Police identified a 15-year-old and a 19-year-old as gunmen behind the deadly shooting that turned a Seattle food festival into a chaotic nightmare on Sunday. Authorities also said they are looking for &#8220;a third possible suspect&#8221; in the shooting.
The two teens opened fire in a large crowd that included young children, resulting in the death of 19-year-old gunman Junior Cee Niko Semo, who was hit by multiple rounds of gunfire, according to the medical examiner. Two other people were also shot and killed: Ashley Whitehead, 56, and Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44. Four people, including a 2-year-old boy, were wounded in the shooting.
Police believe the deadly shooting could be gang-related and that the two teenagers were &#8220;associates.&#8221; The 15-year-old has not been named by authorities and is currently being held in juvenile detention.
Shots rang out at around 6:00 p.m. PT at the Bite of Seattle food festival, an annual free weekend-long event that typically attracts 350,000 people. When police arrived on the scene, two people were seen shooting at each other and officers immediately sought to chase down the suspects while other officers provided first aid to the wounded, according to the Seattle Police Department.
One suspect was taken into custody &#8220;within seconds,&#8221; Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said on Monday evening.
Three of the shooting victims were found in the direction where the 15-year-old suspect is believed to have fired, including the toddler who was with his mother when he was struck by gunfire, according to court documents, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/seattle-food-festival-shooting-may-gang-related-prosecutors-say-rcna589412">reported</a>. The toddler is currently in stable condition and recovering well.
After the shooting, Seattle authorities have faced criticism over the city&#8217;s response to the shooting and have gotten into heated exchanges with reporters. City officials are facing questions over why they waited nearly five hours to provide an update on the shooting, especially considering one of the gunmen was at-large.
Leftist mayor opened her press conference on Sunday with a discussion on “gun violence,&#8221; arguing that the city and the country have “a lot of work to do … to make this better.”
A reporter chimed in shortly into the mayor&#8217;s spiel, asking her to get to the information on the shooting. “I get your passion, mayor, but we need to know what happened tonight, please.”
Then, on Monday, a reporter asked Shon Barnes why he wasn&#8217;t in the city on Sunday night when the shooting occurred. The city&#8217;s assistant police chief handled the immediate response and the initial press briefing on Sunday night.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t have to tell you where I go,&#8221; Barnes told a KOMO News reporter. &#8220;I have a medical procedure I gotta do on Friday. &#8230; You need to know this: I have been here working as hard as I can for this city from the day I got here. You got that?&#8221;
&#8220;There are reports that you are out of town often,&#8221; the reporter pressed.
&#8220;Their reports are wrong, you understand?&#8221; the chief shot back as another man stepped in between him and the reporter.
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Shooting Leaves Multiple Killed And Injured In Seattle

Police Identify Teens As Suspects Behind Deadly Shooting At Family-Friendly Festival

Crime

Mass Shooting

Police

Seattle

Shooting

Washington

Three people were killed and four more were wounded when at least two gunmen opened fire at a bustling food festival beneath the Space Needle in Seattle on Sunday.
Shots rang out at around 6:00 p.m. PT at the Bite of Seattle food festival, an annual free weekend-long event that typically attracts 350,000 people. When police arrived on the scene, two people were seen shooting at each other and officers immediately sought to chase down the suspects while other officers provided first aid to the wounded, according to the Seattle Police Department, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/multiple-people-shot-seattle-center-police/story?id=135108867">reported</a>.
One of the suspects was found and taken into custody on Sunday evening, but police are still searching for the other suspect as of Monday morning. It remains unclear if the gunmen were only targeting each other or if they purposely fired at other festival attendees.
While one suspect remains on the loose, Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lMwXrLfGA">said</a> at a press conference on Sunday night that there is no ongoing threat to the community. Police recovered two weapons at the scene of the shooting.
In a press conference on Sunday night, leftist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson opened the briefing to discuss &#8220;gun violence&#8221; and argue that the city and the country have &#8220;a lot of work to do &#8230; to make this better.&#8221; As the mayor lectured about &#8220;gun violence,&#8221; a reporter cut in, saying, &#8220;I get your passion, mayor, but we need to know what happened tonight, please.&#8221;
The mayor then turned the press conference over to the assistant police chief to go through the details of the shooting.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, and a third person died later at the hospital, according to Davis. Those killed were a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman. A 2-year-old boy was among the four people wounded and is in stable condition in an area hospital. Michael Girardi, a man who witnessed the shooting, told The Seattle Times that the toddler&#8217;s mother was &#8220;in anguish&#8221; as her son was being treated by paramedics. The young boy appeared to be conscious and wasn&#8217;t crying, according to Girardi.
A 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman are also in stable condition, while a 40-year-old woman with minor injuries declined to be transported to a hospital.
&#8220;Thankfully, we had officers on the scene that were brave, went to those shots, and prevented more victims from being injured,&#8221; Davis said.
Estan Wakonabo <a href="https://apnews.com/article/seattle-center-shooting-food-festival-space-needle-90548c65364e742a97fb7cb0fea31209">told</a> the Associated Press that he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth at the festival when he was pushed in the back and turned around to see chaos.
“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said.

