What, precisely, is it about America you love?
That’s the question this July 4 as just 29% of Democrats say they’re extremely proud of the country, accompanied by just 33% of independents and 60% of Republicans. In fact, Democratic love of country has always fallen far behind that of Republicans, even during the Obama era, when it hit a temporary high of just over 50% (Republicans at the time said they were extremely proud of the country at a rate of approximately 70%).
Why is it that liberals in the United States are so much less proud of America than conservatives? These days, the answer typically given is America’s inherent sinfulness; there is nothing in the American founding worth conserving. On Independence Day, Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO) tweeted, “The Declaration of Independence was written by enslavers and didn’t recognize Black people as human. Today is a great day to demand Reparations Now.” Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) similarly tweeted, “This July 4th, we must remember that we stand on stolen land toiled by enslaved Africans and recommit ourselves to the fight for freedom, equality, &amp; justice so that these ideals are accessible to everyone, not just a privileged few. We are not free until everyone is truly free.”
America, to these types, is a platform for utopianism rather than a set of ideals worthy of emulation. The Declaration of Independence was a lie; the Constitution was merely a guise for power. And the quest for a perfect world must begin in tearing down such institutions with whatever means are at our disposal. The ends justify the means.
Thus, while Democrats fulminate over supposed threats to democracy, a federal judge this week ruled that the Biden administration violated the First Amendment in pressuring social media companies to restrict free speech regarding covid and the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, among others; the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden White House had violated its constitutional boundaries in waiving student loan debt. Biden’s response: he pledged to utilize the executive branch to work around the Supreme Court’s ruling. 
Respect for the founding means respect for founding principles. Biden and his ilk have used a misinterpretation of one founding principle — “equality” — to vitiate the natural rights for which the founders originally fought. When the founders said that “all men are created equal,” they meant specifically that human beings had been “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” They did not mean, as Biden suggests, that all human beings ought to be made equal in result, or that indeed, all human beings are equal in all capacities. Biden’s idea is utopian nonsense; the founders’ idea was grounded in millennia of evidence and Judeo-Christian tradition.
Patriots celebrate the founding for what it was: a breakthrough in the nature of human governance, a ringing statement in favor of liberty from the heavy hand of tyranny. Today, too many celebrate the founding only as a platform for future change — change that would annihilate the ideals of the founding along the road to a “higher good.” This, presumably, is why Republicans are far more patriotic than Democrats even while saying that America is in the midst of a moral crisis; meanwhile, Democrats are far less patriotic while suggesting pride in America’s current moral state. Conservatives are disappointed with man’s sinfulness, but proud of the founders’ ideals; many liberals are disappointed with the founders’ ideals, and proud of man’s sinfulness.

Ben Shapiro 3 (1)

Do You Love America?

4th of July

Ben Shapiro

Constitution

Cori Bush

Declaration of Independence

Joe Biden

Readers Pass

President Joe Biden celebrated Independence Day appearing to get lost as he tried to get off the stage at a White House event.
The president delivered remarks ahead of a concert that included hip-hop artist Ne-Yo — among others — and just as the &#8220;Because of You&#8221; hitmaker was introduced, Biden attempted to make his way off the stage. Turning to his left, he quickly realized that there was no exit in the direction he had chosen.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: Biden celebrates the 4th of July by getting lost on stage, asking for instructions from his handlers&#8230;
&quot;They&#39;re trying to get me off the stage!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/RO3OPx8hQV">pic.twitter.com/RO3OPx8hQV</a>
&mdash; The First (@TheFirstonTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheFirstonTV/status/1676406587047518208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Where is he?&#8221; Biden asked, his back still to the audience as he tried to play it off as though he was looking for Ne-Yo. Laughter came from the crowd as Biden continued, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know, man, I want to say hi to him.&#8221;
The audience continued to laugh as Biden walked back toward the other side of the stage, saying to the crowd, &#8220;They&#8217;re trying to get me off the stage. You&#8217;re afraid I&#8217;m going to try to sing, aren&#8217;t you? &#8230; Thanks a lot guys, appreciate it.&#8221;
The president&#8217;s apparent confusion onstage came just days after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-biden-gets-up-and-leaves-live-tv-interview-while-still-on-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">walked off the set</a> — while cameras were still rolling — during a recent interview with MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Biden ends his MSNBC interview and just gets up and walks off set while they&#39;re still live <a href="https://t.co/0NHfeugavE">pic.twitter.com/0NHfeugavE</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1674515134461493250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Instead of waiting for the segment to wrap, Biden got up and walked away as soon as Wallace thanked him for his time.
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And earlier during that same interview, the president had managed to mix up the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joe Biden confuses the Declaration of Independence with the Constitution:
“The Constitution says we hold these truths to be self-evident. All men and women are created equal….” <a href="https://t.co/LFziD5hJyK">pic.twitter.com/LFziD5hJyK</a>
&mdash; Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) <a href="https://twitter.com/WarMachineRR/status/1674516592040857602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Its value system is different, and its respect for our institutions is different,” Biden said of the Supreme Court after a slew of decisions with which he disagreed. &#8220;And in that sense, it’s not as embracing of all, what I think the con— the Constitution says, &#8216;We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal, endowed by their creator &#8230;'&#8221;
The words Biden quoted, however, came from the Declaration of Independence.

