New Poll: Nearly Half of Americans Don’t Know What America’s 250th Is Celebrating

86% are grateful to be American, 70% say Founding principles remain relevant today, 57% say the US has moved away from its founding principles, 56% worry the US could lose its freedom over the next 50 years. 58% say no political party should be trusted with too much power

A new national survey from the Cato Institute, conducted in collaboration with Morning Consult of 2,253 Americans ahead of July 4th and America’s 250th anniversary, finds nearly half (46%) of Americans don’t know what America’s 250th anniversary commemorates. A little more than half (53%) correctly answered that it was the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Despite civic ignorance, overwhelming majorities are grateful (86%) and proud (79%) to be Americans. Most also believe America is a land of opportunity (61%), and even more believe the American Dream (74%) is available to them personally. As the nation celebrates its birth, most Americans feel positive (76%) about the nation’s founding, and 70% believe its founding principles remain relevant today. In particular, overwhelming majorities believe the US Constitution is important for protecting our rights and freedoms (86%) and for enabling America’s prosperity (82%).

However, nearly 6 in 10 believe the country has moved away from the founding principles, and 56% worry the US could stop being a free country within the next 50 years. People believe corruption, concentrations and abuse of power, and ignoring founding principles could lead to the country’s demise. Americans support constitutional limits, dividing power, and checking the power of the president to maintain their freedoms. For instance, 58% say no political party should be trusted with too much power, 55% say the US Constitution should place firm limits on what the government is allowed to do, even if it makes it harder to solve problems, and 72% say the president should have to obey Supreme Court rulings even when he disagrees.

Yet, a significant minority is willing to bend the rules when it suits their advantage. Four in 10 Americans think it’s acceptable if a president they support stretched the Constitution to get what they want.

Another risk to the country is low substantive civic knowledge on basic governance questions. For instance, while 77% know George Washington was the first president, 58% don’t know what the main purpose of the US Constitution is, and 57% don’t know the reason we declared independence from Great Britain and created our government with limited powers.

Capitalism (52%) is viewed somewhat more favorably than socialism (37%). However, people are evenly divided on socialism, with equal shares who are favorable and unfavorable. Gen Z stands out with more who are supportive of socialism (53%) than capitalism (45%). The survey found the “Democratic Socialist” label can both help and harm a candidate about equally. While 39% said they’d be more likely to vote for a Democratic Socialist candidate, 40% said they’d be less likely, and 22% weren’t sure either way. Democrats (61%) and Gen Z (51%) reported they’d be likely to vote for a candidate with the Democratic Socialist label.

America’s 250th

Nearly half (46%) of Americans—and nearly two-thirds (61%) of Gen Z—don’t know what America’s 250th commemorates. A little over half (53%) of Americans and 39% of Gen Z correctly identified that the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776—250 years ago—is the reason for this year’s celebration.

When asked what people would most like children to learn from America’s 250th anniversary, Americans identified three top priorities: to teach (1) that freedom is rare and must be protected (28%), (2) that patriotism means loyalty to the country’s principles, not to any politician or party (27%), and (3) that America’s history includes both great achievements and serious injustices (26%)…

(Was civics eliminated by schools, that none in school learn what our constitution is so they are programmed by lefty schools and teachers. Our own schools start children radicalism as soon as they go to school. No wonder there are radical haters of America. Fix that at every level of schools, and restart it with true history can fix these lies children are believing.Really long article it’s worthwhile

https://www.cato.org/blog/new-poll-nearly-half-americans-dont-know-what-americas-250th-celebrating

Energy Department Wants Data Centers to Stop Draining the Grid During Brutal Heat Wave

The department gave a major grid manager the green light to require data centers to rely on backup power.

Bruce GilPublished July 2, 2026, 5:10 pm ET

As a brutal heat wave hits much of the central and eastern United States this week, the Department of Energy wants power-hungry data centers to help ease the strain on the grid.

The Energy Department issued an emergency order earlier this week allowing PJM, the grid operator for 13 states and Washington, D.C., to require data centers and other large customers to use their own backup power.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright authorized PJM to direct heavy power users to rely on their own backup generation as a last resort before potential blackouts.

“Maintaining affordable, reliable, and secure power in the PJM service territory is non-negotiable,” said Wright in a press release.

The department estimates there are more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation available nationwide, enough to power roughly 26 million homes.

The order comes as the National Weather Service has warned that a heat wave will hit states across the U.S. through the July 4 weekend, with temperatures ranging from 95 to 105 degrees. As millions of people crank up their air conditioners to stay cool, the power grid is expected to be pushed to its limits.

It also arrives as the AI boom has led to a wave of data center projects across the country. These facilities require massive amounts of electricity to power and cool the servers used to train and run AI models, cloud computing, and other digital services.

PJM is what is known as a regional transmission organization. These organizations are often described as the “air traffic controllers” of the power grid. They usually do not own power plants or power lines, but they help balance supply and demand, operate wholesale power markets, and coordinate grid planning across large regions.

PJM covers several mid-Atlantic states, including Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers.

The New York Times pointed out that some experts are concerned that the facilities’ backup generators, which often run on diesel or natural gas, could increase air pollution in nearby communities.

PJM applied for the emergency authorization last weekend in anticipation of the heat wave. The grid operator told Gizmodo that the order allows PJM to direct local utilities to order data centers and other large-load customers to use backup power only under specific emergency conditions. The order does not apply to customers serving critical needs like hospitals, 911 call centers, water treatment facilities, defense sites, or air traffic control facilities.

