Expectations were high for the Memorial Day weekend <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movie-theaters">box office</a> as “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” exceeded targets for ticket pre-sales. Ultimately, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">film</a> had a disappointing opening, with $32 million in total sales for the four-day weekend. &#8220;The Garfield Movie&#8221; made just over $31 million.
Total sales for the holiday weekend topped out at just $128.3 million, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/27/business/summer-box-office-memorial-day/index.html">CNN</a>, representing a steep decline from the same time span in 2023, which brought in just under $205 million. It’s well under the top performing Memorial Day weekend in 2013 when <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">moviegoers</a> spent $314.3 million, driven mainly by the release of that year’s mega-hit “Fast &amp; Furious 6.”
“There’s no way to sugarcoat it, the numbers that are coming out this weekend are nothing to write home about,” Paul Degarabedian, senior media analyst with Comscore, told CNN about the disappointing results. The next lowest Memorial Day weekend was led by “Casper” in 1995, with total box office sales totaling just over $117 million.
“Summer is the most important moviegoing season of the year, accounting on average for nearly 40% of the total domestic annual revenue, so as goes the summer so goes the year,” he added.
Last summer was dominated by “Barbenheimer” mania, with the release of the comedy “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s historical drama “Oppenheimer” on the same weekend in late July. Combined, the films raked in close to $1 billion domestically. This summer so far doesn’t have any standout contenders for similar results. 
The 2024 season will be full of franchise follow-ups, including “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” next week. Degarabedian mentioned a few other upcoming titles that had potential, including “Despicable Me 4,” “Inside-Out 2,” and “Deadpool &amp; Wolverine.”
“Sans a Marvel movie to provide a $100-million-plus opening weekend to get the momentum going, this summer will have to make up ground in June and July,” he added. 
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Entertainment industry experts also noted that Disney has yet to release a single film in 2024, which is likely contributing to the downward trend in ticket sales. They noted that $100 million-plus openings are more likely with well-known franchises like Marvel and Star Wars.
The analysts are still blaming post-pandemic viewing habits for the low ticket sales but insist that there’s still potential for studios to make money this summer. 
“Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since the pandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro, told CNN. “The data clearly shows that audiences can still support the studio tentpole model — but identifying the movies that will become those blockbuster hits continues to be as difficult to predict as ever before.”

Movie theater

Box Office On Track To Have Worst Memorial Day Weekend Since 1995, ‘Garfield’ And ‘Furiosa’ Flounder

Box Office On Track To Have Worst Memorial Day Weekend Since 1995, 'Garfield' And 'Furiosa' Flounder

Entertainment

Hollywod

Memorial Day

Movie Theaters

Movies

U.S.

Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Cori Bush (D-MO) deleted posts on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memorial-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day</a> after facing backlash online for not understanding what the day is about.
Bush posted on her official government X account: “This #MemorialDay &amp; every day, we honor our veterans in St. Louis. We must invest in universal health care, affordable housing, comprehensive mental health services, and educational &amp; economic opportunities for our veterans as we work to build a world free of war and violence.”
Omar followed suit, adding just a few minutes later on her government X account: “On #MemorialDay, we honor the heroic men and women who served our country. We owe them more than our gratitude — they have more than earned access to quality mental health services, job opportunities, housing assistance, and the benefits they were promised.”
Memorial Day is observed every year on the last Monday during the month of May to honor U.S. service members who have died while in the U.S. Military.
Veterans Day is observed on November 11 every year, regardless of what day it falls on, and is a day to honor everyone who has served in the U.S. Military and is &#8220;is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service,&#8221; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs <a href="https://department.va.gov/veterans-day/facts-and-information/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a>.
Both lawmakers faced criticism online for their posts.
Popular conservative commentator AG wrote: &#8220;So do any of the squad members actually know what Memorial Day is about?&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
So do any of the squad members actually know what Memorial Day is about?
Omar and Bush have now deleted these tweets. <a href="https://t.co/zwYBIaePU3">pic.twitter.com/zwYBIaePU3</a>
— AG (@AGHamilton29) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGHamilton29/status/1795161479190077897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Ilhan Omar misunderstanding Memorial Day is incredibly on brand,&#8221; said Town Hall writer John Hasson.
Libs of TikTok added: &#8220;Cori Bush just deleted this tweet where she confused Memorial Day with Veterans Day.&#8221;

