CHICAGO (WLS) — Nearly a decade of dedication and curiosity about the nation’s history culminated in Chicago, as a determined traveler accomplished his mission to visit every presidential museum across America. This ambitious journey was part of an endeavor to explore historical narratives in anticipation of the country’s 250th anniversary.

Joshua Zimerman successfully concluded his nine-year and seven-month adventure by arriving at the Obama Presidential Center, the last of the 14 presidential museums he set out to see. As an enthusiast of the Presidential Museum Passport program, Zimerman collected stamps at each museum he visited. His completion was marked with the receipt of a commemorative pin, a fitting tribute to his effort.

During a small ceremony at the Obama Presidential Center, a representative acknowledged Zimerman’s achievement saying, “It is my honor to pin you with an Obama presidential center pin.”

This notable milestone came after an extensive expedition through numerous states.

Zimerman reflected on the distance covered in his journey, remarking, “I probably went over 10,000 miles doing this.”

Zimerman said the idea originated while he was working toward another personal goal.

“I’ve been working on going to all 50 states. I’m currently at 42 out of 50, and along the way I saw two air sites for the presidential museums, and I figured, why not?” he said.

According to Zimerman, fewer than 1% of people have completed the presidential museum passport challenge, which involves visiting every presidential museum and collecting stamps at each stop. Participants who complete the journey receive a special commemorative coin.

Zimerman said he was determined to finish the challenge two days before America’s 250th birthday, viewing the milestone as a chance to reflect on the nation’s history and future.

At the Obama Presidential Center, officials said the anniversary highlights the continued work of strengthening democracy and civic engagement.

“Every single generation has a responsibility and an obligation to continue to perfect this experiment that is the United States, 250 years of us trying and grinding through difficult questions about who we want to be as a country,” said John Roberson, executive vice president of the Obama Presidential Center.

Zimerman praised the center’s focus on civic education and public participation.

“A lot of the exhibits explain, like they have Democracy 101. They explain how you get in contact with your representatives, which the other museums don’t explain, and it’s really, they’re trying to make it more of an educational experience for non-scholarly people,” he said.

Roberson said the center aims to inspire visitors and serve as a symbol of hope.

“The message that it sends is that hope now has a home, and it’s right here on the South Side of Chicago,” he said.

Although he has completed his presidential museum tour, Zimerman said his travels are not over. He plans to continue working toward his goal of visiting all 50 states and encouraged others to explore museums and learn more about history.

“Support your country. Go out, explore these museums, not just the presidential ones, just explore history,” he said.

In a closely contested World Cup match, England narrowly defeated Mexico with a score of 3-2. However, the excitement of the event was marred by an incident of gun violence nearby in east Los Angeles, where four individuals were shot amid a gathering of enthusiastic fans.

According to a spokesperson from the LA Sheriff’s Department, reports of three shootings surfaced around 9:40 p.m. on Sunday, including an incident on Whittier Boulevard. The police were promptly alerted.

Following the shootings, the injured parties were taken to the hospital. Details concerning the severity of their injuries are yet to be disclosed.

The LASD confirmed that, fortunately, no lives were lost during the incident. As of now, no suspect is in custody, and the motive behind the shootings remains a mystery.

Whittier Boulevard, a lively and popular gathering place for Mexican-Americans, is renowned for its festive atmosphere, especially during major soccer tournaments when it becomes a hub for celebration.

Earlier Sunday, Los Angeles Police Department chiefs issued a city-wide tactical alert, meaning those on-duty are not allowed to clock off until they are told so, KNBC reported.

This tool is designed to ensure police organizations have enough personnel working in the event of any disruption.

Authorities in Arizona have arrested a man who has been living in a national forest for nearly a decade, according to reports.

Mark Aaron Gatz, 65, is potentially facing a prison sentence of up to five years. He allegedly established a permanent campsite in the Tonto National Forest, located northeast of Phoenix, where he resided for approximately eight years.

When officials apprehended Gatz on June 25, they discovered nearly half a ton of garbage scattered around his campsite, according to federal court documents examined by The Independent.

An officer involved in Gatz’s case expressed astonishment at the volume of litter in the area, as noted in several citations previously issued to Gatz before his detention.

The officer further remarked that Gatz’s living situation could be one of the most severe residential cases they had encountered.

The campsite where Gatz was arrested was located near a dirt trail popular for hiking, mountain biking and off-roading.

Before the arrest, the National Park Service had received multiple complaints of ‘several large structures, several man-made fire pits, several years’ worth of trash, household goods scattered throughout the forest of roughly an acre.’ 

