared American history. 

From that belief and that year of my life came the book, “The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence.“

“History” itself has taught us over the centuries that those seeking to rewrite pasts of our past that they find objectionable are rarely, if ever, on the side of goodness and light. History, by its very definition, is unchangeable. All of its facts, joys and horrors should serve as guideposts for our future.  

To be sure, the “victors” and totalitarians of the past who rewrote or reimagined history inspired the critical writings (and ever relevant warnings) of the likes of Victor Hugo, Ayn Rand and George Orwell — warnings that are mostly going unheeded today. 

My childhood was one of massive dysfunction and poverty. By the time I was 17 years of age, I had been evicted from 34 homes. It was an existence that, counterintuitively, became a lasting blessing: with each eviction, I got to experience another part of America. 

As a white child, I often lived in majority-Black housing projects in the inner cities. But I also ended up in the suburbs, in rural America and in farming towns. Each experience introduced me to the different communities that collectively made up the foundation of our nation. 

Amid the continual turmoil of my childhood, one enduring memory from each of the new locations and communities I encountered stood out. No matter the political persuasion — gender, race, sexual orientation and faith — of the people I met, the Fourth of July was a day that united all in pride. 

Not anymore.

All these years and decades later, I am not sure what the United States represents or what “unites” it. Today, it is much easier to envision the country we all inhabit as the “Siloed States of America” cratering from within via the toxic effects of hate, misinformation, and dark money.

Part of my personal history was having the honor to witness true leaders, such as Sens. Bob Dole (R-Kan.), George McGovern (D-S.D.), and Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) debate together, laugh together and find consensus together.  

Now, I am instead watching Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk get assassinated, knowing that hundreds of thousands of my fellow Americans loudly cheered that murder on or at least rationalized it. Moreover, multiple polls show an increasing number of Americans sanctioning the murder of political or business leaders they oppose.

Part of my personal history was working in the Pentagon with heroic men and women united in purpose, people who have sacrificed so much in service to our nation. I recently spoke with a special operations warrior who had been on multiple combat deployments. This man with two young children screamed into the abyss: “Are our leaders all part of the Uni-party? Do I tell my children I am risking my life for our values or for the personal power and profit of elites in and out of our nation?”

On the cusp of our country’s 250th anniversary, polls show an America increasingly, and quite possibly irrevocably, divided. A poll conducted by Fox News found that voters “remain attached to the country, even as a majority describe it in negative terms and many believe Americans are more divided by their values than united by them.” A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 72 percent of Americans believe the U.S. is “heading in the wrong direction.”

Most shockingly, more than half of those under the age of 30 who responded to the survey said they believe “democracy isn’t essential to the country’s identity.” Let that sink in for a moment. More than half of those who will soon take control of the reins of our nation don’t believe democracy is essential. While chilling to me, there is no doubt that a U.S. under socialist or even communist governance is a growing aspiration for millions of our fellow citizens.

On the 250th anniversary of our republic, what is “united” about the United States of America?  The country I still love and the Founding Fathers I sought to defend in print are now despised by a large segment of our population. 

As many wrestle with that growing reality, I wonder what the reaction of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams would be to the United States of 2026? Would their genius divine a path of promise to recapture their vision, or would their reasoned and pragmatic thinking determine that their noble dream had finally run its course?   

A23X03 FROM Japan today

Trump is frontman for his own party as rival groups vie to shape America’s 250th anniversary

By STEVEN SLOAN June 26  06:40 am JST  7 Comments

The complexities of the American story aren't hard to miss.

Just steps into the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, the gavel used by Nancy Pelosi when she became the first female speaker of the U.S. House sits next to a red “Make America Great Again” cap. A shirt emblazoned with a pink triangle and “Silence = Death” protesting the government's inaction during the AIDS crisis hangs alongside a campaign shirt for President Ronald Reagan, whose administration was blamed for ignoring the epidemic.

The display is part of a broader exhibit flowing throughout the museum dubbed “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness,” commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence. With artifacts ranging from a Revolutionary War-era gunboat to a 1970 Earth Day flag, it's a reminder that the challenges and divides gripping the U.S. in the age of President Donald Trump, while stark, are not new.

“In some of those contestations, people find the hope and the resiliency to move forward,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the museum's director. “History is filled with those moments where we think we're completely falling apart as we did in the Civil War and then we're trying to figure out how to build it back together again.”

That unifying theme is being tested as the anniversary celebrations intensify in the coming weeks with Trump once again giving himself central billing. The creation of Freedom 250, an organization aligned with the White House, has come to rival America 250, a bipartisan group founded by Congress a decade ago. The different groups add to a sense that even a milestone anniversary can become the source of division.

The tumultuous aftermath is apparent on the National Mall just outside the museum, where preparations are underway for “The Great American State Fair.” A wave of artists including Martina McBride pulled out of performances at the fair, saying they didn't realize the political overtone of the event.

The split screen will return on July Fourth as America 250 holds a concert in Los Angeles hosted by Queen Latifah and featuring performances from Chris Stapleton and The Smashing Pumpkins while the president returns to the National Mall for what he has described as a “Trump rally.”

Trump is not the first president to deliver a high-profile July Fourth speech. In 1986, Reagan spoke from New York Harbor marking the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. In 1976, President Gerald Ford delivered an address from Independence Hall in Philadelphia commemorating the bicentennial.

Their themes emphasized commonality and unity, framing the moment in a broader context that had little to do with the presidents themselves. Reagan joked he “wouldn't even think about trying to compete with a fireworks display” while noting “all the celebration of this day is rooted in history.”

Ford spoke of the “American adventure” as a “continuing process.”

“Liberty is for all men and women as a matter of equal and unalienable right,” he said. “The establishment of justice and peace abroad will in large measure depend upon the peace and justice we create here in our own country, where we still show the way.”

Trump, of course, tends to place more of the focus squarely on himself. He became the first president to host the Kennedy Center honors last year after a Trump-backed board named him chairman. The venue added his name to the building as well, prompting a federal judge to declare the move illegal and order its removal.

More recently, Trump has remade Washington in his image, demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make way for a ballroom and moving toward building a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. He's eyeing renovations at East Potomac Park even as he struggles with the return of algae at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which he remodeled last month. He recently hosted a UFC fight at the White House.

“Trump is putting himself at the center of the story,” said Mark Updegrove, chairman of the LBJ Foundation and a presidential historian. "Trump does not consider himself the steward of the presidency. He considers himself the embodiment of it.”

The country is in a dour mood as the anniversary approaches. Only about one-quarter of Americans say the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world, according to an April poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About 3 in 10 say there are better countries than the U.S., an increase from 19% in an AP-NORC poll conducted in June 2016.

Americans are less likely to see a democratically elected government as “extremely” or “very” important to the United States’ identity as a nation than they were just a few years ago. About two-thirds of U.S. adults now say a democratically elected government is highly important to the U.S.’s identity as a nation, down from 80% in 2021.

Against that backdrop, it's little wonder that groups dedicated to the anniversary have multiplied. Even this year's Super Bowl halftime show — typically one of the few cultural moments bringing together much of the country — contended with a rival program this year after conservatives objected to Bad Bunny performing on the main stage.

Heading into the final days before the holiday, the main groups — Freedom 250 and America 250 — are outwardly aiming to downplay any tensions.

Freedom 250 spokesperson Rachel Reisner said the organization was focused on “signature events and initiatives,” including the fair, and is “sparking a unifying movement across all 50 states.”

Rosie Rios, the chair of America 250, said her main priority is delivering programming for all Americans, whether that's eight consecutive ball drops that will unfold across the country, student competitions or a massive volunteer effort. As for other organizations that have emerged like Freedom 250, “the more celebrations, the merrier.”

“We can't be all things to all Americans,” Rios said. “But we have something for every American and the more opportunities for everyone to participate in July 4th and beyond, we're thrilled.”

A13X04 FROM al jazeera

America250 versus Freedom 250: What to know about the US semiquincentennial

By Tyler Sherman Lowry Published On 14 Jun 202614 Jun 2026

Washington, DC – There are fisticuffs on the White House lawn, soon to be followed by a high-speed race through the National Mall. What is going on in Washington, DC?

The United States capital has been transformed in honour of the country’s 250th anniversary.

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Events all around the country are planned to mark two and a half centuries since the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

The nationwide bash has been dubbed the “semiquincentennial” — meaning half of 500 — and not just because Congress loves long words. The US has a history of throwing itself a party every 50 years.

But US President Donald Trump has promised a particularly noteworthy event this year, though the proceedings have been marred by a cavalcade of controversies.

HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW:

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF US SEMICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS?

The first 50-year anniversary, in 1826, was a considerably more muted affair than the festivities to come.

At the time, some of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence were still alive, so the mayor of Washington, DC, invited them to attend the celebration in the capital.

Former Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both demurred, citing their failing health. They died within hours of each other on the day of the semicentennial.

Fifty years later, in 1876, the US would mark its 100th anniversary by hosting its first world’s fair, an exhibition featuring displays of art, culture and technology from around the globe.

The fair was held in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the original document was put on temporary display in the city.

Another world’s fair arrived in Philadelphia for the country’s 150th anniversary in 1926, but it was not nearly as successful. Variety magazine called it “America’s greatest flop”.

Meanwhile, the modern template for having a yearlong, cross-country celebration was set on the 200th anniversary in 1976.

A train-mounted museum of documents and historical artefacts toured the lower 48 states for 21 months. Volunteers, meanwhile, used covered wagons to travel the width of the country.

The celebrations were generally received positively, although the sale of souvenirs — from umbrella hats to mugs — earned it the pejorative “the buy-centennial”.

WHAT IS HAPPENING THIS YEAR?

While the US capital may be the centre of this year’s celebration, there will be a multitude of events across the country. They include:

• UFC Freedom 250, a mixed martial arts fight on the White House lawn on June 14
• the Great American State Fair, featuring booths representing all 50 states, presented on the National Mall from June 25 to July 10
• the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, which will see IndyCars race around capital monuments from August 22 to 23
• the World Cup Fan Zone in Washington, DC, from June 11 to July 16
• a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on July 3
• concerts and exhibitions in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Boston

Mobile museums, known as Freedom Trucks, will also be travelling around the country.

