On May 2, 2026, teams from Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming came together at the Idaho State Capitol to battle for the “We the Students: Mountain West Civics Cup.” The event was a regional high school competition aimed at engaging students in the study of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.    Mountain States Policy Center staged the event with the help of a $50,000 grant from the Heritage Foundation as a winner of an America’s 250th Innovation Prize. The prize is a national program recognizing creative projects that strengthen civic education and public understanding of American founding principles as part of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026.  The event saw the teams compete in a mix of fast-paced quiz-style questions and applied leadership challenges, advancing from virtual preliminaries to in-person state rounds and a livestreamed regional final.  Xavier 1, a team from Xavier Charter School in Twin Falls, Idaho—comprised of Vita Wyatt, Grace Achurry-Guerry, Olivia Aiello, and Eleanor Nunnelley—won the 2026 “We the Students” Civics Bowl, taking home a grand prize of $7,000.  https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Cip2nhZdk/ The Daily Signal spoke to Mountain States Policy Center about their project at the time of the award and discussed the impact they hope it achieves.   “It is important to celebrate America, especially given our 250th birthday,” Chris Cargill, president of Mountain States Policy Center, told the Daily Signal.   “ Mountain West Policy Center is looking forward to honoring these kids and allowing an opportunity of civic education for them.” Cargill continued.    Founded in 2022 and based in Coeur d’Alene and Boise, Idaho, Mountain States Policy Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on research and outreach that promotes free enterprise, individual liberty, and limited government across the Mountain West.   It is the first multi-state policy organization of its kind in the region, serving Idaho, Eastern Washington, Montana, and Wyoming by educating policymakers, media, young leaders, and the public on how free markets and limited government can drive prosperity and opportunity.   The “We the Students: Mountain West Civic Cup” will continue to be an annual event in hopes of renewing involvement in American civics. “Our goal is to make sure every student knows that the civic cup is not just a one-year thing,” Cargill said.  “We hope to continue the Civic Cup each and every year after this, and to get more and more people excited about American history and civic involvement, as well as involved in their government. If we can engage more folks each year and make them excited to be American, we feel like we will be victorious.”   Mountain States Policy Center’s work extends beyond policy research to include public events, leadership programs, and educational initiatives aimed at fostering civic knowledge and engagement. The Civics Cup complements these efforts by strengthening students’ understanding of the foundations of American self-government and encouraging civil discourse and competition.  Other America’s 250th Innovation Prize Round Two winners included: Constituting America Harlan Institute The Moving Picture Institute Wedgwood Circle   Round One winners of the America’s 250th Innovation Prize: Creative Studio to Release Video Series for America’s 250th Anniversary  Faith Group Wins Innovation Prize for America’s 250th Celebration ‘A First of Its Kind’: Bestselling Author Crafts American Fable Collection Catholic Nonprofit Develops Resources to Inspire Patriotism Virginia Nonprofit Wins Prize to Create US History Documentaries for Nation’s 250th Anniversary

It’s too darn hot across the pond, but Europe’s ruling elites have decided that to remain holier than thou their people need to forgo grubby, American air conditioning. That’s the talk of the internet this Fourth of July week as much of Western Europe recovers from a hellacious heat wave that has claimed the lives of thousands of people. Europeans are burning up in a hell of their own making, yet somehow, some way, they found a way to blame America for their troubles. Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar just couldn’t take all the snide comments from Americans comfortably posting and meme-ing on their couches in cool, 72-degree air from the Atlantic to the Pacific. “Dear American journalists and social media ‘influencers’: for days, some of you have been criticizing and making fun of Paris because the city does not have A/C in every room. OMG, this is so rich!” she posted on Instagram on Friday. I’d really like to know which meme set her off. I hope it was this one. The European mind cannot comprehend this pic.twitter.com/72lIwbvfzw— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) June 30, 2026 Pulvar’s ranting at those bully Americans with their abominable, newfangled air conditioning units invented in 1902 continued. “As the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, you bear a significant amount of responsibility for global warming and the consequences we, in France, are experiencing,” she wrote. “Your cities ‘90% air-conditioned’ are not unrelated to this. In Paris, we take responsibility.” Are they really taking “responsibility” when their insane policies get thousands of people killed during summer heatwaves? Far more than those killed by gun violence in the U.S., a topic they frequently like to harp on. Instead of considering that little complication, Europe’s ruling class has decided to put blinders on and ignore the misery of their people so they can “save” the planet. We're not banning A/C. We're making sure future summers need it less. https://t.co/18cl2RpRtU— French Response (@FrenchResponse) June 29, 2026 They really do tell themselves that suffering through summer will make heat waves go away. Now, some have argued that the European aversion to air conditioning is just a product of there being so many old buildings and all that. That may have some part to play, but from the reaction of Pulvar and many others to the criticism it’s clear that this is about something much more existential and emotional. Underneath all the other reasons Europeans forgo air conditioning, you have what amounts to a