President Biden Celebrates Fourth Of July At The White House

Joe Biden Celebrated Independence Day By Requiring Assistance To Get Off-Stage

Executive

U.S.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ice-cream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s ice cream</a> posted an anti-American message on social media as the nation celebrated its 247th birthday Tuesday.
&#8220;Ah, the Fourth of July,&#8221; the company claimed in a statement. &#8220;Who doesn&#8217;t love a good parade, some tasty barbecue, and a stirring fireworks display? The only problem with all that, though, is that it can distract from an essential truth about this nation’s birth: The US was founded on stolen Indigenous land.&#8221;
&#8220;The U.S. exists on stolen land,&#8221; the statement later added. &#8220;We have to acknowledge that—today and every day.&#8221;
&#8220;Just announce the ESG flavor already lmao,&#8221; one popular Twitter account responded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Just announce the ESG flavor already lmao <a href="https://t.co/4NXvxEty1D">https://t.co/4NXvxEty1D</a>
&mdash; The Rabbit Hole (@TheRabbitHole84) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRabbitHole84/status/1676379431634599936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) tweeted: &#8220;Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s, your once-good ice cream now sucks. You just guaranteed that I (a once-loyal customer) will never again consume a single pint of it.&#8221;
&#8220;When you suggest &#8216;returning&#8217; the land on which our country has been built for centuries, what exactly do you imagine?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Expungement of property rights? Repatriation of most Americans to Europe?&#8221;
Political commentator Joel M. Petlin pointed out apparent hypocrisy from the company when he shared a screenshot of a news article that said: &#8220;Jewish students call for Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s to evacuate &#8216;illegally occupied&#8217; Vermont land.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-102078">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
&#8220;Speaking of stolen land, the Abenaki Nation would like to have a word with @benandjerrys about the land under their headquarters that they are occupying in Vermont,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They really should commit to returning this stolen land, and naming their next flavor *Shameful Hypocrisy Crunch*&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Speaking of stolen land, the Abenaki Nation would like to have a word with <a href="https://twitter.com/benandjerrys?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benandjerrys</a> about the land under their headquarters that they are occupying in Vermont.
They really should commit to returning this stolen land, and naming their next flavor *Shameful Hypocrisy Crunch* <a href="https://t.co/3OddasrfEt">https://t.co/3OddasrfEt</a> <a href="https://t.co/xk7oKmPOoy">pic.twitter.com/xk7oKmPOoy</a>
&mdash; Joel M. Petlin (@Joelmpetlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Joelmpetlin/status/1676408670484062210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Attorney and columnist Kurt Schlichter tweeted: &#8220;Good. The conqueror should get the spoils. If that makes you sad, that&#8217;s even better. My land acknowledgement is this: &#8216;We won. Too bad.'&#8221;

Vermont Economy

Ben & Jerry’s Posts Anti-American Message On July 4th; Critics Blast Their Hypocrisy

Ben & Jerry's Posts Anti-American Message On July 4th; Critics Blast Their Hypocrisy

Food

General

Ice Cream

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cori-bush" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cori Bush</a> (D-MO) faced backlash on Independence Day for demanding that the U.S. pay reparations to black people.
&#8220;The Declaration of Independence was written by enslavers and didn’t recognize Black people as human,&#8221; she claimed. &#8220;Today is a great day to demand Reparations Now.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Declaration of Independence was written by enslavers and didn’t recognize Black people as human.
Today is a great day to demand Reparations Now ✊🏾
&mdash; Cori Bush (@CoriBush) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoriBush/status/1676246695045218305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The response to her tweet was overwhelmingly negative as most of the responses were hostile.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t you think more than enough white people paid for it with their blood during the Civil War?&#8221; writer Ian Miles Cheong asked.
Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, tweeted: &#8220;You’re gonna need reparations for this ratio.&#8221;
&#8220;Today is a great day to shut the f*** up,&#8221; another account tweeted.
Chris Loesch responded, &#8220;This is rubbish. Cori has no knowledge of what the framers did or didn’t believe evidently or what their efforts were. She should understand why people like Frederick Douglass honored and revered them.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-102078">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Political strategist Ryan Girdusky tweeted, &#8220;People like Cori Bush could never build anything as great as what she’s trying to destroy.&#8221;
&#8220;Shut up you buffoonette,&#8221; said attorney and columnist Kurt Schlichter.
Political commentator Varad Mehta added: &#8220;Just an absolute pile of rancid filth.&#8221;
&#8220;Of the 56, 11 signers were guilty of enslaving others,&#8221; Libby Emmons, editor-in-chief of The Post Millennial, tweeted. &#8220;Jefferson&#8217;s clause about the need to abolish slavery was removed from the document in order to appease the colonies that backed the practice. Adams, Franklin and 2 others were abolitionists.&#8221;

