Northeast
'Squad' faces final primary challenge as 4 states go to polls Tuesday
After a tough summer at the ballot box for members of the so-called “Squad,” the group of progressive and diverse House Democrats is facing its final intraparty challenge on Tuesday as four states in the Midwest and New England hold primary elections.
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota faces voters one week after her fellow Squad member, Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, lost her bid for re-nomination and nearly two months after another Squad member, Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, fell to his primary challenger.
But Omar, who made history as the first Somali American in Congress and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota on Capitol Hill, is the favorite as she faces three primary challengers in the Democrat primary. Omar is seeking a fourth two-year term representing the Minneapolis-anchored 5th Congressional District.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKING IN THE 2024 ELECTION
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
Bush and Bowman faced well-funded challengers and millions in outside spending by United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. While Omar is also a very vocal critic of Israel, she hasn’t been targeted by any ads from the United Democracy Project.
And Omar is considered to be in a much better political position than she was two years ago when she narrowly defeated Don Samuels, who for a second straight cycle is her top challenger.
But Samuels, in an interview Monday on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” said he’s seen a surge in his fundraising and in volunteers to his campaign in the week since Bush’s defeat. And he said Omar is “divisive and combative. She picks a side including, simply trying to divide her, her constituency, and ignores the other side.”
Minnesota’s primary comes a week after Vice President Harris named the state’s governor, Gov. Tim Walz, as her running mate on the Democrat 2024 ticket. And an old clip of Walz praising Omar has gone viral in recent days.
Vice President Harris greets Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in Eau Claire, Wis., on Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Arguably the highest-profile Squad member, three-term Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, easily crushed her primary challenger in June.
The only other Squad member with a primary yet to come this cycle is Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who is unchallenged in her September contest.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar is the overwhelming favorite in a five-candidate Democrat Senate primary as she seeks a fourth six-year term representing Minnesota in the chamber. Eight candidates are running in the GOP Senate primary.
In neighboring Wisconsin, Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin is unopposed in her party’s primary as she seeks a third term. Republican businessman Eric Hovde, a real estate developer who’s loaned his campaign $13 million and who is backed by former President Trump, faces nominal opposition in the GOP primary.
Two Democrats are running in their party’s primary in western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, with the winner taking on Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a staunch Trump ally, in November.
And in northeast Wisconsin’s heavily red 8th Congressional District, all eyes are on the GOP primary in the race to fill the seat of former Rep. Mike Gallagher, who left Congress in April. Taking place alongside the primary is a special election for the remainder of Gallagher’s current term, which expires at the end of the year.
In Connecticut, the spotlight is on Republican primaries to challenge two longtime Democrat members of Congress: Sen. Chris Murphy and Rep. Jim Himes.
In Vermont, two Democrats are vying for their party’s gubernatorial nomination, with the winner challenging Republican Gov. Phil Scott in November.
Scott, a moderate Republican and GOP Trump critic, is unopposed in his party’s primary as he seeks a fifth two-year term steering Vermont. Even though Vermont is a reliably blue state. Scott remains popular and grabbed nearly 70% of the vote in his 2022 re-election.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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Boston, MA
Where to watch Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels: TV channel, start time, streaming for July 4
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Saturday as the Boston Red Sox visit the Los Angeles Angels.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels?
First pitch between the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, July 4.
How to watch Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels on Saturday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 6:35 a.m.
- Matchup: BOS at LAA
- Date: Saturday, July 4
- Time: 9:38 p.m. (ET)
- Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
- Location: Anaheim, California
- TV: NESN and Angels.Broadcast Television
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for July 4 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
Pittsburg, PA
Does Pittsburgh have black bears? Yes. Here’s what to do if you see one
Ohio black bears
A third sighting of 2026 confirms black bears are back for good in Ohio.
If you see a black bear near Pittsburgh, give it space, and don’t let your pet bother it.
That’s the advice Allegheny County’s parks department gave locals after a bear was spotted in a lake north of Pittsburgh, with the department issuing a warning in partnership with Allegheny County Police Department on June 16.
Here’s what to know about the bear sighting and bears around the Pittsburgh area.
When, where was black bear spotted near Pittsburgh?
A black bear was spotted in North Park Lake in McCandless Township in Allegheny County just north of Pittsburgh.
Allegheny County Parks didn’t say when the bear was seen, but they posted about the sighting on Facebook on June 16, saying the Pennsylvania Game Commission had been notified and was monitoring the situation.
What should you do if you spot a black bear in Pittsburgh area?
After a black bear was spotted in North Park Lake, Allegheny County Parks and Allegheny County Police Department put out a joint statement warning residents not to bother bears.
If you see a bear, you should use caution and give it “plenty of space,” according to the county parks department. Don’t approach it, and don’t try to interact with it. If you have a pet with you, keep them controlled on a leash.
“The best thing you can do is view wildlife from a safe distance and allow it to move through the area undisturbed,” the parks department said.
The state also bans residents from feeding bears.
How common are black bears in Pittsburgh area?
Bears inhabit forested areas across more than three-quarters of Pennsylvania, though they’ve been spotted in every county, according to the state game commission. The bears seen in large urban centers and agricultural areas, like the southeastern corners of the state and parts of the western border, are generally transient, as those areas don’t have enough woods to create a good habitat.
The population of bears statewide is estimated to be about 19,000 and is managed through regulated hunting to reduce the risk of more frequent human-bear conflicts. Hunters harvested 2,873 black bears in 2026, with Tioga County reporting the most harvests. Allegheny did not rank among the counties with the top 10 most bears harvested.
Black bears are also not uncommon across the border in Ohio. The state set a record with more than 500 sightings in 2025, according to a report from the Ohio Department of National Resources, with the department finding “consistent evidence” that female black bears live in the northeast corner of the state.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
Connecticut
Several state parks, beaches close Friday due to capacity
Connecticut State Parks announced that several parks, recreation areas, and beaches are closed on Friday after reaching capacity.
As of 1 p.m., the following are closed due to the parking lots being full:
- Rocky Neck State Park
- Millers Pond State Park
- Hammonasset Beach State Park
- Mount Tom State Park
- Gardner Lake State Park
- Squantz Pond State Park
- Silver Sands State Park
- Pattaconk Recreation Area (Cockaponset State Forest)
- Scantic River State Park, Powder Hollow
- Satan’s Kingdom State Park
Connecticut continues to face excessive heat heading into the holiday weekend.
For a full forecast, head here.
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