Family-Friendly Festival Turns Into Horrific Nightmare As Gunmen Open Fire

Death

Protesters descended upon Madison, Wisconsin, on Wednesday after a video circulated on social media showing police as they shot and killed a black man who authorities say was armed with a knife and resisting arrest in the middle of a street.
On Wednesday evening and throughout the night, leftist protesters <a href="https://x.com/JTCestkowski/status/2080120130999095700">decried</a> &#8220;racist police.&#8221; Even mainstream Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley <a href="https://x.com/DavidCCrowley/status/2080073675001282940">said</a> he was &#8220;horrified by the reports &#8230; about a man who was shot and killed in the street by police officers.&#8221;
The video and the official account from authorities of the deadly incident tell a different story, however, and suggest that some leftists are once again jumping to a racial narrative while ignoring the details around the shooting.
The graphic <a href="https://x.com/WISN12News/status/2080093956612767765">video footage</a>, which was captured by a bystander, begins as three Madison police officers wrestle a man in the street and try to detain him. A fourth officer jumped into the scuffle and drew her taser as an officer was heard yelling, &#8220;He&#8217;s got a knife, he&#8217;s got a knife!&#8221; as the suspect pulled out a fixed-blade knife and injured one of the officers during the scuffle, according to Madison Police Chief John Patterson in a <a href="https://www.wkow.com/news/crime/man-dies-after-madison-police-shooting-near-baldwin-and-williamson-streets/article_98f43f1f-cb53-435d-83c8-cbc82793f6cf.html">press briefing</a>.
The female officer then fired her taser at the suspect at least two times before he fell to the ground. The injured officer, who Patterson described as a veteran of the police force, drew his handgun and fired three shots after the suspect fell to the ground. The suspect, a black man believed to be in his 30s, later died at an area hospital after officers performed life-saving measures on him following the shooting.
Chief Patterson said that all four officers were placed on administrative leave as the department reviews the deadly shooting, but he added that the incident was inflamed because the suspect initially fled from officers and then pulled a knife on them during the arrest.
&#8220;When a knife is produced during officers&#8217; apprehension arrests, the overall situation is clearly elevated. It becomes incredibly dangerous, and it obviously increases risks for everyone there, for every officer, for the person as well,&#8221; Patterson said. &#8220;I think it severely narrows the scope of options and possible outcomes.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m grateful there were not more serious injuries inflicted to those officers,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But I again, convey my sympathies sincerely to [the victim&#8217;s] family.&#8221;
One other police officer was also injured in the incident, but authorities don&#8217;t believe the injury was caused by the suspect&#8217;s knife.
The suspect was pursued by officers after they received a call for a person who was allegedly looking at parked vehicles. When police found the man and attempted to talk to him, he fled on a bicycle and &#8220;traveled through some nearby backyards,&#8221; Patterson said. The suspect &#8220;either fell off or was taken off of the bicycle by officers&#8221; in the street before the officers grabbed him.
Just seconds after the shooting, anger erupted on Madison&#8217;s streets as a woman was heard on the video shouting at the police officers.
“I saw everything! You did not need to kill him!” the woman yelled.
The anger festered into the evening as protesters <a href="https://x.com/simonrl18/status/2080086435164483969">disrupted</a> a free outdoor concert put on by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. In another part of town, protesters <a href="https://x.com/SchulteLaura/status/2080056240252600567">chanted</a> &#8220;arrest that cop&#8221; as they stood next to a group of Madison police officers.
Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers suggested the protests were likely to continue in the coming days and <a href="https://x.com/GovEvers/status/2080124195657097643">said</a>, &#8220;There must be transparency and accountability&#8221; as investigations into the shooting move forward.
&#8220;We will continue to keep the loved ones and family of the individual who was killed in our hearts and prayers. His life mattered,&#8221; Evers <a href="https://x.com/GovEvers/status/2080124197087440939">added</a>. &#8220;As folks exercise their First Amendment rights tonight and in the days ahead, we urge them to do so peacefully and respectfully.&#8221;

