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Protecting the Declaration of Independence in our 250th year

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Protecting the Declaration of Independence in our 250th year

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July Fourth marked 249 years since the 13 American colonies rejected a British monarch and embraced freedom. But as we enter the first days of our 250th year on this Earth, it feels like we’re moving in the wrong direction.  

The Declaration of Independence was a bold (though clearly never fully realized) assertion of equality and democratic ideals. Thomas Jefferson wrote that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed” – the people of the United States would decide our own fate, not be anyone’s subjects.  

But in the past six months all three branches of government have done serious damage to those ideals. And in just the last few weeks we’ve seen our government repudiating the core values of the Declaration of Independence.

“For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.”  

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An elaborate poster collage features a printed profile of Donald Trump’s face with a crown painted on top of his head, flanked by two images of the Statue of Liberty’s face and the phrase “No King” during a demonstration in New York City on June 14, 2025. (John Senter/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The animating idea behind the American Revolution and the Constitution that eventually emerged was that people were in charge through representatives. President Donald Trump has not suspended our legislatures, but he has moved to sideline them and assume the power to legislate for himself.

THE UNWINNABLE WAR AMERICA’S FOUNDING FATHERS FOUGHT AND WON CHANGED HUMAN HISTORY FOREVER

Last week alone saw the final endgame for USAID, dismantled by the president despite congressional authorization. The Department of Education is refusing to distribute billions of congressionally appropriated dollars to state schools. And the administration sued Los Angeles for refusing to use its own resources to aid ICE’s violent deportation arrests.   

In just the last few weeks, the Department of Justice charged a member of Congress after an oversight visit to an immigration detention facility and federal agents handcuffed Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., for asking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem questions at a press conference.   

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“He has obstructed the Administration of Justice… He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone…”  

We have no rights if the president is not bound to follow the law, which is why the founders recognized the importance of an independent judiciary.  

Yet President Trump has brazenly broken laws and violated the Constitution. Numerous lower court judges, including those appointed by the president himself, have excoriated DOJ lawyers for stonewalling their orders and violating the basic due process protections guaranteed by the Constitution. In some cases, the administration has appeared to openly defy the courts, like when they refused to stop deportations to a torture prison in El Salvador.  

IN A SEA OF IMPERFECT VOICES, I HEARD THE ANTHEM AND THE SPIRIT OF A NATION

More alarming, Congress and the Supreme Court majority seem eager to help. Two weeks ago, President Trump’s former defense attorney and current senior DOJ official, Emil Bove, received a friendly hearing from the Senate Judiciary Committee considering his nomination to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. This despite a whistleblower describing him openly contemplating telling courts “f— you.”   

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“For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.”  

The founders were aggrieved by Britain hauling people away from their communities on specious charges. Yet here we are again.   

Although the Supreme Court prevented the administration from sending more people to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison under the Alien Enemies Act, they have allowed 238 Venezuelans, three-quarters with no criminal record, to languish there since March. And just two weeks ago, the court blessed the deportation of others to countries they’ve never set foot in without a chance to challenge that action.

“He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.”  

Freedom is hard to come by when those in power can sic the military on the people. The colonists kicked out the British for this offense, yet President Trump federalized the California National Guard without the consent of the California government, then brought in active-duty U.S. Marines, and then even more Marines after the questionable justification of civil unrest was over.   

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TRUMP CHOSE COUNTRY OVER COMFORT — JUST LIKE THE FOUNDING FATHERS ONCE DID

“He has… sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.”  

The singular hallmark of this administration’s first six months has been the use of government power to harass the president’s perceived enemies.  

The administration escalated its war on Harvard University. It forced the resignation of the president of the University of Virginia under threat of federal funding cuts. President Trump called for legal action against the New York Times and CNN for their reporting on the Iran bombing campaign that contradicted the president’s preferred story. Secretary Noem called for an investigation into CNN for reporting on a public ICE-tracking app. And by withholding approval of a merger, the administration got Paramount to pony up $16 million to his interests to settle a thoroughly meritless lawsuit over “60 Minutes” editorial decisions. 

