Cities nationwide are gearing up for the Fourth of July weekend, preparing to counteract potential ‘teen takeovers’—events orchestrated via social media that have caused concern in various states. Law enforcement agencies are adopting preventive measures to curtail any disruptions before they unfold.

These so-called teen takeovers have been springing up across the country, primarily organized through social media platforms. As the holiday nears, police departments are mobilizing resources and strategies to avert disturbances and safeguard the Independence Day celebrations.

The police in Falmouth, Massachusetts, have ramped up their presence and deployed drones to handle potential teen takeovers on local beaches. Their aim is to prevent large gatherings from escalating into unsafe situations, according to Masslive.com.

Lt. Ryan Hergt shared with reporters that the force has implemented measures to control large gatherings, including those involving teenagers, after facing challenges in managing such events in past years.

In Ocean City, Maryland, police in June stopped a teen takeover that was advertised on social media as a “Late Night Beach Party Link Up.” Police learned about the event through the Baltimore Police Department, and arrested several of the alleged organizers before the teen takeover could even happen, according to WTOP.

Some towns are going even further. In Greenville, North Carolina, the city’s mayor enacted a curfew ahead of the holiday weekend in response to threats of a teen takeover, according to The Reflector.

“Greenville Mayor P.J. Connelly has established another temporary curfew for juveniles under the age of 18 in downtown Greenville to help ensure their safety,” a statement from the city reads.

The city dealt with a teen takeover on June 20 in which a large number of fights broke out in the downtown area, with social media posts threatening another similar event on June 27. As a result, a curfew was declared last weekend as well.

Past teen takeovers have proven the events have potential to become dangerous.

In Georgia’s Tybee Island, an “unpermitted pop-up event” in April ended up with gunshots ringing out, which sent scores of teens running for their lives.

Margaret McLean, a former prosecutor, told News Media that law enforcement doesn’t need to wait for chaos to unfold.

“It’s a big preventative measure that police are using. They’re monitoring the social media… arresting some people for rioting. If these organizers are worried that they may face criminal charges or they may get a criminal record or possibly even go to jail, they may step back and decide not to organize one of these events,” McLean said.

She said teen takeovers are such a priority for police because of the potential for them to turn violent, fast.

“People can be trampled,” McLean said.

“What makes them so dangerous is fights can break out and somebody, some innocent bystander can get pushed down or hurt, or they can fall and hit their head and then die from a bad head wound,” she added.

Today, NFL star Travis Kelce welcomed a special guest to his podcast—none other than Prince William—just as celebrations for Kelce’s impending nuptials with Taylor Swift are heating up in New York City.

The podcast episode, part of the popular New Heights series, begins with an enthusiastic introduction from Travis’s brother, Jason Kelce. Opening with what Prince William described as ‘quite an intro’, Jason energetically read, ‘Our guest today is the six-foot-three Prince from London, England.’

He went on to elaborate, ‘That’s right, the President of the English Football Association, the Vice-Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Cornwall, the Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, Earl of Chester, and the Prince of Wales, please welcome His Royal Highness, Prince William!’

Following Prince William’s appreciative response, Jason warmly remarked, ‘We had to do it big for you, had to do it big.’ The complete episode of the podcast is slated to be released at noon Eastern Time (5 PM UK time) on Friday.

This appearance marks a significant podcast moment for Prince William, who humorously admitted he was ‘hoping’ for an invite to Taylor and Travis’s wedding in New York after striking a friendship with the couple during a meetup at Wembley Stadium in 2024.

The pop singer and NFL star posed for a selfie with the Prince of Wales as well as two of his children Princess George and Princess Charlotte at the show.

But a report in People this week suggested William and Kate will not be attending, and they have not been pictured among the army of A-listers swarming Manhattan.

The wedding was raised as a topic in an interview on Heart in May, when co-host Amanda Holden asked whether he had received an invite – and William cheekily responded: ‘No comment.’ 

He added: ‘I’m hoping, and I’m sure there might be an invitation around, but we’ll see.’

Taylor and Travis hosted an intimate rehearsal dinner for their closest family and friends at Madison Square Garden’s Infosys Theater on Thursday. They were joined by around 100 guests ahead of their wedding today, where 1,000 people are expected to attend.

That said, reports have been running wild that the pair may already be legally married. Some sources said they intended to exchange vows in front of 100 of their nearest and dearest on Thursday, before a blowout, festival-style party tomorrow. 

Taylor turned the iconic venue pink for her wedding rehearsal dinner with the New York venue being lit up with lights and adorned with dusty pink curtains, while the interior was decked out with peach-colored flowers.

It’s been said that Taylor built a custom princess ‘castle’ inside MSG and has supposedly bought out every available calla lily flower in the city.