Democrats Link Debt Limit To Vital Spending Bill

Far-Left Lawmakers Delete Memorial Day Posts After Showing They Don’t Know What It’s About

Congress

Cori Bush

Ilhan Omar

Politics

B-24 Liberator Bombers

He Flew 34 Missions Over Europe. An Interview With A 100-Year-Old World War II Veteran

Books

Europe

Morning Wire

Nazi Germany

Readers Pass

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Army

Veterans

World War II

Several veterans currently serving in Congress — from both sides of the aisle — joined together to wash the Vietnam War Memorial ahead of the Memorial Day holiday honoring fallen service-members.
CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; shared video of the project on Sunday, showing several members of Congress who served in different branches of the military as they hand-washed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
&#8220;Democrat, Republican, black, white, brown, none of that matters,&#8221; Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) said. &#8220;It just matters that we&#8217;re all Americans.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This Memorial Day weekend, a bipartisan group of veterans who serve in Congress hand-washed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial together.
“Democrat, Republican, Black, White, Brown, none of that matters. It just matters that we’re all Americans,” Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) said. <a href="https://t.co/TmMLGrGbd3">pic.twitter.com/TmMLGrGbd3</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1794813253345845415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Waltz and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) also spoke with &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan about the &#8220;divide&#8221; between the 99% of Americans who have never served in the military and the 1% who have. Calling that chasm &#8220;deeply problematic as a democracy,&#8221; they told Brennan that they have been working together to find better ways to recruit more young Americans to serve.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
With less than 1% of the American population serving in the military, the &#8220;divide&#8221; between the other 99% is &#8220;deeply problematic as a democracy,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/RepPatRyanNY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepPatRyanNY</a>, who is working with another veteran in Congress, Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelgwaltz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@michaelgwaltz</a>, on ways to recruit more service members. <a href="https://t.co/DPEiYsdJfm">pic.twitter.com/DPEiYsdJfm</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1794742391477243917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Waltz suggested that especially in light of President Joe Biden&#8217;s recent unilateral moves to cancel student debt, perhaps some sort of civil or military service could be expected of those whose debts were forgiven.
&#8220;Service doesn&#8217;t just have to be in the military. People here are talking about just giving away college or just eliminating debt. Well, how about the American taxpayer gets something in exchange for that in terms of service?&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Service doesn&#8217;t just have to be in the military,&#8221; Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelgwaltz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@michaelgwaltz</a> says. &#8220;People here are talking about just giving away college or just eliminating debt. Well, how about the American taxpayer gets something in exchange for that in terms of service?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/xeX4w1PzDQ">pic.twitter.com/xeX4w1PzDQ</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1794742641818751243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Waltz and Ryan are also working together to combat the very real problem of suicide among military veterans, saying that the federal government needed to be ready to do more. &#8220;We don&#8217;t have the urgency. It needs to be a problem that every American recognizes as theirs,&#8221; Ryan said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The U.S. government is &#8220;not doing enough&#8221; to address the number of veterans who succumb to suicide after serving, says <a href="https://twitter.com/RepPatRyanNY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepPatRyanNY</a>, an Army veteran.
&#8220;We don&#8217;t have the urgency,&#8221; he tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>. &#8220;It needs to be a problem that every American recognizes as theirs.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/TTvDUvHJCC">pic.twitter.com/TTvDUvHJCC</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1794740563415294326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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US-MEMORIAL DAY