moral, even religious imperative. The larger European aversion to air conditioning is akin to a kind of secular religious dogma, collectively enforced. And the European Left is particularly zealous on this front, of course. What’s particularly absurd about the European anti-air conditioning attitude is that even accounting for their religious aversion to producing carbon emissions, A/C units are the tiniest of concerns on that front. They really want to tell themselves that heat waves and summers didn’t exist before Americans messed everything up and that by collectively suffering, they can heal the climate wounds of the whole world. The problem with this narrative they tell themselves is that the heat problem has struck Europe many times before and will strike many times more if every A/C in the world disappears tomorrow. I remember the brutal summer of 2003 when tens of thousands of people died across Europe. It was awful, and tragic. The answer to this would have been to make widespread air conditioner use a priority as it was in America. The Wall Street Journal noted that widespread adoption of air conditioning in homes has accounted for most of the decline in “hot-day-related fatalities” since the 1960s. We had a problem and we solved it. Now it’s Europe’s turn. Drop the absurd regulations. Make air conditioning more available and thus much cheaper for regular people to acquire. Sure, other suicidal European policies come into play, like the restrictionist energy policies that made them reliant on Russia for energy needs. But if they had more homes with air conditioning they would at least have the choice to keep cool in times of great need. Unfortunately, they haven’t changed and here we are. But I’d like to strike a note of optimism. Much like on the immigration and speech issues that now bedevil much of Europe, I think most Americans want them to finally get this right, if only to make summer European vacations a lot more pleasant. And maybe now is the right time for a change. After all, thousands of regular people from all over Europe are visiting the U.S. for the World Cup. Some seem to be amazed about the nice people and nice things they’ve encountered here, including the air conditioning blasting in literally every building. French guy experiencing air conditioning in America. These videos from the Europeans in America are so funny. I can’t stop laughing. Watch til the end!! His caption: “I pledge allegiance to the ice of the United States of America!” othermichaelphelps on TTWorld Cup is… pic.twitter.com/TZp5JhD1a3— PNW Thistle (@PNWthistle) June 20, 2026 OK, maybe we take things a little too far on that front, but I’ll bet there are more than a few European visitors who’d like to bring at least half of our A/C obsession back home with them. And they should. Many lives depend on it.

Fox News Channel closed out June by beating two broadcast networks in weekday primetime viewers while also easily outpacing its cable news rivals. According to Nielsen data released this week, Fox News drew 2,628,000 weekday primetime viewers in June, compared with 2,419,000 for NBC and 2,049,000 for CBS. Fox News also led all of cable news for the second quarter of 2026, averaging 2.5 million primetime viewers and commanding nearly 60% of the cable news audience in both total day and primetime, ahead of CNN and MS NOW combined. Beating Broadcast TV Even though cable TV channels are available in far fewer homes than the broadcast giants, Fox News outdrew two networks that have dominated American television for decades. CBS posted its worst second quarter of the 21st century in primetime, drawing under 3.3 million viewers. “CBS Mornings” averaged 1.7 million viewers, the lowest in the program’s history. “CBS Evening News,” now anchored by Tony Dokoupil, drew 3.9 million viewers, its second-lowest second-quarter total this century. In June, both CBS and NBC recorded their lowest weekday primetime totals of the century in the 25-54 age demographic, with 261,000 and 396,000 viewers, respectively. Meanwhile, Fox News’ lineup kept humming. ‘The Five’ Finishes First “The Five” extended its run as the most-watched cable news program for the 19th straight quarter, drawing 3.6 million viewers. That’s more than CBS’ “NCIS: Origins,” CBS’ “CIA,” and ABC’s “Inside the NBA.” “Special Report with Bret Baier” beat the “CBS Evening News” outright in 18 major markets, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. “FOX & Friends” beat “CBS Mornings” in 23 markets. And then there’s late night, where Greg Gutfeld’s show beat every broadcast late-night program, including Stephen Colbert (whose “Late Show” ended in May), Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon. “Gutfeld!” averaged 2.8 million viewers in the 10 p.m. hour, more than any of the others. Cable TV Competition For the quarter overall, Fox News commanded nearly 60% of the cable news audience in both total day and primetime, easily beating CNN and MS NOW. According to the Nielsen data, Fox News averaged 1,575,000 total day viewers for the quarter, more than double CNN’s 500,000 and MS NOW’s 655,000. In primetime, Fox News drew 2,493,000 viewers, compared with 716,000 for CNN and 1,063,000 for MS NOW. Fox News also led both networks in the 25-54 demographic across total day and primetime for both the quarter and the month. Top-Performing Shows Fox News placed 13 of the top 15 shows in cable news by total viewers for the second quarter, according to Nielsen. “The Five” (5 p.m.): 3,575,000 viewers “Jesse Watters Primetime” (8 p.m.): 3,232,000 viewers “Gutfeld!” (11 p.m.): 2,837,000 viewers “Hannity” (9 p.m.): 2,799,000 viewers “Special Report with Bret Baier” (6 p.m.): 2,723,000 viewers Outside primetime, “The Ingraham Angle” averaged 2.6 million viewers at 7 p.m. for the quarter, and “Fox News @ Night” with Trace Gallagher averaged 1.5 million viewers at 11 p.m. During the day, “America’s Newsroom,” “The Faulkner Focus,” “Outnumbered,” “America Reports,” and “The Story with Martha MacCallum” each led their respective time slots. On weekends, “My View with Lara Trump” ranked as the most-watched primetime program on Saturdays with 1.4 million viewers, while “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo led all weekend programming with 1.9 million viewers.