Madison city police vehicles

Protesters Jump On Race Narrative After Video Captures Deadly Police Shooting

Leftists

Protest

Race

Wisconsin

American soccer star Folarin Balogun has been cleared once again to suit up on Monday night against Belgium as the European country&#8217;s effort to keep the U.S. striker sidelined was shot down by the FIFA Appeal Committee.
The FIFA committee ruled that Belgium&#8217;s appeal of the decision to overturn Balogun&#8217;s one-game suspension was &#8220;inadmissible&#8221; since Belgium was &#8220;not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision,&#8221; The Athletic <a href="https://x.com/AdamCrafton_/status/2074172435750850880">reported</a>. Belgium said it could still pursue other actions to contest Balogun&#8217;s eligibility for Monday night&#8217;s round of 16 showdown, but for now, the Belgians will have to accept the reality they&#8217;ll likely be facing America at full strength.
“The [Royal Belgian Football Association] has informed the United States Soccer Federation that it contests the eligibility of the player, should the player be listed on the referee’s team sheet. This leaves all further actions open,&#8221; Belgium&#8217;s soccer bosses wrote after the appeal was rejected.
The Royal Belgian Football Association also complained that it &#8220;has still not received any grounds for&#8221; FIFA&#8217;s decision to overturn Balogun&#8217;s one-game suspension. The U.S. star was given a red card during Team USA&#8217;s round of 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina when he collided with an opposing defender and his cleats caught the back of the defender&#8217;s ankle. The referee did not dish out the red card until after he used replay assist to revisit the incident. With a red card, Balogun was also ruled ineligible to play in America&#8217;s round of 16 game, according to FIFA rules.
Shortly after a phone call between President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, however, FIFA overturned Balogun&#8217;s suspension on Sunday, sparking outrage among European soccer elites.
“I didn’t tell [Infantino] what to do,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-describes-his-call-with-fifa-president-before-last-minute-decision-on-u-s-suspension?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Describes+His+Call+With+FIFA+President+Before+Last-Minute+Decision+On+U.S.+Suspension">said</a> on Monday. “I can’t tell him what to do, and I don’t believe he made the decision. I believe it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision.”
The referee who gave Balogun a red card is suspected of using replay assist improperly and slowing down the speed of the video that showed the collision between the U.S. star and the player from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The White House put together a team of elite lawyers to look into challenging soccer officials’ use of replay review, OutKick founder Clay Travis reported.
European soccer leaders blasted FIFA after the suspension reversal, claiming the decision hurts the &#8220;integrity&#8221; of the game.
“When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined,&#8221; the Union of European Football Associations wrote. &#8220;Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.”
The United States takes on Belgium at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday.

USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina: Round Of 32 – FIFA World Cup 2026

Belgium Shot Down On Appeal To Keep U.S. Star Sidelined As Europe’s Tantrum Falls Short

Belgium

Soccer

U.S.