Democrat Cori Bush Slammed For July 4th Tweet

Congress

Politics

Average per-person spending on Fourth of July food items rose to $93.34 in 2023 amid <a href="https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/">persistent inflation</a>, new <a class="c-link" href="https://nrf.com/research-insights/holiday-data-and-trends/independence-day/independence-day-data-center" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://nrf.com/research-insights/holiday-data-and-trends/independence-day/independence-day-data-center" data-sk="tooltip_parent">data</a> from a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey found.
The figure is the highest ever recorded by the NRF since the survey began in 2003, marking a $9.22 increase since last year when the individual cost averaged out to $84.12. The survey, conducted from June 1st to June 7th, fielded responses from 8,225 consumers.
While the average per-person cost of Fourth of July food items was just $68.16 in 2014, the sum has grown every year except 2019. The report comes as Americans continue to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-brags-about-chart-showing-inflation-skyrocketed-after-biden-took-office">struggle with</a> inflation, which hit a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/13/us-inflation-new-40-year-high-june-00045541">40 year high</a> in 2022.
“The cost of a 4th of July cookout in 2021 is down $0.16 from (2020),” the Biden administration previously boasted despite <a href="https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/">severe inflation</a>. However, NRF found that the price actually increased by more than $4 from 2020 to 2021.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Planning a cookout this year? Ketchup on the news. According to the Farm Bureau, the cost of a 4th of July BBQ is down from last year. It’s a fact you must-hear(d). Hot dog, the Biden economic plan is working. And that’s something we can all relish. <a href="https://t.co/7h9qLauIbC">pic.twitter.com/7h9qLauIbC</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1410709115333234691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/consumer-price-index-unchanged-over-the-month-up-8-5-percent-over-the-year-in-july-2022.htm#:~:text=SUBSCRIBE-,Consumer%20Price%20Index%20unchanged%20over%20the%20month%2C%20up%208.5%20percent,the%20year%2C%20in%20July%202022&amp;text=The%20Consumer%20Price%20Index%20for,and%201.0%20percent%20in%20May.">reports</a> a 10.9% increase in the price of consumer food goods from July 2021 to July 2022, the largest increase over 12 months since May 1979. BLS notes that “prices for food at home rose 13.1 percent,” while there was a 7.9% increase in the cost of food away from home in the 12-month span. 
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-18297">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
A recent <a href="https://www.wellsfargo.com/com/insights/agri-food-intelligence/fourth-july-food-report/">report</a> on food inflation from Wells Fargo notes that the average cost of beer has increased by 8% since last year, while the price of an average 12-ounce soft drink has risen by 54 cents, or 14%. The cost of a pound of chocolate chip cookies is up about 14% since last year, while the price of bread increased by 22%. Prices for ground beef and pork chops showed minor price increases of about 1%.
 The costs of ice cream and processed cheese are up 9% and 10%, respectively, though the average cost of milk fell in 2023. The price of potato chips surged 15% since last year, while the costs of chicken breasts and eggs decreased.
But while costs have risen, the NRF survey found that 87% of respondents plan to celebrate the Fourth of July this year.

Fourth of July Cookout

Inflation Causes Fourth Of July Cookout Items To Hit Record High: Report

Economy

Fourth of July

Inflation

Competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut just did it again when he broke a record after downing nearly four dozen chicken fingers in just minutes.
It all went down Wednesday in Las Vegas at a new Raising Cane&#8217;s chicken restaurant in honor of National Chicken Finger Day. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-joey-chestnut-manhandles-protester-while-scarfing-down-63-hot-dogs-in-15th-july-fourth-contest-win">Chestnut</a> set a new record when he scarfed down 44 Cane&#8217;s chicken fingers in five minutes.
The whole spectacle was live-streamed and shared on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s2mMDDCVTs">YouTube</a> by Cane&#8217;s. In the clip that can be seen below, the man who&#8217;s proved he&#8217;s the Tom Brady of competitive eating admitted before the timer started that he would have to &#8220;hustle&#8221; in order to break the record.
&#8220;These things are big [the chicken fingers],&#8221; Joey explained. &#8220;They&#8217;re big. They&#8217;re meaty. But they&#8217;re delicious. I&#8217;m gonna have to hustle. Just find my happy place and keep going. So, I think 40 to 50, it&#8217;s doable.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Joey Chestnut vs. Raising Cane’s" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2s2mMDDCVTs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
At the start of the competition, it was announced that there were 75 of the restaurant&#8217;s famed chicken fingers placed in front of Chestnut. The MC then counted down from five before the giant clock on the table started ticking away.
The competitive eater then began wolfing one chicken finger at a time while he was flanked by two Vegas dancers, who were wearing red sparkling dresses, feather boas, and feather headgear.
The crowd cheered his name &#8220;Joey, Joey&#8221; and rooted Chestnut on as he tackled one chicken finger after another. The champ rotated between shoving the chicken fingers in his mouth to taking drinks to help get them them all down.
The &#8220;American Legend,&#8221; as the MC labeled him, seemed to tackle the first two dozen without any struggle at all before he appeared to be moving more methodically as the clock ticked down. Then, it was announced that &#8220;Joey Chestnut&#8221; had set a new record for the restaurant chain, eating 44 Cane&#8217;s chicken fingers in just five minutes.
After the champ got a chance to breathe and soak up his victory, Joey said he was &#8220;living the dream&#8221; by getting to travel the country and set records for eating great food.
On July 4, Chestnut scored his 15th Nathan&#8217;s Hot Dog Eating Contest win in 16 years, after chowing 63 hot dogs in 10 minutes, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-joey-chestnut-manhandles-protester-while-scarfing-down-63-hot-dogs-in-15th-july-fourth-contest-win">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.