Veterans In Congress Wash Vietnam War Wall For Memorial Day

Veterans In Congress Wash Vietnam Wall For Memorial Day

memorial

Mike Waltz

Vietnam

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memorial-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day</a> celebrations and travel will cost Americans more this year thanks to inflation, according to the latest price data.
Inflation has been spiking since the spring of 2021, when pandemic restrictions began to ease. Although it has <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2024/05/18/memorial-day-inflation-travel-bbq-and-booze-all-cost-more-this-year/?sh=154257874e82" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2024/05/18/memorial-day-inflation-travel-bbq-and-booze-all-cost-more-this-year/?sh%3D154257874e82&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716407206599000&amp;usg=AOvVaw36WyMY0jN4qk4tZYz-XixD">slowed</a> since then — April&#8217;s 3.4% annual inflation rate is down from April 2022’s eye-popping 8.3% rate — it remains well above the usual 2% average.
This has hiked prices for basic necessities like groceries and gas, putting pressure on families to make ends meet and driving up the cost of the traditional summer cookout.
Groceries for the average cookout will cost Americans about 10% more than they did for Memorial Day last year, <a href="https://cbs4indy.com/news/your-memorial-day-cookout-will-cost-you-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://cbs4indy.com/news/your-memorial-day-cookout-will-cost-you-more/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716407206599000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0M4SWm2P3qVom-RM13oJRK">according</a> to data from Datasembly, which tracks grocery prices.
Overall, a small list of cookout ingredients that cost $27.39 last year costs $30.18 this year.
Some items are driving up the price more than others, such as the nearly 50% price spike for a favorite condiment — relish. Relish that was $3.14 last year is $4.67 this year, more than a 48% increase.
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Burgers are a dollar more, $8.07 compared to $7.04 last year. That&#8217;s an increase of 14.6%.
Hamburger buns jumped 2¢ to $3.06. Hotdog buns jumped 3¢ to $3.09.
Another favorite condiment, ketchup, jumped 10¢ to $5.53, and mustard jumped 8¢ to $2.61.
This basic list of ingredients does not even take into account other purchases that could be necessary, such as paper plates, cups, and plasticware.
If a family wants to spend slightly more and grill steaks, they&#8217;ll be looking at a 7% price jump for steaks compared to last year, according to the federal government’s consumer price index.
If they want to enjoy a few cold ones, they&#8217;ll find that beer is 10% more expensive than last year.
Meanwhile, travel and entertainment has gotten more expensive as well.
Sports tickets are 15% more expensive than last year, according to the federal consumer price index.
Gasoline, car expenses, and plane travel are all up as well.
Car insurance and car repairs are both more than 10% more expensive than last year, the consumer price index shows.
Compared to three years ago, plane tickets <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2024/05/18/memorial-day-inflation-travel-bbq-and-booze-all-cost-more-this-year/?sh=154257874e82" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2024/05/18/memorial-day-inflation-travel-bbq-and-booze-all-cost-more-this-year/?sh%3D154257874e82&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716407206599000&amp;usg=AOvVaw36WyMY0jN4qk4tZYz-XixD">cost</a> 24% more, and gas costs 28% more on average.
Nevertheless, the Biden administration on Tuesday <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/us-department-energy-announces-sale-northeast-gasoline-supply-reserve-americans-hit-road" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.energy.gov/articles/us-department-energy-announces-sale-northeast-gasoline-supply-reserve-americans-hit-road&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716407206599000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0wIz5TpyV9lmDhuaCKyXil">claimed</a> to be lowering prices at the pump ahead of summer travel by releasing one million barrels of gas from the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve. Americans <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=23&amp;t=10#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20U.S.%20finished%20motor,U.S.%20gallons%20in%20a%20barrel)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">use</a> about 8.94 million barrels of gasoline a day.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is laser focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families, especially as drivers hit the road for summer driving season,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
“By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state and northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most,” Granholm said.
Inflation at the top of many Americans minds as the election cycle heats up — about 41% say inflation is the biggest financial issue facing their families, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/644690/americans-continue-name-inflation-top-financial-problem.aspx#:~:text=Forty%2Done%20percent%20of%20U.S.,with%20most%20readings%20under%2010%25." target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.gallup.com/poll/644690/americans-continue-name-inflation-top-financial-problem.aspx%23:~:text%3DForty%252Done%2520percent%2520of%2520U.S.,with%2520most%2520readings%2520under%252010%2525.&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716407206599000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1dU4GeLDAFZB8yJjhiNxQl">according</a> to a Gallup poll conducted last month. Back in 2020, only 3% said so.
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</div>
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Summer Holiday Grilling