PJM has been granted similar authorization before during extreme hot and cold weather events, most recently during a May heat wave and Winter Storm Fern in January.

PJM says it has not had to use the directive so far.

Earlier this week, PJM said it expected electricity demand to peak on July 2 at about 166,147 MW, which could surpass its all-time summer record from 2006.

“Currently, there are tens of gigawatts of readily available backup generation that have remained largely untapped,” Wright said in the order, which is in effect until 11:59 p.m. on Friday. “Deployment of backup generation resources (whether auxiliary, standby, directly-connected, battery storage or other, and whether synchronized or not to the bulk power system) at data centers (including, but not limited to, hyperscaler facilities), and at other large load industrial and commercial customer sites, can prevent avoidable blackouts, thereby saving lives and reducing costs to the American people.”

The Energy Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://gizmodo.com/energy-department-wants-data-centers-to-stop-draining-the-grid-during-brutal-heat-wave-2000780886

Philadelphia cancels 4th of July parade due to extreme heat, organizers say

By Joe Brandt

July 3, 2026 / 12:47 PM

Philadelphia's Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade has been canceleddue to extreme heat in the weather forecast, organizers told vendors and participants early Friday morning.

The parade was set to take place Friday in Old City.

Temperatures are set to exceed 100 degrees and feel even hotter due to humidity as the region enters Day 5 of a heat wave. On Thursday, July 2, the city tied its record high temperature of 103 degrees.

Organizers told vendors their first responsibility was the safety of the participants and guests. The production company running the parade was reaching out to participants individually to inform them of the cancellation.

One representative told CBS News Philadelphia organizers tried to find a solution that would allow the event to be held safely, but heat-related incidents, including Thursday's Union Pacific Big Boy event in Berks County, contributed to the decision to cancel.

"As much as this decision pains everyone inside our organization, we simply cannot host an event of this size and scale under these dangerous heat conditions," Wawa Welcome America President and CEO Michael DelBene said in a statement. "Todd Marcocci and Under the Sun Productions, along with all the parade groups, have been working tirelessly to design something truly historic, and having to cancel it at the last minute is heartbreaking for all of us. While large-scale celebrations and community events may be our mission, our first responsibility will always be to the safety and security of our staff, our guests, and our event participants."

Participants got the news in an email at 1 a.m. Wawa Welcome America's official social media pages shared the newsaround 7:20 a.m.

Visit Philadelphia will hold free pop-up performances throughout the city's historic district to keep the celebration alive for visitors from noon to 2:30 p.m.

The plan includes having performers at the Betsy Ross House, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Independence Visitor Center, City Tavern, Franklin Square, Carpenters' Hall and behind Independence Hall.

Now that the parade is canceled, SEPTA has called off the planned bus detoursaround the parade route.

This extreme heat has threatened temperature records and had a major impact on the Philadelphia region's observances of America's 250th anniversary.

Friday night's Pops on Independence concert featuring Idina Menzel is still on, but has been pushed back to 8 p.m.

On Monday, organizers said the route would be cut down to about 1 mile to reduce risks in the heat.

Thursday night, the Wawa Welcome America Salute to Serviceconcert featuring Queen Latifah was canceled due to the heat. A 10 p.m. independence-themed drone show went on as scheduled.

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/philadelphia-4th-of-july-parade-canceled-heat/

Fox News

@FoxNews

America's 250th birthday celebration is already lighting up the sky.

A stunning air show featuring 2,500 drones transformed the night over North Richland Hills, Texas, with massive images of a rocket, a bald eagle, and George Washington.

The patriotic display, created by Sky Elements Drone Shows, gave local families an early look at the celebrations leading up to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2073019114155573638

'NOT ALL ARE CREATED EQUAL': Mamdani's 'dependence day' address draws criticism

Former NRSC senior advisor Matt Whitlock and Faiz Shakir, senior advisor to Bernie Sanders, discuss NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's America 250 message as the U.S. sees a rise in socialism.

4:33

https://youtu.be/4Zj9gc_aZuI

Trump's MOU becoming a 'REAL PROBLEM' as Iran issues NEW THREAT

U.S. Marine and Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer discusses Iran's threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz on 'Fox & Friends.' They analyze the escalating tensions and President Donald Trump's firm stance against Iran's actions.

5:11

https://youtu.be/TkUgdcieSVA

Dr. Oz makes BIG ANNOUNCEMENT on weight loss drugs

Dr. Mehmet Oz discusses health innovation for America's 250th birthday, highlighting a new initiative where Medicare will cover GLP-1 weight loss medications for $50 a month, aiming to reduce health complications.

3:58

https://youtu.be/43oc1LyOi3I

Dem defector issues DIRE warning: This is a 'REALLY BIG DEAL'

'Fox & Friends' co-hosts discuss the rise of socialism within the Democratic Party with Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J. He details why he left the Democratic Party and expresses concern about the shift towards socialism.

3:57

https://youtu.be/XImDN53fiyc

Gingrich: You think Taylor Swift is gonna want THIS…?

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich assesses the rise of socialist candidates within the Democratic Party on ‘Hannity

(If the people leading the communist uprising are not even American, deport the leaders and those that are from foreign countries)

8:04

https://youtu.be/nVnhzBJ-rtk

Joe Manchin warns socialists are using Democratic Party as ‘a vehicle’

Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy weigh in on the Democrats' lurch to the left.

6:41

https://youtu.be/S-d2t6gfdsQ