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Welcome to the Bright Side, a weekly roundup of all the good news and ideas you might have missed from the past week.
Happy July 4th! Maybe we can beat the heat by cooling ourselves in the shadow of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s nuptials at Madison Square Garden, but no matter what, we’re proudly celebrating America. (If you’re not dressing up your porch goose like a hot dog right now, are you even from here? I’m kidding, but I bring the receipts.) Consider this your star-spangled RSVP to the most freedom-loving party on the block!
The most patriotic quotes in U.S. history
“History began on July 4th, 1776. Everything before that was a mistake.” — Ron Swanson from “Parks & Recreation”
“If I have to lay an egg for my country, I’ll do it.” — Bob Hope
“Thanksgiving with no turkey is like Fourth of July with no apple pie or Friday with no two pizzas.” — Joey Tribbiani from “Friends”
@oscars Happy 4th of July! ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ (1999) – The Teen Princess contestants from Mount Rose, Minnesota share why they’re proud to be an American. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Kirstie Alley, Brittany Murphy, Amy Adams and Mindy Sterling #DropDeadGorgeous #July4th #KirstenDunst #DeniseRichards #BrittanyMurphy #AmyAdams ♬ original sound – The Oscars
“I chose Mount Rushmore because to live in a country where you can take an ugly old mountain and put faces on it, faces of great Americans who did so much to make our country super great, well, that makes me, Rebecca Leeman, proud to be an American.” — Rebecca Leeman from “Drop Dead Gorgeous”
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” — The Declaration of Independence
The America-maxxing of European soccer fans
Dear European tourists, if you like free bread, air conditioning, and “Country Roads,” you’re gonna love what’s coming for America 250. Still, I’m questioning whether World Cup fans are ready for the pyrotechnics about to rain down upon them. But we’ll cross that bridge when we light it up. Cue the John Philip Sousa bangers!
@foxsports ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ plays in San Francisco Bay Area Stadium after the #USMNT Knockout Stage victory 🇺🇸 #FIFAWorldCup #CountryRoads #SoccerTikTok ♬ original sound – FOX Sports
Roughly 72 million of us will be zipping around the country for July 4th weekend, and travel will likely get stickier in cities hosting World Cup games. But while the rest of the world descends on North America, some Americans are heading to — wait for it — Europe. It’s like we’re all in a Guinness World Record foreign exchange program.
According to surveys, the top international travel destination appears to be Rome. July 4th isn’t an official holiday, but lucky for expats and American travelers, Italy’s been known to light up a few fireworks for the occasion, too. Maybe we can convince the Italians that deviled eggs are better than spaghetti bolognese … at least for one day.
The July 4th food your state loves to grill
Whether or not you hail from one of the most patriotic states in America (Arkansas, bless your heart, we need to get you some sparklers!), if you thought we were all choosing between burgers and dogs this weekend, it turns out we’re grilling all sorts of goodies in celebration of the U.S.A. What doesn’t go with baked bean casserole?
I’ll be over here counting s’mores as a food group, but elsewhere across the country, Idaho loves grilling pineapple, Maine’s all about charred mushrooms, and South Carolina prefers smoky grilled oysters. Still, if you smell what The Rock is cooking, it’s probably steak. Go here to find out what your neighbors are grilling on the other side of the fence.
But if standing over flaming-hot coals sounds like the opposite of staying cool, order in Goldbelly’s Taste of America. Sample Philly cheesesteaks, NYC pastrami, Texas pork ribs, biscuits and pimento cheese from South Carolina, Wisconsin kringle, and other signature dishes from all 50 states — without ever leaving your A/C.
Hey 1776, just look at “U.S.” now
This might come as a shock if you’re reading this via pony express, but a lot has changed in America since 1776. We can look back on churning butter and dipping beeswax candles with starry eyes, but shoutout to our Founding Fathers for setting us up for indoor plumbing. A few fun facts:
- U.S. population rose from 2.56 million in 1776 to almost 350 million in 2026
- Virginia was the most popular state with 550,000 people; now California wins with nearly 40 million
- The most popular career used to be farming; now it’s working in health care
- Favorite July 4th foods used to be roast venison, johnnycakes, and apple pandowdy; now we like barbecued meats, potato salad, and corn on the cob
- News took weeks via horse or ship; now we ChatGPT it in seconds
- We used to travel 4 mph by horse; now we zip along at 70 mph on highways
- Casual fashion used to be waistcoats and petticoats; now everyone’s wearing jeans and T-shirts
From modern medicine to advances in technology, America’s the best thing to happen since sliced bread.
Don’t have 250 candles for a cake? Celebrate America with this
Welcome to my hot mess July 4th swap meet where I’ve assembled my most cherished internet bric-a-brac and priced it to move! Well, one item costs $250, but the rest? Priceless.
Ready for a little change? We’re getting limited-edition semiquincentennial quarters, America! Just 250,000 of the coins are entering into random circulation, and you can spot them by the Liberty Bell on the back. “This is more than a coin; it’s a defining moment in our nation’s story,” U.S. Mint director Paul Hollis said. “We hope Americans enjoy the search for these iconic quarters as they’re meant to be shared, saved, and remembered as part of this historic anniversary.” Stay tuned for possible future $250 bills that would become the largest U.S. bill available to the public. Only a few bucks less than the $100,000 Woodrow Wilson bill they printed that one time.
Elsewhere, patriotic mani-pedis are trending with “hot dog nails” and “Bomb Pop nails” serving nostalgia. We’ll also accept flag nails and fingertip-sized fireworks at the backyard barbecue, but someone please invent Good Humor Strawberry Bar nails, or summer didn’t happen.
Lastly, what Independence Day celebration would be complete without a bunch of sassy grannies tearing up the dance floor? If you happen to be in D.C. for the Great American State Fair, you can enjoy the fancy footwork of Milwaukee’s Dancing Grannies. Having celebrated America’s 200th anniversary a mere 50 years ago, the ladies are making their star-spangled splash at the National Independence Day Parade on July 4th.
The Dancing Grannies may be the pride of Wisconsin, but their red, white, and blue sequin flag vests are for all of us. Let’s go, America!
Wishing you an awesome July 4th! Doing fun activities, cooking a family recipe, or still laughing about old summer memories? Share ’em in the comments! You can email me too. I’m so glad to celebrate the awesome people like you who make this country the greatest place on Earth. — Lauren