‘Roughly half of [an] acre of resources [was] ruined’ due to the illegal structures and garbage laying on the ground for so long, according to a citation filed on June 29 in Arizona federal court. 

‘The trash consisted of tires, plastic bags, trash bags, aluminum cans and other items of trash,’ the citation said. 

Gatz had also reportedly built a canopy under which he parked an SUV. Other items at his campsite included a cooking station with around a dozen frying pans, five 55-gallon drums, eight tires, four bike frames, five gallons of motor oil and lumber. 

National Forest police knew of Gatz for about a year, and he had at least six outstanding federal arrest warrants before he was taken into custody.

Those warrants were for building a campfire during fire restrictions, building on forest land, unsanitary conditions and occupying a national forest as a residence, according to the citation. 

Gatz was detained as a potential flight risk and is accused of violating a total of nine federal laws. 

Those laws include building and maintaining a fire outside a designated area, leaving a fire without extinguishing it, camping for longer than is allowed, constructing and occupying a residence on National Forest land, damaging a natural feature belonging to the US, and littering, among others.

According to a June 30 detention order, Gatz has a criminal history and failed to appear in court multiple times for violating residency and fire restrictions that he had received warnings and citations for. 

Arrests for living on National Forest land are fairly unusual and typically only occur if the suspect has a history on non-compliance. Repercussions usually amount to large fines and a ban from the area rather than prison time. 

Campers in National Forests are generally limited to a 14-day stay within 30 days. Staying beyond that period, building structures and leaving behind personal property is considered unauthorized residential use. 

The joyous atmosphere surrounding England’s thrilling victory over Mexico in the Round of 16 took an unexpected turn when midfielder Jordan Henderson suffered an unusual wrist injury during the post-match celebrations with fans in Mexico on Sunday night.

As England players reveled with their supporters to the iconic tune of Oasis’s “Wonderwall” echoing through the Estadio Azteca, Henderson attempted to leap over a barrier, only to land awkwardly on the pitch.

One of Henderson’s teammates quickly noticed the mishap and gestured urgently for medical assistance.

Thomas Tuchel, England’s manager, later confirmed that Henderson had indeed sustained a wrist injury during the peculiar celebration incident.

“He’s currently in the hospital, which suggests the injury is fairly serious,” Tuchel remarked. “It doesn’t feel right that Jordan isn’t here with us now after such a memorable evening. I’m not sure about the details of what happens next,” he added.

Tuchel added that he had been fulfilling his media obligations when the team’s doctors had informed him that Henderson had been transported to a local hospital. 

The England manager described his emotions as “very mixed” over his pride in his team’s performance coupled with being “sad” over the Henderson injury.

The incident had been noted on the Fox broadcast when Harry Kane, who scored England’s third goal of the night, spoke with the American broadcaster. 

Kane said Henderson had “just fell over there,” but seemed more optimistic about his condition before Tuchel held his postmatch press conference. 

It’s unclear how long Henderson may be sidelined, especially with the way that Tuchel described the injury. 

He has only appeared in one match for England during their World Cup run thus far.

Henderson subbed into the group stage win over Panama, in which he played in the final six minutes of the match. 

Henderson was given a yellow card on Sunday for his actions on the sideline.

Within the iconic football arena of the Azteca, amidst the electrifying and untamed passion that the sport evokes, England stood resilient. Despite the deafening noise, the tempestuous weather engulfing the stadium, and the high altitude of 7,220 feet that makes hearts race and lungs labor for air, they persevered even when reduced to ten players for a grueling 40 minutes.

When the referee’s final whistle pierced the atmosphere, the nation collectively exhaled. England, awake and alive in pubs dotted across the cities and villages in the small hours, from living rooms to dens, and including the brave souls in the stadium’s lofty stands, all let out a sigh of relief.

Joyous celebrations ensued among the England squad. Their 3-2 triumph was a monumental achievement—an instant classic etched in history, marking a significant moment in this renowned venue. Undoubtedly, this was England’s finest World Cup victory since the legendary 1966 win.

Harry Kane, the team captain, with a crucial goal, and Jude Bellingham, who scored twice, once more proved their worth as towering figures for England in this tournament.

Typically, a red card signifies impending defeat for England in World Cups, yet when Jarell Quansah was expelled early in the second half, the team stood firm and refused to back down.

For most who witnessed this, it was the greatest England performance they would have ever seen in the greatest stadium they have ever visited. They will play Norway in the quarter-finals in Miami on Saturday evening. It is tempting to say that if England can win here at the Azteca in these circumstances, they can win anywhere.

