WASHINGTON (AP) — As the United States commemorates its 250th anniversary, countless Americans are opting to ignore the cacophony of political debates. They’re tuning out the relentless din emanating from Washington and the uproar often amplified by social media platforms.

In contrast, they are gravitating towards fostering their own interpretations of America the Beautiful through various personal lenses.

“We need to seek unity, whether it’s through humor or resilience, and help everyone remain level-headed,” expressed one man, standing at his bustling fireworks stall, which serves as his profitable side venture.

The stereotypical portrayal of Americans as loud and self-assured, if not occasionally nationalistic, clashes with the more subdued sentiments and cautious optimism shared by numerous individuals interviewed by AP.

“There’s a significant amount of debate happening,” remarked Christina Zhou, a research assistant aged 25, residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Nonetheless, she affirmed, “there are still numerous wonderful things occurring.”

“What I’m trying to do is think about just things that are happening locally,” she added. “It feels a little bit more like within our own personal control.”

‘We’re just happy Americans’

In Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, farmer Mindy Dean, 50, and her family will be milking their goats Saturday and maybe taking in some local fireworks. Or maybe not. The 250th hoopla has been mostly lost on her. “We’re just happy Americans,” she said. “We kinda do our own thing and just enjoy our freedom as Americans.”

In contrast, the goat-free Neil Casey, an 81-year-old retiree from Nashua, New Hampshire, and his friend Maureen Regan, who lives in Cambridge, are free-range celebrants. They’re roaming Boston’s historical sites, like Paul Revere’s house, and as many of the city’s Fourth events as they can manage. They, too, are plugging their ears to discord.

“I’m very much aware of our country and what we’ve been through, you know, so I’m just trying to immerse myself in the atmosphere of the 250th,” Casey said. Regan took heart in all the soccer fans who poured into the country for the World Cup and praised what they experienced.

“They love everything we have,” she said, ”and I want people to not forget that and remember how lucky we are.” Her advice to compatriots: “Just enjoy the moment. Enjoy that we’ve been here for 250 years.”

Still, for some, it is nearly impossible to separate holiday patriotism from steps by President Donald Trump to bend the celebrations toward himself, as with the Fourth of July festivities on the National Mall that he said will culminate in a Trump rally Saturday.

When patriotism feels ‘Republican’

“When you’re celebrating the Fourth of July right now, it feels like that’s like a Republican thing to do,” said Madeline Capodilupo, 26, a special-education teacher who lives in Boston. She’ll spend the weekend with her fiancé’s family at their Maine beach house.

“It’s just hard to celebrate something when it doesn’t feel like we should be celebrating anything,” she said.

What celebrants are celebrating, exactly, is diverse and personal.

Ronald Hall spent 18 months in the Air Force toward the end of the Vietnam War. His wife, Karen, served two years in the Army and took part in Operation Desert Storm during the first Gulf War. While they shopped for vegetables at Detroit’s Eastern Market this week, Ronald said he’s spent a lifetime celebrating American ideals, which might be distinct from reality.

As a Black man, he said, America’s promise of freedom and equality was at the core. “I grew up remembering the promise,” he said. “That’s what we celebrated: the promise, not the country.”

Old warriors find their faith tested

Veterans are always front and center in America’s big occasions and the 250th is no different. At the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton, residents are looking forward to a community celebration in the coming days that will feature a National Guard Black Hawk helicopter, a World War II ambulance, food trucks, music and even Uncle Sam on stilts.

The old warriors are keeping the faith. But that faith is being tested.

“I believe this country is the greatest that ever existed,” said Leo LeClerc, 83, an Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam. “Our democracy is strong and it will continue to be strong as long as people participate in it.”

But, he said. “I don’t like what’s going on in this country” and “I don’t feel very good about the 250th.” An independent who voted for Trump in 2016, he now believes a “cult of personality has taken over” around the president.

Tom Gaumont, 74, an Army veteran and former history teacher, remembered the 1976 bicentennial as a more hopeful time, despite the aftershocks of President Richard Nixon’s resignation under threat of impeachment.

“I’m kinda sad at this point with what I anticipate,” Gaumont said. “I’ve seen and taught about how these things kind of crumble, so I’m concerned.”

“We’ve lasted this long,” he added, “and this is a very existential time in our history.”

Allan Bailey, 83, a Republican who also served in Vietnam and later owned a motel, voiced similar pessimism.

“I’m worried about how the country is going, I really am,” he said. “I don’t know what we’re going to leave our children, and that bothers me a lot.”