Memorial Day Plans Will Cost Americans More This Year

Biden

Biden Administration

Economy

Inflation

Joe Biden

On Tuesday, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> announced a decision to sell 1 million barrels of gasoline to the commercial market from a reserve in a bid to push down prices at the pump this summer.
The plan comes as President Joe Biden is running for a second term in the White House in this year&#8217;s November election while dealing with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-goodness-graphs-show-how-trump-dominates-biden-when-household-wealth-gets-hit-by-inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scourge of inflation</a>, a fact that Republican officials noted in reacting to the decision.
&#8220;President Biden is yet again using America’s emergency fuel reserves to cover for his disastrous inflationary policies in an election year,&#8221; Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) <a href="https://x.com/SenMikeLee/status/1792988544031494355" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X.
Stores from the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve (NGSR) will be sold in a &#8220;competitive bidding process&#8221; to help &#8220;lower costs for American families and consumers&#8221; in the run-up to Independence Day, per the Energy Department.
&#8220;The Biden-Harris Administration is laser focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families, especially as drivers hit the road for summer driving season,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
“By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state and northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most,&#8221; she added.
Not mentioned in the press release was how the United States, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=23&amp;t=10#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20U.S.%20finished%20motor,U.S.%20gallons%20in%20a%20barrel)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">as recently as 2023</a>, was consuming an average of roughly 8.94 million barrels of gasoline each day.
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The Obama administration created the NGSR <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/northeast-gasoline-supply-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in response to Superstorm Sandy</a>, which damaged refineries and terminals when it hit the northeastern United States in 2012, leaving some gas stations without fuel for weeks.
Because the Biden administration has also sapped the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a> (SPR) in an attempt to stabilize global oil markets and <a href="https://rollcall.com/2022/10/19/biden-to-announce-more-oil-reserve-sales-to-reduce-gas-prices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">combat rising gasoline prices</a>, some critics argued the president has placed the country at risk.
&#8220;Joe Biden’s failed Far Left Democrats anti-American energy agenda continues to compromise our national security,&#8221; said the X account for House Republicans, <a href="https://x.com/HouseGOP/status/1792987816558735636" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responding</a> to news of the planned NGSR release.
&#8220;This is ridiculous,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/RepFeenstra/status/1792988417216655574" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA). &#8220;Instead of depleting our oil reserves, the President should support American energy production.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;He can start by calling on the Senate to pass the Lower Energy Costs Act and signing this bill into law so that we can lower gas prices for American families.&#8221;

President Joe Biden

Biden Admin Plans Election Year Summer Sale Of Gasoline From Reserves

Biden Administration Plans Election Year Summer Sale Of Gasoline From Reserves

Energy

Gas Prices

Gasoline

Strategic Petroleum Reserve

A pregnant woman shot a man who attacked her family during a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memorial-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day</a> visit to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arkansas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arkansas</a>, according to a police report. 
The incident <a href="https://www.kark.com/crime/family-visiting-from-out-of-state-speaks-out-in-river-market-shooting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">occurred</a> in a parking garage in Little Rock during a robbery attempt, police said. The woman, who was with her husband and two children, told police that her husband was tackled and punched by a man as he was loading something on top of their van. She said that the man then went into the car and struck her, which is when she pulled out a gun and shot him. 
The man accused of attacking and attempting to rob the family was <a href="https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jun/01/robbery-attempt-cited-in-shooting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identified</a> as 37-year-old Markevious King. The police were called and King was then transported to a nearby hospital.
The husband, who said his family was from Memphis, <a href="https://www.kark.com/crime/family-visiting-from-out-of-state-speaks-out-in-river-market-shooting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told KARK</a> that they had come to Little Rock to go to the zoo and a waterpark to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. 
“Ah, just a fractured rib, and my wife has a couple of knots on her forehead where he apparently punched her,” the husband said, describing the family&#8217;s injuries. 
“A lot of things could’ve happened and we never know what he was really planning or anything. if he was trying to kidnap our girls or just trying to steal the car or what,” he added. 
He added that the family was used to violent events because they lived around Memphis. 
“We live in Memphis and this kind of happens to people here all the time so I mean it’s not something we are going to let shine down or shadow down on our lives because we do like to travel,” he said. 
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Pregnant women have used guns in self-defense in the past, including one <a href="https://www.cbs19news.com/story/41289877/florida-woman-8-months-pregnant-kills-home-intruder-with-ar-15-sheriff-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-profile incident </a>near Tampa, Florida, in 2019 when a woman, eight months pregnant, shot an armed home intruder with an AR-15, according to officials. 
“They came in heavily hooded and masked,” Jeremy King told Bay News 9 at the time. “As soon as they had got the back door opened, they had a pistol on me and was grabbing my 11-year-old daughter.”
The sheriff’s office said that the rifle was legally owned and fired once, killing the intruder, during the incident. 
&#8220;Them guys came in with two normal pistols and my AR stopped it,” King added. “[My wife] evened the playing field and kept them from killing me.&#8221;