Thomas Tuchel, Kane, Bellingham and the rest of the squad had arrived here late on Friday night knowing that this country had been a graveyard of England’s ambitions at two World Cups already and that the only precedents for visits here involved controversy and failure.

It was here that their defence of the World Cup they won in 1966 ended when they surrendered a two-goal lead and fell to defeat to West Germany in Leon in 1970. It was here, in the Azteca, where they fell to the genius and the duplicity of Diego Maradona and his Hand of God goal in 1986.

And it was here where many expected them to succumb once more. Mexico had only lost twice here in 89 competitive fixtures since the stadium opened 60 years ago. The arena has become legend, an outlier of passion and fury and tradition at a tournament where many matches are being played in manicured monuments to wealth and sophistication.

There was altitude, there was heat, there was kick-off time chaos, there was an hour’s delay, there were fans letting off a fusillade of fireworks outside their team hotel in the middle of the night and there was an opponent that had not conceded a single goal in the three matches it had already played here and had never lost a World Cup game here. England defeated it all.

And so in the magnificent cathedral of the game, which has been blessed by staging Brazil’s beautiful demolition of Italy in the 1970 World Cup final and Maradona’s greatest triumph when Argentina defeated West Germany in the 1986 final, England exorcised the ghosts of what happened here 40 years ago and created their own special moment in the Azteca.

The hour’s delay to the start because of thunderstorms had worked the crowd into an even greater frenzy than usual. ‘Si, si, si,’ they yelled over and over again in the seconds before kick-off. The expectation was that Mexico would hurl themselves at England in the first 20 minutes.

Tuchel had chosen Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gorden to start wide but all thoughts of team selection were lost in the mayhem of the opening 50 seconds when Declan Rice was shown a yellow card when he tried to clear the ball but connected with the face of Luis Romo instead. It was a bad start.

The crowd was at fever pitch and their team fed off it. They passed the ball around beautifully in the early moments. ‘Ole’, the crowd chanted with every pass, as if they were taunting a maddened bull. Kane lost his cool when he tried to retrieve the ball after a Mexico foul. The madness of the Azteca was getting to everyone.

England were clinging on until 10 minutes before half-time. Then a different kind of bedlam was unleashed and Bellingham unleashed it with two goals in 98 seconds. First, Rice rampaged down the right and played the ball to Saka. 

Saka beat his man and crossed to the back post where Bellingham met it with a diving header a few yards out.

The stadium was stunned but worse was to come for Mexico. 

Straight from the kick-off, England ran at Mexico again. Gordon, who had had an excellent half, played the ball to Kane and Kane pulled it back into the box where Bellingham made absolutely sure he got to it first and forced it over the line.

England were in heaven. It felt briefly as if the game was won. It wasn’t. Two minutes before half-time, England failed to clear a Mexico free kick and Julian Quinones reacted fastest to the loose ball. He rifled it high into the roof of the England net. The Azteca was alive again, even louder and more impassioned than before.

England were besieged now. Jimenez dragged a good chance wide, then forced a fine save out of Pickford with a looping header. 

Then Cesar Montes found the ball at his feet from a Mexico corner and seemed certain to score until Bellingham denied him with a brilliant saving tackle.

Half-time seemed to have come at the right time for England. Nico O’Reilly hit the post from the edge of the area and England seemed to be in the ascendancy again. This game was far too tumultuous for something so simple.

Eight minutes after the break, Jarell Quansah launched himself into a sliding tackle on Jesus Gallardo. He got the ball but also caught Gallardo high on the shin. Gallardo was left in a heap but referee Alireza Faghani waved play on. 

The Mexico bench was enraged. There was a scuffle between the substitutes and then the referee was called to review the decision. He showed Quansah a red card.

There was still no time to breathe. Five minutes later, Gordon took the ball around Raul Rangel and Rangel brought him down. It was an obvious penalty. Kane took it and hammered it into the corner of the net. It was his sixth goal of this World Cup.

Then, another twist, with 20 minutes left. Kane tried to clear a loose ball in the penalty area but Erick Gutierrez got there just ahead of him and Kane kicked the back of his leg instead of the ball. The referee, once more, went to the monitor, and awarded a penalty. Jimenez took it and even though Pickford tried to change direction, the ball sped past him.

The crowd smelled blood. They bayed for the equaliser. England clung on. John Stones, Dan Burn and Djed Spence came on. They all played like heroes at the back. Then the fourth official held up a board showing there would be 11 minutes of time added on.

Some doubted England could hold out. But this game was about 15 heroes. Fifteen men who stood up when many expected them to fail. Fifteen men who would not yield to everything the Azteca threw at them. Fifteen men who will travel to Miami this week to play for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.