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July 4, 2026
On This Special Fourth of July, Celebrate With America's Diverse, Inspiring Team USA
(Joe Conason) Americans seeking inspiration during this anniversary of independence should turn away from the nation's capital, where Donald Trump's narcissistic celebration provides only national embarrassment (and perhaps a few laughs). They can look instead to the World Cup, where the performance of the U.S. Men's National Team is renewing the patriotic pride and national solidarity of a free people — led by players whose diversity and citizenship stand against the anti-immigrant bigotry of the current regime.
Go to discussionExtreme heat wave in its final stretch and could fuel storms during July 4 celebrations
(CNN) America’s 250th birthday also marks the final stretch of one of the most intense eastern US heat waves in years — one made worse by climate change — and it could fuel an added storm threat as the nation gathers to celebrate. Dangerous heat is on the guest list at every Fourth of July celebration in the region, with high temperatures in the 90s and low 100s forecast from New England into the Southeast. Saturday will likely be the third day in a row of triple-digit temperatures for major metros like Philadelphia and Washington, DC.
Go to discussion'A total disappointment': revelers face unbearable heat at Great American State Fair
(The Guardian) In the heart of US capital, a small village of tented pavilions and marquees representing states and territories from across the US has taken over the National Mall. And on Friday morning Dave Forster, 63, was apparently struggling to believe his eyes. A “friggin’ patriot” who had traveled from his home in Washington state to Washington DC to mark the milestone, Forster thought many of the state offerings “sucked”, he told the Guardian. “They’ve had how long? It’s just a total disappointment.”
Go to discussionGreat American State Fair Visitors On Life Support Amid Extreme Heatwave
(Newsweek) Several visitors to Washington, D.C.'s Great American State Fair required life support and were hospitalized as extreme heat swept across the capital on Friday, prompting organizers to temporarily shut down the event amid triple-digit temperatures. The reported hospitalizations came as a powerful heat dome gripped much of the eastern U.S. as the Fourth of July holiday approached, with some forecasters warning that hundreds of daily records could fall.
Go to discussionTrump hails US exceptionalism before veering into darkly political speech to usher in America 250
(AP) President Donald Trump ushered in the 250th anniversary of American independence on Friday with soaring rhetoric about American exceptionalism before veering into a darkly political speech with warnings about a sinister threat of communism that evoked one of the country’s ugliest chapters. “Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty,” he said from Mount Rushmore. “It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even 9/11.”
Go to discussionTrump Vows Republicans 'Will Not Lose an Election for A Hundred Years'
(Mediaite) President Donald Trump said on Friday night that Republicans will not lose elections for 100 years if Congress passes the SAVE America Act. “We can only lose the midterms if we allow ourselves to lose the midterms if we are foolish, stupid, and unwise,” he continued. “But if we terminate the filibuster as we should do and immediately vote for the SAVE America Act, then we will not lose an election for a hundred years. We do that, we’re not gonna lose an election for a hundred years.
Go to discussionNearly a Million Investors Lost $3.8 Billion on Trump Coin
(Political Wire) “An up-to-date tally of Trump followers turned crypto investors is in. And for them, the overall results are remarkably bad,” the New York Times reports. “Nearly 1 million people who bought President Trump’s memecoin have lost money through the end of June, according to a report by the cryptocurrency analytics firm Nansen. Their losses total $3.81 billion.”
Go to discussionYour Electronics Are About to Get Way More Expensive By Nitish Pahwa
(Slate) The never-ending inflation spiral has come for your favorite, most necessary everyday gadgets. Last Thursday, Apple announced price hikes on various MacBook and iPad models, while hinting in a statement that more are coming across its product suite. On the very same day, Microsoft’s Xbox declared that it would stop producing consoles that can store up to 2 terabytes of memory, while raising the costs on its 1 terabyte and 512 gigabyte models—following another round of price increases last October.
Go to discussionA Low-Income Housing Program Is Pouring Billions Into Housing Many People Can't Afford
(ProPublica) Portland, like many cities, has raced to increase its supply of affordable housing by turning to a federal program that’s existed since the 1980s: the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. It provides up to $15 billion worth of tax credits a year nationally to help developers build apartments. Portland supplemented the federal construction money with local dollars, creating incentives that were hard to turn down. The result of the federal tax credit has been a glut of apartments costing renters on the order of about $1,400 a month for a one-bedroom. That’s a manageable outlay for a family making $75,000 but nearly half the monthly income of someone who earns $35,000 at the local minimum wage.
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