World Cup

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he &#8220;relayed&#8221; to FIFA President Gianni Infantino that there would have been &#8220;a big stain&#8221; on the World Cup if U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun was forced to sit out of the team&#8217;s game on Monday.
During a gaggle with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump went into more detail about his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-thanks-fifa-for-reversing-great-injustice-as-european-rivals-rage-at-world-cup?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Thanks+FIFA+For+Reversing+%E2%80%99Great+Injustice%E2%80%99+As+European+Rivals+Rage+At+World+Cup">phone call</a> with Infantino, which took place just before FIFA announced that Balogun could suit up for Team USA&#8217;s Monday night round of 16 match against Belgium.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t tell [Infantino] what to do,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I can&#8217;t tell him what to do, and I don&#8217;t believe he made the decision. I believe it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision.&#8221;
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled,&#8221; Trump said of the on-field incident last week that resulted in Balogun&#8217;s red card, which was only handed out after a video review.
Balogun was handed a red card and one-game suspension after he made contact with a defender for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the U.S. star’s cleat scraped the back of the defender’s ankle. &#8220;That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that would be different,&#8221; Trump added.
&#8220;I think the referee&#8217;s call was horrible,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;Nobody talks about that. They talk about the red card like it&#8217;s fine. The referee&#8217;s decision to red card — I didn&#8217;t know what the hell a red card was — when I found out I said you&#8217;ve gotta be kidding. &#8230; Okay, your best player is not going to play next game. I said, wow that&#8217;s a lot of power. That&#8217;s terrible.&#8221;
FIFA&#8217;s decision on Sunday to overturn Balogun&#8217;s suspension caused outrage among European soccer elites, including from Belgium. The country&#8217;s soccer officials said they were &#8220;astonished&#8221; by the reversal, and Belgium&#8217;s coach Rudi Garcia blasted FIFA. Belgium also <a href="https://x.com/BrentScher/status/2073898775257530664" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> “lawyered up” to fight FIFA’s decision to overturn Balogun’s suspension, and on Monday, Belgium was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/seeing-red-belgium-granted-appeal-after-europe-cries-over-american-suspension-reversal">granted</a> the right to appeal FIFA&#8217;s decision to allow the U.S. star to play.
A decision on Belgium’s appeal could be handed down before the game between the United States and Belgium starts at 8:00 p.m. ET, but Belgium was not guaranteed that a ruling would come from FIFA before the game, The Athletic reported.
FIFA reversed Balogun’s suspension after the White House put together a team of elite lawyers to look into challenging soccer officials’ use of replay review in determining Balogun’s red card last week, Outkick founder Clay Travis reported.
The United States is looking for just its second berth into the World Cup quarterfinals in its history with a win against Belgium.

Donald Trump/U.S. Soccer

Trump Describes His Call With FIFA President Before Last-Minute Decision On U.S. Suspension

Donald Trump

The Belgian national team on Monday morning was granted the right to appeal FIFA&#8217;s last-minute decision to reverse a one-game suspension that had been imposed on U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun after he received a phantom red card in America&#8217;s round of 32 victory.
FIFA&#8217;s decision to overturn Balogun&#8217;s suspension on Sunday, which came after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-thanks-fifa-for-reversing-great-injustice-as-european-rivals-rage-at-world-cup?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Thanks+FIFA+For+Reversing+%E2%80%99Great+Injustice%E2%80%99+As+European+Rivals+Rage+At+World+Cup">phone call</a> between President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, outraged the soccer elites of Belgium and other European nations. Belgium&#8217;s soccer officials <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/belgium-astonished-folarin-balogun-ruling-investigating-potential-options">said</a> they were &#8220;astonished.&#8221; Belgium soccer coach Rudi Garcia also took a shot at FIFA after the reversal.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t know that in the FIFA offices the 5th of July corresponded to the 1st of April &#8230; it was a discovery for me,&#8221; Garcia <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/watch-vertical/fmc-8t88x881kprva0ge">said</a>.
Belgium also <a href="https://x.com/BrentScher/status/2073898775257530664">reportedly</a> &#8220;lawyered up&#8221; to fight FIFA&#8217;s decision to overturn Balogun&#8217;s suspension. After the outrage, Belgium was granted an appeal, which will ultimately leave it up to one member of the FIFA appeals committee to decide whether Balogun&#8217;s suspension should be upheld. A decision on Belgium&#8217;s appeal could be handed down before the game between the United States and Belgium starts at 7:00 p.m. ET, but Belgium was not guaranteed that a ruling would come from FIFA before the game, The Athletic reported.
The appeals committee member selected to hear the appeal is not a member of the European soccer association, UEFA, or of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football to ensure the appeals process is unbiased. The UEFA released a statement Monday morning, siding with Belgium, and blasting FIFA&#8217;s decision to allow Balogun to play Monday night.
&#8220;Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line,&#8221; UEFA wrote in a statement, adding, &#8220;When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.&#8221;
Norway&#8217;s coach Ståle Solbakken, whose team advanced to the quarterfinals on Sunday, also <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/05/sports/norway-coach-blasts-fifas-really-bad-folarin-balogun-decision/">ripped</a> FIFA over the decision.
“I think it is not a great conclusion. [Balogun] got a red card and the VAR concluded that it was a red card. He was sent off. That means you are suspended for one game,&#8221; Solbakken said. “I think what is really bad about that situation is it will be [hanging] over the United States now. Because if they beat Belgium, it will always have that extra thing about it. Maybe he scores a goal, maybe he plays a good game, and the Belgians will be furious.”
FIFA reversed Balogun&#8217;s suspension after the White House put together a team of elite lawyers to challenge soccer officials&#8217; use of replay review in determining Balogun&#8217;s red card last week, Outkick founder Clay Travis reported. Balogun was given a red card for his contact with a defender for Bosnia and Herzegovina after the referee used video replay to determine that the U.S. star&#8217;s cleat scraped the back of the defender&#8217;s ankle.
Trump also called FIFA&#8217;s president to better understand why a red card had been issued, but Trump did not push FIFA to overturn the suspension, according to Axios. During that phone call, Infantino informed Trump that a review of the red card had already begun.
America&#8217;s star player, who leads the team with three goals so far in the tournament, is preparing to play Monday night as the United States looks to advance to its second-ever quarterfinals. Team USA was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-team-lit-after-red-card-reversal-news-thought-it-was-ai-at-first?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=U.S.+Team+%E2%80%98Lit%E2%80%99+After+Red+Card+Reversal+News%3A+%E2%80%98Thought+It+Was+AI+At+First%E2%80%99">ecstatic</a> on Sunday after hearing the news that Balogun could play.

