Up First from NPR
July 4th Events Curtailed, The Week in Politics, A Funeral For Iran’s Supreme Leader
This special July 4th episode of NPR's Up First covers America's 250th Independence Day celebrations amid political divisions and a severe heat wave. President Trump spoke at Mount Rushmore, framing the holiday around themes of internal threats and immigration, while bypassing the bipartisan commission created to celebrate the milestone. The extreme heat forced many communities to cancel or scale back traditional parades and fireworks displays. The episode also explores how Americans' patriotic sentiment has become more subdued compared to the bicentennial celebrations of 1976, with polls showing declining optimism.
The political segment examines the Supreme Court's recent contentious decisions, President Trump's financial disclosures showing over a billion dollars earned in his first year back in office, and emerging fractures in both major political parties. Former Trump allies Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene are reportedly considering forming a new political party, signaling potential splintering of the traditional two-party system. The episode concludes with coverage of the elaborate funeral ceremonies in Iran for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes four months earlier, with massive crowds attending multi-day ceremonies across five cities.
17 min•July 4th Independence Day · American politics
