Valley Solutions

White House cheated America

Congressional Democrats. From Vanity to Insanity: How the White House cheated the American People. 
Synopsis: Democratic Party staff members of the House Committee on Natural Resources compiled a well-documented and damning report detailing the ways in which the Trump administration has commandeered a celebration that was supposed to be for all Americans and created a profit center geared toward the glorification and personal profit of the president. “Under President Donald Trump, this anniversary has been hijacked and perverted into a hotbed of corruption and self-enrichment,” reads the report. The president’s operatives pushed aside nonpartisan planning committee “America 250,” established in 2016 under President Obama and led by Smithsonian Institute, supplanting it with members of his former campaign staff forming “Freedom 250.” The authors detailed illegal activities including wire fraud as the Trump team “harvested” the “private, personal information” of Americans “for political purposes.” The Republican members of the committee “refused to conduct oversight to uncover the truth for the American people and hold the Trump administration accountable.” To further their goals, the president’s organization enlisted help from federal agencies such as the USDA and Dept of Interior. Sponsorships valued at $10 million were sold to foreign entities, making quid-pro-quo deals for lower tariffs, favored treatment, endorsements and even photos with Trump. Much of the “information” presented in the Freedom 250 celebration and its fleet of traveling mini museums is so factually flawed that most of the nation’s historians say it is being used to “perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history.” The results are antisemitic, Islamophobic and meant to disparage.
MAD Take: This 55-page report with footnotes and ample documentation should be required reading on July 4. It lays out the methods used to scam America while enriching the Trump family and its friends, providing the names of those involved. Instead of a celebration, Freedom 250 is a nationalistic, racist series of events designed to funnel profits to those who paid for the privilege of picking the pockets of those who attend. How else can you justify $20 hot dogs and $5 for a bottle of water? Rep. Adam Gray is one of 20 Democrats on the House Committee on Natural Resources.

LA Times. Trump refashions America’s 250^th as a celebration of himself. 
Synopsis: Many of the most ambitious plans to celebrate America’s 250^th anniversary across the nation were scrapped after the Trump administration came into power and cut $100 million in federal funding that had been designated for local groups. The administration funneled that money into the same company he used to organize the Jan. 6 rally in 2021. Now, every program has Trump at its center with his face on passports, currency, park passes and even government buildings. A history professor at Tufts quoted George Orwell in describing the current celebration: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” On Saturday, Trump will fly his new airplane – a “gift” from the nation of Qatar – over the mall where he thinks people will be celebrating. 

Taylor’s wedding a bigger deal

Modesto Bee / USA Today. Will Taylor Swift’s wedding outshine Trump’s plans for America’s 250?
Synopsis: There is a lot of excitement across America today, but it has less to do with July 4th and more to do with Taylor Swift’s nuptials and the party planned to celebrate it. “There will be more fans crowding the closed-off streets surrounding Madison Square Garden hoping for a glimpse of anyone breathing Swiftian air than attending the poorly conceived and disastrously executed celebration of our nation’s semi-quincentennial taking place a quick train ride south of New York.”

How Trump is getting rich

Wall Street Journal. Trump’s brokerage accounts made big trades around ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs. 
 Synopsis: Kept hidden from public view until this week, the president made 21,000 stock trades as his policies pushed financial markets into and out of tailspins. During the gyrations, “his investment accounts bought and sold hundreds of individual stocks” as he scooped up suddenly discounted shares of Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway then sold them at quick profits. Since then, the pace of his buying has picked up. Through April, he was trading $4.2 million per day. Analysts said that is “far more than most financial advisers are doing for their clients – exponentially.” And “I just don’t see President Trump being a hands-off kind of guy.” Many of the purchases were of companies with very specific impacts from government contracts. The Trump family bought a 15% stake in MP Materials – which almost no one outside the mining industry has heard of – just before Trump put restrictions on rare-earth imports from China. He bought $30 million in tech stocks then made it easier for data centers to get federal permits.

NY Times. MAGA base stays quiet after Trump reports billion in personal gains. 
Synopsis: Donald Trump’s personal earnings have reached $2.2 billion during his presidency, a jaw-dropping number to most Americans. But far-right members of Congress are silent or are celebrating his windfall. “He made his whole career talking about how much money makes,” said the head of NYC’s Republican Party. Others noted that Trump’s entire focus is making rich people richer. Gavin Newsom called him “the most corrupt president in American history.”

Merced unveils virtual protocols

Merced Sun Star. Merced City Council to begin virtual participation protocol Monday. 
Synopsis: Conforming to a new state law, the Merced City Council will test its new virtual-attendance policies. Residents can join via telephone or sign onto the city’s website. A paper version of the same form will be available for those attending in person. Virtual speakers will go first, then those attending in person on specific topics. Bad behavior can result in being disconnected.

