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Beyond the byline: Journalists share their brush with US history Flying commercial with former President Joe Biden. Meeting actor Bill Murray while covering Groundhog Day. In this new video series, AP reporters recount those on-the-job moments that felt like a bit of American history in the making. Watch more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Watch: AP Reporter recalls impact of a rural West Virginia newspaper closing after 100 years Watch: Reporter covering Groundhog Day in 1992 meets Bill Murray

Touring Trump’s Washington: How the president is putting his imprint on the nation’s capital A trip to the nation's capital is a summer vacation staple. We walk you through the changes President Donald Trump has made to the city since he returned to office. He has put his image and name on buildings, torn down storied structures, altered others, started massive construction projects and deployed armed military personnel. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A Jefferson for every era, from Lincoln to Trump, and the contradictions that endure Trump is the frontman for his own party as rival groups vie to shape America’s 250th anniversary ‘Awesome.’ ‘Sad.’ ‘Let’s keep democracy going.’ Americans weigh in on state of a 250-year-old nation America split from monarchy 250 years ago. Trump’s presidency is testing how far it’s come

Trump Goon Says ‘Events of Last Decade’ Prove He Was Sent by God What do a parted sea, a virgin mother, and an 80-year-old president have in common? White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller says he’s conducted careful analysis and decided that God intervened to make Donald Trump president for the 250th birthday of the United States. In a bizarre, sycophantic post on X on July 4, Miller wrote that the presidency was in Trump’s hands because God had made it so. “It is impossible to review the events of the last decade and conclude that it is anything other than divine providence that Donald J. Trump is the President of the United States on the year of America 250, July 4th, 2026,” he claimed. Divine providence is a belief in God’s intervention in the universe. It implies that a higher being, creator or deity (depending on the religion) built the universe and continues to guide events, sometimes even directly interfering. The statement, which positions Trump alongside revered figures in both Christianity and Judaism, like Moses—whom God spoke to directly, gave his commandments, and parted a sea for—and the Virgin Mary—whom God impregnated with a son—is the latest in a long line of bizarre attempts by members of the Trump administration, and even Trump himself, to position the president as an almost Christ-like figure. Trump faced immediate backlash earlier this year when he posted an AI image of himself as Jesus, healing a sick person. He later claimed he thought the image simply showed him dressed as a doctor, in the classic long draped robes of Jesus, with glowing light emanating from his hands and angels behind him. The post also suggests that Miller, a 2020 election “truther” who has always maintained that Trump won that election, is now conceding he lost. If God had intervened over the past decade to make Trump president in 2026, one of “God’s” interventions would have had to be to make Trump lose in 2020. Miller’s hyperbolic worship of Trump is not new. In one incident in October 2025, Miller told Trump that the U.S. “was going to die” without him. Miller’s post met scathing responses on X. “You’re a deluded moron,” wrote one commenter. “It’s impossible to conclude that your post reflects anything but the promotion of a cult,” another said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/stephen-miller-makes-bonkers-claim-about-divine-president/? ps:I can't even think of what to say here! It's so Ludicrous!!

Trump, 80, Goes Off Script With Bizarre D-Day Analogy The president drew an extraordinary comparison between delivering a weather-delayed July Fourth speech and the Allied invasion of Normandy. President Donald Trump compared his determination to deliver a July Fourth speech after the National Mall was evacuated due to severe weather to U.S. soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy during World War II. The octogenarian made the wild analogy during a phone call with Fox News host Bret Baier on Saturday, as he vowed to go ahead with what was largely a political speech on the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. Trump appeared to liken the bloody but heroic D-Day beach assault that marked a turning point in the war to his determination to deliver a speech in the face of some thunder and lightning. Trump never served in the military; he received five military deferments during the 1960s, four for academic reasons and one for bone spurs. Trump told Baier that he was prepared to give his delayed speech as late as 2 a.m. Sunday. “Those veterans had to go through bad weather on D-Day,” Baier quoted Trump as telling him. “I’m going through bad weather. No matter what happens, I’m delivering this speech.” Trump added: “Maybe it will be a little bit shorter, but I’m going to do it whether it’s 10 or 11 or even 2 a.m… If they can storm the beaches on D-Day, I can deliver a speech.” One critic on X responded by addressing Trump directly: “But you couldn’t go to Vietnam.”Ultimately, Trump delivered his speech at 11 p.m. ahead of what he had promoted as the world’s biggest fireworks display. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-80-goes-off-script-with-bizarre-d-day-analogy/? ps:Pathetic!!