Joey Chestnut-2

WATCH: Competitive Eating Legend Breaks Record After Downing Nearly Four Dozen Chicken Fingers In Minutes

Competitive Eating Legend Joey Chestnut Breaks Record After Downing Nearly Four Dozen Chicken Fingers In Minutes

Celebrities

Entertainment

Las Vegas

State taxpayers reportedly picked up the tab for California Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a>&#8216;s security detail during his recent vacation to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/montana">Montana</a>, despite a ban on state-funded travel to Big Sky Country and 21 other states whose laws offend Left-coast liberals.
The development, buried in a Thursday New York Times article about President Biden, could at least be a violation of the spirit of <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/ab1887">California Assembly Bill 1887</a>, which Newsom&#8217;s predecessor, Jerry Brown, signed into law in 2016 to ensure state funds don&#8217;t help the economies of an ever-growing list of states whose laws California deems discriminatory.
“His kids are visiting their grandparents for his daughter’s birthday, as they do every year,” Newsom&#8217;s spokesman, Anthony York, told the Times. “On the security side, the law explicitly states there is an exemption for public safety, and the governor has to travel with security.&#8221;
Indeed, the law contains exceptions for taxpayer funded travel, including one for &#8220;the protection of public health, welfare, or safety, as determined by the affected agency, department, board, authority, or commission.&#8221; But York&#8217;s initial deflections about funding of the trip to Newsom&#8217;s in-laws’ ranch in the Bitterroot Valley, first <a href="https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2022/07/gavin-newsom-montana/">reported</a> Wednesday by CalMatters’ Emily Hoeven, only seemed to spur confusion.
&#8220;SCOOP! The travel ban applies to using state funds,&#8221; York tweeted. &#8220;The Governor’s travel is not being paid by the state. Connecting the two is an attempt at gotcha journalism that is neither gotcha nor journalism. The governor is on a vacation with his family. He will return later this week.&#8221;
Jennifer Van Laar of <a href="https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2022/07/06/it-sure-seems-gavin-newsom-broke-ca-law-by-making-his-security-detail-travel-to-montana-n589555">RedState</a> said it appeared that Newsom&#8217;s travel arrangements did not comply with the law and wondered if the millionaire governor intended to reimburse taxpayers.
“It’s important to note that York did not say that Newsom planned to reimburse the state for the cost of that travel, and even if he did, that wouldn’t satisfy the law, since the law specifically states both that the state cannot require an employee to travel to any of the states on the list and that the state cannot approve a request to fund such travel,” she <a href="https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2022/07/08/newsom-admits-state-paid-for-his-security-details-travel-to-montana-laughably-claims-public-safety-exception-to-law-n590988">noted</a>. “So, Newsom’s only way out is to claim an exemption.”
Whether Newsom&#8217;s personal safety justified an exception to the ban or not, the optics of a trip to a state on California&#8217;s naughty list were just the latest example of Newsom&#8217;s &#8220;rules for thee, not for me&#8221; image. The governor was roundly accused of hypocrisy when he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ritzy-restaurant-where-ca-gov-newsom-was-caught-dining-received-millions-in-covid-19-relief-funds-report">caught attending a dinner party at French Laundry</a>, a posh Napa Valley eatery, at the height of the COVID pandemic. At the time, the state forbade large indoor gatherings.
The controversy, fueled by leaked photos of Newsom and the other guests maskless and eschewing social distancing recommendations, helped prompt an ultimately unsuccessful recall effort against Newsom. Perhaps just as galling to ordinary folks as the images of Newsom and his pals flaunting COVID restrictions was the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-masks-all-indoors-award-winning-journalist-claims-22-people-attended-newsom-dinner-not-12-15k-bar-bill">reported size of the bar tab</a> they ran up: $15,000.