Another initiative is America’s Block Party, an effort to encourage communities to engage in charitable works and host their own semiquincentennial parties.

So far, however, there appears to be no government programme in the works to tackle the holiday’s most vexing and far-reaching problem: how to make the traditional July 4 potato salad less bland.

WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE UFC FIGHT?

One of the most scrutinised events in the semiquincentennial calendar is UFC Freedom 250, which will take place on the White House lawn on Sunday.

The timing of the event is one of the details that have wiggled eyebrows. Sunday is a holiday known as Flag Day, but it also marks Trump’s 80th birthday.

The event is also being staged by one of Trump’s most prominent political donors: Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

White has described Sunday’s event as designed “to tell the story of America”. There will be two title fights: a lightweight bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje and a heavyweight interim title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane, as well as several smaller “undercard” matches.

Despite bearing the title “Freedom 250”, the UFC event is not being organised by the White House task force of the same name.

A Freedom 250 spokesperson clarified that the presidential group “has not been responsible for the operations, logistics or funding of the UFC White House event”.

That point has been central to ongoing debates about whether the fight represents a conflict of interest for Trump, who holds stock in UFC’s parent company.

On Friday, a federal judge rejected an emergency petition to stop the fight, on the premise that Trump was using government property to promote his private business interests.

White has told the ESPN sport broadcaster that his organisation was paying for the event.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FREEDOM 250 AND AMERICA250?

There are two government-backed nonprofits organising festivities for the anniversary: Freedom 250 and America250.

The former is part of a White House task force, and the latter is a bipartisan organisation created in 2016 by the US Congress.

America250 was set up in 2016 to “plan and orchestrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence”, and it is led by private citizens.

The Freedom 250, meanwhile, is a public-private partnership within the National Parks Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Park Service, a federal agency.

It is ostensibly the public-facing side of the White House Task Force 250, which Trump established in 2025 “to plan, organize, and execute” the semiquincentennial. Trump is also the task force’s chair.

WHAT IS EACH SIDE ORGANISING?

The two groups’ event-planning philosophies do not overlap much.

Freedom 250 focuses mostly on big, marquee functions, such as the IndyCar race, the World Cup Fan Zone and Sail4th 250, which will see an armada of tall ships and military vessels travel to US cities along the Atlantic coast.

The America250 organisation has been more focused on community participation through initiatives such as America’s Block Party and its Giving 4th programme, which aims to boost charitable giving on the July 4 holiday.

SO FREEDOM 250 AND AMERICA250 ARE NOT STEPPING ON EACH OTHER’S TOES?

Not really, and they’re ostensibly playing nice, with America250’s chairwoman, Rosie Rios, lauding Freedom 250 as a way to advance presidential initiatives to “give the American people more ways they can celebrate America’s 250th birthday”.

But this is Washington, DC, so some elbows are being thrown.

The creation of White House Task Force 250 was widely viewed as a manoeuvre by Trump to seize control of the celebrations, outside of congressional oversight.

The launch of Freedom 250 came just two months after the appointee Trump picked to lead America250, Ari Abergel, was fired for “serious and repeated breaches” of his authority. Abergel has denied overstepping his mandate.

WHO IS FINANCING THE TWO GROUPS?

Neither the congressionally created America250 nor the White House’s Freedom 250 are required to disclose its private donors.

But critics point out there are fewer guardrails with Freedom 250 than with America250.

America250’s parent commission is required to submit an annual report to Congress detailing funding and spending.

Freedom 250, meanwhile, lists some “sponsors” and “partners” online, but it is not subject to any independent oversight. That lack of transparency has been a recurring complaint.

In February, The New York Times reported that Freedom 250 was offering access to a reception hosted by Trump in exchange for large donations.

But the newspaper USA Today also pointed out that America250 offered packages that included invitations to events where government officials would be in attendance.

Both groups have been given taxpayer dollars. Congress appropriated $150m to the Department of the Interior for the celebrations, but it did not specify how the money was to be split between the groups.

The Interior Department allocated $100m to Freedom 250 (via the National Park Foundation) and $50m to America250, raising concerns that Trump was steering public funds away from the congressionally mandated organisation.

Critics have also questioned whether the Freedom 250 events are designed to celebrate US independence or promote Trump and his priorities.

Nearly $10m, for instance, went to supporting the Freedom Trucks, whose exhibits have been criticised for offering a whitewashed portrait of US history.

HAS THERE BEEN A BACKLASH TO FREEDOM 250?

The perception that Freedom 250 is a Trump organisation, rather than a nonpartisan one, has created snags for one of its tentpole events: the Great American State Fair.

Almost as soon as its musical lineup was announced in May, artists started dropping out. Several performers said they felt misled by the organisers’ claims that the event is nonpartisan.

Several state governments have also declined to take part, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington state.

A spokesperson for Oregon said in part that the fair “is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented”.

But Freedom 250 has maintained that the fair will continue with all 50 states represented on the National Mall.

Trump, meanwhile, cancelled the concert, replacing it with a “Rally to end all Rallies”, at which he will give a speech. Country musician Lee Greenwood and tenor Christopher Macchio, as well as several military bands, will also be included in the lineup.

A12X 10 FROM WSBT (Indiana)

Fireworks stores anticipate high demand ahead of 4th of July, America 250 celebrations

by Nick Oudhoff, WSBT 22 Reporter Thu, June 25, 2026 at 4:58 PM Updated Thu, June 25, 2026 at 5:00 PM

topics:

• Fireworks
• Fourth of July
• America 250
• Sales
• Granger
• Shipping costs
• Responsible use
• Safety

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — Stores and firework stand will be busy leading up to the 4th of July, and America 250 celebrations.

Numerous fireworks tents and stores usually pop up this time of year.

WSBT spoke with local fireworks stores about sales leading up to the holiday weekend.

Jacob Nava of Extreme Fireworks says, "A very large majority of our sales come specifically from the fourth of July week. Around 75% to 80% of our sales happen like just on that one day, and a very large majority of our sales come specifically from the fourth of July week. Around 75 to 80 percent of our sales happen just on that one day just on the fourth of July."

Nava says from a supplier standpoint, prices have gone up in recent years, stemming from rising costs overseas. However, he also says it won't affect customers’ wallets.

Over at Ba-Boom Fireworks in Granger, Nicholle and Kirk Bryan say that for the country's 250th birthday, customers are gearing up for a much more firework filled holiday. They have been part of the community for nearly 25 years and many of their loyal customers have been making numerous purchases before the holiday weekend.

The Bryan's also say shipping costs have actually dropped from previous years, "Once you see that everybody in the community is starting to gear up and starting to celebrate, then you feel more reassured because you understand that your sales are coming in. You understand that people keep returning to you and it's very nice to see our business flow."

@ Financial times On the eve of its 250th birthday, America and the world order it created are in crisis, writes chief economics commentator Martin Wolf

A10X11 FROM THE NEW REPUBLIC

Power Mad: A weekly review of the rogues and scoundrels of American politics

Jason Linkins June 27, 2026/6:00 a.m. ET

AMERICA’S 250TH CELEBRATION IS DONALD TRUMP’S LOST CAUSE

Trump’s desperation to leave his mark on the country is consuming our nation’s semiquincentennial.

We’re closing in on July Fourth and the nation’s 250th birthday, and right on time, the all-knowing digital algorithm deposited a memory from 2015 on my screen: That year, burning the Confederate flag on Independence Day was in vogue, sparked by the mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina. My fondness for desecrating rebel iconography is not restricted to either a national holiday or a national tragedy—we should have fully conquered the Confederacy when we had the chance, instead of allowing them to commemorate their traitorousness. Maybe those nine parishioners would be alive today if we’d done a better job discrediting that toxic ideology.

That’s some food for thought here in 2026, as an ailing, flailing President Donald Trump sets his sight on being the ringmaster of the clown show he has planned for the Fourth. When Trump’s not losing wars or setting the economy on fire, he’s busy turning the nation’s capital into an orgy of self-aggrandizement ahead of next week’s semiquincentennial celebration. At Wednesday’s kick-off event for his “Great American State Fair,” Trump announced that “America is back.” Where had it gone? The president proclaimed that “a short time ago we were a dead country. We were dead. Now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world. We’re respected by everybody. Nobody’s laughing at us anymore.”

As a thin crowd made for the exits, he also touched on the matter of state that’s consumed most of his time lately: “The Reflecting Pool that you’ve heard so much about, which is so incredible, it’s been gruesomely vandalized by thugs, bad people, but soon will be looking as beautiful as it looked just two weeks ago,” Trump said. “In fact, I looked at it just a little while ago. It looks perfect already, but we’re fixing it.” As it happens, the Reflecting Pool is still green, still peeling, and half-assedly stashed behind some chain-link fence. It may be a federal crime for me to report this, it’s not really clear.

All of this is definitely a product of ego, but it’s also highly reminiscent of Confederate kitsch. Trump’s drive to commemorate himself, which has even run afoul of some of his fellow Republicans, is animated by the same idea as the Lost Cause: to lend legitimacy to a period of betrayal and to ensure this malevolent force lives on. Allowing the Confederacy to commemorate itself was a profound failure on our part, and it seeded the earth for the weakening of our democracy. As Trump plans to sully the District of Columbia’s skyline with his triumphal arch (now with more fist!), I can see history repeating: Trumpism as the new Lost Cause.

I am hardly the first to evoke this comparison. As The Atlantic’s David Graham wrote back in 2020, Trump spent his Independence Day marinating in a variety of Lost Cause grievances: the decision to remove the Confederate iconography from the Mississippi state flag and NASCAR events, the renaming of the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians, along with the usual suspects (“the radical left, the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing”).

As Graham noted at the time, Trump’s Lost Cause fetish was his campaign schtick, the red meat he used to rally his base. In 2020, that playbook failed, in no small part because the Covid-19 pandemic was foremost on the minds of voters. But Trump played the same game in 2024 and won back the White House. And as the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Rivka Maizlish wrote last year, the “unrelenting propaganda of the Lost Cause” returned with a vengeance. The names of Confederacy luminaries stricken from U.S. military bases were restored, there was a renewed push to whitewash the sins of slavery, and the Civil War era’s insurrectionists were conflated with the nations’ Founders. It’s no accident that Trump believes our latter-day insurrectionists should be the ones to get government reparations.

