⏰ Countdown to USA's 250th

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1876 engraving, "Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776" painted by John Trumbull, engraved by Waterman Ormsby. Photo via Library of Congress It's three years until America celebrates its 250th anniversary — the semiquincentennial. But the starting gun sounds today. Why it matters: Planners hope the milestone can help unify the divided country, AP reports. ⚾ The anniversary push formally launches today with an event during a Major League Baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs in Milwaukee. The nonpartisan group created by Congress in 2016 to spearhead the celebration — America250 — will start recruiting people to share their stories of what the country means to them. 34 states + the Virgin Islands have created semiquincentennial commissions. 🥊 Reality check: There's "no small amount of worry over how to create a unifying commemoration at a moment when fighting about American history seems to be the real national pastime," the N.Y. Times notes. But Rosie Rios, the chair of America250, said politics hasn't been an issue for the federal commission, which includes both Democratic and Republican legislators. She says it'll be "bipartisan, nonpartisan, all-partisan": "All constructive voices are welcome.” Go deeper.