Famous guests including Selena Gomez, Jack Antonoff, Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, as well as the singer’s childhood friend Abigail Anderson, were seen heading inside, while Taylor herself was spotted being swept into the back. 

One pal who has not made the guest list is Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, who were seen a hundred miles away after being iced out from the festivities following a falling out over Blake’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni.

The bride arrived at her rehearsal dinner two hours ahead of its start time in a blacked-out silver Suburban with an extended roof and communications antennas.

She was later seen returning home well after midnight, spending more than eight hours partying in what was said to be her first-night bash.

The Madison Square Garden extravaganza has left plenty of locals less than impressed, though, with 139 NYPD officers assigned to oversee the festivities.

According to Daily Mail sources, that number includes five lieutenants and 14 sergeants, with over 1,000 guests expected to be in attendance. 

A full street closure will also go into effect, allowing crews to erect a ‘drive through tent’ next to a separate ‘entrance tent,’ according to a special event permit.

For New Heights, meanwhile, the Prince’s appearance is a major coup and just the latest A-lister the brothers have managed to tie down for their show.

In the past, Travis and Jason have interviewed the likes of Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, Caitlin Clark, Paul Rudd, Rory McIlroy – and of course Swift herself.

What began as a football podcast has evolved into one of the most-downloaded shows in the world, with the pair attracting major figures from Hollywood, sports, entertainment – and now even royalty. 

The transition to a new chapter for the Mets under interim manager Andy Green hasn’t exactly been groundbreaking.

After suffering a 9-3 defeat to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, and heading into a four-game weekend series against Atlanta, the Mets (36-51) have managed just two wins in Green’s first six games. This performance continues to distance them from the already unlikely wild-card playoff spot.

Despite Green’s ambitious talk of bringing “joy” and being “willing to challenge” his players during his spirited introductory press conference, there are limits to what he can achieve with a roster that appears average at best. It’s anticipated that he will return to his duties as the senior vice president of baseball development after the season, according to David Stearns.

Thus, the decision to dismiss Carlos Mendoza wasn’t centered on pushing the team back into the competitive mix this season—such a turnaround, given the circumstances, was never the goal.

During what seemed to be just another fishing excursion, a couple from Maine found themselves at the heart of a dramatic wildlife encounter. Using their pickup truck, they managed to save a moose calf from an attacking bear, ultimately allowing the young moose to reunite with its mother.

Todd Malcolm recounted to The Associated Press his belief that without intervention, the bear was certain to catch the calf.

Reflecting on the moment, Malcolm stated, “I knew what I had to do, and I just did it.”

The Malcolms’ unexpected adventure began when they noticed a female moose near the forest’s edge in Telos Township, Maine. Seizing the moment for a photo opportunity, they stopped their truck, unaware of the tense wildlife drama about to unfold.

“I said to Elvia, I said, ‘Grab your phone because you’re going to get a chance to get a picture of a moose,’” Todd Malcolm said.

After parking their truck, the couple noticed the moose appeared unusually agitated — and, as it turned out, for good reason.

Moments later, a bear and the moose calf burst from the woods and sprinted directly toward their truck, they told the AP.

Todd Malcolm said he was convinced the bear would catch the vulnerable calf and decided to intervene.

“I put the truck in drive and I just stepped on the gas,” he said.

Malcolm said he didn’t want to hurt the bear and only intended to put the truck between the predator and the calf.

His plan worked, and the bear darted to the side of the road before disappearing back into the woods.

“Boom, gone, right in the woods,” he said.

The ordeal was just as nerve-racking for Elvia Malcolm.

“My heart was racing because I did not want to witness the bear catching the calf,” she told the AP. “As soon as the calf got past the truck, and we were able to get the bear to give up the chase, I looked up the road and saw that they were together, the mom and the calf.”

Despite the chaos, Elvia Malcolm said she still managed to capture several photographs of the dramatic encounter.

“I really thought I probably got like a bug on the windshield when I started to look at them,” she said. “I took them through the front windshield of the truck. I wasn’t outside the truck. No way was I getting outside the truck.”

The couple later continued their fishing trip after watching the moose calf reunite with its mother.

In an intriguing moment, Madonna and her daughter, Lourdes Leon, appeared together to talk about their latest musical release.

Teaming up for a song titled “The Test,” the duo explored the complexities of their often-turbulent relationship, fueling rumors of a potential discord between them.

As they prepared for the London debut of Madonna’s upcoming album, “Club Confessions,” in association with Grindr, the iconic singer and her daughter spoke candidly about their deeply emotional connection.

During a conversation with Bob The Drag Queen, who was interviewing Madonna about her album “Confessions II,” Lourdes was introduced. The pair greeted with a handshake, soon leading to Madonna offering a warm kiss on Lourdes’ cheek.

The initial awkwardness between them seemed to fade as Lourdes, 29, complimented her mother, saying, “Hello, you look so pretty,” to which Madonna responded, “so do you”.