As Maizlish noted, ’twas ever thus:

Lost Cause mythology is central to Trump’s movement. He romanticizes the gender and racial hierarchies of the Old South, valorizes Confederate leaders and symbols, and demonizes those who would remove Confederate memorials as “angry mobs” trying to “wipe out our history.” The Confederate anthem “Dixie” played at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27, 2024, an event filled with racist harangues and ridicule.

Trump is now deep into his dotage (and perhaps his inexorable decline). He has no campaigns left to run and no further need to worry about uniting the American people to build some kind of sustainable electoral coalition. These days, the president is motivated entirely by thoughts of his legacy. But the Lost Cause schtick remains the same—only now it’s manifesting itself in his relentless pursuit of various vanity projects and alterations to Washington, D.C.

The possibility that he might not be remembered seems to vex Trump, whose administration moved with the same sort of alacrity to forestall the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center as it did in fighting its inane war with Iran. As Brian Beutler reported in his Off Message newsletter, Trump’s name only came off the building because Ohio Democrat Joyce Beatty, as an ex-officio member of the center’s board, had the standing to sue over the matter and she took the opportunity. Some other Democrats who had standing for the same reason decided to pass, including House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries and outgoing D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Beutler hails Beatty as a model for other Democrats to follow, given what can happen to a country when a traitor to the Constitution is allowed to remain commemorated. Every lasting monument to Trump is really a monument to accommodating his misrule, celebrating his corruption, and a signal to the public that it’s OK to forget his criminal legacy and accept the Trump era as legitimate. “It will be much easier to arrest the normal process of forgetting,” writes Beutler, “if Democrats embrace the goal of Trump humiliation now. If peeling Trump’s name off the Kennedy Center is just a taste of what’s to come.”

Tearing Trump’s various architectural vanities down isn’t what I’d call a top priority. Like TNR’s editor, Michael Tomasky, I think Democrats need to commit themselves to freeing us from the iron grip of oligarchy and radically reshaping the Supreme Court. Still, as Tomasky wrote earlier this week, we should look to future Democratic presidential candidates to follow in the footsteps of Beatty and commit to a cosmetic de-Trumpification. It would send a strong signal that the party will brook no attempts to commemorate a discredited president—and that it has the stomach for the civic deworming this nation needs to kick off its next century.

A11X 12 FROM DAILY BEAST

Trumpland 

The Real Fireworks Marking America’s 250th Birthday Will Come on Election Day

RIDE THE ROCKET

A terrified Trump is pulling out all the stops to rig the upcoming midterms.

By David Rothkopf Chief Global Affairs Columnist Published Jun. 26 2026 5:51PM EDT 

As we approach July 4^th, the President of the United States has just one thing on his mind: Ending free and fair elections in the United States.

Donald Trump seeks to commemorate the 250^th Anniversary of the birth of our country by effectively ending the democracy that was the entire reason our founders fought to establish a new nation in the first place.

It is an obsession that, for Trump, influences and impacts virtually every action he is taking and statement he is making.

Earlier this week, Trump had a rare opportunity. A bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress presented him with a bill to take important, concrete steps to address the housing crisis that is among the biggest problems average Americans face. In a time of partisan division in America and of gridlock in Washington, it represented an opportunity for Trump to have a big win. It could have been a big plus for his party in the upcoming midterm elections, too.

But, you see, Trump does not believe he can win the elections fairly and squarely. That is why, rather than taking the win and celebrating it as virtually any other politician in this country would have done, Trump canceled the bill’s signing ceremony at the last minute. He then asserted he would not sign the legislation until after the so-called SAVE Act, a Trump-conceived scheme to help him and his party cheat to win in November, was passed.

The SAVE Act is so odious that many of the president’s Republican supporters refused to back it. Despite his energetic efforts, Trump could not get it passed. He coerced. He cajoled. But none of his old tricks were working. So instead, he decided to throw a tantrum and hold a good bill hostage until he got his way.

It is not clear that even the SAVE Act can save the GOP majorities in the House and Senate. That is why pushing for it is hardly the extent of Trump’s efforts to help rig the fall elections.

Just this week, Trump’s Postmaster General went before Congress and defended a proposed regulation that would have the postal service deny service for mail-in ballots in states that refused to provide them with voter rolls. Why do they need voter rolls? Because they want to be able to challenge potential Democratic voters’ ability to participate in the elections?

The process of seeking such voter rolls has been going on for a while and via multiple channels. Trump continues to lose in the courts in support of such efforts, but that has not stopped him and his team from continuing their pursuit.

And, again, other avenues are also being pursued. Trump has installed as his new acting Director of the Office of National Intelligence (ODNI) Bill Pulte, a man with zero qualifications for the job. Pulte is being tasked with a ‘deep clean’ of the intelligence community. Why? Well, Trump clearly believes the ODNI can help him fiddle with election results. How do we know? Well, among her last visible acts as ODNI, Tulsi Gabbard made a widely publicized visit to Atlanta as part of the administration’s efforts to seize voter records there. What does the ODNI have to do with voter records? In a sane world, nothing at all. But it is believed that Trump wants to use widely and repeatedly debunked conspiracy theories about foreign interference in the 2020 elections to assert further foreign interference today—and thus allow him to question or challenge election results, seize voting machines, and take other actions that could conceivably tip the balance of the vote in favor of enough Republicans to maintain Trump-protecting majorities in the Senate and House.

(We have heard Trump riffing on “rigged election” schemes during recent press gaggles, whether or not it is appropriate—and given that there is zero evidence of rigged elections or even significant instances of election fraud in the U.S., one could argue it is seldom, if ever, appropriate. He also called U.S. elections rigged during his appearance at the G7 Summit in France, and has argued that fellow reality show veteran Spencer Pratt could not have possibly lost his bid to become Mayor of Los Angeles, despite Pratt’s complete lack of qualifications for the job.)

We have seen other tactics the administration appears to intend to employ. In New York State, ICE agents this week confronted a poll worker at a voting location in Syracuse. They apparently “came to warn her to remove a social media account they claimed broke federal law by threatening federal law enforcement officials.”

Given the increased scrutiny social media accounts are getting from the Trump administration, and their hair-trigger criteria for identifying offenses (remember they are trying to prosecute James Comey for a picture of sea shells he briefly posted online), many saw the Syracuse incident as ominous—particularly coming as it does with Trump supporters calling for him to use ICE and troops to intimidate voters and given the blind loyalty to Trump and obliviousness to personal rights and freedoms displayed by members of his Cabinet including DHS Director Markwayne Mullen.

WHY IS TRUMP SO OBSESSED?

Because he fears that if he loses control of one or both houses of Congress, his effectiveness as a president will be severely compromised. He will be able to advance little or no legislation. Worse still, Democrats might take their oversight responsibilities seriously and begin to hold Trump and his Cabinet accountable for their corruption, malfeasance, and incompetence.

House Speaker Mike Johnson captured Trump’s concerns and those of the rest of his party well when, during a statement to fellow Republicans on Friday, he said, “If we lose the midterms, these Democrats will turn every committee of Congress into an investigative body, and they’ll go after the president’s family, the Cabinet, his donors, friends. Half of you in this room will be targeted. I run the protection program. We’ll take care of you.”

Even with the immunity the Supreme Court granted him, Trump knows that impeachment is a real possibility and that the investigations that come with it could be ugly. He knows that dirt on corruption scandals could get very messy. And of course, he knows that there is much further digging to do into the “Epstein files” that could come back to haunt him and those close to him.

He not only knows all this, but he appears to be obsessed by it—terrified even, fearing nothing so much as precisely the kind of free and fair elections that the signatories of the Declaration of Independence felt were worth taking on the world’s most powerful empire for.

It may not be the best way to commemorate Independence Day. Indeed, it may mean we have to wait several months to see this year’s real fireworks.

But if those fireworks come as Trump tries to steal the election and the rest of us rise up to fight back and preserve democracy in America, it may truly be a semiquincentennial that is truly worth celebrating.

A7X13 FROM WASHINGTON TIMES

Trump blasts left-wing NYC Dems as ‘godless communists’ at Faith & Freedom Coalition conference

By The Washington Times AI News Desk - Friday, June 26, 2026

President Trump on Friday labeled left-wing Democrats surging to victory in New York’s congressional primaries “godless communists,” delivering a sharp broadside against the party’s socialist wing during an address at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2026 Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton.

“These are not social democrats. These are hardcore, godless communists. They’re godless communists. All communists are godless. They don’t believe in God. This is the most serious threat to our country since its existence. In my opinion, 250 years ago. This is a major threat to our country,” Mr. Trump said.

The remarks came just days before America’s Semiquincentennial on July 4, and one day after New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board voted 7-1 to freeze rents on one- and two-year leases for roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments — the first time in the board’s history that two-year leases have been subject to a freeze. The vote fulfilled a signature campaign pledge of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, though the Rent Guidelines Board is an independent body of mayoral appointees that voted on its own authority.

Mr. Trump tied the rent freeze directly to the broader left-wing shift he argued is threatening American cities.

“For the first time in history, the powerful Rent Stabilization Board, as an example that sets rents in New York City, just happened today. They’ve done it for years and years, and they’ve been very far left,” he said.

He acknowledged Mr. Mamdani had telegraphed the policy, saying, “Mayor Mamdani, who came to the White House and seemed like a nice guy, but he said he was going to do this in his campaign.”

Mr. Trump warned the decision would lead to the city’s decline.

• Trump vows to protect religious liberty, combat ‘godless’ communism
• Trump has stark warning for NYC after democratic socialists sweep primaries
• Mamdani’s socialist picks sweep three primaries

Tuesday’s primaries accelerated Mr. Trump’s concerns. All three congressional candidates endorsed by Mr. Mamdani — former city Comptroller Brad Lander, state Assemblywoman Claire Valdez and community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier — swept their races, defeating incumbent Democrats in what Mr. Trump characterized as a harbinger of a broader socialist takeover of the party.

Ms. Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, 71, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who had represented the 13th Congressional District covering Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx since 2017. Ms. Valdez defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and City Council Member Julie Won in New York’s 7th Congressional District.

Mr. Trump framed the primary results as an inflection point for the Democratic Party, warning the trend would not be contained to New York.

