The parade is coming! Lexington celebrates 250 years since the American Revolution broke out
The parade is coming, the parade is coming!
Thousands across New England and the country flocked to Lexington to mark 250 years since the first shots of the American Revolution were fired.
The morning on the Battle Green began with reenactments, followed by ceremonies honoring generations of our armed forces.
Local and state leaders watched and cheered on as 2,700 marched down Lexington's Center for their Patriots' Day Parade Saturday afternoon.
'This is Massachusetts,' said Governor Maura Healey. 'I want people around Massachusetts and around New England to take in how special this place is.'
Senator Ed Markey also added, 'Everyone comes together to celebrate the role which Massachusetts, Lexington, and Concord played to create this great country.'
Town roads were lined for miles with eager patrons watching on.
'I think sometimes you take it for granted,' said one Lexington native. 'But, you're reminded with things like this.'
Another, Laura Cortes, flew in from Salt Lake City. She used to walk in the parade as a child.
'I loved every minute of it,' she said. 'If the British had gone that way and not that way, they would've just got yelled at.'
Many saw it as a time for New Englanders and Americans to pull together.
Sue Flynn, a patron, finished, 'We were all Americans together. That's what we're here for... to feel like we are true, liberated Americans together and we're one.'
More celebrations will continue into Sunday and Monday across Massachusetts to celebrate the 250-year anniversary.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mass. Sen. Warren: DOGE accessed ‘sensitive' student loan data at Education Dept., calls for probe
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she wants to know how the quasi-governmental Department of Government Efficiency gained access to 'sensitive' student loan information at the U.S. Department of Education. On Monday, Warren and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, both Democrats, called for the agency's acting inspector general to find out how that breach happened. They were joined by Democratic senators from eight states, including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Warren said lawmakers learned of the potential breach of systems at Federal Student Aid after DOGE, which was helmed until recently by tech titan Elon Musk, infiltrated the agency. In response, Education Department officials revealed that DOGE workers 'supported' a review of the FSA's contracts. As a part of that review, one employee was granted 'read-only' access to two internal systems that held sensitive personal information about borrowers. The agency said it had since revoked that access. But, according to Warren, it did not explain why that access had been revoked, or whether the employee had continued access to other databases. 'Because of the [Education] department's refusal to provide full and complete information, the full extent of DOGE's role and influence at ED remains unknown,' the lawmakers wrote in a June 8 letter to René L. Rocque, the agency's acting inspector general. That 'lack of clarity is not only frustrating for borrowers but also dangerous for the future of an agency that handles an extensive student loan portfolio and a range of federal aid programs for higher education,' the lawmakers continued. Warren, Markey and their colleagues have called on Roque's office to determine whether the department adhered to the Federal Privacy Act, which dictates how the government can collect and use personal information. They also asked Roque to 'determine the impact of DOGE's new plans to consolidate Americans' personal information across government databases.' 'It won't end well for Trump' if he does this amid LA protests, ex-GOP rep says All Ivy League schools are supporting Harvard lawsuit — except these 2 Embassies directed to resume processing Harvard University student visas Over 12,000 Harvard alums lend weight to court battle with Trump in new filing Markey: Trump using National Guard in LA to distract from big cuts in 'Big Beautiful Bill' Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Harris ripped for 'appalling' LA ICE raids statement placing blame on Trump: 'The country dodged a bullet'
Former Vice President Kamala Harris was slammed by conservatives on social media after she issued a statement on the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles, blaming the Trump administration and calling the unrest "overwhelmingly peaceful." "Los Angeles is my home," Harris posted Sunday as riots had broken out across the city for several days, led by protesters upset with federal agents arresting illegal immigrants in the city, prompting the Trump administration to send in the National Guard. "And like so many Americans, I am appalled at what we are witnessing on the streets of our city," she said. "Deploying the National Guard is a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos. In addition to the recent ICE raids in Southern California and across our nation, it is part of the Trump Administration's cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division." Harris added that the Trump administration is not concerned about "public safety" but rather "stoking fear." Anti-ice Protesters In Los Angeles Spit On And Burn American Flag "Protest is a powerful tool — essential in the fight for justice. And as the LAPD, Mayor, and Governor have noted, demonstrations in defense of our immigrant neighbors have been overwhelmingly peaceful," Harris said. "I continue to support the millions of Americans who are standing up to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms." Read On The Fox News App Harris' comments were immediately criticized by conservatives online and by Trump officials. "The country really dodged a bullet in November," Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X. In another post, Benson added, "Their official position is that they're appalled by what's happening in Los Angeles…because of Trump and ICE, not the violent rioters. In its current form, this party cannot be salvaged." Fbi Searching For Suspect Who Allegedly Assaulted Federal Officer During Anti-ice Riots In Los Angeles "Thank you, America, for employing brain cells and rejecting this woman's quest to become president of the United States," Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich posted on X. Others, including the conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok, took issue with Harris calling the unrest "mostly peaceful" by responding with pictures of rioters burning cars and attacking law enforcement. "No surprise[sic] that the most incompetent Vice President in history stands with the illegal alien rioters," GOP Sen. Tom Cotton posted on X. White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields responded on X by saying, "America's statement" along with a photo showing the gains President Donald Trump made across the country in the November 2024 election. "No one is interested in your opinion," Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell