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Two days after President Donald Trump's Fourth of July address, attendees at the Great American State Fair told Fox News Digital they saw the speech as patriotic, not partisan.

"He's talking about taking down communism," David from New Jersey said.

"That's the definition of our whole country. Built on capitalism, that's our whole country. If that's what he was talking about, I don't think that's political at all. It's just about the freedom that we have here. If it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be here."

Thousands of Americans packed the National Mall on Saturday to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary, touring exhibits from all 50 states despite sweltering heat and severe thunderstorms that temporarily paused celebrations.

TRUMP SET TO DELIVER 'HISTORIC' SPEECH CELEBRATING AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

Hours later, President Donald Trump delivered his 37-minute address, honoring veterans and the nation's founding while declaring that "no dream in history is bigger" than the American experiment and adding, "We don't want communists in our country," before a record-setting fireworks display.

Matt from Florida said that while others may have disliked Trump's speech, he saw it as a tribute to veterans and Medal of Honor recipients.

"It's really nice to see him share the stage instead of just giving a speech and going away like most presidents do," he said. "It was just nice to actually see him treat the whole thing as a giant event as opposed to just a limelight on himself."

MEDIA ATTACKS DONALD TRUMP'S FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION, CLAIMING IT 'SULLIED' AMERICA 250

Ed and Linda from Ohio said they missed Trump's speech while waiting for the fireworks, but Ed said he supports the president "100 percent," while Linda added, "You should be able to rise above your political opinion and still enjoy the country's Fourth of July."

Doug and Karen from Texas said they approved of President Trump's message.

"It wasn't too political, it was what we needed to hear," Doug said.

"It was good," Karen added. "People need to hear it."

LEE GREENWOOD SAYS HE'S 'VERY PROUD' TO STAND NEXT TO TRUMP DURING AMERICA'S 250TH CELEBRATION

Kim from Michigan called July 4 "a political holiday," saying people will always find something to criticize.

"Throughout our history, it's been about our politics and what we stand for as a people, and what we believe in and what we're willing to fight for," she said.

Priya from California said politics naturally belongs in a Fourth of July speech, adding that America must change course "from a very negative direction that the country has gone."

"I think there's an intricate part that politics play obviously in the 250 years that we have been a nation," she said. "For it to last another 250 and hopefully beyond, we have to pay attention to that. We have to understand the political climate and what it's going to take for this nation to last and be prosperous."

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President Donald Trump enters the final day of the NATO summit Wednesday as alliance leaders seek to project unity on defense spending, support for Ukraine and the future of transatlantic security following a series of headline-making announcements and bilateral meetings during the opening day of the gathering.

Trump will join fellow NATO leaders for the summit's only plenary session before holding bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He is expected to conclude the summit with a press conference before departing Ankara, Turkey, for Washington.

The final day comes after Trump used Tuesday's bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to announce the United States would lift sanctions on Turkey, saying, "We don't sanction friends." Trump also signaled he is prepared to move forward with the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Ankara despite years of U.S. opposition stemming from Turkey's purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system.

TRUMP COULD HAND PRIZED STEALTH JETS TO NATO ALLY ONCE SEEN AS ALLIANCE HEADACHE

Wednesday's agenda is expected to focus on the alliance's efforts to strengthen collective defense as members continue implementing higher defense spending commitments and coordinate support for Ukraine more than four years after Russia's full-scale invasion.

Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy will be among the day's most closely watched events as Kyiv continues pressing allies for military assistance and air defense capabilities while seeking to maintain Western backing for its war effort against Russia.

Kyiv has warned it is running critically low on Patriot interceptor missiles, which Ukrainian officials describe as the country's most effective defense against Russia's ballistic missile attacks. Ukrainian officials said none of the ballistic missiles launched during a massive barrage this week could be intercepted because of dwindling supplies.