Seeing Red: Belgium Granted Appeal After Europe Cries Over American Suspension Reversal

Europe

A heat dome affecting much of the United States has turned the nation&#8217;s capital into one of the hottest places on earth as Americans gather to celebrate the Semiquincentennial.
On Friday, only the Sahara Desert, China&#8217;s Gobi Desert, parts of the Middle East, and parts of America&#8217;s Desert Southwest will reach higher temperatures than America&#8217;s capital, Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll <a href="https://x.com/bennollweather/status/2072681704456638543?s=46">reported</a>. Temperatures in D.C. are expected to reach 102 degrees, with the heat index potentially hitting a blistering 110.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
D.C. will be hotter than 99 percent of the planet on Friday.
Only parts of Africa&#8217;s Sahara Desert, the Middle East, China&#8217;s Gobi Desert and a few spots in the Desert Southwest will be hotter. <a href="https://t.co/GGedfFhpr4">pic.twitter.com/GGedfFhpr4</a>
— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) <a href="https://x.com/BenNollWeather/status/2072681704456638543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Great American State Fair on the National Mall temporarily closed Friday afternoon due to the extreme heat. The fair is expected to reopen at 5:00 p.m. ET.
&#8220;The safety and well-being of our guests, volunteers, performers, vendors, and staff is our highest priority,&#8221; Freedom 250 said. &#8220;Conditions are expected to improve later this afternoon, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back at 5:00 p.m. as preparations continue for this evening’s festivities.&#8221;
The major heat has also resulted in some parade cancellations on the East Coast on Friday, including the massive Philadelphia Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade. Parade organizers in Philadelphia said they made the decision to call off Friday&#8217;s parade for the safety of participants and would-be parade watchers, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/philadelphia-4th-of-july-parade-canceled-heat/">reported</a>.
The historic town of Leesburg, Virginia, also <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/live-updates-extreme-heat-temps-over-100-in-dc-area-disrupt-july-4-celebrations/4125412/?cardId=1:14:4125495">canceled</a> its parade planned for Saturday and moved its concert and fireworks show back one hour.
The heat wave will continue in D.C. on Saturday during the Fourth of July celebrations, with temperatures expected to reach 99 degrees and the heat index rising to 113. A potential afternoon thunderstorm could also throw a wrench in the celebrations, according to AccuWeather.
&#8220;Dangerous heat [and] storms that can bring damaging winds and downpours may disrupt outdoor holiday plans,&#8221; AccuWeather noted.
The heat wave is not stopping President Donald Trump&#8217;s massive celebrations, however, as numerous events on the National Mall scheduled for Friday and Saturday are still moving forward. Americans who brave the high temps get to take in hours of military flyovers for Trump’s “Salute to America 250” celebration, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hundreds-of-military-aircraft-to-roar-over-d-c-for-trumps-fourth-of-july?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Hundreds+Of+Military+Aircraft+To+Roar+Over+D.C.+For+Trump%E2%80%99s+Fourth+Of+July">reported</a>. The flyovers feature historic and modern aircraft from every branch of the military.
The &#8220;Salute to America&#8221; live programming will begin on the Washington Monument grounds at 7:00 p.m. ET, and President Trump will deliver his address at 9:45 p.m. before the &#8220;World&#8217;s Largest Fireworks Display.&#8221;
D.C.&#8217;s annual &#8220;A Capitol Fourth&#8221; concert is also moving forward on Friday night, but entry into the event will be delayed until 7:00 p.m., just one hour before the start time.

