Latest news with #America250
UPI
2 days ago
- Business
- UPI
New details unveiled on USDA's 'Great American Farmers Market'
The Great American Farmers Market will run from August 3-8 on the National Mall. On Wednesday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins (pictured March 26 outside the White House in Washington, D.C.) said the event will provide a "perfect opportunity to showcase the rich bounty of our agriculture." File Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License Photo July 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled further details Wednesday on the looming six-day "Great American Farmers Market" in Washington and which is slated to start in a little over a week. "America's farmers, ranchers and producers dedicate their lives to feeding their fellow citizens," said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in a statement. USDA officials announced earlier this month the department will host the event from Aug. 3 to Aug 8. on the National Mall in the nation's capital and will invite local American producers and growers to attend. A ribbon-cutting with live music will be part of the kick-off at Sunday's opening ceremony at 4 p.m. EDT on August 3. The Great American Farmers Market will be held as part of America 250, the celebration of the country's birthday, and will bring 50 vendors a day from 28 states. On Wednesday, Rollins added that the GAFM event on the National Mall will provide a "perfect opportunity to showcase the rich bounty of our agriculture." Organizers have hosted a farmers market every year since 1995 to provide access for vendors in the Washington, D.C., area. This year, the event is being expanded to include farmers from all 50 states. On August 4, Rollins and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will take part in a cooking demonstration that will also see "wellness-inspired activities," such as sunset goat yoga. The next day for "Faith and Fellowship Tuesday" will see live worship bands and people of different religions taking part. Dr. Alveda King, niece of slain civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., will be will be featured in the daily events to "reflect, celebrate, and serve through shared spiritual experiences that honor the role of faith in agricultural life and community wellbeing," according to officials. On Wednesday, the day's theme of "Protecting America's Legacy" will focus on forests, firefighters and "salute the heroes who safeguard America's landscapes." It will feature interactive talks and a special meet-and-greet with Smokey Bear. The next day will be "America the Beautiful Day." Thursday's festivities will see seed-planting for kids, garden tours and a "special visit" by a George Washington impersonator to tell the story of his 250-year-old cherries. Closing out the nearly week-long event will be "Farmer First Friday" on August 8 to "honor the backbone of American agriculture" with tributes, face painting, a move night showing of Charlotte's Webb, in addition to other daily activities.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Gun Owners Say It's Time To Streamline TSA Rules Around Flying With Firearms
The Trump Administration recently announced a review of TSA policies designed to simplify travel ahead of major US events like the FIFA World Cup, Olympics and America250 anniversary celebrations. American gun owners hope Homeland Security Chief and hunter, Kristi Noem, will be able to streamline ... More air travel with firearms. America's 83 million gun owners are hoping that review will include a streamlined approach to air travel with firearms. For millions of gun owners who fly with firearms each year, the process is seen as unnecessarily burdensome while at the same time adding little to public safety. With nearly a third of the adult population in the country owning at least one firearm, it's not surprising that millions of gun owners want to travel with them for a wide variety of reasons ranging from recreational shooting and hunting to personal protection and competition. The process of checking a firearm onto a commercial airline flight, however, is seen as mystifying by many gun owners because procedures lack consistency, often varying from airline to airline and from airport to airport. Too, many see the rules as targeting law-abiding citizens who pose no threat in the first place. That is, gun owners point out that criminals, by definition, do not obey laws, so implementing more laws and regulations around traveling with firearms only impacts people who wouldn't break the law in the first place; thus, doing little to change safety outcomes. Under general TSA rules, a person flying with a firearm must declare the weapon at the check-in counter and the gun must be unloaded and secured in a locked hard case. Declaring a firearm at check-in requires the traveler to follow often confusing and conflicting ... More guidelines. The approach seems reasonable and straightforward on the surface but frequently derails in the minutes following the declaration of a firearm. Case in point, some agents ask travelers with firearms to open their gun cases to demonstrate that their gun(s) are, in fact, unloaded. Other travelers standing near the check-in counter when a gun case is opened tend to recoil when seeing a person they don't know standing with a gun a few feet away. In that moment, few passengers think the process is making them safer. Another problem with requesting that a passenger confirm a firearm is unloaded is that many ticket agents can't distinguish the difference in the first place. Relying on a passenger checking a firearm, then, to confirm that a gun is unloaded is a pointless security layer that doesn't weed out bad actors who aren't likely to be truthful about their gun's loaded status. That is, if a traveler with guns had nefarious intent, they aren't likely to tell the agent that the gun is loaded. Thus, for many traveling with firearms, this check-in procedure represents more folly than effective security measure. Furthermore, a criminal wouldn't declare a gun in the first place, say gun owners, so the entire TSA process isn't grounded in security at all but rather creates a false perception of safety at the expense of law-abiding gun owners who are subjected to layers of TSA scrutiny. Once your firearm is checked at the airline counter, you and your gun will be escorted to a TSA checkpoint by an airport baggage handler where they will determine that the case does, in fact, contain firearms…because, of course, you would declare that you have firearms if you didn't. Gun owners see current TSA rules for airline travel with firearms as needlessly burdensome. A TSA agent then opens the case, inspects the guns yet again and searches inside the case for explosives and subsequently runs the case through an x-ray to confirm the obvious one more time. It's not clear just how many terrorists have smuggled explosives inside a gun case after declaring that they were checking a firearm, but Vegas oddsmakers would likely place that chance at something near zero. What's more, a cased firearm resides in the hold of the aircraft like the rest of the checked luggage, so passengers have no access to guns while in flight anyway. For travelers with guns, then, the process can seem like a chapter out of Joseph Heller's Catch-22. It's not clear whether the TSA officials who implemented the current rules on flying with guns simply didn't possess basic firearm knowledge or whether they lacked a