Governor Newsom Signs Covid-19 Recovery Package

Taxpayers Footed Newsom’s Security Bill On Vacation To State On California’s Banned List

Taxpayers Footed Newsom’s Security Bill On Vacation To State on California's Banned List

Gavin Newsom

Hypocrisy

Montana

Video of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fourth-of-july">Fourth of July</a> fireworks disaster in a family&#8217;s front yard has gone viral on Twitter in the latest cautionary tale about blowing things up to celebrate America&#8217;s independence.
The 31-second clip had been viewed by nearly 25 million people within 24 hours of hitting the internet Tuesday evening. It shows a group of people &#8211; including what appears to be a toddler &#8211; milling around or sitting on lawn chairs as three men light fireworks on the sidewalk near the driveway, where a van is parked. Throughout the footage, the SimpliSafe home security systems logo can be seen in the top left corner of the frame.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Ummmm. <a href="https://t.co/XOESbiyjV9">pic.twitter.com/XOESbiyjV9</a>
&mdash; Cody (@new_orleansjazz) <a href="https://twitter.com/new_orleansjazz/status/1544490105636671488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After the men ignite the first firework, sparks fly dangerously close to the spectators as the men scramble to get out of the way. A woman snatches the toddler up and retreats as the men can be heard discussing amateur pyrotechnics. As a boy wanders near the rear of the van in the driveway, flames start shooting from what was presumably a fireworks arsenal located behind the vehicle that was ignited by an errant spark.
The youth retreats as the fireworks trove goes off in a series of explosions and growing ball of flame that resembles a war zone.
It appeared that everyone involved made it to safety, although no one seemed to know where the event took place. The video was first posted on Reddit in the &#8220;CrazyF***ingVideos&#8221; thread, but was later taken down by the original uploader.
In San Antonio Tuesday, Pablo Ruiz, 43, died after lighting fireworks on the top of his head, police said. First responders found him suffering from severe head trauma, with brain matter exposed from his skull, police said.
A pal who witnessed Ruiz&#8217;s death said he had been drinking when he decided to light the mortar-style firework from the top of his head. Investigators believe it exploded from the bottom of the tube, piercing his skull.

Fireworks and audience

WATCH: Insane Fireworks Disaster Caught by SimpliSafe Cam Goes Viral

Death

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/philadelphia">Philadelphia</a> Mayor Jim Kenney (D) admitted on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fourth-of-july">Fourth of July</a> that he would &#8220;be happy&#8221; when his term is complete and he is no longer leading the city.
During an Independence Day fireworks display put on by the City of Brotherly Love, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mass-shooting">shooter</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-crowds-panic-and-flee-as-shooter-disrupts-philadelphia-fireworks-hits-two-officers">hit two police officers</a> — grazing one on the forehead and the other on the right shoulder. Footage of the attack shows civilians near the city’s art museum fleeing the scene.
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WATCH: Chaos erupts on the streets of Philadelphia after a shooting during a Fourth of July fireworks display. <a href="https://t.co/UGelIRcdi1">pic.twitter.com/UGelIRcdi1</a>
— BNN Newsroom (@BNNBreaking) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNNBreaking/status/1544148559607767040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In subsequent comments to <a href="https://6abc.com/philadelphia-july-4th-shooting-philly-police-officers-shot-party-on-the-parkway-officer/12019494/">6ABC</a>, Kenney admitted that incidents like the Fourth of July shooting make him look forward to no longer serving as mayor.
“There’s not an event or a day where I don’t lay on my back and look at the ceiling and worry about stuff. So everything we have in the city over the last seven years, I worry about,” Kenney remarked. “I don’t enjoy the Fourth of July, I don’t enjoy the Democratic National Convention, I don’t enjoy the NFL draft — I’m waiting for something bad to happen all the time.”
“So I’ll be happy when I’m not here, when I’m not mayor, and I can enjoy some stuff,” he added.
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“I’m waiting for something bad to happen all the time. So I’ll be happy when I’m not here, when I’m not mayor, and I can enjoy some stuff,” Philly Mayor Jim Kenney said. <a href="https://t.co/ZkvrGTmwKH">https://t.co/ZkvrGTmwKH</a> <a href="https://t.co/R9X4TIBMcR">pic.twitter.com/R9X4TIBMcR</a>
— Matt Petrillo (@MattPetrillo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattPetrillo/status/1544253177461088256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The bewildered reporter clarified, “You’re looking forward to not being mayor?” Kenney replied, “Yeah,” before appearing to laugh awkwardly.
Kenney assumed office as mayor of Philadelphia in 2016 after serving on the Philadelphia City Council since 1992. His current term expires in 2024.
Despite his pessimism, Kenney took a different approach on social media. “Our traditions cannot and will not be ruined by the scourge of gun violence,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/PhillyMayor/status/1544183263584976896?s=20&amp;t=oteafu0lr1wPaspEQCsnyQ">said</a> after the shooting. “I love this city, and as Mayor, there’s nothing more I want than to help solve this problem and keep our residents and visitors safe.”
Yet Philadelphia has languished in recent years. The city experienced its <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/01/1089406018/philadelphia-set-a-homicide-record-in-2021-now-police-hope-a-new-tactic-deters-c">highest level of homicides</a> in 2021, with 562 murders. The most recent surge in killings began in 2020, according to <a href="https://www.phillypolice.com/crime-maps-stats/">Philadelphia Police Department</a> data.
Last month, three people were murdered and 11 wounded in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-dead-11-wounded-in-late-night-mass-shooting-in-philadelphia-restaurant-and-bar-district">mass shooting</a> involving multiple gunmen in a neighborhood of Philadelphia known for its bars and restaurants. “The events that transpired last evening on South Street are beyond devastating,” Kenney said at the time. “Once again, we see lives senselessly lost and those injured in yet another horrendous, brazen and despicable act of gun violence.”
Economic woes have also struck the city as soaring gas prices impact low-income residents. The Daily Wire recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-is-too-high-right-now-in-west-philadelphia-residents-battle-inflation-and-gas-prices">interviewed</a> residents of West Philadelphia — where median household income is 43% of the national level — about their struggles to make ends meet.
“It’s too high. I don’t know what happened, because the price of everything is too high now,” Mohamed, a West Philadelphia resident and immigrant from French-speaking Africa, told The Daily Wire. Gas prices have significantly impacted him due to his daily commute to nearby New Jersey.
“I was using maybe $30 per week. Now I use almost $100,” Iliassou Koukpelerou, who drives a Hyundai Ioniq hybrid, told The Daily Wire. “It’s too much. I don’t know what they’re going to do about it.&#8221;
“They have to do something to lower the prices, so we can enjoy the way we were before,” he continued. “People don’t have money in their pockets anymore.”