posted on X. "President Trump didn't start these riots," California GOP gubernatorial candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco posted on X. "He's not out there lighting cars on fire, hurling projectiles at law enforcement or blocking freeways. This statement is an embarrassment and does nothing to diffuse the violent riots taking place across the city." "The Democrats and their 'leaders' own this." Trump's Ice Launches Bold Courthouse Migrant Arrest Strategy To Fast-track Deportations Biden Avoided Steve Hilton, a Fox News contributor also running for California governor as a Republican, posted on X, "In this appalling statement you are siding with violent criminals over California communities; rioters over law enforcement; illegal immigrants over legal immigrants and American citizens." "You are a pandering machine politician who should never hold public office again." In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said, "Everyone already knows that Kamala Harris supports violent criminal illegal aliens -- that's why the American people resoundingly rejected her in November. "Harris's tenure as Vice President was defined by one humiliating failure after another, including overseeing the invasion of tens of millions of illegal immigrants as Biden's Border Czar, that President Trump is now cleaning up. Harris should stop embarrassing herself by pretending anyone cares about her opinion and slink back into irrelevancy where she belongs." Fox News Digital reached out to Harris' office for comment but did not receive a reply. Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the city in an effort to quell some of the unrest, much to the dismay of Democratic officials. The violent protests erupted as ICE officials carried out plans to remove individuals illegally residing in the left-wing city, which dubbed itself a "sanctuary" for illegal immigrants in November 2024 before Trump was sworn back into the Oval Office in January. ICE raids began Friday, with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issuing a statement supporting illegal immigrants in the city and bucking the Trump administration's deportation efforts. California Gov. Gavin Newsom similarly criticized ICE efforts, branding the immigration raids "chaotic and reckless." "Continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel," a statement from the governor read. "Donald Trump's chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America's economy." During the riots, ICE officers were targeted with violence that included throwing rocks and other projectiles along with vandalism in the form of graffiti calling for violence against ICE officers. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks shared a photo of one Border Patrol agent's bloody hand, which was injured by a rock flying through the windshield. Federal sources said agents could have been killed by the flying debris and several officers have been reported as injured during the rioting. ICE agents captured the "worst of the worst" criminal illegal immigrants during Friday operations, including murderers, sex offenders and other violent criminals, the agency said Sunday. About 45 people were arrested across several locations, including two Home Depot stores, a store in the fashion district and a doughnut shop. "Why do Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens?" asked Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets," she said. "Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer." Fox News Digital's Taylor Penley, Alex Nitzberg, Emma Colton, Greg Wehner and Bill Melugin contributed to this report. Original article source: Harris ripped for 'appalling' LA ICE raids statement placing blame on Trump: 'The country dodged a bullet'
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Private sector wages should not be the business of Government
For far too long, British politicians have created laws and systems that outsource decisions to the courts. All of this has been done with the best intentions, but too little consideration has been given to the unintended consequences, and the outcomes have been perverse. Thanks to a spate of absurd rulings, including the Albanian criminal allowed to stay in the UK partly because his son will not eat foreign chicken nuggets, many are aware of the impact on efforts to control our borders. But the problem is much broader, impacting everything from planning to energy. Increasingly, tribunal judgments are even telling businesses what they should pay their workers. If that sounds crazy, it's because it is. All jobs are different; all people are different too. In theory, setting pay is hard, because the pros and cons of different roles depend on individual preferences. In practice it's easy. You don't have to sit down and work out a weighted aggregate of a job's different pros and cons to different people; the market does that for you. You can start hiring, and you'll find out pretty quickly how much you need to pay to fill a role. This is so obvious that it almost isn't worth saying. But it's not what our laws say. The Equality Act, passed in 2010, mandates 'equal pay for equal work', doubling down on the Equal Pay Act of 1970. But what is 'equal work'? According to the Equality Act, it isn't where two people do the same job. It's not even where two people do similar jobs. In fact, the Equality Act says, the only way to tell if two jobs are 'equal' is to conduct a 'job evaluation study'. Rather than letting the job market determine fair pay, bureaucrats and judges use a host of arbitrary criteria to decide what a role is worth. What does that look like in practice? Last August, a six-year case concluded against the retailer Next. The company was sued by three women, current and former workers, who insisted that store staff (mostly women) should be paid as much as warehouse workers (slight majority male). Any of the store staff could have moved to the warehouse if they wanted more money. In fact, Next were desperate for them to – the company had a recruitment drive for the warehouse among store employees. But very few people wanted those roles because working on the shop floor was pleasant and working in the warehouse was not. One of the women who brought the case admitted that she would only have considered moving to the warehouse for 'a lot more money.' Incredibly, Next lost. The court decided the two roles should be paid the same. The same thing is happening to Asda. And Birmingham council was effectively bankrupted by an equal pay claim brought by (mostly female) cleaners complaining they weren't paid as much as the (mostly male) binmen. We should be grateful anyone is willing to do work that's backbreaking, dirty or dangerous. They deserve to be paid fairly; often more than people who don't want to do that. But now bureaucrats have come in to fix what isn't broken and insist that what is fair is actually unfair. This undermines our economy and it needs to stop. Katie Lam is the Conservative MP for Weald of Kent Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