A security guard works to ‘make the USA the greatest’

In Dearborn, Michigan, Nabeel Mawari, 38, sounded a more hopeful note. On Saturday, he’ll be working his security guard job while his wife and two young sons celebrate the holiday with relatives. An immigrant from Yemen, now a U.S. citizen, Mawari spoke from his backyard about life in the United States.

“My life is here,” Mawari said. “We try to make the U.S.A. the greatest. That’s why I’m here. I love this country. The Fourth of July, it is very important.”

Then there’s the man who, for perhaps very understandable reasons, wanted to stay far away from the political fray.

Gary MacGrath, 77, has been a caricaturist at a suburban Philadelphia fair for 14 years. This year, McGrath’s booth was sandwiched right between the local Democratic and Republican Party clubs. Talk about a rock and a hard place. He said he learned as a bartender earlier in life to “never talk about religion or politics” and was heeding that lesson now.

But he did permit himself this: “It’s 250 years,” he said. “Let’s keep democracy going.”

___

LeRoy Irvin, a former cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams and a two-time Pro Bowl selectee, has died at the age of 68. The news was confirmed by his former teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Eric Dickerson.

Dickerson, who shared the field with Irvin for five seasons during his remarkable tenure with the Rams, expressed his sorrow over Irvin’s passing through an Instagram post on Thursday. He revealed that he was “devastated to hear about” the recent news.

“LeRoy was more than just a formidable corner and a fierce rival on the field; he was a genuine friend and an outstanding man who consistently radiated tremendous energy,” Dickerson shared. “Rest in peace, my brother. My thoughts and prayers are with the Irvin family and all of Rams Nation.”

Accompanying his heartfelt message, Dickerson posted a photograph of him and Irvin beaming at an event hosted by Dickerson’s foundation.

Irvin embarked on his journey with the Rams in 1980, when the team drafted him as the 70th overall pick. Throughout his 11-season career in Los Angeles, he was a starter in 104 games.

He finished his career with one season in Detroit.

Irvin compiled 35 interceptions during his time in the NFL and was named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro on two separate occasions.

Further details surrounding his passing were not disclosed.

– Rabbis demand an apology from Mamdani, calling his actions monstrous
– Orthodox Jew alleges California city penalized him for hosting prayer meetings at home
– Commentator from MS NOW describes Mamdani’s primary victory as a frightening event for NYC Jews

With mounting anger, more than 700 rabbis are calling on New York City’s Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, to issue an apology after referring to AIPAC in discussions about so-called “dark money.” Critics argue that equating AIPAC with Jewish people taps into age-old antisemitic tropes, which potentially endangers the Jewish community. Mamdani defends his statement as philosophical discourse, but community leaders condemn it as a dangerous expression of prejudice.

California State Senator Scott Wiener, campaigning for Congress, expressed to CBS News’ Major Garrett that activists at San Francisco’s Trans March crossed into intimidation territory, blurring the line between mere protest and coercive tactics.

In Irvine, Rabbi Rafi Dadon is considering a significant legal challenge against the city after accruing a staggering $5,000 in penalties for organizing prayer gatherings in his home. Lawyers specializing in religious freedom criticize the zoning enforcement as an illegal attempt to suppress religious activities. The religious community is prepared to stand its ground against what they perceive as governmental overreach.

Zohran Mamdani’s anti-Israel socialist squad just staged a . Far-left darlings Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Claire Valdez crushed incumbent Dems Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat. With deep-blue seats locked down for November, critics are panicking over a “genuinely scary night for Jews” as the squad rockets toward Capitol Hill.

: A clueless Massachusetts principal is facing severe backlash after who felt “unseen” and “unsafe” during a Holocaust history lesson. Critics are absolutely eviscerating Dr. Johnny Cole for prioritizing hurt feelings over factual education, arguing that teaching the Nazi genocide of six million Jews shouldn’t require a politically correct apology.

: Top United Nations official Vanessa Frazier is facing a after spreading a sick, fake-news blood libel against Israel on social media. Frazier eagerly reposted a vile lie claiming Israelis drop bombs disguised as toys to murder children—originally posted by a UK activist facing terror charges for backing Hamas. Critics slam it as “farcical” gullibility.

: Heather Johnston, founder and president of U.S. Israel Education Association, writes that the is not a temporary, transactional diplomatic contract, but a deep “covenantal” relationship rooted in shared moral DNA and the Hebrew Scriptures.

“The point of Holocaust education is not to protect Muslim students’ feelings, or whatever this claptrap suggests. It’s not about them.” – Fox News analyst Guy Benson, after teacher apologizes to Muslim students for teaching about the Holocaust.