Jim Kenney

Mayor Of Philadelphia Admits On Camera ‘I’ll Be Happy… When I’m Not Mayor’

Mayor Of Philadelphia Admits He Will 'Be Happy' When Term Is Complete

Crime

Mass Shooting

Mayor

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration">Joe Biden</a> responded to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/4th-of-july">Fourth of July</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mass-shooting">shooting</a> in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/highland-park">Highland Park</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illinois">Illinois</a>, by grieving with the victims and lauding recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gun-control">gun control</a> legislation.
The 21-year-old suspect allegedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-we-know-about-the-highland-park-parade-shooter">killed</a> six people and hospitalized at least 30 others from his perch on a suburban Chicago rooftop, where police later recovered a “high-powered rifle.” Officers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/person-of-interest-named-in-july-4-parade-massacre-in-highland-park">caught</a> the suspect five miles north of Highland Park later on Independence Day. The Daily Wire does not name mass shooting suspects once they are in custody as part of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-daily-wire-will-no-longer-publish-names-or-ben-shapiro">policy</a> aimed at depriving them of the notoriety they often crave.
Biden commented on the tragedy by noting that he offered Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/j-b-pritzker">J.B. Pritzker</a> (D-IL) and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering (D) federal support.
“Jill and I are shocked by the senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community on this Independence Day. As always, we are grateful for the first responders and law enforcement on the scene,” Biden said in a White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/04/statement-from-president-biden-on-the-shooting-in-highland-park-illinois/">statement</a>. “Members of the community should follow guidance from leadership on the ground, and I will monitor closely as we learn more about those whose lives have been lost and pray for those who are in the hospital with grievous injuries.”
Biden also lauded his efforts to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-passes-gun-control-bill-with-15-republicans-joining-democrats">sign</a> “the first major bipartisan gun reform legislation in almost thirty years.” Indeed, 15 Republicans in the Senate recently joined Democratic colleagues in passing a bill to fund controversial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gun-control-bill-advances-in-the-senate-with-help-from-14-republicans">red flag laws</a> in states and end the so-called “boyfriend loophole.”
“But there is much more work to do,” Biden added, “and I’m not going to give up fighting the epidemic of gun violence.”
A poster released by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi">FBI</a> showed that the person of interest is a white male weighing 120 pounds and standing 5’ 11” tall. With a wiry frame, the suspect has brown hair with several tattoos, including four tally marks with a line running through them on his right cheek, red rose and green leaves on his neck, and cursive script about his left eyebrow.
According to reports, the suspect had an active YouTube page operated under the handle “Awake the Rapper.” Among other disturbing videos, one post shows a pencil drawing of a person gunning down a crowd in between a montage of shots featuring the suspect backed by cinematic-like music.
The suspect&#8217;s uncle told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/illinois-shooting-july-fourth-parade-07-04-22/index.html">CNN</a> that his nephew showed few signs of violent tendencies. “He’s a quiet kid,” the uncle said. “He’s usually on his own. He’s a lonely, quiet person. He keeps everything to himself.”
Also on the Fourth of July, a shooter in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/philadelphia">Philadelphia</a>, Pennsylvania, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-crowds-panic-and-flee-as-shooter-disrupts-philadelphia-fireworks-hits-two-officers">shot</a> two police officers during a fireworks show. Footage shows civilians near the city’s art museum <a href="https://twitter.com/BNNBreaking/status/1544148559607767040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1544148559607767040%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fwatch-crowds-panic-and-flee-as-shooter-disrupts-philadelphia-fireworks-hits-two-officers">fleeing</a> as the display continued.
The Independence Day attacks occurred nearly two months after another shooter killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/uvalde">Uvalde</a>, Texas, which marked the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/uvalde-is-the-second-deadliest-school-shooting-on-record-heres-what-we-know">second-deadliest</a> school shooting in American history. Days earlier, an attacker who subscribed to extremist racial ideology <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shooter-kills-10-wounds-three-in-buffalo-grocery-store-authorities-investigating-as-racially-motivated-attack">killed</a> ten people in a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/buffalo">Buffalo</a>, New York, grocery store.
A previous version of this article said the suspect is 22-years-old. He is 21-years-old. 
Brandon Drey contributed to this report.