Day in the life of a cop

Merced Focus. What are shift like for police officers in Merced County? We tagged along to find out. 
Synopsis: Reporter Elizabeth Wilson went to Los Banos, Atwater and Gustine to hang with officers doing their jobs. First, the level of equipment in a squad car is impressive – computer screens, radios, first-aid kits and more. Between calls, officers log onto computers in their cars to write up reports filed from the field. “I’m not here just to collect a paycheck,” said LB Officer Julian Pacheco. “I’m here to make sure my kids grow up in a safe environment and their friends grow up in a safe environment.” Learning to remain calm in the face of danger or in an emergency is essential, said one officer. In Gustine, there is often only a single officer on duty – that’s all the city needs. But in Atwater officers work 12-hour shifts and four-day weeks. Having Hwy 99 in the middle of town keeps officers busy; they conducted 513 traffic stops in the first three months of 2026. One of the best parts of the story was having a kid approach an officer to show off his latest scooter trick. “The people we work with, they’re what keep this job interesting and fun,” said Sgt. Tyler Davis.

Fireworks enforcement

Modesto Bee. Illegal fireworks aren’t in the sky alone in Modesto; cops are there, too. 
Synopsis: Modesto police and the Stanislaus Sheriff’s Office will be deploying drones and aircraft to catch those who ignore prohibitions on igniting illegal fireworks. Airborne fireworks outside professional displays are illegal because they can ignite fires in dry grass or on rooftops. Once illegal fireworks are spotted, those igniting them will be contacted and cited. Those who own the homes where fireworks are launched can also be cited even if not involved. Modesto Fire is bringing on additional firefighters Friday through Sunday. Already, illegal fireworks are suspected of starting two fires this summer. If you’re caught shooting illegal fireworks, it’s a minimum of $2,000 fine.

Fresno Bee. Need to report illegal firework use in Fresno? Do this instead of calling 911.
Synopsis: Fresno Fire’s Josh Sellers is encouraging people to use the FresGo app or go online to fresno.gov to report fireworks violations. Call volumes to 911 on July 4 are “overwhelming,” according to the department and the line should be reserved for reporting injuries, active fires or other emergencies.

Senators: End Yosemite chaos

Fresno Bee. ‘Pure chaos’ at crowded Yosemite; senators call for return to reservation system. 
Synopsis: The Trump administration’s decision – at the request of Rep. Tom McClintock – to get rid of the vehicle reservation system at Yosemite National Park has resulted in gridlock, massive crowds, filled parking lots, and “pure chaos.” Lines to enter the park take hours to process. Many find no parking when they reach the Valley floor and must drive out. With fewer rangers and staff in the park (due to DOGE cuts), bear encounters are up, trash is piling up and visitors are getting hurt. And it’s not even peak wildfire season yet. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla have written a letter to the acting director of the NPS and Interior Sec Doug Burgum demanding a sane solution.

Big Mama’s OK

Fresno Bee. Neighbor saves pet pig ‘Big Mama’ during garage fire, Fresno fire crews say.
Synopsis: A pet potbelly pig was rescued from a backyard Thursday after a fire broke out in a garage on East Madison Avenue. By the time crews arrived, the detached garage was fully engulfed. They kept the fire from reaching a nearby home, but Big Mama the potbelly pig was frantic behind the garage. A neighbor knew where Big Mama would be hiding and got her to safety as the fire raged.

Library reopening is delayed

Modesto Bee. County library in Modesto set to reopen in October after $18 million renovation. 
Synopsis: After two years of work removing hazardous materials and extensive remodeling, the Stanislaus County main library in downtown Modesto is expected to reopen in October. The project was supposed to be completed a few months earlier, but more asbestos was found and delayed completion. The improvements included making it more accessible and energy efficient lighting. The 200,000 volumes that are part of the library’s collection have been stored in Salida.

Public safety gets new deal

North Valley Review. Stockton police, firefighters reach deal with city for new contract.
Synopsis: The city has reached an MOU with both of the public-safety unions. The contract will be presented to the public at the July 7 meeting at City Hall, but Mayor Christina Fugazi posted a video on her social media accounts Thursday announcing the agreements. While details were not provided, one provision was unveiled: a $2,500 one-time payment for police officers.

Thar’s still gold in that hill

KSEE / CBS47. Project to mine up to $8B worth of gold one step closer to reopening in Mariposa County. 
Synopsis: A Canadian company wants to reopen an historic gold mine potentially worth billions. A study by Lode Gold has estimated that roughly 2 million ounces of gold remain in the Fremont Mine. The mine was operational from the 1850s through 1942 when it was assumed to be played out. In 2025, Blue Moon Metals got permission to begin mining for gold, zinc and copper in the area.