– Looking for more on this topic? Find more antisemitism coverage from Fox News here.

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It was a moment that left many in shock, breaking numerous hearts while simultaneously confirming widespread suspicions.

For almost two years, fans followed the enchanting narrative of a pop icon intertwined with her athletic beau. However, for those devoted to the journey of their relationship, the revelation that it might all be an orchestrated ruse struck a chord.

On September 3, 2024, a photo emerged on Reddit, allegedly showcasing documents haphazardly left by an employee at Travis Kelce’s public relations firm, Full Scope Public Relations.

Under the title Comprehensive Media Plan for Travis Kelce’s Public Relations Following Breakup with Taylor Swift, the instant these images surfaced, they sent both admirers and detractors into a frenzy.

Kelce’s team swiftly dismissed the so-called ‘contract’ as ‘completely false and fabricated,’ announcing their intentions to seek legal counsel and promising to unravel the threads of this malicious fiction.

Within days, denials had been issued from both camps.

But the contract sent shockwaves through the pop culture ecosystem, blindsiding millions of fans who were deeply invested in this particular love story.

For those who had always been skeptical of Swift’s many high-profile romances, it seemed proof of a relationship built for public performance and Swift’s carefully curated image – mutually beneficial but based on nothing more heartfelt than a marketing strategy.

There was even a date set to announce the split – September 28, 2024.

Three days post that fateful date, an official statement would be issued, by which time, the document reasoned, the ‘initial media frenzy’ would have settled down and ‘clarity’ would be restored.

The announcement was to be ‘gracious, respectful and stress mutual respect.’ In other words, on brand.

‘Example,’ the writing went. ‘Travis and Taylor have decided to part ways after careful consideration. They both value and respect each other’s personal lives and appreciate your respect for privacy during this time.’

The irony of a PR plea for ‘privacy’ was not lost.

Both, the statement would continue, remained ‘committed to their careers and personal growth.’ As well, it added for good measure, continuing to be friends who ‘wish each other the best.’

The breakup would be framed as a ‘natural part of life’ – and who could be unaware of Swift’s familiarity with just how natural, given her lengthy list of exes, each of whom spawned a career-defining track or album.

But a representative for Full Scope was categorical: ‘These documents are entirely false and fabricated and were not created, issued or authorized by this agency.’

They went on to note that the PR agency had contacted Reddit’s legal team ‘to initiate proceedings against the individuals or entities responsible for the unlawful and injurious forgery of documents.’

Of course, with the couple’s impending nuptials, any lingering doubts as to the veracity of the relationship have been well and truly laid to rest.

But one that is very far from settled is the question of who perpetrated the stunt in the first place.

At the time, Swifties took matters into their own hands, turning to the Internet to try and decipher who was behind it.

While many of Swift’s loyal fans had theorized early on that the document was fake due to the language and writing style used, many were incensed that someone would try to undermine this longed-for ‘happily ever after.’

Multiple online forums and social media posts by fans were devoted to trying to unearth the identity of the creator. Given the Swifties’ legendary tenacity, it is something of a miracle that the guilty party has, so far, managed to remain anonymous despite providing what was perhaps the most dramatic plot point in this love story.

Swift and Kelce have been rich fodder for Swifties’ romantic dreams since the summer of 2023, when rumors began swirling that the two might be linked.

Taylor Swift’s wedding: Read all the top stories

Kelce revealed his own thwarted bid to engineer a meeting at an Eras concert in July of that year, telling his brother Jason on their podcast, New Heights, that he had naively hoped to hand the star a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it.

Just two months later, the couple confirmed their romance when, in September, Swift watched the tight end play a game in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium from his family’s personal suite.

After two years of dating, Kelce proposed to Swift in August 2025 with an eye-poppingly large custom Artifex Fine Jewelry diamond engagement ring.

He turned the backyard of the Kansas City house he bought with Swift in mind into an Arcadian idyll, festooned with her favorite flowers and Swift announced to the world with a joint Instagram post captioned archly: ‘Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.’

Perhaps it’s surprising that Swift, who’s long chafed at the outsize scrutiny on her personal life, should have chosen to celebrate her marriage in the ‘World’s most famous arena.’

But the location allows her and her lover to have tight control over security and optics – the venue is windowless and has an entrance that shields the couple and their undoubtedly buzzy guests from the public eye.

As for the author of that mystery contract, they remain a ghost. But one thing is certain – the only contract these two will be signing is a pre-nup.