Woman Carrying Handgun

Pregnant Woman Shoots Man Who Attacked Her Family In Parking Garage: Police

Arkansas

Guns

Violent Crime

The city of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a> was rocked by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gun-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">violence</a> over the holiday weekend as more than 40 people were wounded and 11 killed, the most deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memorial-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day</a> weekend in eight years. 
According <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2023/5/27/23739457/memorial-day-weekend-chicago-shootings-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to a tally</a> from the Chicago Sun-Times, at least 45 people were injured in shootings or stabbings, while another 11 were killed. Two of the violent incidents happened not far from the home of new Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/brandon-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brandon Johnson</a>. 
A woman was found dead from stab wounds two blocks from the mayor’s home, while another individual was injured in a shooting in his West Side neighborhood, according to the Sun-Times. It was the most people killed since 2015, though not the most injured. 
Multiple police officers worked on their days off due to the expected increase in violence over the weekend. 
Homicide victims included a 33-year-old unidentified man who was shot in the armpit, 35-year-old William Hair who was shot in the chest, 22-year-old Johnathan Salgado, a 35-year-old man who was shot in the face while standing on a sidewalk, an unidentified woman killed in a drive-by shooting, a 26-year-old shot in the back, and a 35-year-old man shot in the head while in his car. 
The incidents took place throughout the city, including the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, the Heart of Chicago neighborhood, the Little Village neighborhood, the Austin neighborhood, the Lake View neighborhood, West Garfield Park, and Woodlawn. 
Two non-fatal shooting incidents involved separate 2-year-olds. One involved a young girl accidentally injuring herself with a gun she found in the street, while the other involved a boy who was shot in the hand while playing in a bedroom. 
The deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicagos-endless-summer-violence-34-shot-8-dead-so-far-this-memorial-day-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weekend comes as</a> Mayor Johnson is rolling out a safety program that includes having more police on the ground, an increase in peace safety officers on hand to de-escalate situations, and programs for Chicago’s youth.
<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-83432">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
“It’s going to take all of us, not just the police, not just city government, to ensure that our communities can live and thrive in peace and safety,” Johnson <a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/mayor-brandon-johnson-unveils-safety-plan-for-memorial-day-weekend/d9eee800-fa61-484f-ba05-d49b1416d49d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week. “However you decide to spend your holiday weekend in Chicago, your safety is my top priority.”
Chicago was not the only place that experienced excessive violence over the holiday weekend. Nine people <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-florida-beach-shooting-93dda56246a69d8913f35349c52d83c5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were injured</a> during a shooting at a beach in Hollywood, Florida. Those injured included children.

Generic police lights and crime scene tape

Chicago Rocked By Violence As At Least 11 Killed Over Memorial Day Weekend

Brandon Johnson

Chicago

Crime

Gun Violence

Illinois

Because of my father, my family spends part of every Memorial Day at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
Captain John Thomas Greenplate (1954-2017) is buried there, and while he was not killed in action, he rests alongside many who were — and many more who would have, if they had been called upon to do so.
Dad was the son of a World War II veteran who survived the Battle of the Bulge. He was the younger brother of an Army combat engineer who served in Vietnam. Even though the Vietnam War was all but over by the time he graduated high school in 1972, it never sat right with him that he had not also put on a uniform.
Throughout my childhood, two things were sacred: God and country. There was no quicker way to anger Dad than to disrespect or dishonor either – a lesson my younger sister learned when she intentionally sang the national anthem off-key in exaggerated fashion. Dad very quietly asked her never to do that in his house again.
It wasn&#8217;t until he was 44 — and technically too old to serve – that he applied for an age waiver and got it, and took a direct commission into the U.S. Army Reserve just three months after I enlisted. He went to his officer training course the same summer that I went through Basic Combat Training, and he deployed to Afghanistan three years later.
<div id="attachment_559759" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-559759" class="wp-image-559759 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-7-432x576.jpeg" alt="Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-7-432x576.jpeg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-7-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-7-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-7-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-7-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-7-scaled.jpeg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />Photo: Virginia Kruta</div>
Dad&#8217;s birthday was June 2nd, but he never had much interest in celebrating that. All of my life – both before and after his military service — he was more interested in celebrating Memorial Day, which often fell within a week of his birthday anyway. Now that he&#8217;s gone, it only seems fitting that we do so in his place.
So we go to the ceremony and we stand under the flag, flown at half staff to honor the dead – and we talk to the veterans who have come out to salute their brothers in arms. Uniform white grave stones stretch as far as the eye can see in every direction, every one of them a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who was willing to sacrifice everything for a greater cause.
<div id="attachment_559757" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-559757" class="wp-image-559757 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image2-2-768x576.jpeg" alt="Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image2-2-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image2-2-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image2-2-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image2-2-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Photo: Virginia Kruta</div>
It makes you feel small to stand in such a place — and then to be hit with the realization that this military cemetery is just one of many in the United States and all over the world.
Almost two years ago now, I stood with my son in the middle of the Henri-Chapelle American Military Cemetery in Plombieres, Belgium – and the feeling was the same. The silence surrounded us even when crowds of people were present. White marble crosses <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Video.mov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stretched as far</a> as the eye could see. Most included the name and unit of the fallen soldier, but some simply read, &#8220;Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_559755" style="width: 401px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-559755" class="wp-image-559755 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-8-391x576.jpeg" alt="Unknown soldier, Henri-Chapelle American Military Cemetery, Plombieres, Belgium." width="391" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-8-391x576.jpeg 391w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-8-204x300.jpeg 204w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-8-768x1131.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-8-1043x1536.jpeg 1043w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-8-1390x2048.jpeg 1390w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/image0-8-scaled.jpeg 1738w" sizes="(max-width: 391px) 100vw, 391px" />Photo: Virginia Kruta</div>
We spend this day remembering those who fell so that we who remain can stand tall — and although it is fitting to mourn those we may have personally lost, it is also fitting to remember the words of the late General George S. Patton Jr.: &#8220;It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.&#8221;
Thank God that such men lived, indeed. It&#8217;s because they did that we do.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