Yet Lourdes seemed to prickle at Madonna’s response, shooting back: ‘why do you sound surprised?’ mimicking her saying ‘so do you’ deadpan. 

As Madonna laughed it off by remarking ‘like mother like daughter’, Bob seemed uncomfortable with the tension, saying: ‘wow!’ 

Lourdes then revealed it was her idea to collaborate on their new song, as she mused: ‘I think that between a mother and a daughter and a relationship it’s kind of – there’s a lot of things that are unspoken. 

‘There’s a lot of love that’s unspoken but also a lot of tension and emotions that are kind of difficult to put into words because it can be so emotional. 

‘A way that I thought would be easier for us to speak about these things would be through art, which is always something me and my mum have connected over that’s really brought us together.’ 

Madonna then weighed in on the experience of working together, saying: ‘it was very emotional and there were moments when I felt like crying, hugging her. 

‘Because as she says we don’t always agree on things but we love creativity and art has always connected us. 

‘It was a very magical moment and we both had to be vulnerable.’ 

When asked to sum up her experience of working with her mother on The Test in one word, Lourdes confessed: ‘healing’.  

Following the interview, Madonna then took to the stage with DJ Stuart Price as she performed singles from her new album. 

The singer had designed the venue so that guests would have to enter through a giant sculpture of her legs, while drinks on offer were themed to her songs, named Spicy Danceteria, Absolut Holiday Highball and Into? The Groove Grindr Mule.

Guests were also invited to buy merchandise, with Madonna fan Jo revealing she spent £65 purchasing a T-shirt with ‘don’t be a vibe kill’ on the front. 

In The Test, Madonna sings candidly to her daughter about how she ‘tried to put you on a pedestal,’ although Lourdes herself ‘didn’t ask for all the flashing lights.’

The Material Girl freely admits she ‘didn’t think of how it could disturb or how it hurt,’ sharing that she wished she ‘knew the pain I caused’ and understood the impact of the fact that ‘my butterfly was always being watched.’

Lourdes then reflects on her upbringing in the shadow of a world-famous mother, whom she characterised as ‘my reason to be, or what I want, or look like, what I wear, all the clothes on my back and what I attract.’

She sings about striking a balance in which she is able to ‘trace the line of what you have sewn’ and still ‘keep my own design, make it a landscape, make it alive.’ 

Madonna previously admitted her daughter Lourdes Leon was ‘very standoffish’ to work with on their new song, as she finally addressed their rift.

She opened up to Graham Norton on his BBC show Madonna & Graham and said Lourdes ‘held onto a lot of resentment’ with her over the years.

Madonna, who shares Lourdes with her ex Carlos Leon, wrote a song with her daughter for her new album Confessions II.

Despite the tension between the mother and daughter duo, Madonna said writing a song together ‘healed’ their relationship.

In the episode, which aired Friday night, Madonna explained: ‘She approached me, she’s been very revenant to work with me. She doesn’t want to be perceived as my daughter, taking advantage of her privilege.’

Graham asked: ‘How does that feel? Was it like working with a professional or a proud mother?’

‘It was kind of neither’, she said. ‘She’s been very standoffish and working at her own pace, and I respect that deeply. She’s a great songwriter and has a much better voice than I do.

‘But then one day she came to me and said “You know what, I realise I’ve been holding onto something” and maybe it’s a kind of I want to say anger, what’s another word, maybe resentment?

‘At the end of the day, she didn’t ask for this. She had been through her adolescence struggling with those feelings for a long time.

‘So she came to me and said “Let’s write a song together, I think it will be a very healing experience. You say exactly what you want to say and I will say exactly what I want to say”.

‘And I was like “Okay, you’re on, let’s do it, I was so happy”. Her lyrics are beautiful.’

While Madonna and Lourdes are now close and often collaborate together, the pair have touched on their issues in past interviews.

In 2021, Lourdes called her mother a ‘control freak’ and admitted that she paid for her own college tuition and first apartment to escape her.

‘We don’t get any handouts in my family. Obviously, I grew up with extreme privilege. There’s no denying that,’ she explained to Interview magazine.

‘But I think my mom saw all these other kids of famous people, and she was like, “My kids are not going to be like this.”

‘Also, I feel like if your parents pay for things, then it gives them leverage over you. My mom is such a control freak, and she has controlled me my whole life. I needed to be completely independent from her as soon as I graduated high school.’

In a 2019 interview with Vogue, Madonna praised her ‘insanely talented’ eldest child but said that she lacked the same drive that had made her a household name.

Since branching out on her own, Lourdes has found work as a model, a celebrity socialite, and as an indie musician.

Confessions II, which drops this Friday, is currently Madonna’s best-reviewed disc since 2005’s Confessions On a Dance Floor.