Another Hollywood icon bids farewell to Tinseltown.

Actor Dennis Quaid has decided to make his departure from Los Angeles official, listing his Brentwood Hills residence on the market for $5.2 million. This comes amid his critiques of the area, stating it has been on the decline.

The expansive home, featuring five bedrooms and six bathrooms over a sprawling 4,000 square feet, is on the market as more celebrities consider leaving California. The reasons cited range from inadequate wildfire management to discontent with the state’s liberal policies.

Real estate details highlight the property as “pristine” and fully renovated, describing it as a warm, contemporary style two-story home situated on a peaceful cul-de-sac in the sought-after Brentwood Hills area.

The backyard of the house boasts a sleek pool, accompanied by a patio perfect for lounging, and a terrace ideal for stargazing. Throughout the interior, a consistent theme of white and timber accents adds to its refined charm.

“The Substance” actor is listing his house for $1.3 million more than he bought it for back in 2017, but he’s still taking a six-figure loss due to inflation.

The listing comes a month after Quaid showed optimism about Los Angeles mayoral loser Spencer Pratt.

“Go, Spencer Pratt,” Quaid said when asked about the LA mayor’s race. When asked why, Quaid appeared puzzled.

“Why? What are you talking about, why? Just look around, man,” he laughed.

Quaid has said LA isn’t what it once was.

“It used to be such a great town and the ’90s was nice. And then it’s been kind of going downhill and I feel like people pay these taxes for no services is what it gets down to,” he told Fox News.

“And then fire happens and it kind of exposes all those things that go on that should be taken care of,” he continued. “So people are — people are angry and half angry, and they’re half kind of feel like giving up, to tell you the truth.”

Quaid had been a resident of both Tennessee and Los Angeles, with his primary residence in the Volunteer State.

Quaid joins a long list of prime Hollywood stars who have left the area in recent years, including Mark Wahlberg, Dean Cain and Nicole Kidman.

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Tragedy has struck a New Jersey family as authorities unravel the shocking murder of a beloved mother and psychotherapist. Investigators are currently racing against time to track down the individual responsible for this senseless crime.

On June 6, the life of 35-year-old Brooke Hanlon met a horrifying end when she was found stabbed to death in her Chester residence. Despite intense efforts, officials have not yet identified any suspects behind this harrowing act.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Hanlon dedicated her career to helping others as a psychotherapist in Bernardsville, making her untimely death all the more bewildering and tragic for those who knew her.

An official statement from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office disclosed that an examination by their Medical Examiner’s Office identified multiple sharp force injuries as the cause of death, unequivocally declaring it a homicide. As the investigation unfolds, the community remains on edge, hoping for swift justice.

A photo posted to social media from December of last year shows Hanlon holding a baby alongside her husband.

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In the world of journalism, sources are a prized asset, and this holds especially true in the competitive domain of royal reporting. Here, obtaining insider information can be exceptionally challenging.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that some of my colleagues were delighted when they were invited to join a WhatsApp group set up by Liam Maguire, the ‘Director of Communications’ for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

As part of this exclusive circle, they would receive the most current updates directly from the couple residing in California.

Members of this group are easy to spot; they tend to share the same posts and use nearly identical wording on social media, rapidly disseminating the information from Montecito. While it may not be traditional journalism, it grants them access to updates that aren’t available to the rest of us, myself included.

I have not turned down a spot in this group due to ethical concerns—rather, I was simply never invited by Mr. Maguire. With a background as a social diarist, I’ve grown accustomed to being approached cautiously. After all, my role often involves challenging the status quo rather than conforming to it.

This week, however, I am profoundly relieved not to be a member of the Sussexes’ WhatsApp group because those who are have been made to look like prize chumps – through no fault of their own, I might add.

Last Friday, they all received a long message confirming details of Prince Harry and Meghan’s return visit to Britain next week. It wasn’t just the type of short message they sometimes receive but a long operational note detailing exactly what the couple would be doing after they landed in this country.

It was said to confirm that they would be bringing their children, Prince Archie, aged seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, with them. It would be the first time that the children had been in Britain since they came for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.

The message also confirmed that the family would be staying at a royal residence – a momentous development given that King Charles decided they should no longer have access to their former Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage, in 2023.

News of the visit was duly reported on news websites within minutes and in newspapers the next day. The BBC’s Daniela Relph, for example, reported on the Corporation’s website: ‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have accepted an offer to stay in a royal residence with their two children when they visit the UK next month. Harry and Meghan, as well as their son Archie, seven, and daughter Lilibet, five, will be guests of the King on a royal estate for their first trip as a family to Britain in four years.’