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 5 1946 Bikini introduced French designer Louis Réard unveils a daring two-piece swimsuit—the bikini—at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1970s 1978 “Gang of 19” activists occupy Denver intersection to protest inaccessibility on the city’s bus system 1990s 1994 Amazon is founded by Jeff Bezos 21st Century 2003 World Health Organization declares SARS contained worldwide American Revolution 1775 Congress adopts Olive Branch Petition Arts & Entertainment 1954 Elvis Presley records “That’s All Right (Mama)” Asian History 1950 First U.S. fatality in the Korean War Black History 1852 Frederick Douglass delivers his “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” speech Crime 1921 Trial starts for Chicago White Sox players accused of throwing 1919 World Series Inventions & Science 1996 Dolly the sheep becomes first successfully cloned mammal Natural Disasters & Environment 1911 Heat wave strikes Northeast, killing hundreds Sports 1975 Arthur Ashe becomes the first Black man to win Wimbledon U.S. Presidents 1865 Andrew Johnson signs off on the execution of Lincoln assassination conspirators World War I 1914 Germany gives Austria-Hungary “blank check” assurance

The Declaration of Independence is the founding document that formally announced the American Colonies' break from British rule. Adopted on July 4, 1776, it laid the philosophical and moral foundation for American self-governance, asserting that individuals possess inherent rights and that governments must be accountable to the people. While it didn't create a government or legal framework, the Declaration marked the birth of the United States as a sovereign nation. > Hear why the Continental Congress decided to declare independence, how the text took shape, and why it inspired more than a hundred independence movements worldwide. (More) > The Declaration has survived centuries of travel, damage, and preservation missteps. (More) The document was created amid escalating conflict between the Colonies and the British crown over taxation, representation, trade restrictions, and military control. The Second Continental Congress appointed a drafting committee led by Thomas Jefferson, with John Adams and Benjamin Franklin serving in key editorial roles. > Meet the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence—most of whom didn't put pen to paper until August 2, 1776—and see their original signatures. (More) > Watch how the Stamp Act of 1765 helped spark the American Revolution. (More, w/vid) Structured as a political argument, the Declaration opens with a statement of universal principles, followed by a list of grievances against King George III. It concludes by asserting the Colonies' complete independence from Great Britain. Its claim that governments exist by popular consent—and can be changed if they fail—has shaped revolutions abroad and reform movements within the US for centuries. > The document was a calculated appeal for foreign allies. (More) > Congress approved independence on July 2, leading many founding fathers to believe that would be the date of American Independence Day. (More) Discover more: > The British refused to pose for a portrait of the negotiations to end the Revolutionary War, leaving the painting permanently unfinished. (More) > What "National Treasure" got right—and wrong—about the Declaration. (More) > See how the National Archives protects America's founding documents. (More)

If after I heard the best case you could put forward for observing a Gregorian Saturday as the Sabbath and said I was going to put my stock in what the Catechism of the Catholic Church said and not worry about going to Church on Saturday and finished up with "we shall see at the end of time whether the Catechism of the Catholic Church was from God or man" - what would be your response to a statement like that?

