Daily Briefing: Happy (?) Birthday America

The Fourth of July is a time of fireworks, frivolity and ... worrying about the end of democracy? Donald Trump's sentencing for a criminal conviction has been delayed. Why everyone is talking about the Karen Read case.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert , Daily Briefing author. Pass me the Ranch dressing Cheez-Its, please ! Have a safe July 4 — I'll be back on Monday!

Tomorrow is the nation's birthday

Americans will gather with family and friends on Thursday for Independence Day, a moment meant to celebrate freedom and liberty for all.

But this day of fireworks and patriotism comes against the backdrop of a particularly worrisome few weeks for Americans, from former President Donald Trump and Hunter Biden's felony convictions to President Joe Biden's puzzling debate performance to a plethora of Supreme Court decisions including Trump's immunity case. Some are feeling like it's a tough time to truly celebrate our nation.

• Americans are still reeling from President Joe Biden's disastrous performance at the presidential debate against Trump last week. Democratic governors will meet Wednesday with Biden to address concerns about his candidacy.
• Here's a recap of everything the justices decided this term: The Supreme Court made a number of highly-controversial rulings this year, including granting presidential immunity to "official" acts committed by the nation's highest office.
• U.S. families of hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza are rallying this week to demand action. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian Americans want accountability for the more than 30,000 people killed in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last fall.

Cat 4 Beryl targets Jamaica

Hurricane Beryl is "expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica" on Wednesday and to the Cayman Islands that night and into Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm surge along the Jamaican coast could be as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels, according to the hurricane center. As Beryl passes over or near Jamaica, its winds are forecast to decrease but the danger will remain high. Read more

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• After mass dolphin stranding, Cape Cod residents remain shaken .
• It's game time! Play today’s USA TODAY Crossword . Our expert Sally has the answers .

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here .

Trump's hush money sentencing delayed

Donald Trump's New York criminal sentencing date has been pushed back to Sept. 18 as a judge considers whether to toss out the conviction after a bombshell Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. Trump was originally scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, at which point Judge Juan Merchan would have the option of giving Trump jail or prison time. However, Merchan delayed any sentencing to allow time for Trump to file a formal motion asking for the conviction to be completely tossed out, for prosecutors to respond, and for Merchan to rule. Read more

Should you be worried about COVD-19?

More people ended up in emergency rooms and died in recent weeks from COVID-19, federal health data showed. COVID-19, with its endless list of mutating sub-variants, appears to have more predictable seasons, with large jumps in cases during winter months, and smaller increases in the summer. However, Americans don't face nearly the same risk of serious illness or death due to COVID-19 compared to earlier in the pandemic, thanks in part to vaccines and prior infections that keep people protected. Read more

Keep scrolling

• When does "The Bachelorette" start ?
• No fireworks July 4th? Why drones will dazzle the sky .
• Eddie Murphy talks the "Beverly Hills Cop" movie.
• Young Thug's RICO trial is on hold indefinitely after the judge's alleged "improper" meeting .
• The 2024 Paris Olympics will be the first Olympics to achieve gender parity among competitors .

What happened in the Karen Read case?

The second-degree murder trial of Massachusetts woman Karen Read has come to an end − for now. The 44-year-old Mansfield woman was accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, 46-year-old John O'Keefe, after he was found dead in the snow on a fellow officer's lawn on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022. After several weeks of testimony, the trial came to a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion when a mistrial was announced on Monday due to a hung jury. Read more

Photo of the day: Dominating the mountains

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar reclaimed the yellow jersey from Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz in dominant fashion on Tuesday, winning Stage 4 of the 2024 Tour de France and establishing himself as the undeniable early favorite to win the 111th edition of the race. Read more

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here . Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daily Briefing: Happy (?) Birthday America