Most Americans think nothing of calling our nation’s birthday “the Fourth of July.” But I learned the hard way not to do that in my Army Reserve Officer Training Corps days in college. I’ll never forget the day Sgt. Thayer, a regular Army soldier, decided to randomly quiz our ROTC squad on American history while we were in formation. One of the questions was: “What American holiday do we celebrate in July?” “The Fourth of July, Sergeant.” Sgt. Thayer’s response? “GET ON THE GROUND! COUNT THEM OUT!” Then he called on another cadet. Same question, same answer, more push-ups.   This was repeated several times until one of the putatively better-educated members of the squad, whose family had an extended and extensive military past, finally answered: “Independence Day.” I guess I’d never really given it due thought until that day. I learned plenty from being a cadet, but the appropriate labeling of this historically significant event is one lesson I think all Americans should also learn as we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Founding Fathers’ declaration of colonial independence from Great Britain. America was founded on a set of beliefs and convictions—what Thomas Jefferson described as self-evident truths (actually, Jefferson originally wrote “sacred and undeniable,” which was revised to the more secular “self-evident”) that were proclaimed in the 1776 Declaration of Independence and then protected by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. The declaration established the first modern country founded on principles of individual freedoms. It also led to the selection of America’s government leaders by the people, rather than through an inherited bloodline of kings and nobles. Why is the American holiday celebrating this reduced to its calendar date by seemingly everyone?  This kind of labeling debases the magnitude of what the day represents. Calling it “Independence Day” honors the foundational designation and the values of liberty and freedom that the holiday represents. Nobody refers to Christmas Day as the 25th of December; nobody greets you on New Year’s Day with “happy January first.” The same should go for recognizing the celebration of America’s independence Calling the holiday “Independence Day” connects the event directly to its historical significance. It’s become necessary because a shocking number of young people are clueless about what the “4th of July” represents—let alone the importance of the Committee of Five or the location of Valley Forge. They do not know who the Founding Fathers were or what they accomplished. According to the above-linked video, many can’t even spell the word “independence.” Public schools have failed to educate American students on the fundamentals of civics. Leftist universities tend to focus their far-left “anti-founder” lenses on America’s failures rather than its successes. Putting John Trumbull’s famous painting of the declaration of Independence signing on the back of the two-dollar bill apparently wasn’t enough. Perhaps a verbal grassroots renaissance by patriot readers of this article using the proper convention will at least audibly point countrymen in the right direction.  A Celebration of America Independence Day is unlike Memorial Day, which is a somber day to valorize those who died in wars to protect our liberties. Many Americans, unfortunately, see Memorial Day as nothing more than a long weekend for vacations, barbecues, and other leisurely indulgences. Even “on-brand” Democrat members of Congress lecturing Americans about liberty and freedom fail to comprehend the solemn meaning of Memorial Day.  Independence Day, on the other hand, is unquestionably a nonpartisan day that celebrates our heritage, our Founding Fathers, their principled example, and America’s declaration of freedom. “The Fourth of July” is just a date on the calendar. What happened on the Fourth of July in 1776 was the Continental Congress voting to adopt the written Declaration of Independence, but just “declaring” it wasn’t enough. The preceding and subsequent American Revolutionary War to actually make it part of history took more than eight years (April 19, 1775, to Sep. 3, 1783). Besides, there is historical disagreement over the exact date on which we should celebrate, illustrating that the date itself seems far less important than the actual celebration of American Independence. In fact, our second U.S. president, John Adams, was quoted as stating: “The Second [emphasis added] Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generation, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance, by Solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be Solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shows, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations, from one End of this continent to the other, from this Time forward, forever more.” President Adams also presciently warned us, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate [for] the government of any other.” One of those morals must be to teach its citizens about the excellence and successes of the American experiment and why our independence and freedoms are special and the envy of others.   Independence Day is a monumental occasion meant for celebration and festivities, but Americans should at least label the occasion by its proper name to invite reflection rather than just say a date.   The American dream was not born from “magic soil” and our freedoms did not emerge organically.  It was born out of the honor, courage, and sacrifices of our founding politicians, soldiers, and citizens.  America would not exist if it were not for God-fearing American patriots who sacrificed and lost everything they had, often dying penniless (including the noteworthy friend of George Washington, Haym Salomon) so that we may celebrate and have the freedoms we all enjoy today.  It is critical that we live up to the principles of America’s Founding Fathers. Don’t take freedom for granted.  Start by teaching yourself to call the day by its name: Independence Day.  You’ll remind yourself and others what the day represents.  And if you forget, drop and give yourself 20. 