This is like saying; If Christ couldn't have sunk and drowned when He walked on water His walking on water was a charade. Or, If there wasn't a possibility that Jesus could have been eaten by a lion or a bear or bit by a venomous snake and died when He spent all that time in the wilderness the whole being driven into the wilderness was a charade. Or, If there wasn't a chance that Christ could have developed a chance of becoming a drunkard when He changed the water into wine the miracle was a farce and a racket. Yesterday at Mass the following Responsorial Psalm JUMPED out at me. "The Lord is Faithful in all of His words / and holy in all of His works". Psalm 145, 13. Additionally Hebrews 7, 16 (and nearly 200 other Scriptures) categorically refutes the Arian notion that Christ's eternal life was a reward for a legal bar that He was able to grind through and pass. This reality is why ALL Protestant Denominations; Catholic and Orthodox Churches hold impeccability as a Doctrine. Restorationist groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians and Seventh-day Adventists see it another way - i.e. in Restorationist groups Christ was mutable (capable of mutation whereby the possibility existed that Christ could have sinned, fallen and if that had happened would have passed into eternal non-existence. This Arian rubric is the bedrock / foundation of the creature-christ doctrine for without it the Arian structure collapses. Think of all the statements in the Gospels that Jesus made prior to His death on the Cross about what was GOING TO HAPPEN and that there was no possibility His success wouldn't happen. For Arius and Ellen White's hypothetical to be realized God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, the holy Angles, the Old Testament Prophets ALL would have been proven to be liars, and this just isn't reasonable to believe. It's only reasonable if one makes up a "shake-N-bake" God that fits in with a specific theological NEED one has.

Did Vance once post 'Black Lives Matter' and 'No human is illegal' message? Social media users claimed the post symbolized Vance's political evolution, from being anti-Trump to running as his vice president. Claim: In June 2023, U.S. Vice President JD Vance posted on X: "In this house we believe: Black Lives Matter. No human is illegal. Prigozhin is a Liberal reformer. Love is love." Rating: Correct Attribution Context Although the post is real, a spokesperson for Vance said it was intended satirically. For example, Yevgeny Prigozhin — who Vance called a "liberal reformer" in the post — was a Russian oligarch who staged a mutiny in June 2023, weeks before his death. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/vance-black-lives-matter-joke/? ps:Power and greed change a lot of people for the worse!!!!! Did Martina Navratilova say 'respect is earned, not given' in response to Trump? Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, made the remark in response to one of President Trump's June 2026 speeches. Claim: Retired tennis star Martina Navratilova said, "Respect is earned, not given," in response to U.S. President Donald Trump saying, "You have to respect the president. If you don’t respect the president, you're going to have a problem." Rating: Correct Attribution Context Navratilova made the remark on social media in response to a post that contained video of Trump's statement, as opposed to an in-person discussion with Trump. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/martina-navratilova-respect-trump/? 13 stories about the Founding Fathers for America's 250th birthday There's a certain aura about the nation's founders that has created a lot of false rumors. https://www.snopes.com/collections/founding-fathers-america-250/?

📈 Stocks' shining quarter Data: FactSet. Chart: Matt Phillips/Axios U.S. stock investors brushed off any concerns from the Iran war to send major indexes to their best quarter since 2020, Axios' Matt Phillips writes. In the second quarter of 2026, which ended on June 30, the S&P 500 index rose nearly 15%, the Nasdaq Composite jumped more than 21%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased nearly 13%. The second quarter also had the largest IPO ever — the debut of SpaceX, which saw its shares soar, slump and then rise again. Read on.