On Memorial Day: We ‘Thank God That Such Men Lived’

Military

Soldiers

Cemetery Margraten # 4

‘They Never Talked About The War’: Honoring Our WW II Fallen Heroes & Veterans On Memorial Day With Author Andrew Biggio

‘They Never Talked About The War’: Honoring Our World War II Veterans On Memorial Day With Author Andrew Biggio

Marines

With Memorial Day upon us, summer is unofficially here and that almost certainly means another season of mayhem in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Windy City</a>.
As of early Sunday morning, there were already 34 individuals shot with eight dead in Chicago over <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-shootings-shooting-breaking-news-today/13311022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day Weekend</a>.
The deadly weekend comes as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is rolling out a safety program that includes having more police on the ground — which he&#8217;s accomplished by canceling days off, an increase in peace safety officers on hand to de-escalate situations, and events and programs for Chicago&#8217;s youth.
“It’s going to take all of us, not just the police, not just city government, to ensure that our communities can live and thrive in peace and safety,” Johnson <a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/mayor-brandon-johnson-unveils-safety-plan-for-memorial-day-weekend/d9eee800-fa61-484f-ba05-d49b1416d49d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> earlier this week. “However you decide to spend your holiday weekend in Chicago, your safety is my top priority.”
Last year, Chicago had its deadliest Memorial Day in half a decade. More than <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-weekend-shootings-at-least-48-shot-8-fatally-in-memorial-day-weekend-gun-violence/2845854/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50 were shot and nine were killed</a>. Based on those numbers in comparison to this year, it doesn&#8217;t really seem like Johnson&#8217;s having a major impact in curbing crime. The weekend is not over, and Monday&#8217;s Memorial Day events will likely only bring more bloodshed.
Perhaps those inclined to commit such recklessness in Chicago don&#8217;t exactly fear Johnson or his soft-on-crime policies. Readers should keep in mind what happened after one <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bedlam-as-hundreds-of-teenagers-inundate-downtown-chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April weekend</a> during which throngs of teenagers rampaged in the streets, jumped on cars, and beat up at least one innocent couple. Johnson effectively dismissed it as youthful shenanigans. He even compared the behavior to his young child jumping down the flight of stairs.
He even told the press that it &#8220;is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.&#8221;
&#8220;Have you ever taught middle school? I have,&#8221; Johnson <a href="https://news.grabien.com/story-chicago-mayor-elect-defends-looters-demonizing-children-is-wrong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a>. &#8220;Have you ever raised young people? Do you understand the risk that young people take just because they&#8217;re young? Do you know that home plate is at the bottom of my stairs? I found that out when my son was sliding down those stairs trying to score.&#8221;
He went on to say that youngsters &#8220;make silly decisions! They do. So we have to make sure that we are investing to make sure that young people know that they are supported.&#8221;
Here is part of what those &#8220;silly&#8221; kids were doing:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Chaotic Scene Unfolds in Downtown Chicago as Teenagers Vandalize Cars and Gunfire Erupts 
📌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chicago?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chicago</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Illinois?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Illinois</a> ⁰ There is currently a significant police response taking place in downtown Chicago due to a large group of teenagers causing chaos. They have been… <a href="https://t.co/n7xhBpsTKs">pic.twitter.com/n7xhBpsTKs</a>
&mdash; R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1647457314494971910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Johnson&#8217;s solution to this disarray, as well as the near-daily shootings in Chicago, is more government funding for programs often unrelated to the enforcement of the law. He should be doing more to back the police so that they can feel confident they have the support needed and authority to actually enforce the law.
Of course, the real answer to this chaos can&#8217;t just come from government funding or improved policing. He must, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chaos-rules-in-chicago-the-lack-of-two-parent-homes-is-to-blame" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as this author has previously observed</a>, advocate that fathers stay in the home and encourage mothers and fathers to stay together. Fatherlessness in Chicago, especially in the black community, can explain much of the city&#8217;s crime.
Until a true shift toward focusing the family on happens, Chicago will likely have many more deadly summers.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Brandon Johnson Is Sworn In As The 57th Mayor Of Chicago