However, reporters’ gratitude at confirmation of such a scoop turned to alarm the next day when The Sun newspaper reported that Harry’s demand for automatic, taxpayer-funded police protection had been rejected by the Home Office committee which decides such matters.

This soon led to another ping on the phones of the WhatsApp group members. This time it was a message informing them that everything they had been told the previous day and duly reported on their employers’ websites and newspapers was, in fact, wrong.

Harry was now ‘reconsidering plans to bring his wife and children to the UK… after his request for police protection was rejected’, as the BBC’s Daniela Relph put it.

Spare a thought for the BBC’s poor viewers and website users! Less than 24 hours after they had been informed, with all the authority that the Corporation could muster, that something was going to happen, they were now being told that it might not happen at all.

Readers of the ‘newspapers of record’ which also had to report the volte-face will have been equally confused.

The reporters should be forgiven. As royal correspondents, they are used to receiving briefing notes that help them cover events. The palace notes are usually factual, so the journalists might have expected Harry and Meghan’s messages to be equally trustworthy.

Fat chance.

What makes it worse is that nothing actually changed between Friday and Saturday. All the Home Office committee did was repeat what has been the case since the Sussexes quit royal duties and moved to North America to seek their fortune in 2020. And what was reiterated by the judge when Harry lost his appeal against the Home Office’s decision last year: the couple no longer qualified for automatic, taxpayer-funded security because they had moved overseas.

The only thing that changed was that Harry threw his toys out of his pram when the Home Office confirmed that its policy still applied to them.

One of the journalists who is a member of the WhatsApp group, Tom Sykes of the Daily Beast, an American website, felt the need to issue a public mea culpa for unwittingly misleading his loyal readers.

‘It is now blatantly apparent what this whole exercise was about,’ Sykes wrote. ‘The tour, the announcement that Meghan and the kids were coming, the whole carefully choreographed media rollout, the months of assurances to the Royal Household that this was happening, the accommodation requests, the detailed planning: it was all just to bounce his poor, weak, loving father into intervening in the Government’s security decision-making, something Charles, to his eternal credit, has refused to do. This is the high-water mark of Harry’s emotional blackmail.’

Strong stuff. Sykes won’t, I suspect, be the only journalist who now refuses to believe a word he’s told by Harry and Meghan when it arrives on his mobile phone.

YOSEMITE, Calif. (KFSN) — The tragic loss of 22-year-old Josue Alfaro, who passed away after falling over Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park, has left his family in deep sorrow. They remember him as a compassionate, diligent young man filled with aspirations.

“Josue was a genuinely caring, charismatic, humorous, and loving individual with a tireless work ethic,” remarked Silvia Carolina Valdez, Alfaro’s cousin.

Authorities reported that on June 20, Alfaro fell over Nevada Fall. Search teams discovered his body at the waterfall’s base the next day.

Affectionately known as “Kike,” Alfaro arrived in the United States at 17 and began residing with family members in Los Angeles. Valdez shared with Action News that he had migrated to seek a brighter future.

“He sought asylum in this great nation after his older brother fell victim to gun violence,” she explained.

Valdez, who served as Alfaro’s legal guardian while he lived in the United States, said he was hiking with friends when he tripped and fell into the water.

“The undercurrent dragged him under. Many people attempted to save him. Freesia Gaul, who was the off-duty lifeguard, who courageously jumped in and tried to save him was unable to reach him,” Valdez said.

Family members said Alfaro worked in construction and often spent long stretches on the job. Valdez said the Yosemite trip was one of the few opportunities he had taken for himself.

“He had so much life and so many dreams ahead of him. The one time he was able to take a vacation for himself, he didn’t want to go to New York or Las Vegas. He wanted to go to Yosemite. He just loved the outdoors,” she said.

Valdez said Alfaro’s death has deeply affected his family, particularly his mother.

“I can’t imagine losing her eldest son and now her second eldest son. She brought him here, did everything she could to bring him here so he could be safe. Right now, I just care about taking him back to El Salvador to give her that peace,” she said.

Despite their grief, family members said they are finding comfort in their faith and support from their community.

“I just want people to remember him for who he was. Not the way that he died, but the way that he lived. He was loved. He mattered. He had dreams, ambitions, and goals,” she said.

The family said they hope to bring Alfaro to El Salvador soon and are waiting for the coroner’s report. A GoFundMe has been established to help with funeral costs and related expenses.

Click here if you would like to donate.

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