UKRAINE’S BATTLEFIELD IS TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF NATO

Ahead of the summit, Ukrainian officials appealed to nearly 40 partner nations to immediately transfer Patriot interceptors from their existing stockpiles while longer-term production catches up. Kyiv also has secured European backing for hundreds of Patriot missiles financed by Germany, though many of those deliveries are not expected for months or years, underscoring Ukraine's push for allies to bridge the gap with existing inventories.

Trump also is expected to meet with Syrian President al-Sharaa, whose government has sought closer engagement with Washington following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, a shift that has reshaped the security landscape in the Middle East and created new opportunities for U.S.-Turkish cooperation.

Trump is expected to cap the summit with a press conference outlining the administration's priorities for the alliance and any agreements reached during the two-day gathering before departing Turkey Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday's discussions also are expected to focus on how allies turn 2025's landmark commitment to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense and defense-related investments into tangible military capabilities. 

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged member nations to present "clear, concrete and credible plans" for meeting the target, arguing the alliance must accelerate the production of weapons, ammunition and military infrastructure to deter Russia.

The final day also follows another round of criticism from Trump aimed at European allies. Speaking Tuesday, the president again questioned whether NATO members were doing enough to support the United States and suggested he could withdraw U.S. troops from Europe as he renewed his push for U.S. control of Greenland.

"With all the money we spend to help them with Russia … we don't have to spend any money. We could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe," Trump said. He also complained that despite America's investment in European security, "you would think they'd be very willing to do something to help us, and they really weren't."

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President Donald Trump is arriving at the Turkey-held NATO summit with fresh frustration toward several European allies for their responses to the U.S.-led operations against Iran, opening a new front in his long-running campaign to pressure the alliance over burden-sharing.

The summit, which takes place Tuesday and Wednesday in Ankara, Turkey, is expected to focus on defense spending, Ukraine and NATO's long-term strategy toward Russia. 

But it will bring Trump face to face with some of his biggest foes in NATO, including Spain, whose Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called the U.S. war in Iran "illegal, absurd and cruel."

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Wednesday that Trump remains "disappointed" by allies that declined to allow U.S. forces to use military bases or overflight rights during the operation, as well as by political statements criticizing the strikes.

WHY NATO'S DEFENSE SPENDING IMBALANCE LASTED FOR DECADES

"The president has expressed disappointment in both a couple of our allies' unwillingness to support us using our bases in their countries," Whitaker said. "And, as importantly, he's also incredibly disappointed in the political statements that came out around the time of the launch of Epic Fury." 

The disagreements are expected to loom over a summit where Trump will once again press allies to increase defense spending, while also raising broader questions about whether NATO members are prepared to back the United States during conflicts beyond the alliance's traditional focus on Europe.

Trump's frustration has been evident publicly as well. 

Ahead of the summit, he said he was attending largely because of his relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while again criticizing some NATO allies over defense spending and questioning their commitment to the alliance.

"Except for the fact that it was being held in Turkey by President Erdogan, I don't think I would have gone to it," Trump told reporters at the White House June 24.

During the same appearance, he renewed criticism of Spain and other NATO allies over their refusal to support U.S. operations against Iran, declaring, "There's a problem with Spain."

Whitaker said the operation also highlighted disparities in military capabilities across the alliance, noting that while some NATO members possess "exquisite capabilities," others lack the capacity to contribute meaningfully to a large-scale U.S.-led military operation.

The administration's frustration stems from a series of decisions by European allies during Operation Epic Fury. 

The United Kingdom initially declined to allow U.S. forces to launch strikes against Iran from British bases before later reversing course after Iranian attacks escalated. Spain denied the use of its territory and airspace for combat operations while Sánchez publicly criticized the U.S.-led campaign.

Italy also sought to distance itself from the operation, insisting U.S. flights from bases on Italian soil were limited to logistical support rather than combat missions, while Germany served as a key logistics hub but stopped short of publicly endorsing the military campaign.