📜 50 years ago today On July 4, 1976, ships joined Operation Sail between the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial. Photo: Eddie Adams/AP During the bicentennial hoopla of July 4, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford and other dignitaries traveled to New York for what the president called "the greatest Fourth of July any of us will ever see," writes AP's Lou Kesten, who was 13 at the time. Operation Sail was a floating parade of 16 tall ships and more than 100 smaller vessels from around the world — including the Soviet Union. The spectacle was a boon for the beleaguered Big Apple, proving that "New Yorkers could get along, even during difficult times," according to the Gotham Center for New York History. 📜 The AP writer's family lived in Newport News, Va., not far from the Historic Triangle of Jamestown Settlement, Yorktown Battlefield and Colonial Williamsburg. Ford and his wife, Betty, took a carriage ride through Colonial Williamsburg, which bills itself as America's largest U.S. history museum. People line up to see the bicentennial Freedom Train in Archbold, Ohio, on June 20, 1975. Photo: AP 🚂 For history buffs who couldn't make the trip east, the American Freedom Train, a 26-car behemoth, toured all 48 contiguous states. 🎟️ My mom, Barbara, took me and my three siblings to the Freedom Train when it pulled into the Port of Long Beach, Calif. The Freedom Train displayed two centuries of artifacts: George Washington's copy of the Constitution, the original Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland's dress from "The Wizard of Oz" and a moon rock. Merle Haggard released a song about it, "Here Comes the Freedom Train." eBay offers hundreds of bicentennial plates, glasses, beer mugs and bumper stickers. The government unleashed special quarters, stamps and license plates. Madison Avenue jumped in with bicentennial cereal, candy, beer and soda. You could get a different 7UP can for each of the 50 states. 📺 Broadcast television — we only had three networks — included CBS News' "Bicentennial Minute." Starting July 4, 1974, barely a month before President Richard Nixon resigned, it ran every night in prime time, presenting the news from 200 years earlier. It was so unavoidable that the sitcom "All in the Family" referred to it. "Saturday Night Live," which debuted in 1975, paid tribute with a "Bisexual Minute." On July 4, 1976, Walter Cronkite led the pack with 16 hours of coverage on CBS. "Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star-Spangled Spectacular" ("the show that took 200 years to produce") on NBC celebrated with Sammy Davis Jr., Captain & Tennille and Donny and Marie Osmond. Keep reading. ps:That was a great day to be in NY. I was there for a wedding of 2 friends of mine.

🎂 Time capsule: America turns 250 Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Trump spoke to a rally last night at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D., in the Black Hills. Carved into the fine-grained granite above him are four iconic predecessors, symbolizing the "founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt." Photo: Nathan Howard/AP Visitors rested in the shade of the Lincoln Memorial during an extreme heat advisory on Thursday. Photo: Anna Connors/Pool via Reuters New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke from George Washington's desk at City Hall to mark America's 250th, surrounded by recently naturalized citizens. Today's New York Times and New York Post covers.

What America gets right There's never been a better time to be an American, yet so many of us aren't feeling it. Why it matters: It's not even close, by almost every empirical measure. We live longer, better, richer, healthier and freer than those before us. Yes, we screw a lot up. Always have. Always will. But the yawning gap between our reality and how people feel about it is among the biggest macro issues facing us. A "Behind the Curtain" video from Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen breaks down the divide — and goes deeper on what makes America rock. Watch. (Our thanks to executive producer Jimmy Shelton!)