Heat Dome Settles Over US Bringing Hot And Humid Conditions To Millions Of Americans

Only Four Places On Earth Are Hotter Than D.C. As Temps Soar During America 250 Celebrations

America 250

Heat wave

Washington D.C.

A Somali flag that Buffalo, New York, city officials raised in Niagara Square earlier this week to celebrate the foreign country&#8217;s independence was cut down in the dead of night on Wednesday. The flag robbery took place one day after city officials canceled Buffalo&#8217;s Fourth of July fireworks celebration.
Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said &#8220;unknown vandals&#8221; removed the Somali flag at some point late on Wednesday night, <a href="https://www.btpm.org/local/2026-07-02/somali-flag-cut-down-and-stolen-from-niagara-square-amid-city-fireworks-outrage">according</a> to Buffalo-Toronto Public Media. Ryan added that the Buffalo Police Department is investigating the incident. The Somali flag has been raised in Niagara Square for the past four years on July 1 to celebrate Somali Independence Day.
“Buffalo is a proud, diverse city, and our administration remains committed to honoring and celebrating the many cultures that make our community stronger,” Ryan added.
The Somali flag-raising has stirred controversy in the city, especially since it falls so close to the Fourth of July and the celebration of America&#8217;s 250th anniversary. As they raised the Somali flag in the city square, Buffalo city officials were also blasted for scrapping the Fourth of July fireworks celebration.
&#8220;City Hall canceled its downtown fireworks display, leaving Buffalo as one of the only cities in Western New York without a public Fourth of July celebration, and instead raised the flag of Somalia outside City Hall,&#8221; Erie County, New York, GOP Chairman Michael Kracker said. &#8220;No one is questioning the contributions of Buffalo&#8217;s immigrant communities. But this week belongs to all of us, as Americans.&#8221;
Mayor Ryan announced in early June that the city planned to revive its patriotic fireworks display for America&#8217;s 250th birthday. Buffalo hasn&#8217;t put on a Fourth of July fireworks show in decades as the city focuses on a big New Year&#8217;s Eve fireworks display. This week, however, Ryan said the patriotic show wouldn&#8217;t take place.
&#8220;After exploring potential locations, an appropriate site could not be identified that would provide a safe and widely accessible viewing experience for residents. As a result, the City will not be hosting a downtown fireworks display this year,&#8221; he said.
Buffalo isn&#8217;t the only American city to raise the Somali flag on government property to celebrate the foreign country. Columbus, Ohio, which is home to the second-largest concentration of Somalis in the United States, also announced that it would hoist the Somali flag on July 1, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/on-americas-250th-red-states-capital-city-flies-somali-flag?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=On+America%E2%80%99s+250th%2C+Red+State%E2%80%99s+Capital+City+Celebrates%E2%80%A6+Somalia">reported</a>.
The Columbus Parks and Rec Department deleted the post announcing the Somali flag raising moments after The Daily Wire asked about it.

Somali Flag Buffalo

Patriots Rip Down Somali Flag In American City Square After Officials Cancel July 4 Fireworks