“They hate our country, they hate our people, they hate the Democrat party. The Democrat party is in big trouble, because this isn’t stopping with New York,” he said, according to NBC News.

Speaking ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebrations, the president argued the socialist surge was stealing focus from America’s founding achievements.

“Our most important birthday so far, 250 years and instead of speaking about Christ and instead of speaking about freedom and victories of all different kinds, we’re speaking about yet another threat to the foundations of America,” Mr. Trump said.

This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times' AI News Desk team.

X14 FROM NATIONAL REVIEW

‘America Bad’ Isn’t the Right Theme for America’s 250th

By Brian T. Allen June 27, 2026 6:30 AM

Instead of a crazy oppression theme, try Spain’s little-known essential support for the Patriots’ cause during the Revolution.

Today, with only two more stories to go before the Fourth of July and America’s 250th, I’ll write about an awful exhibition at the Hispanic Society — a first in my experience — and the oversized but little-known role of Spain in supporting the Patriot cause in the American Revolution. That’s the show the museum should have done instead of the wacko woke thing pushed on us.

The neighborhood around the Hispanic Society is thick with Revolutionary War history. A few weeks ago, I visited the nearby Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest house in Manhattan, Washington’s headquarters during the Battle of Harlem Heights, and the home of Eliza Jumel, her era’s hellion with a downright chromatic past, for a time New York’s richest woman, and briefly Mrs. Aaron Burr. Her house is a short walk from the Hispanic Society on Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets.

The Battle of Fort Washington, fought on November 16, 1776, was the Patriot army’s last but failed chance to keep at least a toehold in Manhattan after the draw at the Battle of Harlem Heights weeks earlier and the British occupation of what’s now the Financial District but what was then all of urban New York City. Some of the fighting unfolded on what’s now the uptown campus of Trinity Church, including its cemetery for moldering Episcopalians steps from the Hispanic Society. Jumel is buried there as is John Jacob Astor and lots of Astor kin and John James Audubon. Jerry Orbach and Ed Koch are there, too, a show of Episcopal inclusion and love of celebrity. I came, I saw, and I tipped my hat to the dead. Then, off to the Hispanic Society on whose land Patriots and the Brits also fought, historians think.

The Hispanic Society seems to think that the conquistadors, the Franciscans, 1776, and today are same old, same old oppression and violence. It could not be more wrong.

Sandy Rodriguez: Tierra Insurgente is the first New York solo exhibition of work by the Los Angeles Chicana artist. Her paintings, maps, and sculptures connect early anticolonial uprisings with “contemporary struggles around migration, policing, racial justice, and the climate crisis,” which doesn’t exist. It’s a tin-eared shame that the Hispanic Society is giving this intellectual caca a platform during America’s Semiquincentennial. Praise the Lord this mind-polluter closes on Sunday.

Rodriguez (b. 1975) paints maps inspired by early Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch maps and globes. She challenges the conception of mapping as neutral and scientific and insists instead that it’s political. Mapping splits land, so it’s defined by imperialist or “settler colonialist” boundaries and, more to the point, ownable. Rodriguez, not at all a bad artist, looks at maps as “a living archive shaped by violence and care, erasure and survival.” Oh dear. This is formulaic, reheated cant about how the hunt for power explains everything — race explains everything, too — and it’s so yesterday’s passive-aggressive yadda yadda yadda. You win by pretending to lose.

At the start of Tierra Insurgente, the Hispanic Society’s globes from the 1610s get the hook because they “overwrite and marginalize knowledge, memory, and tradition of long-established Mesoamerican and Andean societies.” Europeans, the museum forgets, had just emerged from thinking that witches caused acne, that rectal tobacco smoke could bring drowning victims back to life, and that the Earth was flat. How in the round world would mapmakers or explorers have known these long-established societies or even thought them worth knowing?

Suspended above the globes are Rodriguez’s Calavera Copters, from 2018, 3-D cut acrylic skeletal forms referencing Black Hawk helicopters used by the U.S. military “to hunt and capture residents across” the country, presumably the multitudes who are here illegally. From Eastport in Maine to La Jolla in California, we’re told, a “zone of surveillance” and a “militarized gaze” make the landscape into sites of violence. The globes are covered in amate bark paper, and the copters are acrylic, so “they connect colonial cartography to contemporary regimes of control and extermination.”

Quite a leap, aside from being disingenuous since the artist and curator — and the museum — are blaming what Spain did hundreds of years ago on the U.S. Having roped us through the Looking Glass, Rodriguez takes us to her Tear Gas Map of the United States of America, 2020, updated in 2024, and a 4-foot watercolor map showing sites of “national protest against police violence and public executions in 2020.” Is she delusional? The map draws on traditions of ancient scribes who used color to symbolize power. Cochineal red means blood. It’s made from mashed bugs. Cadmium red, a modern, synthetic, carcinogenic color plots the sites of tear gas attacks and those fictional public executions: Pittsburgh, though I’m not sure why, and Minneapolis and Portland, Ore., obviously, and Los Angeles. Maybe in the movies.

Looking at my notes, I can’t recall how the climate change hoax figures in Tierra Insurgente. Figures unicorn-like, I suspect. Franciscans take a hit. Alas for the show, the notion that they were all meanies is a myth. There’s a good section on Rodriguez’s materials, since she dives deeply into old natural pigments and paper. She’s a top-notch watercolorist, technique-wise. I don’t think she’s naïve or ignorant or malicious, but she seems to be a fantasist, which good artists have to be, and it’s why an accountant is probably not going to become our next Picasso. Still, the show’s goal is to leave viewers, especially impressionable young ones, resentful and victimized. And there’s no nuance and no elasticity. Rodriguez supplies only one way to interpret her art.

Ryan Pinchot, who curated the show with Rodriguez, is the Hispanic Society’s museum educator and not an art historian. He’s a specialist in “decoloniality” and “environmental humanities.” Are these serious academic enterprises? I wonder. He oversees classes of neighborhood school children, mostly Hispanic since that’s the neighborhood, filling their minds with junk history and encouraging them to believe that every personal shortcoming or failure or setback is always the fault of society, the country, and the generic gringo. The other anchor audiences of Tierra Insurgente — let’s face it — are the Mamdani Gen Z types educated beyond their intelligence and the guilty white liberal crowd gentrifying the northern tip of Manhattan.

The Hispanic Society did a small exhibition for America’s 250th called Goya and the Age of Revolution. It’s never a waste of time to see things by Goya, but the art points to the Peninsular War from 1808 to 1812, not the Revolution. I don’t think Goya had much if any awareness of 1776 anyway. What’s the point? The show feels tossed on the walls following a directorial order to “do something upbeat” for the Semiquincentennial. It might have been a task that curators were too clueless or too embarrassed to tackle.

They should have come to me. Few Americans know the rich, deep, nuanced role of Spain in supporting the American Revolution. We know about the massive French role and Lafayette, of course. In 1789, as the royal treasury stood nearly emptied by its Patriot support, Louis XVI convened the Estates-General for the first time since 1614, looking for money that nobles and especially commoners weren’t willing to give. This prompted a tax revolt that led directly to the French Revolution.

Spain’s own harrowing revolution came a generation later, but in the late 1770s the Spanish Empire — then at its geographic peak and enjoying a second political and economic wind — commenced its intrigues to push the Patriot cause over the line while in public claiming strict neutrality. It’s a fascinating story with plenty of art potential and real, relevant history rather than invented, dispiriting trash. A good look at the Hispanic Society’s own collection and what other New York museums have would uncover lots of treasures, enough for a show and more gripping than model helicopters and a stick-figure drawing of Alligator Alcatraz.

And the cast of fascinating, heavyweight characters: John Jay; the Count of Floridablanca, who was King Charles III’s reformist prime minister; Charles III himself since the Bourbons usually make for good copy; and Sarah Livingston Jay for charm and ornamentality. She was a diarist and the only wife of a hotshot Patriot diplomat to accompany her husband abroad. Lesser figures include Bernardo de Gálvez, who was Spain’s governor of Louisiana — yes, during the Revolution, Spain owned what became the Louisiana Purchase — and Diego de Gardoqui, Spain’s first envoy to the U.S. but, more effectively, launderer of Spanish money and supplies sent to the Patriots and Patriot goods embargoed by the Brits, all through his Bilbao company. People like that are handy.

Bottom of Form

More from Brian T. Allen

1776? The American Revolution Really Started in the 1600s

A Tale of Two Shows in Philly for America’s 250th

Chicago’s New Museum to the Vain and Glorious

Gálvez’s uncle, José, was the chief strategist of Spain’s military policy. He said he wanted both sides, Brits and Patriots, “to annihilate each other,” but he had to work in stealthy silence. Nothing would have pleased Spain more than a British quagmire from Portsmouth and Quebec in the north to Savannah and Pensacola in the south. Juan de Miralles, Spain’s secret envoy to the Patriots during the Revolution, became one of George Washington’s closest friends.

Aren’t these more enticing, more consequential, more big-screen than George Floyd, BLM’s petty grifters, the bores and charlatans taking the knee, and atrocity porn? Putting personalities aside, big and not-so-big issues abound. British presence in Florida and the Caribbean threatened shipments of New World silver to Spain, then 20 percent of the royal treasury’s annual income. As part of Spain’s alliance with France, the Spanish navy pried the Brits from these sunny climes, leaving them postwar with Jamaica and little else. Spain opened its colonial ports to the Patriots, no questions asked. Colonial Spain wasn’t poor. Havana alone was richer than New York, Philadelphia, and Boston combined. Wartime access to markets in Latin America helped keep Patriot businesses solvent.

More issues are meaty, few more so than Spain’s wish to protect its immense and lucrative slave trade. “Whoa,” you might say, “wasn’t slavery invented in Anglo America?” To which I’d say, “Absolutamente no.” Around 90 percent of African slaves went to Spanish and Portuguese colonies, and slavery, of course, is nearly as old as humanity.

And lots of surprises figure, such as the creature called Spanish Illinois, the establishment of the California fort system in — guess the date — 1776, and the start of the mission system in 1769. Spain’s presence in what became the United States ranged widely, not only in California but as far north as British Columbia.