Pope Leo Jabs Trump in 250th Birthday Message to Americans The first U.S.-born pope congratulated Americans while stressing the importance of welcoming immigrants. Pope Leo XIV used America’s 250th birthday celebration to deliver a not-so-subtle reminder to President Donald Trump that immigrants helped build the United States. In a message released Friday, the first American-born pope praised the nation’s founding ideals of liberty, equality, and democracy. But he also devoted a significant portion of the letter to defending immigrants, a subject that has become one of the sharpest points of tension between the Vatican and the Trump administration. “Defending human life also includes welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants,” Leo wrote. “In every generation, those who have arrived seeking freedom, opportunity and a place to belong have helped to shape the nation’s character.” His pointed message comes as Trump continues to make his immigration crackdown a centerpiece of his second term. The pontiff’s message repeatedly returned to themes that have put him at odds with the White House, including the dignity of migrants and the responsibility to care for society’s most vulnerable. “To receive them with compassion and generosity is not only an act of charity,” Leo wrote of immigrants, “but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person.” The letter highlights the growing divide between Pope Leo and the Trump administration. Last month, Leo criticized policies that remove migrants without addressing why they fled their home countries in the first place. “We don’t recognize the reason why these people were forced to leave their home countries,” he said, citing “violence, war, conflict.” “To simply say, ‘We’re going to send them away and wash our hands of the problem’ doesn’t seem like the most Christian response.” His position has drawn pushback from some of Trump’s most prominent Catholic allies. Earlier this week, Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, said he disagreed with the Vatican’s stance on immigration, arguing that leaders must also consider “the dignity of the native-born people who have had their lives upended.” As Trump spends the holiday presiding over Fourth of July festivities and a massive patriotic celebration, Leo is heading to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a symbolic gateway for migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Revenant Antonio Spadaro, a senior Vatican official, described the trip as an “unofficial statement.” “This journey comes at a moment when the United States has made the closing of its doors to migrants a banner,” Spadaro said. “His choice is not a head-on polemic... but a counterpoint.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/pope-leo-jabs-trump-in-250th-birthday-message-to-americans/? ps:Lets not lower are selves to trumps level!!!!!

Trump, 80, Hijacks Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Wedding News The president is not a fan of sharing the spotlight. Donald Trump seemed to be getting slightly antsy on Friday night, amid the way too much attention being paid to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s massive wedding bash in Manhattan. So the White House took decisive action. Just 10 minutes after several digital pink signs lit up outside Madison Square Garden to declare Swift and Kelce as “JUST&T MARRIED‚” the White House took a moment to co-opt the newlyweds’ announcement. At 8:04 p.m., the official White House account on X shared a post in which they boldly replaced the couple’s happy announcement with an altered AI declaration: “DONALD TRUMP IS YOUR PRESIDENT.” The post was captioned: “IT’S HAPPENED!!,” which most of the public is acutely aware of.That’s all Trump critics needed. One quickly responded by altering the same scene with a different announcement: “Trump is in the Epstein files!” (“Why would MSG do this??” quipped the poster.) Another doctored image pointed out: “Trump is a felon,” and still another noted: “Trump raised your prices!”Trump already tried to horn in on the Taylor/Travis action on Thursday when a White House post, in a particularly cringey effort, tried to make the president appear like a rock star in a long-awaited “Eras Tour.”To elevate himself even higher, Trump headed Friday to Mount Rushmore, where he has long talked about wanting to see a giant stone carving of his own face joining those of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. He recently posted an image of himself atop Mount Rushmore on Truth Social. During his first term, Trump told then-Rep. Kristi Noem of South Dakota that his “dream” was to join the other presidents atop Mount Rushmore. Some supporters and MAGA suck-ups have introduced legislation to make that happen, though those efforts have reportedly stalled. Trump traveled to the monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota on Friday evening, where his planned speech was temporarily delayed by a hailstorm. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s remarks at the monument, which he buzzed with the new Air Force One gifted to him by Qatar, would be “inspiring” and “optimistic.” In the 30-minute speech, Trump touched on a number of topics, including the current state of his deal with Iran. “They’re dying to settle,” the president said. “They want to settle so badly.” He also bashed the “communist menace” in the U.S., which he has used to attack Democrats, and lamented his lack of Nobel Prize—despite ending “eight wars.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-hijacks-taylor-swift-and-travis-kelces-wedding-news/? ps:What a pathetically vain little man!!!!!!