European governments defended their positions by citing domestic legal constraints and concerns about being drawn into a wider Middle East conflict. Britain later allowed U.S. strikes after initially withholding approval, while Spain continued opposing the campaign, Italy restricted its support to noncombat operations and Germany limited its role to logistics.

EUROPE'S $116B FIGHTER JET 'FAILURE' RAISES FRESH DOUBTS ABOUT ABILITY TO DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US

Several allies later agreed to support maritime security operations aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but administration officials say the initial reluctance to back the U.S. campaign continues to shape Trump's view heading into the summit.

While the Middle East is not expected to dominate the formal agenda, they underscore broader questions Trump is bringing to Turkey about burden-sharing and whether NATO allies are prepared to back the United States beyond the alliance's traditional focus on Europe.

The tensions over Iran build on years of Trump's criticism of NATO, which he has repeatedly accused of relying too heavily on the U.S. During both his first and second terms, Trump has questioned whether Washington should continue defending allies that fail to meet spending commitments and has at times floated withdrawing from the alliance altogether.

"If they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them," Trump said March 6. "If the United States was in trouble and we called them ... you think they're going to come and protect us? They're supposed to. I'm not so sure."

Trump is expected to use the summit to press allies to meet NATO's new benchmark of spending 5% of GDP on defense.

"The United States spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them, without getting any benefit from so doing," he wrote on Truth Social Thursday.

Whitaker suggested the administration increasingly views burden-sharing as extending beyond defense budgets alone.

"We believe that those that are doing more should get benefits from doing more," he said.

Whitaker confirmed the administration was considering countermeasures for allies that don’t meet defense spending goals. He added that countries contributing more could receive advantages ranging from priority in defense procurement to greater engagement with U.S. leaders.

While the summit is expected to focus publicly on defense spending, Ukraine and NATO's long-term strategy toward Russia, analysts say the fallout from Operation Epic Fury is likely to shape private conversations between Trump and several European leaders.

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Ian Brzezinski said during a press briefing the recent conflict has created "two scorecards on the table" for the summit— NATO's traditional priorities of strengthening deterrence against Russia and Trump's assessment of which allies proved most supportive of the United States during the Iran conflict.

"We have low expectations because of the issues not on the agenda, but that are driving the atmospherics," Torey Taussig, director of the Transatlantic Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, said.

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One of the most important transformations in American healthcare is taking place outside hospitals and nursing homes.

Advances in artificial intelligence, telehealth, remote monitoring, home health services, and new care delivery models are making it possible for more Americans to receive high-quality care in the place they most want to be: their own homes.

For seniors, this transformation represents an extraordinary opportunity. Most older Americans want to remain in their homes, maintaining their independence and connection to family and community. Aging in place is not simply a personal preference. It is a matter of dignity and quality of life.

NEWT GINGRICH: ALZHEIMER’S IS WAGING A WAR ON MILLIONS. CONGRESS COULD HELP US WIN IT

President Donald Trump recognized this reality when he pledged to help seniors remain in their homes longer. Since returning to office, his administration has taken meaningful steps toward this goal. Earlier this year, President Trump signed legislation extending Medicare's Acute Hospital Care at Home program through 2030, allowing eligible seniors to receive hospital-level care without leaving their homes. His administration has continued implementation of the GUIDE dementia model, helping patients with Alzheimer's disease and related conditions remain at home longer while supporting family caregivers. It has also preserved Medicare telehealth flexibilities that allow more care to be delivered directly to patients rather than requiring unnecessary trips to hospitals and clinics.

Together, these initiatives point toward a broader vision for healthcare: bringing care to the patient rather than forcing patients into institutions. For many seniors, this means receiving care in a more comfortable setting while maintaining greater independence and stronger family connections.

Yet the success of home-based care depends on public confidence that these programs are operating as intended. Unfortunately, recent years have revealed that some of the very programs designed to help seniors remain independent have become attractive targets for fraud. Home health services, hospice care, personal care services, and other home-based benefits have increasingly been exploited by bad actors seeking to profit from Medicare and Medicaid.