Madrid proceeded on tiptoes, understanding that what happened in Boston, Philly, the Battery, and Yorktown — a mammoth rebellion — might very well not stay there. The natives south of the border were watching, too. So entangled were the issues among the many combatants that three treaties — one between the British and Americans ending their war, one ending the war between Britain and France, and the third ending hostilities between Spain and Britain — were all signed on the same day, September 3, 1783, in Paris and Versailles.

The founding of the Hispanic Society in 1904 was a crucial moment rehabilitating Spain from the 400-year-old Black Legend, that Anglo view of Spaniards, refined but never abandoned, as uniquely treacherous, greedy, cruel, degenerate, exploitive, lazy, and irrational. Today, it’s the perfect place to tell Spain’s 1776 story. Too bad it wasted the moment on the dinky Goya and the Age of Revolution show and Tierra Insurgente, a gimmick show. “Tomorrow is another day,” though, as Scarlett O’Hara put it. The 250th anniversary of the Treaty of Aranjuez, the closest Spain came to a formal alliance with the Patriots, is in 2029. Go for it. And do it right this time.

X15 FROM the ATLANTIC

Americans Deserve Answers From Hegseth

The president and the secretary of defense have a right to remove officers, but also an obligation to explain their actions.

By William H. McRaven June 25, 2026

In September 1862, General George B. McClellan, the general in chief of the Union Army, had just repelled the Confederate advance under Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Antietam. But, as Lee’s battered army retreated across the Potomac River, McClellan failed to pursue him—leaving Lee’s army mostly intact. Abraham Lincoln relieved McClellan that November for his failure to be aggressive on the battlefield. The president addressed this firing with members of his Cabinet, and made his rationale known in letters and telegrams to key leaders in Congress.

In 1951, after failing to follow direct orders from President Harry Truman and publicly criticizing the administration’s China policy, General Douglas MacArthur was relieved of his command and forced to retire. On April 11, 1951, Truman issued a public statement explaining exactly why he had fired MacArthur.

In June 2008, Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, with the approval of President George W. Bush, fired both the secretary of the Air Force, Michael Wynne, and the chief of staff of the Air Force, General Michael Mosely, for their failure to properly oversee the Air Force’s nuclear mission. On June 5, 2008, Gates held a press conference to explain his decision.

Every president and secretary of defense has the right and, moreover, the responsibility to remove officers who are failing to meet the high standards expected of senior leaders. But when crucial decisions regarding the professionalism, effectiveness, or morale of the military are made, the people and their duly elected representatives have a right to know why these decisions were made.

Remainder on paywall

A5X16 FROM ECONOMIST

How Americans see their country’s past, present and future

As America turns 250, our Economist/YouGov poll reveals an anxious and divided nation

Jun 29th 2026

WHAT WAS America’s biggest failure? Will it be around for another 250 years? Who was the greatest president in history? For the final chapter in our America at 250 project we asked YouGov, The Economist’s polling partner, to survey more than 1,500 Americans about their country’s past, present and future. The charts that follow offer a snapshot of American opinion on the eve of the republic’s 250th birthday.

Remainder on paywall

A1X17 FROM HISTORY FACTS

What Americans Ate in 1776

by Bess Lovejoy June 25, 2026

As America turns 250 years old, you’ll hear plenty about the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers, and the birth of a nation. But what was everyday life like for ordinary Americans? In 1776, the country looked, sounded, tasted, and felt very different from our own. Check your inbox every day until July 4 to find out what life was really like in the year the United States was born.

In 1776, the newly declared independent United States didn’t have a national cuisine. In fact, it barely had a national identity. A farmer in Massachusetts, a merchant in Philadelphia, and a rice planter in South Carolina might all consider themselves Americans, but they were unlikely to eat the exact same foods.

What they did share was a diet shaped by a remarkable mix of influences. Indigenous peoples introduced colonists to crops that thrived in North America. European settlers brought livestock, cooking techniques, and recipes from their homelands. Enslaved Africans contributed ingredients, agricultural knowledge, and culinary traditions that became foundational to Southern cooking. And trade routes connected the colonies to the Caribbean, Europe, and beyond, bringing sugar, spices, and other coveted goods. 

The foods Americans ate in 1776 varied enormously from place to place and group to group, but many of the ingredients and traditions that would later define “American” cooking were already simmering the year the country was born.

A MELTING POT OF INGREDIENTS

The foods available to Americans in 1776 reflected nearly two centuries of cultural exchange. European colonists arrived with familiar ideas about what constituted a proper meal: bread, beer, meat, dairy products, and puddings. But adapting those traditions to North America required new ingredients and new techniques.

Perhaps no ingredient was more important than corn. Indigenous communities taught colonists how to cultivate the crop, which became a staple throughout much of the colonies. Cornmeal appeared in dishes such as hasty pudding — a thick porridge similar to polenta — and johnnycakes, simple griddle cakes that were popular from New England to the South.

Other Indigenous crops, including beans and squash, also became common ingredients. Together with corn, these foods helped sustain colonists and gradually worked their way into everyday cooking.

Meanwhile, enslaved Africans brought knowledge of ingredients that would leave a lasting mark on American foodways. In the South, cooks incorporated crops such as okra into soups and stews. Caribbean trade introduced sugar, molasses, rum, and spices, helping shape flavors that are still associated with American cuisine today.

A14X18 FROM USA TODAY

Trump's Great American State Fair is a fabulous flop | Opinion

In the heat wave that has consumed most of America, I am cooled by the country’s frosty reception of the fair, and shamelessly drunk on schadenfreude.

Rex Huppke Updated June 30, 2026, 8:19 a.m. ET

I love President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair. I love its emptiness. Its expensive food. Its ability to confound Trump-friendly media outlets that keep pretending it’s going great.

This spectacle on the National Mall in Washington, DC, part of Trump’s Trump-centric celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, is like watching your high school bully host a party that no one attends. It’s a daily humiliation for a wildly unpopular president who coopted what should be a unifying national celebration and turned it into repellent schlock.

And I love it so much it hurts.

Trump's Great American State Fair humiliation is soothing America

I love seeing Fox News broadcasting from the fair, its hosts claiming the place is filled with excited patriots while the scenes behind them show a vast expanse of untrod-upon grass with an occasional few humans milling along the fringes.

In the heat wave that has consumed most of America, I am cooled by the country’s frosty reception of the fair, and shamelessly drunk on schadenfreude.

In a social media post on June 29, Trump ‒ who is definitely not mad ‒ wrote: “Do you think people appreciate what a fantastic job we did in building and operating the Great American State Fair at the National Mall, packed with happy people, and everybody loving it? Ask yourself this simple question, ‘DO YOU THINK THAT OBUMA OR SLEEPY JOE BIDEN COULD HAVE DONE IT?’ THE ANSWER IS NO!”

Oh, man, somebody inject that tragic self-pity straight into my veins.

Opinion: I am a centrist Democrat and I am terrified of success

Trump made America's 250th all about himself, so failure was inevitable

Do I think “OBUMA” (which I assume is pronounced Oh-Boom-Ah) or “SLEEPY JOE BIDEN” could’ve turned the National Mall into a laughingstock with an occasionally working Ferris wheel and $23 turkey legs? An event “packed with happy people” who are apparently invisible, or maybe are ghost or ninjas? 

No, I don’t think those two other presidents ‒ or any other past president ‒ could’ve pulled off such a feat. Because I don’t think any previous leader would have made the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration all about himself, or been foolish enough to promote his self-centered celebration as the greatest event in history, setting the stage for inevitable failure.

Up until Trump, our presidents have not been full-blown narcissists who ruin everything they touch. They haven’t divided the country so sharply, or so wholly ignored their own unpopularity and proceeded as if they’re God’s gift to America.

I love this country, but I also love watching Trump's fair flailing

To be clear, my reveling in Trump’s Great American State Fair failure has nothing to do with my feelings about our country on this momentous anniversary.

I’m a big fan of America, and of the freedom it has given me to share my opinions. In fact, it’s that love for America that makes me feel good about President Trump feeling bad.

He has spent outlandish amounts of our money “beautifying” Washington, DC, with projects nobody asked for, from his absurd White House ballroom to his cartoonishly messy and algae-coated refurbishing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. And he is doing these things not for us, but for himself, driven by a desire to attach his name to all things relating to America’s 250th anniversary.

Let us all drink Trump's Reflecting Pool algae and be healed | Opinion

Paxton challenges Talarico to a Texas meat-off | Opinion

Trump's ballroom costs $600 million. And we're paying half. | Opinion

Trump's Iran 'peace deal' isn't a deal. It's surrender. | Opinion

Trump will be the featured speaker at the July 4 celebration. Trump was the featured speaker to launch the Great American State Fair. Trump is the one boasting constantly about these celebrations and promoting all the things HE is doing to make the celebrations “fantastic."

But as with all things Trump, nothing is fantastic. It’s all a shoddy ruse aimed at lining his or some friend’s pockets.

His rally to launch the fair was poorly attended. The subpar musical acts initially announced as performers quickly backed out. The fair itself seems half-baked and has been marred by logistical problems. 

Americans were born to stand up to bullies. Trump gets to learn that now.

So yes, I am celebrating the ignominy Trump is facing. He is a bully and a blowhard who has shown more concern for his egocentric celebrations than he has for the American people celebrating the Fourth of July under the crushing weight of high fuel prices and expensive food.

America was bullied, via taxation and military occupation, by Great Britain. So we declared, and fought for, our independence. Laughing at bullies is kind of in our national DNA. It's part of what we're celebrating 250 years later.

You can love America and also delight in watching Trump’s vain vision of America’s 250th celebration fizzle like a sparkler in a sprinkler. I’d argue the quiet satisfaction of watching nobody show up to a bully’s party is an emotion as American as both apple pie and real state fairs.

A22X19 FROM FOX

How capitalism missed out and failed to capitalize on America’s 250th anniversary

From America 250 shirts to themed decorations, there isn't enough merchandise celebrating 250 years of independence

By Carol Roth Fox News Published June 30, 2026 5:00am EDT

I love a good celebration, and Americans know how to go all-out to celebrate. Whether it’s Halloween, Christmas or even a major sporting event, we decorate, we costume, we have themed and branded food, and we fête the specific holiday or milestone. And, as Americans, we go hard.

As such, I was looking forward to an all-out barrage of red, white and blue patriotism coming from every direction as we headed into 2026, the 250th anniversary of our declaration of independence from England and the milestone celebrating the founding of our great country.