All that was in just one week.  

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If President Trump and his allies are going to repudiate the Declaration of Independence, then we need to use the 250th year of our country to peacefully but fiercely embrace the revolutionary spirit. 

We would hardly be the first to take those values of equality and freedom and challenge America to do better. At Seneca Falls, the delegates calling for women’s equality modeled their Declaration of Sentiments on the Declaration of Independence. 

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Dr. Martin Luther King’s most famous speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, lodged its dream in the words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.”   

The government rang in this July 4th by testing our commitment to our nation’s founding ideals of equality and government of, by and for the people. But that ideal is still worth fighting for peacefully – in the courts, at the ballot box and in the streets. Not to restore any of the flawed institutions that came before and during this administration, but to build a more just version of America that is truer to its ideals. 

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Utah

Multiple earthquakes detected near Kanosh

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Multiple earthquakes detected near Kanosh


KANOSH, Utah — The United States Geological Survey recorded multiple earthquakes near Kanosh Sunday morning, each of them having an average magnitude of 3.0.

The first earthquake, magnitude 3.0, was detected just after 12:30 a.m., with the epicenter located half a mile south of Kanarraville.

The second quake, magnitude 3.2, was detected around 5:45 a.m., with the epicenter nearly five miles south-southwest of Kanosh. This was followed by two more quakes in the same area, a magnitude 2.5 quake coming in around 6:35 a.m., followed by a third around 7:45 a.m, which measured at magnitude 3.3.

This has since been followed by another quake, measuring at magnitude 3.7, being detected around 8:45 a.m. The geographic location in the USGS report places the epicenter approximately over two miles south of the Dry Wash Trail, about six miles south-southwest of Kanosh.

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FOX 13 News previously spoke with researchers at University of Utah, who said that earthquake swarms are relatively common. A study published in 2023 posits that swarms may be triggered by geothermal activity. The findings came after a series of seismic swarms were detected in central Utah, within the vicinity of three geothermal power plants.

The study also says that the swarms fall into a different category than aftershocks that typically follow large quakes, such as the magnitude 5.7 earthquake that hit the Wasatch Fault back in 2020.





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Wyoming

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon won’t seek a third term. He won’t rule out running for other offices, either

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Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon won’t seek a third term. He won’t rule out running for other offices, either


(WYOFILE) – Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon will not seek a third term, his office announced Thursday. However, the two-term Republican governor has not ruled out running for another office.

“He’s still kind of exploring his options,” Amy Edmonds, Gordon’s spokesperson, told WyoFile.

As candidates across Wyoming have announced bids for various statewide offices in recent months, Gordon has been tight-lipped about his own plans, leading to speculation that he would put the state’s gubernatorial term limits to the test.

In two opinions about a decade apart, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that term limits on legislators as well as on most top elected positions in the state were unconstitutional. While the high court has not addressed the qualifications for governor, it’s been widely suggested that a court challenge would be successful. Such was the discussion in 2010, when Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal ultimately chose not to seek a third term.

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There’s also been speculation that Gordon may run for Congress, which he’s done in the past. In 2008, Gordon ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was ultimately defeated by Cynthia Lummis in the primary election. If Gordon seeks the seat in 2026, he’ll join a crowded field that has already attracted at least 10 Republicans. It’s possible he could also be eyeing a run for Wyoming’s soon-to-be open U.S. Senate seat — a choice that would pit him against Rep. Harriet Hageman, whom he defeated in the governor’s race in 2018.

Wyoming’s candidate filing period opens for two weeks at the end of May.

As for the rest of Gordon’s final term in the governor’s office, his “focus remains on essential pillars like supporting core industries, growing Wyoming’s economy, strengthening local communities and families, and safeguarding Wyoming’s vital natural resources,” according to the Thursday press release.

Starting in June, Gordon will set out on a series of community visits to “engage directly with citizens,” the release states, and is particularly interested in having discussions about “protecting our resilient property tax base that funds local services like education, fire protection, police services and others, as well as honoring local control, investing in our future through smart saving and continued stewardship of our wildlife, land, and water.”