July 4, 2026 Good morning. Like yesterday, today’s newsletter is a special edition featuring highlights from our 250th anniversary coverage. But — as you no doubt heard — Taylor Swift got married yesterday! So that’s where we’ll start. We’ve made all the links to our USA at 250 coverage in this special edition free to read. You just have to log in to our website or app (which is also free). Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times It’s a love story What better way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday than with our own royal wedding? Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tied the knot at Madison Square Garden last night, amid a constellation of stars from the worlds of music, sports and Hollywood. Swift’s brother, Austin, served as “man of honor” and Jason Kelce, the groom’s brother, as best man. Adam Sandler officiated. Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid were among the approximately 1,000 guests. Selena Gomez, Reese Witherspoon and Dakota Johnson were there, as were Hugh Grant, Ethan Hawke, Mariska Hargitay and Jason Sudeikis; Ed Sheeran, Sombr, the Chicks and Benson Boone. Here’s a longer guest list. Crowds of Swifties braved the sweltering Manhattan heat to stand along the metal barricades outside the arena. Mamie Borres, a teacher from Alexandria, Va., said she had come to offer “moral support for Swift,” adding, “I hope she’ll be happy forever.” Many chanted “windows down” as vehicles whisked celebrities away in the hours; by 4 a.m., the police had begun removing the barricades. See photos of the crowds. While details of the wedding plans leaked out over the past week, little emerged from the celebration itself. Swift and Kelce wore Dior, the fashion house announced, though no photos of their outfits have been released. Stevie Nicks was expected to perform, and there were rumors that Paul McCartney and Swift herself would also play. For more on the wedding festivities, read our blog. Kim Finnemore, Presque Isle City Clerk, has an office decked out in red, white and blue. Sophie Park for The New York Times Small city, big anniversary By Jenna Russell I cover New England The city of Presque Isle, Maine, was founded in 1828, about a half-century after the country. It has about 8,000 residents, a tiny fraction of the nation’s 340 million. Presque Isle started its celebration of this semiquincentennial less than two weeks into 2026, with a free lecture on Margaret Corbin, the first American woman to earn a military pension. Since then, there has been a Betsy Ross impersonator at a downtown hotel; a reading of Longfellow’s Paul Revere poem at the library; an exhibition on the history of the American flag at the hospital; demonstrations of 18th-century children’s games; a teaching demonstration in a one-room schoolhouse; a Zoom class for older residents on the Penobscot Expedition of 1779; and a show of semiquincentennial-inspired art. And there’s a lot more to come: September promises a quill-making workshop with real bird feathers and a cider-pressing demonstration where the high school band will play colonial tunes. This is largely the work of one intrepid and very patriotic woman: Kim Smith, the city’s grants writer and public information officer, who is 68 and doesn’t do anything halfway. “A quarter of a millennium felt too significant to cram into a day or a week,” Smith told me. Please read my story. We’ve made the link free for you, along with all the other 250th anniversary stories in this newsletter, so long as you log in. ON THE PLATE: 1830s David Malosh for The New York Times The Graham Cracker A Presbyterian minister was concerned that mass-produced food, meat and alcohol led to corrupting sexual behaviors. So he came up with a bland, unsweetened cracker made with coarsely ground whole wheat flour, and encouraged people to bake them at home. That preacher’s name was Sylvester Graham. Commercial bakers soon seized on the fad, laying the groundwork for countless American health-food kicks. — Kim Severson Peruse Kim’s list of iconic American food items, and join the conversation about it, below. S Sid Chu Hong Kong I am absolutely delighted to learn that Mel Brooks, who just turned 100, is older than sliced bread. From now on I shall declare that sliced bread is the greatest thing since Mel Brooks! Kim Severson Food reporter @Sid Chu I heart you, Sid. B bellcurvz Venice California @Sid Chu - an excellent idea! I will copy you and hope to start a meaningful trend. View all comments IN A SENTENCE The New York Times ‘Mississippi Goddam’ The year was 1964. The stage was Carnegie Hall. The audience was mostly white. And there was Nina Simone, belting her first original protest song of the civil rights era, what our critic Wesley Morris calls a “bulletin of exasperated fury.” The lyrics tick through “a miniature yet monolithic history of stalled achievements,” Wesley writes. “The longer the country held out for justice, the worse things got for the people kept waiting. That leisurely pace would lead only to more murder, and more assassinations.” Simone is desperate, frustrated, out of answers. “Why don’t you see it,” she begs. The images of firehoses and fire bombings are in the news, on television. It’s a rhetorical plea that’s damning enough. But then she asks, “Why don’t you feel it,” which has always been the question in these moral crises. Where is the empathy, where are your hearts, let alone your eyes? Click here to read Wesley’s full analysis of the song, hear clips from that Carnegie Hall performance and explore five other sentences that shaped America’s story. UNKNOWN FOUNDERS The ‘patriot housewife’ The American Revolution was a war of the pen as much as a war of the sword, writes Kathleen DuVal, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. One example was a play called “The Adulateur,” published anonymously