Chicago’s Endless Summer Violence: 34 Shot, 8 Dead So Far This Memorial Day Weekend

Chicago's Endless Summer Violence: 34 Shot, 8 Dead So Far This Memorial Day Weekend

Democratic Party

Fathers

Shooting

Violence

A fight and a gunshot forced one of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-welcomes-new-leftist-mayor-with-vision-of-a-safer-and-more-equitable-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a>’s most popular summer spots to close just hours after opening for Memorial Day weekend. 
Up to 100 teenagers gathered at the North Avenue beach around 1:30 p.m. on Friday when a fight broke out and someone fired a gun, according to police, Fox 32 <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/police-activity-north-avenue-beach-chicago-memorial-day-weekend">reported</a>. Video of the incident showed the group of teens taunting each other before a single gunshot is heard and the crowd disperses.
No one was injured by the gunfire, and police took a 15-year-old boy and one other person into custody. Chicago’s beaches, which stretch along Lake Michigan, officially opened at 11 a.m. Friday for the summer. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today, on the first day beaches were opened for the season in Chicago, a shooting takes place at the popular North Avenue Beach as about 80 to 100 teenagers gathered. <a href="https://t.co/tEJeSW0kNj">pic.twitter.com/tEJeSW0kNj</a>
&mdash; Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMarieOakes/status/1662218100627079169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The person who fired the weapon was observed,&#8221; Interim Chicago Police Department Supt. Fred Waller <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/north-avenue-beach-shot-fired/">said</a>. &#8220;He was taken into custody after a very, very short foot pursuit. Another subject in the same area was also observed running away with a weapon and he was taken into custody. Two weapons were recovered from him.&#8221;
Claire Nelson, who was at the beach with a group of friends from DePaul University, was only 200 feet away from the group of teenagers at the time of the fight and subsequent gunfire, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/north-avenue-beach-shot-fired/">reported</a>. 
&#8220;We were really close, actually. We were having fun, and then all of a sudden these people started fighting, and the police came out, and then we heard a gunshot, and we just ran away to safety,&#8221; Nelson said.
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The beach <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-beaches-north-avenue-beach-closed-shots-fired/13304202/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reopened</a> a few hours after the incident, and the 15-year-old was charged with two felonies: one count of aggravated assault discharge of a firearm and one count of criminal damage to property worth $500 to $10,000.
The city, led by its new leftist mayor Brandon Johnson, <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/midwest/chicago-peacekeeping-force-holiday-weekend/">prepared</a> for another weekend of potential violence by increasing police presence across the city and deploying 30 “peacekeepers” trained in de-escalation and conflict intervention. The Chicago PD also said it would be conducting bag checks of large gatherings at beaches. 
Last year in Chicago, nine people were killed and 40 were injured in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-weekend-starts-off-summer-in-chicago-with-at-least-five-dead">shootings</a> across the city over Memorial Day weekend.
“It’s going to take all of us not just the police, city government to ensure our communities can live and thrive in peace and safety,” Johnson said while discussing the city’s safety plan for the holiday weekend.

North Avenue Beach

Gunfire Forces Popular Chicago Beach To Close Hours After Opening For Holiday Weekend

Gunfire Forces Chicago Beach To Close Hours After Opening For Holiday Weekend

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