The governor also pointed to the Aug. 18 primary election.

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“You don’t have to be Governor to make a difference in Wyoming,” Gordon wrote. “Participating in elections is something all of us can do to make a real difference, and these conversations are important to have to ensure everyone makes informed decisions about the future of Wyoming.”

Whether Gordon will run for office is one lingering question — to what degree he will support other candidates is another.

In 2024, Gordon personally spent more than $160,000 on statehouse races, backing non-Wyoming Freedom Caucus Republicans who generally aligned with his positions on energy, economic diversification, mental health services and education.

While many of those races did not go Gordon’s way — the Freedom Caucus won control of the House — the governor is coming off a legislative budget session where lawmakers largely approved his proposed budget.

More specifically, the Legislature’s final budget came in about $53 million shy of the governor’s $11 billion recommendations after significant cuts were floated by the Freedom Caucus lawmakers ahead of the session. Many of those notable cuts — including to the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Business Council — were ultimately rejected.

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While Gordon applauded the final budget, he also said in March he was “saddened by some of the reductions,” including the Legislature’s decision to nix SUN Bucks, the summer food program that fills the gap for kids when there are no school lunches. Wednesday, however, the governor signed an executive order that will start delivering food benefits to Wyoming families as early as June.

Details for Gordon’s upcoming community visits will be posted to the governor’s website, according to the press release.

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Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.

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San Francisco, CA

Eastbound I-80 closure in San Francisco snarls traffic, slows business

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Eastbound I-80 closure in San Francisco snarls traffic, slows business


One of San Francisco’s busiest freeways remained shut down Saturday, creating major traffic delays and dampening business for some local restaurants and shops.

All eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 just before the Bay Bridge are closed as crews work around the clock to rehabilitate the roadway. The 55-hour shutdown, which began on Friday night, is scheduled to last until Monday morning in time for the commute.

The closure has forced drivers onto detour routes, leading to heavy congestion for those trying to reach the East Bay, including Oakland and Berkeley. 

The impact is being felt beyond the roadways.

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At MoMo’s, a restaurant across from Oracle Park, staff found business noticeably slower.

“A little bit more mellow than usual. We usually see a little bit more foot traffic, a little bit more people on Saturdays,” said Daniel Bermudez, executive chef at MoMo’s.

Bermudez believes the freeway closure may be discouraging visitors from coming into the city this weekend, despite favorable weather.

“The weather is beautiful today. It’s nice and sunny. So we have plenty of tables outside,” he said.

With the San Francisco Giants playing an away game, the restaurant had hoped fans would still gather to watch, but turnout during game time remained light.

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“This is kind of like our off-season Saturday. A lot slower than our baseball weekend,” said Casandra Alarcon, general manager at MoMo’s.

Other small businesses in the Mission Bay and South of Market neighborhoods reported similar trends, saying most of their customers are regulars who live nearby rather than visitors.

“A little bit slower for sure. Before, we had tourists come and walk to the baseball park,” said Ajaree Safron, manager at Brickhouse Cafe & Bar.

Caltrans has shut down eastbound lanes between 17th and 4th streets to repave the 71-year-old roadway. The goal is to extend the life of the Bayshore Freeway by another decade.

City and transportation officials said the timing of the closure was intentional, noting fewer major events scheduled in San Francisco this weekend, aside from the Cherry Blossom Festival.

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Westbound lanes remain open, and officials said traffic heading into San Francisco from the East Bay has not been significantly affected.

“Getting into the city, it wasn’t too bad.  Regular [traffic], what we expect on a Saturday morning,” said visitor Andrea Inouye.

While the closure has posed challenges for businesses, some workers said they are taking it in stride.

“Hopefully, it’s not for too long and we get past it, and get back to our normal routine,” Bermudez said.

Despite early concerns about widespread gridlock, transportation officials said the region has avoided the worst-case scenario. Traffic remains heavy in areas near detours, but the anticipated “carmageddon” has not materialized, in part because many drivers chose to avoid the area or take public transit.

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