DR OZ SAYS 800 HOSPICE PROVIDERS SUSPENDED IN CALIFORNIA OVER ALLEGED $1B MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME

The examples are troubling. In Los Angeles County, investigators identified an extraordinary concentration of hospice and home health providers, including more than 100 hospices operating from a single office building. Investigators have also uncovered sophisticated home health fraud networks that repeatedly cycled the same Medicare beneficiaries among multiple agencies to generate new rounds of federal payments while avoiding traditional fraud detection systems.

While it’s not specific to eldercare, the recent announcement that more than 1 million people signed up for Obamacare benefits without valid Social Security numbers is alarming.

Every major expansion of healthcare benefits depends on public trust. If taxpayers conclude these programs are vulnerable to widespread waste and abuse, support for continued expansion will weaken, honest providers will face greater scrutiny, and seniors who rely on these services may ultimately pay the price.

I'M OHIO'S STATE AUDITOR — MEDICAID FRAUD IS NOT JUST A WASHINGTON PROBLEM

This is why President Trump's efforts to combat fraud deserve as much attention as his efforts to expand access.

The administration has launched major healthcare fraud investigations, established a government-wide anti-fraud task force chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance, expanded enforcement efforts in known fraud hotspots, and increased scrutiny of providers suspected of abusing federal healthcare programs. These efforts are not separate from the administration's broader commitment to helping seniors age in place. They are an essential part of making that vision sustainable.

The administration's six-month hospice enrollment moratorium should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen the system. The objective is not to repeatedly extend temporary restrictions, but to use this period to improve provider screening, ownership verification, and oversight so legitimate providers can continue expanding access to care. Success should not be measured by the number of moratoria we impose. It should be measured by whether we build a system strong enough that we no longer need them.

Recent scandals also reveal a deeper challenge. The federal government provides most of the funding for these programs, but oversight responsibilities are divided among states, contractors, accrediting organizations, and multiple federal agencies. When hundreds of providers operate from the same address, suspicious ownership structures persist for years, or known fraud hotspots continue to expand unchecked, it should be clear who is responsible for identifying and investigating those risks.

Strengthening provider enrollment standards, verifying the true owners behind home health and hospice companies, and improving coordination among federal and state oversight agencies should all be important priorities moving forward. Regulators should also modernize fraud detection systems by looking not only at suspicious providers, but also at suspicious patterns of beneficiary enrollment and movement across multiple providers. Artificial intelligence systems could greatly help this effort. Seniors should receive clear notification whenever they are enrolled in home health or hospice services, making it far more difficult for fraudulent operators to exploit beneficiaries without their knowledge.

America’s aging population will make home-based care increasingly important in the years ahead. President Trump deserves credit both for expanding these options and for recognizing that they must be protected from fraud if they are to achieve their full potential.

Helping more Americans remain in their homes as they age and protecting taxpayers from abuse are not competing priorities. They are two parts of the same mission. If we want more seniors to age with dignity, independence, and security, we must continue expanding home-based care while ensuring that these programs remain worthy of the public's trust.

Bobby Jindal was the governor of Louisiana from 2008-2016 and a candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He chairs the Center for a Healthy America at the America First Policy Institute.

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An Idaho mother who claimed her twins died last year after receiving vaccinations has now been charged with murder in connection with the death of the 18-month-olds.

Andrea Shaw, 23, was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder, the Payette Police Department announced last week. She was arrested in Boise on Tuesday.

Police previously said the boy and girl were found dead in a shared bed on May 1, 2025.

TODDLER DECLARED DEAD AFTER NEAR-DROWNING WAS FOUND ALIVE IN HOSPITAL MORGUE HOURS LATER, POLICE SAY

Police did not publicly state the kids' cause of death, but an indictment filed in Payette accuses Shaw of killing her twin toddlers, Dallas and Tyson, by suffocation, according to KTVB.