in a Massachusetts newspaper in 1772. A despot named Rapatio plots to enslave the people in a free society — a thinly veiled reference to the colonial governor’s oppression through taxation. Readers likely presumed the play, like most of what appeared in newspapers at the time, was written by a man. In fact, its author was Mercy Otis Warren, a housewife in Plymouth, whose family had a personal beef with the governor. In 1774, Warren’s praise of the Boston Tea Party ran on the front page of the Boston Gazette. The next year, her play “The Group” was reprinted in newspapers in New York City and Philadelphia. Warren helped lay the groundwork for the Revolution “by framing the conflict in stirring, dramatic terms,” DuVal writes. “She captivated the reading public by elevating their personal grievances with British rule by using classical tropes and symbolic language.” Read more about Warren and the other unknown founders. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. OPINIONS Thomas Prior for The New York Times What are we celebrating? Sixteen New York Times columnists and contributors picked one moment that represents the best the country can be. For Tom Friedman, it’s our unofficial anthem, “America the Beautiful.” Tressie McMillan Cottom admires the public libraries. Nicholas Kristof: public lands. Musical theater (John McWhorter); baseball, football and basketball (Ross Douthat); our “sunny, generous confidence” (Bret Stephens); “our righteous anger” (M. Gessen). See more, and see why. TODAY’S NUMBER 200 — That’s about how many copies of the Declaration of Independence John Dunlaps’s Philadelphia print shop made overnight on July 4, 1776. The declaration spread further through newspapers and single-sheet printings called broadsides. There are a handful of copies whose origins are unknown because they were not signed by a printer. One is on display through tomorrow at the New York Historical. Explore its back story. CONTESTED LEGACIES The Minuteman statue in Concord, Mass. Detroit Publishing Company Photograph Collection, via Library of Congress The Minuteman There’s a memorial near the Old North Bridge in Concord, Mass., that shows a man dropping his plow and picking up a musket. That mythical image of the citizen-soldier who fired the “shot heard round the world” to begin the war of independence has appeared on coins, stamps, sports logos and, since the 1950s, the official seal of the National Guard. The Eisenhower administration created the Minuteman missile program to respond to a potential Soviet strike. But the figure has also been claimed by right-wing militia movements. In the early 1960s, some Midwestern hunters founded the Minutemen, an armed group that raised the possibility of “guerrilla war” against the government. In 2004, the Minuteman Project created Neighborhood Watch-style patrols along the Mexican border to stop migrants from crossing. The classic image “is a wonderful symbol,” said Robert A. Gross, a historian and author of “The Minutemen and Their World.” “But it’s also a myth that is detached from social context and political organization.” — Jennifer Schuessler Read about seven other Americans whose legacies are contested. REVOLUTIONARY JOURNEYS The ‘76 House, in Tappan, N.Y. James Estrin/The New York Times 7 bars as old as America After long days of fighting or writing, the Founders had to drink, right? Their taverns were more than just places to get a mug of beer — they were community centers where you could catch up on the latest news from afar. Our Liza Weisstuch visited a few that are still standing: Warren Tavern, in Boston’s Charlestown section, where you can reliably find sports on TV and toddlers on iPads during Sunday brunch. A good place for a Sam Adams. The ’76 House, in Tappan, N.Y., serves the ’76 House Tavern Ale, brewed from George Washington’s recipe. You can take a selfie with one of the period muskets behind the host stand. The Tap Room at the Griswold Inn in Connecticut was built as a schoolhouse in 1738. It was moved, via oxen and logs, to its current location in 1801. Grab a table in the Gun Room, where a glass case displays the barrel of a rifle and a handwritten note from a soldier: “My dearest son Jared,” it reads. “I send you this my gun, do not handle it in fun.” Read about the rest of the taverns on Lisa’s list here. THE 250th QUIZ The New York Times This question comes from a recent article in The Times. Click an answer to see if you’re right. To celebrate America’s birthday, the Trump administration has spent $14 million on traveling museums called “Freedom Trucks.” Inside, visitors can view a “Wall of American Heroes.” There are 51 portraits, including: Four uniformed officers from the Civil War Only white men Nine people from 1960s show business Two Jewish rabbis Three American presidents: Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley and Donald Trump himself NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were doornail and ordinal. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Crossplay, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 4 1776 Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims the independence of the United States of America from Great Britain and its king. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1817 Construction on the Erie Canal begins 1884 France gives the Statue of Liberty to the United States 1970s 1971 Koko the Gorilla is born at the San Francisco Zoo Arts & Entertainment 1855 First edition of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” is published Civil War 1863 Confederates surrender at Vicksburg Crime 1940 Terrorist bomb explodes at the New York World’s Fair LGBTQ+ History 1965 LGBTQ activists hold the first Annual Reminder demonstration in Philadelphia Space Exploration 1997 Pathfinder lands on Mars U.S. Presidents 1826 Thomas Jefferson and John Adams die