‘Senseless Gun Violence’: Biden Responds To Highland Park Shooting

Biden Issues Response To Highland Park Shooting

Gun Control

Highland Park

Crowds scattered on Monday night as an active shooter disrupted Philadelphia&#8217;s July Fourth celebration, Party on the Parkway, injuring two police officers.
According to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/philadelphia-2-police-officers-shot-fourth-july">news reports</a>, the shooting happened just after the fireworks display got underway, around 10 p.m. local time. Witnesses say the shots came from the area in front of the Art Museum, and two police officers were hit. Subsequent reports stated that the officers are in stable condition following the shooting — but no arrests have yet been made and the suspect has not been publicly identified.
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🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Reports or active shooter at Ben Franklin Parkway during firework show in Philly 
📌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Philadelphia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Philadelphia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PA</a> 
Right now multiple authorities are responding to a active shooter situation at Ben Franklin Parkway during firework show in Philadelphia causing mass panic <a href="https://t.co/4v521s6AfO">pic.twitter.com/4v521s6AfO</a>
&mdash; R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1544145430430228480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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WATCH: Chaos erupts on the streets of Philadelphia after a shooting during a Fourth of July fireworks display. <a href="https://t.co/UGelIRcdi1">pic.twitter.com/UGelIRcdi1</a>
&mdash; BNN Newsroom (@BNNBreaking) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNNBreaking/status/1544148559607767040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Action News, Philadelphia&#8217;s ABC affiliate (WPVI) <a href="https://6abc.com/police-offier-shot-ben-franklin-parkway-shooting-investigation-4th-of-july/12018760/">reported</a>, &#8220;Police say a Philadelphia officer assigned to highway patrol sustained a graze wound to the head. A second officer assigned to Montgomery County Bomb Squad sustained a gunshot wound to the right shoulder. That officer was there to assist Philadelphia police, as officers from surrounding counties often do during large events in the city.&#8221;
Philadelphia Police officers warned people to &#8220;avoid the area,&#8221; directing spectators who may have been separated from their friends and family in the melee to meet &#8220;at 1901 Vine Street in front of the Free Library of Philadelphia.&#8221;
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For those looking to reunite with loved ones on the Parkway, please meet at 1901 Vine Street in front of the Free Library of Philadelphia. All others, please avoid the area.
&mdash; Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhillyPolice/status/1544149987424145409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Monday evening&#8217;s <a href="https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/events/july-4th-festival-concert-and-fireworks/#party-on-the-parkway">Party on the Parkway</a> — which included a free concert featuring Jason DeRulo, AvaMax, and Tori Kelly in addition to the fireworks display — was supposed to be the grand finale of the annual <a href="https://welcomeamerica.com/about/">Welcome America</a> celebration. Welcome America sixteen days of family-friendly programming that began on June 19th — in order to incorporate Juneteenth into the celebration of freedom and liberty — and ended July 4th.
According to a report from Fox News, the 2022 Welcome America celebration was the first since COVID-related lockdowns shuttered a number of large gatherings in early spring of 2020 — and some 100,000 people were expected to attend.
Pennsylvania Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D), who represents northern Philadelphia&#8217;s 181st District, responded to the shooting on Twitter.
&#8220;We shouldn’t have to live like this. Family after family and community after community forced to live with the gut wrenching pain of gun violence. I’m absolutely gutted by the reports of a shooting tonight in the Philadelphia Art Museum area during the July 4th concert,&#8221; he said.
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We shouldn’t have to live like this. Family after family and community after community forced to live with the gut wrenching pain of gun violence. 
I’m absolutely gutted by the reports of a shooting tonight in the Philadelphia Art Museum area during the July 4th concert.
&mdash; Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (@malcolmkenyatta) <a href="https://twitter.com/malcolmkenyatta/status/1544145905988812801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The shooting comes just hours after a <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/shooting-sends-4th-of-july-parade-into-chaos-multiple-feared-injured-or-dead/">shooter</a> fired on an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, killing at least six and wounding two dozen others.