Can America survive if the next generation meant to preserve it believes our best days are behind us? As the Daily Signal has worked on a special project for America’s 250th birthday, I’ve been fixating on this question and struggling to answer it. But we might soon know the answer.  A recent study from Pew Research found that just 4 in 10 Americans ages 18 to 29 believe America’s best years are ahead of it. Today is the Day! “Sacred Honor: The Declaration That Defines a Nation” premieres TONIGHT, July 2, at 8:30pm EThttps://t.co/AmnJt3i2l0Featuring Victor Davis Hanson (@VDHanson), Sen. Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee), Sen. Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt), Rep. Brandon Gill… pic.twitter.com/Efik3YQKRM— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) July 2, 2026 I’ve always wondered what Pew or Gallup or other polls would have found if they existed in America’s founding era. What would the colonists have said on July 4, 1776, if asked if their best days were still ahead?  It’s very possible poll results in 1776 would look very similar to 2026 if the Founding Fathers’ letters serve as any indication. “Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the house when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress, to subscribe what was believed by many at that time to be our own death warrants?” Benjamin Rush wrote in a July 1811 letter to John Adams.  The birth years of Continental Congress members if the United States Declaration of Independence had been signed in 2026. pic.twitter.com/BKcjerK6Jb— History Calendar (@historycalendar) June 30, 2026 Rush was just 30 years old when the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson, the document’s principal author, was 33. Several signers of the Declaration were younger than both.  With scant cause for optimism beyond hope in God’s providence, they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in support of the Declaration and to one another. They picked up that quill and signed their own death warrants as the world’s greatest superpower prepared to invade.  Two hundred and fifty years later, America faces different yet very serious challenges. Our prosperity, liberties, and way of life are threatened from within and without.  We’re at an inflection point, but we don’t yet know if it is a peak or a valley. Our choices are social revival or socialist revolution. America’s Founding Fathers are not the only ones who prove the young are capable of immense political change. When they authored “The Communist Manifesto,” Karl Marx was 29 and Friedrich Engels was 27. Fidel Castro was 30 and Che Guevara was 27 when they led the Communist revolution in Cuba.  TRAILER: “Sacred Honor: The Declaration That Defines a Nation”PREMIERES JULY 2 ON THE DAILY SIGNAL’S YOUTUBE“Sacred Honor” takes the audience inside the years and months leading up to America’s independence and invites viewers to think like the great statesmen of our… pic.twitter.com/XzpOdNdCHt— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) June 29, 2026 My generation must choose the way of the statesman or the socialist. The way of the socialist is easy. It unleashes the passions, encourages violence, inflates the ego, and relentlessly pursues power.  The way of the statesman is hard. It places prudence over passion, politics over violence, sacrifice over selfishness, and sublimates its power to God.  Before we can act as statesmen, we must first learn how to think like them. The Daily Signal is out with a new documentary that encourages viewers to think, and inspires them to act, like America’s Founding Fathers.  “Sacred Honor: The Declaration That Defines a Nation” takes its audience inside one of the greatest political dramas in history that culminates in America’s Declaration of Independence. America’s independence was not inevitable. It is born out of a fierce contest of ideas, convictions, and interests between men whose actions would give rise to the greatest civilization the world has ever seen.  Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, Victor Davis Hanson, Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts, and many others help the Daily Signal tell this story of statesmanship.  For 250 years, the Declaration of Independence has given Americans a cause worth fighting for. Every generation, in its own time, has been called to make the Founders’ pledge in support of our Declaration of Independence.  Now it’s our turn. If we too pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to America, its best days may still yet be ahead.