Buffalo

Fireworks

Fourth of July

New York

Somalia

President Donald Trump joined second lady Usha Vance for a special edition of &#8220;Storytime with the Second Lady&#8221; on Thursday and read about the favorite pastimes of America&#8217;s presidents.
Trump, sitting beside Usha Vance in the Oval Office, stayed true to his comic nature as he read from the book &#8220;Presidents Play!&#8221; by author Jonathan Pliska and illustrator John Hutton.
&#8220;With so much going on in the world, it&#8217;s really kind of you to take a moment to read,&#8221; the second lady said. &#8220;And I know that you have 11 grandkids, so hopefully some of them will tune in and watch you read as well.&#8221;
&#8220;Well I&#8217;ll make sure they will,&#8221; Trump replied. &#8220;I&#8217;ll make it mandatory. That won&#8217;t mean anything. That means they still won&#8217;t do it, but I&#8217;ll make it mandatory.&#8221;
Trump went on to read &#8220;Presidents Play!&#8221; — which colorfully dives into the favorite playtime activities of former presidents. During his reading, Trump took a couple shots at President Barack Obama&#8217;s basketball and golf games.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if he was a good basketball player. I tend to doubt it,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Actually, his favorite sport is golf, but he won&#8217;t be in the Masters anytime soon.&#8221;
The book begins with describing the activities of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald Reagan.
&#8220;I think the presidents all work hard, but sometimes they take a break to have fun and exercise like Ronald Reagan. He was in very good shape,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Lyndon Johnson wasn&#8217;t in shape, but he was a very tough cookie, a real great politician.&#8221;
The book then describes how President Bill Clinton had a track built on White House property so he could keep up his running habit.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ll ever do that,&#8221; Trump commented. &#8220;I don&#8217;t see myself doing that. I don&#8217;t know. But he actually was a nice guy. I like Bill Clinton a lot, still do.&#8221;
President Abraham Lincoln, the book explains, often rode horses around the White House.
&#8220;And that&#8217;s great. I&#8217;d like to ride horses too,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;In fact, it gives me an idea, but when you fall off a horse, I&#8217;ve seen too many bad things happen. Falling off a horse is not good. So we&#8217;ll get a nice old horse that&#8217;s extremely slow, lazy and maybe ride it.&#8221;
On President Gerald Ford&#8217;s love for swimming in the White House&#8217;s outdoor pool, President Trump said, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know if I&#8217;d look good in a bathing suit. I haven&#8217;t had a bathing suit in a long time.&#8221;
The book also shows President William Howard Taft throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game, but Trump couldn&#8217;t help but mention Taft&#8217;s weight. The former president, who also served on the Supreme Court, weighed over 350 pounds.
&#8220;He was a large man, very large, and he loved baseball. He would go to baseball games, loved the hot dogs at the baseball games,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;He was our heaviest president, and I have to be careful because I don&#8217;t want to supersede his record. And a thing like that would be possible if I allowed it to happen.&#8221;
&#8220;For all of you out there watching, keep yourself in good shape,&#8221; he added.
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Donald Trump Story Time

Trump Entertains In Hilarious Reading Of Children’s Book On Presidential Pastimes

Children's Books

Usha Vance

A small plane slammed into the tallest skyscraper in Beijing on Friday, hitting the building before falling to the street below.
The plane, which was described by one <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3358555/small-aircraft-hits-beijings-tallest-skyscraper-prompting-evacuations">report</a> as a &#8220;light sport aircraft,&#8221; crashed into CITC Tower and caused evacuations in the business district of China&#8217;s capital.
Video posted on social media shows debris from the plane falling onto the street after the crash. A large hole in the building was also visible.
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Credit: @visegrad24 via X
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It remains unclear if the pilot purposely flew into the skyscraper. It&#8217;s also unclear if anyone in the building was injured. The plane took off from an airfield in the eastern part of Beijing and circled the area before it flew into the building, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/world/asia/china-plane-crash-beijing.html">reported</a>, citing FlightRadar, a flight tracking website.
“This aircraft is normally used for pilot training east of Beijing,” Ian Petchenik, a spokesman for FlightRadar, told the Times.
The CITC Tower is 108 stories tall and serves as the headquarters for the state-owned CITC Group, which holds one of the largest collections of foreign assets in the world.
Police rushed to the scene and tried to prevent people from taking photos and videos, Reuters reported. As authorities moved people away from the building, they told them to delete any photos they had taken on their phones.
More information on the plane crash could be difficult to obtain as China&#8217;s government controls nearly every aspect of the media and often censors news that could be viewed as negative for the communist regime.
This is a developing story.