US-HOLIDAY-JULY4-FIREWORKS

Video Shows Crowd Panic, Flee As Shooter Disrupts Philadelphia Fireworks, Hits Two Officers

Crowds Panic And Flee As Shooter Disrupts Philadelphia Fireworks, Hits Two Officers

Shooting

An Independence Day celebration turned into a deadly <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/shooting-sends-4th-of-july-parade-into-chaos-multiple-feared-injured-or-dead/">mass shooting</a> on Monday in Highland Park, Illinois, which left at least six people dead and 30 others hospitalized, leading to authorities identifying and <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/person-of-interest-named-in-july-4-parade-massacre-in-highland-park/">arresting</a> a 21-year-old suspect.
Previous articles included the suspect&#8217;s name because he was still at large, but due to The Daily Wire&#8217;s policy against publishing the names of mass shooters, his name will be redacted in all future stories.
The suspect opened fire from a suburban Chicago rooftop that sent hundreds of parade-goers fleeing the scene leaving behind personal belongings like chairs, strollers, and bicycles, police said.
&#8220;This was very random, very intentional, and a very sad day,&#8221; Sgt. Christopher Covelli, of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, during a press update.
Police recovered a &#8220;high-powered rifle&#8221; on the unsecured rooftop of a local business.
Before authorities took the suspect into custody, he was considered armed and dangerous until FBI agents spotted him at home in Highwood, Illinois, where neighbors said he lives with his family.
A poster released by the FBI said the person of interest is a white male weighing 120 pounds and standing 5&#8217;11&#8221; tall. With a thin frame, the suspect also has brown hair with several tattoos, including four tally marks with a line running through them on his right cheek, red rose and green leaves on his neck, and cursive script about his left eyebrow.
According to reports, the suspect had a YouTube page under the handle &#8220;Awake the Rapper.&#8221; One <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%22Robert%20%22Bobby%22%20E.%20Crimo%20III%22&amp;src=trend_click&amp;pt=1544107635644973056&amp;vertical=trends">video</a> that has raised Twitter users&#8217; eyebrows shows a pencil drawing of a person gunning down a crowd in between a montage of shots featuring the suspect backed by cinematic-like music.
<a href="https://thepostmillennial.com/haunting-youtube-video-featuring-suspect-appears-to-warn-of-highland-park-july-4-mass-shooting-attack?utm_campaign=64483">The Post Millennial</a> recovered a second video allegedly from the suspect where he recites a poem that frequently repeats he is &#8220;like a sleepwalker&#8221; that &#8220;can&#8217;t be stopped.&#8221;
The post has been taken down since the time of his arrest.
Photo evidence on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheInsiderPaper/status/1544107902578724864?s=20&amp;t=ueIe9Urh6UQbplkC02K_1g">social media</a> displays law enforcement holding the suspect wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, a red undershirt, and black pants, handcuffed and held face-down on the ground.
Other documentation of the suspect shows him wearing a Trump flag around his neck, wearing a black hat with FBI embroidered in white, and smoking Camel cigarettes. He can also be seen at a Trump parade, where he was <a href="https://twitter.com/JennywasJenny/status/1544126657191198720">dressed</a> like &#8220;Waldo&#8221; from the &#8220;Where&#8217;s Waldo&#8221; cartoon book series.
However, a Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1544113113724698624">account</a> using the alleged suspect&#8217;s artist name scrolls through what posts he &#8220;liked&#8221; on the platform — most of which indicate support for arresting Trump supporters who protested the results of the 2020 Presidential Election and rioted at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
One of the Highland Park shooting suspect&#8217;s uncles told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/illinois-shooting-july-fourth-parade-07-04-22/index.html">CNN</a> his nephew showed no warning signs that would lead him to believe he would become a mass shooter.
He told CNN he never saw him engage in any violence or concerning behavior, adding he was unaware of his nephew&#8217;s political views.
&#8220;He&#8217;s a quiet kid,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He&#8217;s usually on his own. He&#8217;s a lonely, quiet person. He keeps everything to himself.&#8221;
CNN reported that the suspect lives in an apartment behind the house owned by his father. To his uncle&#8217;s knowledge, he never saw the suspect with friends at his apartment.
The suspect&#8217;s uncle reportedly told CNN his nephew wasn&#8217;t working, though he worked at Panera Bread before the COVID pandemic.
The uncle also said the suspect was active on YouTube.
He saw his nephew on Sunday night for the last time when he was sitting on a recliner in the house, looking at his computer.
&#8220;Everything was as normal,&#8221; he said.
Social media users have also <a href="https://twitter.com/LouAye_/status/1544112537578373120">posted</a> the suspect&#8217;s last Facebook post from May 29, 2021, which says, &#8220;You&#8217;re all sinners.&#8221;
A previous version of this article said the suspect is 22-years-old. He is 21-years-old.

US-NEWS-CHICAGO-PARADE-SHOOTING-2-TB

Here’s What We Know About The Alleged Highland Park Parade Shooter

Here's What We Know About The Alleged Highland Park Parade Shooter

Illinois

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