Now, as we are just a week away from July 4th, I find myself still looking.

SECRETS OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLEFIELDS EMERGE 250 YEARS AFTER AMERICA'S FOUNDING

Capitalism, it seems, has failed America’s 250th anniversary.

In a land of clever people who look to lean into every possible opportunity, it seems like our 250th has been a wasted one. Sure, you can find some merchandise here and there, or your normal July 4th fare, but the economic response to this huge milestone event has been utterly milquetoast at best.

I expected to see T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters and more in red, white and blue, emblazoned with oversized "America 250" and "America: Established 1776." I expected to see accessories proudly featuring the Stars and Stripes and "250." I expected every grocery store product, from condiments to candy, to feature not only limited-edition red, white and blue variations, but branding about celebrating 250 years of America.

DAVID MARCUS: AS THE NATION BICKERS, SMALL-TOWN AMERICA STILL LOVES A PARADE

Where are the crazy themed decorations, the 250th balloons and the commemorative knick-knacks? Where are the blow-up Uncle Sams on the suburban lawns? Where are the special festivals and events? The big apple pie baking contests?

Why, when I walk down the street, is it not covered in red, white and blue from top to bottom and oversized "America’s 250th" banners, not just for the 4th of July, but all year long?

It seems like we have witnessed more American patriotism from foreigners visiting America for the FIFA World Cup than we have seen from American industry.

NEW DIRECTOR'S CUT OF 2024 ‘REAGAN’ BIOPIC WILL RETURN TO THEATERS FOR AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

Corporate America is usually first to jump on any theme, event or milestone. The fact that they have largely ignored America’s 250th is incredibly disappointing. For those who might say that they don’t want to get too "political," not only has it never stopped them in the past, but, moreover, the founding of our country isn’t about a political party.

In fact, America’s 250th is about all of us as individuals. America was founded on a unique idea, to uphold and protect the rights of each of us as individuals. It’s a celebration of independence and a celebration of people over government. It’s a celebration of defying odds through smarts, grit and strategy and being willing to put ideas into action.

The country belongs to us as Americans, regardless of what you think of anyone or everyone in government at any point in time.

That is something worth celebrating, loudly, proudly and with an obscene amount of themed merchandise.

With half of the year gone, it’s a little late in the game, but it’s never too late for capitalism. I hope that July 4th will mark the beginning of a wave of in-your-face patriotism. We have the greatest country in the world and that deserves appropriate celebration.

A15X20 FROM BET

Opinion: Happy 250th, America! This Administration Is Burning the House Down on Your Birthday

A 6-3 Court keeps doing Trump's paperwork while Black unemployment climbs, immigrants get deported to war zones, and the country tunes up for tall ships and Liberty Bell quarters. Happy birthday, I guess.

By Yesha Callahan June 30, 2026

9:44 AM

It takes a certain amount of audacity to throw yourself a 250th birthday celebration while quietly taking apart the rights that made the celebration meaningful in the first place. Donald Trump has mastered this approach.

On July 4, 2026, we’re expected to come together. There will be fireworks over the Statue of Liberty, tall ships in New York Harbor, new quarters from the U.S. Mint with Liberty Bells, and a benefit show at the LA Coliseum. Trump has put his own spin on the celebration, calling it “Freedom 250” and presenting himself as a successor to Jefferson and Adams. This is the same man who tried to overturn a fair election. Now, he’s being praised by a Supreme Court he helped shape, while that Court spends its time undoing the protections Americans rely on to guard against leaders like him.

Look at the receipts.

Trump appointed three of the six conservatives who now support his every move, and that decision is having immediate effects. In April, his Court issued the Louisiana v. Callais decision, which nearly eliminated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This 1965 law, for which Black people—including teenagers—were beaten and killed, was weakened by a 6-3 ruling that told Southern states giving Black voters a fair chance in congressional districts was now considered an “unconstitutional racial gerrymander.” Then in June, the Court allowed Alabama to use a congressional map for the 2026 elections that a lower court had already identified as intentionally discriminating against Black voters. What used to be subtle signals are now loud and clear.

Republican-led states began redrawing district maps almost immediately after the Callais decision. According to Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund, Republicans could gain over 190 seats now held by Democrats in 10 Southern state legislatures, with most of those seats currently represented by Black lawmakers in majority-minority districts. Trump’s Court didn’t just limit a civil rights law; it created a redistricting tool for him, just in time for the midterm elections.

On June 25, in Mullin v. Doe, the Court ruled 6-3 that the president has “unreviewable authority” to end the Temporary Protected Status program. This means no court can intervene. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians, who were vetted and approved by the U.S. government, can now be deported to active war zones at the president’s discretion. That same week, the Court approved a policy that physically blocks asylum seekers from entering the U.S., made it easier to deport green card holders, and prevented a Rastafarian man from suing prison officials who cut off his dreadlocks in violation of federal law. It seems religious freedom only applies to some.

On June 29, the Court overturned a 91-year-old precedent so Trump could fire Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter without cause. One of the last structural checks on a president drunk on his own power, just gone. The independent agencies that exist to keep a sitting president from running the government like a personal piggy bank? He can now fire their leaders whenever he wants. We used to have a word for a country run by a single unaccountable man. It’s the exact thing the colonies declared independence from on July 4, 1776.

While the Court has been advancing Trump’s agenda, the economy he often misrepresents is causing serious harm to Black Americans.

In May 2026, the Black unemployment rate was 6.6%, almost twice the white unemployment rate of 3.8%. It reached 8.3% in November 2025, the highest since the pandemic, after hitting a record low under Biden. The National Urban League has already said that Black America is in a recession, and the data supports this. The Trump administration has cut more than 327,000 federal jobs, weakened the civil service that has helped many Black Americans join the middle class, eliminated federal DEI programs on the first day, and signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which cemented policies that are destabilizing Black households. Black women, especially those with college degrees working in public-sector jobs, are suffering the most. Trump calls this success.

It has now been four years since the Dobbs decision, which Trump promised and his Court delivered. In that time, many red states have lost access to OB-GYN care. Women have suffered in hospital parking lots because doctors are afraid to treat them due to the Court’s rulings. Miscarriages have been investigated as crimes. Despite calling itself originalist, the Court has failed to recognize women’s rights in the Constitution.

And birthright citizenship is still coming. Check today's news. The 14th Amendment, settled law since 1898, is on the table because his Court has decided the only constitutional principles worth defending are the ones that protected the people who already had all the power in 1776.

So this is where we are: America at 250 years. The Liberty Bell appears on every commemorative quarter, while the real bell seems to have cracked again, symbolizing broken promises from the Declaration. There will be tall ships, parades, a benefit concert in Times Square, and speeches about building “a more perfect union.” Bush and Obama, with Laura and Michelle, will sit as honorary co-chairs, while the current president treats the celebration as a campaign event with more impressive fireworks. The Declaration of Independence will be read in many town squares, including the part about governments getting their power from the consent of the governed.

Trump is not paying attention. He never has. Meanwhile, the Court he influenced is on summer break.

There is a Black tradition of celebrating this country regardless of its challenges. Black Americans built it, sacrificed for it, and fought for every right they have through writing, music, protest, and legal action. No matter what one twice-impeached, four-times-indicted real estate developer and the six justices supporting him do, they cannot erase the truth about who secured those rights, even if they are currently taking the rights themselves.

So enjoy the barbecue, watch the fireworks, and wear red, white, and blue if you feel inspired.

But don’t let anyone, especially Trump, mistake a birthday celebration for a victory. After 250 years, there is still important work to do, and this year, Donald Trump has made that work much harder.

X21 FROM dupe

A2X22 FROM FRESNO BEE/YAHOO

In light of America’s 250th birthday, what makes someone an American? | Opinion/Takeaways

Sun, June 28, 2026 at 9:00 AM EDT

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE AMERICAN?

"Immigrants in Central Valley are challenging ICE detentions at record-high rates," (fresnobee.com, March 9)

Everywhere I go, I see people decorating their homes and businesses for our nation's 250th birthday. We celebrate our privilege to be an American, and our pride to live in the greatest country in the world.

But at the same time, we have also seen thousands of people in our streets being rounded up and deported — many of them with families and jobs, just trying to live the American dream. Individuals who are deported lose everything.

So what is an American? What makes us American? Is it where you were born? Where your parents were born? Whether you speak English?

Never before in this great nation have we seen so many Americans in the streets of America have to prove they are Americans.

Steven Trevino Jr

Clovis

Maternal health

"Black midwives sue Southern states, claiming regulations limit patient care," (mercedsunstar.com, June 10)

This article on midwife care in the South was outstanding. This problem exists much closer to home here in the Central Valley. At least one recent local case involved maternal and infant mortality due to a missed case of pre-eclampsia.

I would love to see an in-depth investigative report on our local hospitals in regard to this important issue.

Melinda Cornwell

Merced

Fossil fuel industry

"Climate change forces Americans to rethink oil companies," (fresnobee.com, Sept. 24, 2023)

The Supreme Court just came one vote away from a constitutional catastrophe

Is the Great American State Fair 'packed'?

Platner campaign ‘being blown completely out of the water’ by outside GOP spending: Memo

The Hill

Emissions from burning fossil fuels are rapidly warming our world at a rate that has never occurred in the history of our planet. So why do we continue to burn fossil fuels?

The fossil fuel industry has tremendous control over our government. The industry spends over $100 million per year lobbying elected officials. This lobbying serves as a highly effective financial instrument, yielding unparalleled returns on investments by securing multi-billion-dollar taxpayer subsidies, rolling back environmental regulations and stalling clean energy competition.

We cannot expect meaningful climate action as long as our representatives are financially beholden to the industry driving this crisis. Voters must demand transparency and reject candidates who prioritize fossil fuel payouts over our planet's future.

Ron Sadler

Fresno

Paving the wrong roads

"'Over 100 miles' to be repaved, Fresno mayor says. Is your street on the list?" (fresnobee.com, May 20)

Why is the city doing a complete re-paving of Sante Fe Avenue from West Avenue to Fruit Avenue? Living in the area for over 30 years, I know that hardly anybody uses that road.

How about Shaw Avenue from West Avenue to Palm Avenue? Or Fruit Avenue from Ashlan Avenue to Shaw Avenue?

