July 4th Heat Wave, Russian Strikes On Ukraine, Future Of Democratic Party

Happy almost birthday, America. Tomorrow the United States turns two hundred and fifty years old. And parts of the country may feel like it's two hundred and fifty degrees. A heat wave from Texas to the east coast is already forcing cities to cancel parades and fireworks. I am Michelle Martin, that's A Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News. The death toll from Russia's attack on Kiev is climbing. Ukraine's president says more air defenses could have saved lives. And Democrats are hoping to win back the house this fall, but a fight within the party could get in the way. Progressive and democratic socialist upsets are energizing voters in blue cities. The worry is whether that message can win in the places Democrats actually need to take back. back the majority. Stay with us. We've got news you need to start your day. Today is the eve of the two hundred and fiftieth birthday of the United States. Tomorrow there will be celebrations of independent day, large and small, all across the country, many of which are being affected by intense heat. MPR culture correspondent Anastasia Syulkas has been tracking the festivities across the US. So what are some of the difficult choices uh some people are gonna have to make about public events?

Well that heat wave is extending from Texas all the way up and down the east coast. And officials across much of the country are going to have to make some tough decisions potentially at the last minute. But some places have already decided to cancel our cut back on their festivities, eh? The city of Philadelphia, which of course is central to our independent story, has already decided to substantially cut its annual Fourth of July parade route. Many communities in Colorado, like Durango and Vail, have canceled their fireworks displays due to the risk of wildfires. And it's not clear yet what's going to happen in Washington, DC, where President Trump has, of course, been emphasizing. This two hundred and fiftieth anniversary. Yeah, that's the big spot that uh everyone's looking at because the uh great American State Fair is out there and on the national mall and it's gonna be out there in blazing heat no matter what. That's right. Yesterday afternoon, Morning Edition producer Lindsay headed out to the mall to check out the state fair. It was a hundred and one degrees and it felt like a hundred and fourteen with the heat index.

And for security reasons, metal and glass water bottles aren't allowed, so folks can only bring in or buy plastic ones. And water is priced like at an airport. It's five bucks for a twenty ounce bottle. Uh lemonade is ten dollars. But there are also hydrations scattered around where visitors can get free bottles of water and a bit of space to cool down. All right, well, at least there's that. So what's the uh plan for the evening in D C for the Capitol Fourth concert and fireworks display? That is a good question and we just don't have a good answer yet. Yesterday the Capitol Police in D C announced they'll be making a call this morning whether or not the public will be allowed to attend the Capitol Fourth event this evening. Today the forecast is for 102 degrees with the heat index expected to make it feel up to 113. And Washington in the summer is notoriously hot and muggy in any case. You are really reminded that this city was built on a swamp.

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