Just days after their children died, Shaw and her husband appeared on a podcast funded by Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group previously led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in which she alleged that the twins became sick and died shortly after receiving three vaccinations.

Shaw's attorney, Joe Filicetti, said he still believes the children's deaths were linked to the vaccinations without providing evidence to support that claim.

"They were looking at it as a vaccine death, and that's still what I believe it to be," he told KTVB.

Filicetti also said Shaw recently gave birth to another baby prematurely through a cesarean section and that her husband is taking care of the child.

Shaw was initially held at the Ada County Jail before being extradited to Payette County. She is being held on a $2 million bond.

BOYFRIEND ACCUSED OF STABBING DEFENSE TECH ENGINEER 15 TIMES DENIED BOND AFTER 911 CALL PLAYED IN COURT

She appeared virtually for her arraignment at the Payette County District court on Thursday.

During the hearing, the court read the charges and informed her of the potential penalties, including the possibility of the death penalty.

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WASHINGTON, DC - As dozens of travelers arrived at Union Station Wednesday morning, many stopped to photograph historic Ford Motor Co. cars, trucks, tractors and artifacts celebrating America's 250th anniversary and the automaker's role in shaping the nation.

For two weeks, Ford is hosting "Driving America Forward: A Ford Experience at Union Station," a free public exhibit showcasing vehicles and artifacts from the Ford Heritage Vault in Dearborn that trace the company's legacy, from the Model T, the iconic mass-produced car, to a 1934 Ford pickup on loan from legendary late-night host Jay Leno.

The exhibit, part of Ford's marquee America 250 celebrations, features 10 vehicles displayed behind museum-quality glass, including a 1941 Ford GP prototype that helped lead to the military Jeep, a 1951 Ford 8N tractor, a 1954 F-100 from Virginia's Red Truck Bakery and a 2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One car. Visitors can also create a free postcard at an interactive photo station and shop for Ford merchandise.

"America's celebrating its 250th anniversary," Ted Ryan, Ford's archives and heritage brand manager, told Fox News Digital. "We've been here for almost half of that journey, and we've had such a material impact on America."

HISTORIC BIG BOY STEAM LOCOMOTIVE DRAWS CROWDS AS AMERICA 250 TOUR HEADS EAST

"Whether it's industrializing, building the moving assembly line, mass transportation with the Model T, the best-selling car in the world for a number of years, or even the tractor that transformed farming. Ford has been there."

Ryan said the exhibit was designed to turn heads and reveal surprising stories about the company's influence on American industry, transportation and pop culture over the past 123 years.

"I was challenged to create an exhibit that would stop people in their tracks to take pictures or learn new facts about the Ford Motor Company," he said. "So we have 10 amazing vehicles that go throughout our entire 124-year history... These are cars that are stopping people in their tracks, and then the exhibit cases are full of material that will tell people stories they don't expect to hear."

LDS CHURCH CELEBRATES DELIVERING 6.5M MEALS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES FOR AMERICA250 ANNIVERSARY

In a news release, Ryan said Union Station was a fitting location because it has "a particular kind of magic."

"For more than a century, it has served as the front door to the nation's capital, a place where presidents have arrived to be inaugurated, where soldiers have shipped off to war, and where ordinary Americans, by the millions, have stepped off a train and into the heart of their democracy," he wrote.

But Ryan said Ford's contributions to America go far beyond building cars.

"Ford built Mission Control at Johnson Space Center," he said. "We developed tracking beams for airplanes. Ford invented the mail sorter. Hopefully we're teaching people about the critical role that Ford has played in America during half of its 250 years."

MINNESOTA BROTHERS LAUDED FOR PATRIOTISM AFTER RAISING $60K FOR VETERANS GROUP WITH LEMONADE STAND

Ryan said the vehicles are meant to spark memories for visitors, whether they remind someone of their first car, a family road trip or a vehicle passed down through generations.