Rick Geddie

Fresno

X23 FROM THE DAILY EXCELSIOR (JAMMU/KASHMIR INDIA)

Xi congratulates US for coming 250th anniversary of independence

Daily Excelsior

04:00 AM May 15, 2026 IST

BEIJING, May 14 : The Chinese leader took a moment to note the coming anniversary - something that is a big deal for US President Donald Trump.

The massive months-long celebration is to include a "Great American State Fair" in Washington and a UFC fight night on the South Lawn of the White House.

"This year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. I extend my congratulations to you and to the American people," Xi said. He added, "I firmly believe the common interests between China and the United States are bigger than our differences."

XI OFFERS MORE CAUTIONARY TONE AT START OF TALKS

The leaders offered warm words about each other and hope for the future of US-China relations as they opened their bilateral talks.

But Xi sounded more cautionary about what lies ahead for the world's biggest economic powers.

"Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both," Xi said. "The two countries should be partners rather than rivals, achieve success together and pursue common prosperity, and chart a correct path for major-country relations in the new era."

WHY XI IS ASKING TRUMP FOR US AND CHINA TO AVOID THE THUCYDIDES TRAP'

In remarks welcoming Trump, Xi name-checked an ancient Greek historian to express his hopes that the US and China can avoid conflict, saying that history, the world and its people were asking "whether the two countries can transcend the "Thucydides Trap" and forge a new model for relations between major powers.

"He was using a term that's popular in foreign policy studies, referring to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established power, the result is often war.

It comes from Thucydides' account of the destructive Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, in which he remarked that "It was the rise of Athens, and the fear that rise engendered in Sparta, that made war inevitable." (AP)

A21X24 FROM AOL

America 250 Celebrity Branding Risk Grows As Artists Push Back From Donald Trump Events —

Tue, June 30, 2026 at 11:37 AM EDT

America 250 was designed to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with fanfare, concerts, and patriotic festivities. But according to a new report, the event is also becoming a high-stakes branding decision for celebrities weighing whether showing up is worth the potential backlash.

The Great American State Fair, part of President Donald Trump’s America 250 programming on the National Mall, has reportedly faced a rocky start. Along with sparse crowds and logistical issues, several performers reportedly withdrew after learning the celebration had a stronger political association than they initially expected.

Celebrities are quietly retreating from America 250 events amid growing concerns about branding risk and reputational fallout

According to OK! Magazine, multiple musicians backed out of scheduled appearances after claiming they had not been informed that the event would carry a political tilt. The publication also reported that several states declined to participate in the festivities.

President Donald Trump later headlined the fair with a rally, where Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized artists who withdrew, referring to them as “libtards that canceled on us,” according to OK! Magazine. During his remarks, Trump praised the country, saying America is the “hottest” nation in the world and that “Nobody’s laughing at us anymore,” the outlet reported.

Public relations experts told OK! Magazine that today’s entertainment industry is increasingly viewing appearances through the lens of brand protection rather than simple patriotism.

“The moment a national celebration becomes politically branded, it stops being a patriotic opportunity and starts being a brand safety calculation,” Amore Philip, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations, told OK! Magazine. She added that talent representatives now evaluate “who will be in the audience, who else is on the lineup, who is sponsoring it and what headlines the artist might inherit.”

Philip also explained that the same invitation can be interpreted very differently depending on an artist’s audience. “A country artist whose core audience overlaps with the event’s political identity sees a brand reinforcement opportunity. A mainstream pop star with a cross-political fanbase sees a minefield,” she told OK! Magazine.

Lauren Cobello, a PR strategist at Leverage with Media PR, echoed that sentiment, telling OK! Magazine that celebrities now have to “think twice” before accepting politically connected appearances. She added, “PR teams must weigh the crisis PR situations they could potentially walk into,” noting that media scrutiny can quickly amplify any perceived political alignment.

.

A16X25 FROM GUK

‘We thought we were safe here’: what New York queer community feels ahead of America’s 250th birthday

While events celebrating America take place ahead of Fourth of July, the LGBTQ+ community faced a more complicated reality during their own month of celebration

By Lex McMenamin in New York City Tue 30 Jun 2026 06.00 EDT

Most people know that the first Pride was a riot – a 1969 protest outside the New York City gay bar the Stonewall Inn – that changed the course of US history for queer and trans rights. But as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, queer and trans people are watching things go backwards into a more repressive era.

Attacks from federal and state governments marred a month of celebration, including in states with explicitly pro-LGBTQ+ elected officials and policies in place. And as other communities face attacks – whether through ICE’s deportation campaign or repression against protesters exercising the first amendment in speaking out against it – the American history LGBTQ+ people seem to be holding up most is one of protest and riot, a legacy that traces back to the country’s founding.

“My understanding of what democracy is is not what the American experiment actually did or is currently doing, because of the history of slavery, because of white supremacy, because of the way the federal government is treating immigrants,” said Christen Clifford, who spent the week protesting. “Our freedoms are all intrinsically tied together, and so in an America that is celebrating its 250th anniversary, we deserve more.”

While patriotic events celebrating America’s past, present and future reach a fever pitch in advance of the Fourth of July, queer and trans people face a more complicated reality during their own month of celebration.

New York is one queer and trans haven facing rollbacks due to the federal government. Between the 2024 election and October 2025 alone, about 400,000 trans Americans moved states from places like Texas and Florida, which have restricted trans access to healthcare and civil rights in the last few years. Many trans people and families with trans youth relocated to places such New York City, where officials including the mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and state attorney general, Letitia James, have committed money and legal responses to the Trump administration’s attacks on trans rights.

But since Donald Trump retook office, multiple New York City hospitals have pre-emptively stopped providing gender-affirming care over the threat of losing federal funding.

“We’re longtime New Yorkers. We thought we were safe here,” said Clifford, a queer mom of two.

Both of Clifford’s kids received gender-affirming care through the local NYU Langone hospital, and she spoke highly of that care – except that her youngest, 17, had their care denied part of the way through after the Trump administration threatened hospitals with federal funding cuts. The administration is also weaponizing anti-trans states against those seeking to support trans citizens by routing many anti-trans federal efforts through federal courts in Texas; currently, federal judges in Texas are subpoenaing east coast hospitals for the medical records of their trans youth clients.

Last week, Clifford took her youngest to an appointment at NYU, where their provider was uncomfortable providing the 17-year-old with gender-affirming care. They decided to wait until her child was 18 to initiate further care, due to the risk.

“It is kind of insane to me that this is happening in New York, and people that I know who have younger trans kids are really scrambling,” she said.

Clifford spent the last week of Pride month protesting against the New York City official Pride march because some of the very hospitals that stopped providing care were set to walk in the parade. Four of the five 2026 Pride grand marshals – actor Dominique Jackson, the drag queen Peppermint, Bowen Yang and Jay Walker of Gays Against Guns – and 15 former marshals, including the RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, signed an open letter calling on NYC Pride organizers to bar hospitals who have stopped providing gender-affirming care to trans youth from participating until they change their policy.

“You can’t march in a Pride parade while you are damaging the lives of members of our community,” Walker told the independent trans news outlet Erin in the Morning.

Across the various New York City Pride events over the weekend, queer and trans people of all stripes came out to party, dance and express their solidarity with marginalized people across the country. At Riis, some beachgoers flyered for a campaign to keep the beach safe from developers. Their version of being an American was centered on fighting for their rights and the rights of others, and, when possible, they managed to keep it a party.

Protesters at various marches, including the Queer Liberation March and NYC Pride held signs referencing the Prairieland case, in which eight anti-ICE protesters – several of whom are trans or queer – were sentenced to a combined 450 years last week by the same Texas federal court targeting trans youth healthcare. The FBI’s evidence in the case was largely based on community organizing and sharing of leftwing information, particularly queer and trans writings.

The presence of rightwing counter-protesters and online influencers seeking to harass and goad them was noticeable at many events around New York City. At the anti-establishment Dyke March held on Saturday 27 June, which eschews police coordination, protesters flooded Fifth Avenue for almost 40 blocks, carrying signs condemning ICE and celebrating trans folks, as a rightwing streamer attempted to work the edges of the march to catch marchers on hot mic. March marshals in KN95 masks and matching T-shirts silently held them back.

Footage and photos spread across social media of NYPD officers arresting Pride-goers twerking in Washington Square Park towards the end of the day.

That tension was present at Pride parades across the country, such as in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, from the beginning of the month onwards. At the beginning of June in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police officers reportedly blanketed Pride celebrations before arresting 15 crowd members, leading to community protests.

In San Francisco, California, on Friday, at least five people were arrested at the city’s Trans March. On Saturday night, an additional 20 people were arrested at a Pride block party. That city has its own unique history with that dynamic: 60 years ago – three years before Stonewall – a protest at the city’s Compton’s Cafeteria restaurant, a local queer hub, turned into a riot when trans women protested against harassment at the venue, leading to several arrests. Activists called that history into today, after Friday’s arrests.

A17X26 FROM usa today

What are President Trump's July 4th plans? What we know

Saman Shafiq

USA TODAY July 1, 2026, 11:56 a.m. ET

President Donald Trump is slated to attend the Freedom 250 Fourth of July fireworks on the National Mall, where he will give a brief rally speech at 9p.m. and watch a record‑breaking fireworks display later in the evening.

America is gearing up for a milestone birthday this year, and preparations for grand celebrations are underway across the country.

President Donald Trump is also partaking in the celebrations organized through Freedom 250, a White House-backed public-private partnership, which is behind the Great American State Fair and Fourth of July celebrations on the National Mall. Freedom 250 was launched through the Task Force 250 initiative to plan events separate from America250.

The 16-day state fair opened June 25 and drew sparse crowds in its first days despite Trump's claims that it was “packed with happy people." The president kicked off the fair on June 24 with a rally during which he highlighted anti-transgender policies, praised immigration agents implementing his deportation push and promoted a preliminary peace deal with Iran.

Trump is now expected to also participate in the firework celebrations by Freedom 250 on July 4. Here's what we know so far about Trump's schedule for Independence Day.

WHERE WILL TRUMP BE FOR JULY 4TH?

President Trump is expected to attend the Fourth of July fireworks show on the National Mall in Washington on July 4. Describing the event as a “rally,” Trump said he will begin speaking at 9 p.m. local time, The Washington Post reported.