Ukraine war briefing: Germany calls reports Russian soldiers are being trained in China ‘deeply disturbing’ German foreign ministry summons China’s ambassador and says anything that enables Russia to continue its war of aggression represents a ‘threat’ to Germany’s security. What we know on day 1,592 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/04/ukraine-war-briefing-germany-calls-reports-russian-soldiers-are-being-trained-in-china-deeply-disturbing?

Trump launches US’s 250th birthday celebrations with partisan attack In speech at Mount Rushmore, US president claims resurgent ‘communist menace’ poses threat to country https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/04/trump-launches-americas-250th-birthday-celebrations-with-partisan-attack?

All Australian $5 to $100 banknotes are made from a specialized polymer (a type of plastic) rather than paper or cotton fiber. James

Seventeen states and localities are increasing their minimum wage this July On July 1, the minimum wage will increase in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C.—lifting wages for more than 361,000 workers and collectively raising their earnings by more than $221 million (see Figure A). In addition to these two states and D.C., 14 cities and counties are also increasing their minimum wage this summer, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. https://www.epi.org/blog/seventeen-states-and-localities-are-increasing-their-minimum-wage-this-july/?

America's time capsule The America250 time capsule in Philadelphia. Photo: Al Drago/Getty Images When future generations open America's Time Capsule, they'll find an eclectic trove of artifacts and letters meant to create an authentic record of American life in 2026, Axios' Martin Vassolo and Kate Murphy report. ⏱️ The steel capsule will be ceremonially buried at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia tomorrow. What's inside: A whale bone from Maine, a George Washington prayer medal from Utah and a diamond from the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, to name a few. 🤖 California, ever on brand, added Claude's prediction of what the Golden State will be like 250 years from now. It also included a coin featuring Steve Jobs. 🌴 Some states' additions to the capsule are not as imaginative: Florida's government-focused offerings include coins representing four state elected officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis. Go deeper ...

📜 A rare discovery was made across the pond: A 1776 printing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence was found by a volunteer in the U.K.'s National Archives. The copy, formerly listed as just "another" document, was seized by the British Royal Navy in 1776. More on the discovery.

🕯️ In the aftermath of two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, a restaurant, nicknamed "Hospital McDonald's," has become a makeshift hub for treating victims and a center for finding missing pets. More than 2,000 people are dead, per Venezuela's government. Go deeper ...