"I hope people take wonderful photos of cars that remind them of vehicles Ford has produced that they fell in love with, and that they'll leave with information they didn't know ahead of time," he said.

Through wars, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryan said Ford has consistently stepped up to support the country through its "Answering the Call" initiative, which highlights the company's long history of helping the nation during times of need.

"Ford is always there and always will be there to answer the call whenever America or our local communities need us," he said.

As visitors walk through the exhibit, Ryan hopes they leave with a deeper appreciation for Ford.

"America's turning 250, and it's a great time to celebrate," he said. "Ford has been here for half of it, and we're doing our best to tell our story and the role we've played in America."

The exhibit is open daily through July 14, with no tickets or registration required.

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As America celebrates its 250th birthday, historic sites in Philadelphia are spotlighting the people and places tied to the nation’s earliest days — including one of its most enduring symbols: the American flag.

While the Founding Fathers are often at the center of Revolutionary War history, one of the country’s most recognizable symbols is traditionally associated with an ordinary woman working from her home in Philadelphia.

Betsy Ross, a 24-year-old upholsterer, is traditionally credited with sewing what many believe was the first American flag in the summer of 1776 after reportedly being approached by members of a flag committee that included George Washington. 

According to Lisa Acker Moulter, director of the Betsy Ross House, the historic site is helping visitors understand how that moment may have unfolded.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BETSY ROSS

"She said she'd never made one before, but she would certainly try," said Lisa Acker Moulter, director of the Betsy Ross House. "She did suggest one change though, the flag that they showed her that was drawn on a piece of paper had six-pointed stars and she recommended five-pointed stars because they were easier to make. She had a method that she had learned as a child to fold a piece of cloth or paper and she cut a perfect five-pointed star with just one snip of her scissors."

Ross is believed by tradition to have worked in secrecy, sewing the flag by hand at night — likely in her home rather than in her upholstery shop — and completing it in about a week.

At the time, the colonies were still under British rule, making the creation of a national flag a potentially dangerous act.

ANOTHER AMERICAN HERO WHO RISKED HIS LIFE FOR OUR FREEDOM

"You have to remember that we were a British colony at the time, so making the flag would have been considered an act of treason. If she had been caught by the British or loyalists, she could have been at the very least imprisoned or possibly even executed," said Lisa Acker Moulter, director of the Betsy Ross House.

The original design featured 13 stripes representing the colonies and 13 stars arranged in a circle to symbolize equality among them. It was later adopted as the nation’s first official flag after the Continental Congress passed a resolution on June 14, 1777.

Lisa Acker Moulter, director of the Betsy Ross House, says the story of Betsy Ross reflects a broader truth about who contributed to America’s founding.

"It shows that ordinary people can contribute important things to this country as well. You know, this country wasn’t just founded by wealthy, powerful white men, the Founding Fathers. It was women, it was free and enslaved people, it was new immigrants, all of them contributed to the founding of this nation. And that’s represented through that first flag," said Lisa Acker Moulter, director of the Betsy Ross House.

THE AMERICAN FLAG, A SYMBOL OF UNITY

In its early years, the flag was primarily used on battlefields, military forts, and ships as a form of identification. It did not become a widespread symbol of national identity until later in U.S. history.

"They weren’t a symbol of our national identity as they are today. That didn’t happen until the Civil War. So from the Civil War until today, that’s when you started seeing flags flown over schools, flown on government buildings, flown on houses. So the flag has changed over time. It’s become much more powerful and meaningful to people," said Lisa Acker Moulter, director of the Betsy Ross House.

Over time, the flag evolved as new states joined the Union. The first major update came in 1795 with the addition of two stars for Vermont and Kentucky, and the most recent change came in 1960 after Hawaii became the 50th state.

From its disputed origins to its modern meaning, the American flag remains one of the country’s most powerful symbols — now taking center stage again as Philadelphia marks America’s 250th anniversary.

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