plane building

Plane Crashes Into Beijing’s Tallest Skyscraper

Airplane crash

China

President Donald Trump took a shot at the far-Left wing of the Democratic Party on Thursday and sent a message to &#8220;communists&#8221; after radical candidates won multiple elections in New York earlier this week.
Trump suggested that he wasn&#8217;t surprised to see far-Left candidates, such as Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Brad Lander, win their primaries for the U.S. House. Valdez, Chevalier, and Lander are all backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — and Chevalier and Lander defeated Democratic incumbents.
&#8220;The Communists are finally making their move,&#8221; Trump wrote on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116813173401388945">Truth Social</a>. &#8220;I’ve been waiting and preparing for this for a long time. It’s easy to be a Communist — All you have to do is say, &#8216;I’ll give you everything,&#8217; but that means you’re taking it away from others that have earned it. Over thousands of years, that Ideology has not worked once. The game is on. Enjoy watching!&#8221;
While the New York radicals who won their primaries identify as &#8220;democratic socialists,&#8221; they have been accused of pushing ideas that are indistinguishable from communist talking points. Chevalier was even asked recently to respond to people describing her as a communist, and she refused to address it.
&#8220;You know, I think that framing is one that I&#8217;ve been very proud to say that I don&#8217;t respond to, one in which I have been very intentional to say I won&#8217;t be reactive,&#8221; Chevalier told MS NOW anchor Ali Velshi. &#8220;We are presenting a vision of what we&#8217;re fighting for, and I think that for far too long, we have had politics that is reactive to what Republicans are doing. What we need is Democrats who are actually going to present a positive vision, one that sets the tone for what we should be talking about, which is the issue of affordability.&#8221;
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Velshi: &#8220;How do you respond to allegations that you&#8217;re a communist?&#8221;
Darializa Avila Chevalier: &#8220;For far too long, this reactive conversation of what we should be afraid of has prevented us from being able to have a politics Democrats can identify win.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/sAKGmQcYju">pic.twitter.com/sAKGmQcYju</a>
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://x.com/greg_price11/status/2069995578100998577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Along with calling for the government to seize private property, Chevalier has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-newest-pick-is-their-most-radical-yet">called</a> to abolish police and borders, disparaged the American flag, and refused to condemn Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
Valdez and Lander have also pushed leftist economic views, such as rent freezes, a policy being actively pursued by Mayor Mamdani in NYC. Valdez, meanwhile, has called for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, expanding universal healthcare, increasing taxes on higher earners, and strengthening labor unions.
Shortly after New York democratic socialists won on Tuesday night, Trump said, “America the Beautiful will NEVER be a Communist Country!!!”

trump_Mamdani

Trump Declares ‘Game On’ As America’s Communists Make Their Move

Communism

Election

New York City

Socialists

Zohran Mamdani

The death toll from the massive back-to-back <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/venezuela-devastated-by-back-to-back-earthquakes-trump-takes-action?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Venezuela+Devastated+By+Back-To-Back+Earthquakes%2C+Trump+Takes+Action">earthquakes</a> that struck Venezuela on Wednesday has climbed to at least 235 people as search and rescue teams continue to comb through the rubble, according to the latest report from authorities. More than 4,300 people were also injured in the disaster.
Caracas and the surrounding area were rocked Wednesday evening by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that was followed by a 7.5 magnitude quake just 40 seconds later. The devastating earthquakes were unusually close together and instantly leveled large buildings, including homes and apartment complexes.
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The Venezuelan government believes that around 50,000 people are still missing after the earthquakes, and the death toll is expected to climb much higher. The U.S. Geological Survey has predicted more than 10,000 deaths, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/rescuers-comb-venezuelan-quake-rubble-thousands-reported-missing-2026-06-26/">reported</a>.
Rescue teams are working against the clock as they seek to find survivors within the &#8220;golden window,&#8221; the 48- to 72-hour time period to reach people buried under rubble before their chance of survival greatly diminishes. As of time of publication, it has been over 60 hours since the twin quakes. Many search and rescue teams also follow a &#8220;rule of fours,&#8221; which states that trapped survivors can last four minutes without air, four days without water, and four weeks without food, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/26/world/live-news/venezuela-earthquake-hnk?post-id=cmqud1pu300043b6rpgjce4vi">CNN</a>.
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<div id="attachment_1123767" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1123767" class="wp-image-1123767 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2282641271-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2282641271-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2282641271-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2282641271-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2282641271.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Rescue workers carry a person on a stretcher out of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. (Photo by Juan Barreto / AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Search teams have successfully rescued some people from collapsed buildings as video footage has shown emergency workers moving bloodied people out of the wreckage, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/latin-america/venezuela-eartquake-death-toll-trapped-rcna351884">reported</a>. Rescue teams from Mexico, Chile, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Switzerland have joined Venezuelan authorities in the search effort. Numerous other countries have also offered their assistance, including the United States.
A senior U.S. Southern Command official has already arrived in Caracas to view the damage and prepare America&#8217;s efforts to help Venezuela. President Donald Trump said late Wednesday night, &#8220;The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends.&#8221;
Venezuela confirmed that 250 buildings have been damaged, including at least eight hospitals.

Rescue Efforts Continue In Venezuela After A Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Struck The Country

Death Toll Climbs From Twin Earthquake Disaster As Rescuers Race To Find Survivors

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Zach Jewell