The fireworks show, which is a part of Salute to America 250 Celebration and Fireworks, will take place at the Washington Monument in Washington, and will begin later than usual, at around 10:30 p.m. ET, according to Freedom 250's website.

Officials say more than 850,000 firework shells will be launched from 10 sites, with the president calling it the largest fireworks show in history. They are expected to last for 40 minutes.

The president's plans for the rest of the day are not yet known, and the White House did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for more information.

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WED 7/1 PEOPLE on FOURTH...

VEEP VANCE a18x32 from WTKR Newport news, VA

'This celebration belongs to you:' VP Vance tells service members during America 250 speech at NAS Oceana

Vice President JD Vance visited Naval Air Station Oceana on Wednesday to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.

By: Web Staff

Posted 10:45 AM, Jul 01, 2026 and last updated 3:45 PM, Jul 01, 2026

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Vice President JD Vance visited Naval Air Station Oceana on Wednesday to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.

The visit is meant to highlight "the Trump administration's efforts to support American warfighters and veterans," according to a press release sent to News 3.

Before Vance took the stage, Rep. Jen Kiggans and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins delivered remarks.

Watch: Kiggans celebrates troops at NAS Oceana ahead of VP Vance speech

"The pride the patriotism that we should all have no matter what side of the aisle, what political persuasion you prescribe to, we are on the verge of celebrating 250 great years of our United States, and to be a part of that celebration we wanted to include you, we chose you all, to be able to come to start the celebration and to say 'thank you,'" Kiggans said.

After Kiggans spoke, the veterans affairs secretary delivered remarks to the crowd at Naval Air Station Oceana.

"We're celebrating the greatest military in the world, we're celebrating the greatest Navy in the world, if you don't believe it, just ask folks that have to face us," Collins said.

Collins expressed gratitude for the service members, thanking them for "projecting peace." He went on to add that the Trump administration is working to make sure veterans are well taken care of after they've completed their service.

Watch more from America 250 coverage: Yorktown museum showcases rare Declaration of Independence copy

After taking the stage, Vance immediately joked about his plans to keep his speech non-partisan. He suggested that he could have made fun of former President Joe Biden's tenure in office.

The vice president went on to praise the service members at Naval Air Station Oceana and the surrounding military community in Hampton Roads. Specifically, Vance shouted out Carrier Air Wing 8 for their 11-month deployment, which saw service members supporting "Operation Epic Fury" against Iran.

The ongoing negotiations with Iran were touted by Vance, who then criticized the media's coverage of this development. The vice president said President Donald Trump has differentiated himself from previous administrations in his foreign policy. He added that the Trump administration has been negotiating from a position of strength.

“I think that you deserve to have a clearly defined objective, I think you deserve to have a president of the United States who believes in you and gives you the weapons to win. And I believe that you have a presidential leadership today that will never ask you to go to war unless he’s telling you why your going to war,” Vance remarked.

Vance went on to praise the efforts of both Kiggans and Collins, saying they have been "rockstars" for service members.

More America 250 coverage: Newport News' 140-year shipbuilding legacy

The vice president then shifted the focus of his speech to America's upcoming semiquincentennial anniversary, saying these celebrations wouldn't be happening without the U.S. military.

"I want to say as we get ready to celebrate 250 years of great American history, I want you all to know that that celebration belongs to you, as much as it belongs to anybody in the United States of America. For 250 years, it is people like you, who have put on the uniform of the United States of America and made sure that our Constitution actually has meaning," Vance said.

Trump visited Naval Station Norfolk in October of last year to celebrate the Navy's 250th birthday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who would later make an appearance at Naval Station Norfolk in May to welcome back the USS Gerald R. Ford after a record-breaking deployment.

Back in October, Trump said his administration will work towards increasing funding for the Navy and its assets. He said money will go towards shipbuilding and revitalizing shipyards. Trump also said he plans to give raises to sailors and service members.

Watch previous coverage: Trump touts Navy's strength, perseverance at 250th birthday celebration in Norfolk

"I'm supporting the across-the-board pay raises," Trump said. "We're going to be building lots of ships and doing a lot of things that you haven't seen happen for 35 years. We'll soon revitalize our once great shipyards with hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments."

A19X 31 FROM SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON ON usa today

GOP rebellion puts Congress at standstill; Mike Johnson sends lawmakers home

The House of Representatives canceled votes and went on July Fourth recess early as Speaker Mike Johnson struggled to assuage hardliners who basically hijacked the floor schedule.

By Zachary Schermele June 30, 2026 Updated July 1, 2026, 10:48 a.m. ET

Republican hardliners' opposition to the SAVE America voting‑restriction bill forced Speaker Mike Johnson to shut down floor activity and send members home early for the July 4 recess, leaving Congress unable to pass key legislation and highlighting GOP infighting ahead of the midterm elections.

WASHINGTON ‒ Amid a Republican rebellion to tighten voting restrictions, the House of Representatives is at a standstill, unable to pass key pieces of legislation that keep Americans safe and the government's wheels turning.

House Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly recessed the chamber on June 30. The impasse over several disagreements, including passing an election reform bill known as the SAVE America Act, which President Donald Trump has said is his top priority, forced him to cancel votes and send lawmakers home early for the July Fourth holiday.

The House on June 30 failed to approve a procedural measure, known as a "rule," after roughly a dozen Republicans decided to sink it, effectively paralyzing GOP leaders' legislative schedule.

Some were angry about Johnson's professed strategies to pass SAVE, which hardliners have said won't work. Others said they were promised a vote on a separate border security bill, which they didn't get.

In the immediate aftermath, the Pentagon's annual must-pass defense policy bill was stalled. But the House also lost several voting days that would be difficult to make up.

The infighting is wreaking havoc within the GOP-controlled Congress, jeopardizing Republicans' ability to achieve more of their policy goals as the midterm elections approach. More urgently, it's continuing to stand in the way of Congress performing its more basic functions on which many Americans rely.

"In broad terms, there are things that we need to be moving forward, that we've all talked about, that aren't happening, that are starting to bottleneck," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, one of the lawmakers stymieing the agenda, told USA TODAY. "We need to figure out how to free things up again."

Johnson blamed the issues on the GOP's razor-thin House majority (though Republicans' ranks slightly improved on June 30, when a New Jersey lawmaker finally reappeared in the Capitol after a four-month, health-related absence).

"This is life with a small margin," the speaker told reporters before canceling votes. "We'll work through it."

Democrats did little to hide their frustration amid what House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called "Republican dysfunction."

"What on Earth are we doing here?" Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts, said in a floor speech. "Every week, wondering if someone’s going to throw a fit, if Donald Trump is going to post something crazy and blow everything up, if Mike Johnson is going to bring something to the floor when he doesn’t have the votes."

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, one of the lawmakers digging in over the SAVE America Act, which among other election changes would require documentary proof of citizenship and photo ID to vote, defended herself on the steps of the Capitol on June 30. Even as Trump, fresh off a meeting with Johnson last week, encouraged Republicans like her to "stop grandstanding" over his own demand to pass the voting restrictions bill, she and other hardliners haven't let up.

"The only thing that I can do is use my vote," Luna said. "Why not try to do everything we can possibly do?"

Contributing: Reuters

Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.

A24 x33 from time

Pope Leo Will Spend July 4 Visiting Island Known For Migrant Crossings

By Rebecca Schneid Feb 21, 2026 1:33 PM ET

Pope Leo XIV will spend July 4 visiting a Mediterranean island known for migrant crossings into Europe.

The Vatican announced this week that the first American leader of the Catholic Church will visit Lampedusa, a small Italian island that has for years served as a gateway for migrants and refugees traveling to Europe from Africa and the Middle East.

The island is a stop on one of the deadliest migration routes in the world, and migrants who arrive there have often made a perilous journey across the sea.

Pope Leo expressed a desire to visit Lampedusa in a video message sent to volunteers there last year, in which he said they "have shown … the smile and the attention of a human face to people who have survived in a desperate journey of hope."

His predecessor, Pope Francis, celebrated Mass on the island in 2013 on an altar made of shipwrecked migrant boats, throwing a wreath into the ocean in honor of migrants who lost their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

The Vatican announced earlier this month that Pope Leo would not be visiting the U.S. this year, after Vice President J.D. Vance personally delivered an invitation from President Donald Trump during a visit to the Vatican in May last year.

Back home, Trump has promised to give the U.S. “the most spectacular birthday party the world has ever seen” this year, with a slate of programming called “Freedom 250.” Among the events rumored so far are an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout, an IndyCar street race through Washington, D.C., and a four-day athletic event featuring high school athletes.

Pope Leo's visit to Lampedusa follows a year of tensions between the Vatican and the Trump Administration over the President’s sweeping immigration crackdown in the U.S., which Pope Leo has spoken out against on several occasions.

Before he became Pope, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost shared several posts critical of both Vance and Trump’s policies.

In his first public address, he announced his commitment to the dignity of migrants and claimed that the issue was personal to him and his own story as a “descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate.”

“In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope,” Pope Leo then wrote in a letter on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees last year.

In September, he was more direct in his criticism of the Trump Administration’s immigration policy by name, questioning whether the poor treatment of immigrants was in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

“Someone who says I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don't know if that's pro-life,” he told journalists in September outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo.

He also spoke out in support of migrants again when his hometown city of Chicago, Illinois, became the focus of Trump’s crackdown in October 2025.

“You stand with me and I stand with you, and the church will continue to accompany and stand with migrants,” Pope Leo reportedly said after a meeting with a group of visiting American Bishops and Catholic leaders in October, who raised concerns about the deportation campaign. 

In December, he replaced New York Archbishop, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a friend of President Trump, with pro-migrant successor Bishop Ronald Hicks. In November, Hicks released a statement supporting a message from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that expressed its opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” in the United States.

The decision also comes just days after Pope Leo declined an invitation to join Trump’s Board of Peace, a U.S.-led initiative launched by the president with the ostensible aim of rebuilding Gaza and solving other conflicts.  

A statement from the Vatican cited “certain critical issues” as a reason for the refusal. “One concern,” Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told Vatican News, “is that at the international level it should above all be the U.N. that manages these crisis situations.”