fundamental understanding of criminality. In either case, American gun owners have had enough and are looking for new Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to bring overdue sanity to the process. As the former governor of South Dakota, Noem—a well-known hunter and recreational shooter—annually hosted a pheasant hunt in that state where hundreds of business leaders from across the country traveled with firearms to partake in South Dakota's celebrated hunting season. Little did they know at the time that she would one day be in a position to address the incoherent TSA rules around flying with firearms. The current process of declaring firearms at the airport slows down an already taxed system. Rather than treating all airline passengers who check firearms as potential criminals, some propose that frequent gun flyers should be exempted from advanced TSA screening if they voluntarily submit to a background check like those required for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. That is, if someone has never broken the law, why burden an already taxed airline and TSA system with more checks that statistically do nothing to advance public safety? As TSA undergoes its policy and procedural review in the hopes of streamlining airport regulations, law-abiding American gun owners hope their travel concerns, too, will finally be addressed.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah Rep. Maloy proposes way to honor the nation's 250th birthday
WASHINGTON — Visitors could enjoy national parks for free on next year's Constitution Day to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary under a new proposal introduced by Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy this week. The Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites, or STARS Act, would direct the secretary of the Interior to designate Constitution Day as an 'entrance-fee free day' at all National Park Service sites next year. If passed, it would open the gates on Sept. 17, 2026, for all visitors to commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States. 'How do you properly celebrate 250 years of freedom? Maybe the best way is to spend time in what Wallace Stegner called 'the best idea we ever had'— our national parks,' Maloy said in a statement. The bill would open access to more than 400 sites across the country, including national parks, battleground sites, monuments and other cultural landmarks. By waiving entrance fees, Maloy said it highlights the role of public lands in U.S. history and 'honors the legacy of freedom, resilience, and patriotism that began in 1776.' Constitution Day is a federal holiday marking the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, marking the day the delegates signed the document at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The holiday is observed every year to celebrate those who have become U.S. citizens. If passed, Maloy's proposal would join other mass efforts next year to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. President Donald Trump earlier this month launched America250, a campaign promise to celebrate the country's 250th birthday with a yearlong celebration. America250 began at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3 and several states, including Utah, have ongoing events to mark the occasion.
Express Tribune
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Conor McGregor next fight confirmed? The Notorious confirms he's joined UFC anti-doping pool for UFC White House
Conor McGregor is signalling his intentions to make a UFC return after a four-year hiatus. The former two-division champion, who last fought in 2021, has announced he is back in the UFC's anti-doping program to prepare for a potential appearance on a historic fight card at the White House in 2026. In an interview with The Schmo following a BKFC press conference in Florida, McGregor confirmed his re-entry into the program, stating, "They're testing me. I'm in the pool. I thought that's what the pools were for, jumping in and out, but I'm back in the pool. So get ready and stay ready because damage will be done. Oval office. White House card." The event, planned to coincide with the America 250 celebrations, was proposed by President Donald Trump, who expressed interest in hosting a UFC card at the White House. UFC president Dana White later confirmed that discussions for the event were already underway, with fighters lining up to participate. McGregor's return to the anti-doping program comes after a series of setbacks in recent years. After suffering a severe leg injury in 2021, McGregor temporarily withdrew from the UFC's drug testing pool. He re-entered the program in 2023 while preparing for a bout against Michael Chandler, a fight that was later cancelled due to a broken pinky toe. Though McGregor has been tested multiple times in 2024, UFC anti-doping records indicate he has not undergone testing in 2025. This gap suggests he may have once again opted out of the program earlier this year. However, with the White House card not scheduled until at least July 2026, McGregor has ample time to comply with the necessary six months of drug testing required for a return to competition. While McGregor's participation in the event is far from guaranteed, his latest announcement adds fuel to the speculation surrounding his UFC comeback. Fans now await further developments on whether McGregor will indeed fight on this landmark card.
International Business Times
16-07-2025
- Politics
- International Business Times
Trump Pushes $9 Billion Budget Cuts as Senate Vote Looms - Foreign Aid, Public Broadcasting at Risk
The U.S. Senate is expected to begin voting Tuesday on President Donald Trump's $9 billion rescissions package, which proposes slashing funds previously approved by Congress, primarily in foreign aid and public broadcasting. The proposal marks a major test of Trump's influence over fellow Republicans as it faces growing resistance. Donald Trump announced his big plans as part of America250 celebrations at Iowa State Fairgrounds X Initially, the package stood at $9.4 billion but was trimmed after backlash against proposed cuts to PEPFAR—a globally recognized program that fights HIV/AIDS. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought confirmed the removal of PEPFAR from the plan, easing bipartisan pressure. Senate Majority Whip John Thune confirmed procedural votes would begin Tuesday, as the Senate faces a Friday deadline. If no action is taken by then, the proposal will expire, and the White House will be forced to follow the original Congressional spending plan. Despite the small size of the cuts compared to the $6.8 trillion federal budget, critics argue the programs being targeted are vital. Public broadcasting, particularly in rural communities, and global health initiatives have long enjoyed bipartisan support. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer decried the cuts, saying, "What is going on here? Does anyone stand up to these horrible, horrible cuts?" Trump, meanwhile, has threatened to withhold endorsements from lawmakers who vote against the plan. Four Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the bill in the House, which narrowly passed 214-212. The Senate version must now return to the House due to changes. Democrats warn that passing this rescissions bill could erode trust in bipartisan budgeting ahead of the September 30 deadline to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. (With Inputs from agencies)
