The Shining City Upon a Hill

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Biden said in his statement that he is “on track to have confirmed the most judges by July of the first year of a president's first term in over 50 years.”

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The Federal Trade Commission's first meeting under new Chair Lina Khan broke decades of precedent Thursday by taking place in public — something unheard-of for the notably secretive antitrust and consumer protection agency.

Then it pushed through a series of actions on progressive Democrats' wish list: Fines for companies that lie about products being "Made in America." Greater latitude for launching antitrust probes and lawsuits. And a wider door to writing new regulations — something else the FTC hasn't done much of in decades.

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July 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will mark the nation's 245th birthday on Sunday with a traditional celebration looking forward to a rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.

After a holiday spent buying cherry pies in Michigan before golfing near his family home in Delaware, Biden is returning to the White House to host around 1,000 people for burgers and fireworks.

It is a sweet dose of nostalgia for a country weary of pandemic restrictions and hardship, burdens that have eased but not disappeared with the widespread availability of vaccines.

The pandemic forced cancellation of nearly all celebrations last year and led to a toned-down January inauguration for the Democratic president, who had to do without traditional black-tie galas and bipartisan comity as Republican former President Donald Trump disputed his election loss.


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A White House official previewing remarks expected from Biden said the president would reflect on lives lost and urge Americans to get vaccinated. "He'll reflect on the progress our nation has made to live up to our founding ideals, and the work still to be done," the official said.

Signs of normalcy have returned in the United States, where people traveled and gathered without masks even though Biden has fallen short of his goal to have 70% of U.S. adults get at least one vaccine shot by Sunday. The government calculated the number at about 67%, as some people have resisted getting shots.

"On Sunday, we'll celebrate our independence as a nation, as well as our progress against the virus," Biden told a group of teachers on Friday. "In the days ahead, we have a chance to make another beginning."

At the White House on Saturday, smoke from ground-beef patties rose off of charcoal grills as workers prepared dishes for Sunday's event.

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American adults have received at least one dose of a vaccine, while nearly 90 percent of people 65 and older — the demographic most at-risk of severe COVID-19 cases and death — have been inoculated. "We do have a lot to celebrate," he said. "We are much further along than I think anyone anticipated in this fight against the pandemic."

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Joey Chestnut wins 14th Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest with record 76 franks

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Carnival Cruise Line resumed sailings on Saturday from Galveston, marking the first time the line has sailed in almost 16 months. Now, Carnival has set another ship off for its first passenger cruise from Florida.

On Sunday, the Fourth of July, Carnival Horizon departed from the Cruise Capital of the World — PortMiami, on a six-night sailing to the Caribbean.