Independence Day Archives - The Wisconsin Daily Star

Independence Day Cookout Spending to Hit Record High Amid Inflation

July 4, 2023July 3, 2023 Admin

Individual spending on Fourth of July food items has risen to $93.34 on average across the U.S., the highest the National Retail Federation (NRF) has recorded since it began collecting this information in 2003.

The cost of one person’s July Fourth foods rose about 10 percent over the past year from $84.12, according to NRF. Inflation remained twice as high as the Federal Reserve’s target in May, according to a Labor Statistics (BLS) report, and the price of energy and food increased 4.0 percent on an annual basis last month.

100-Year-Old World War II Veteran Cries, ‘Our Country’s Going to Hell!’

July 4, 2022July 3, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

U.S. Marine Carl Spurlin Dekel, who turned 100 years old on June 29, mourned the decline of America in a Fox 13 News interview, tearfully lamenting, “Our country’s going to hell!”

“People don’t realize what they have,” Dekel said. “They bitch about it. And, then, nowadays, I am so upset that the things we did, things we fought for, and the boys that died for it, it’s all going down the drain.”

Commentary: An Independence Day Hat Tip to America’s Police Officers

July 4, 2022July 3, 2022 Admin

As those of us who are not leftist ingrates celebrate Independence Day, it is important to remember and thank our men and women of the armed services for the sacrifices they make to keep us safe. Yet, it is well to remember and thank another crucial group of uniformed individuals. who also sacrifice to keep us safe—America’s police officers.

Recently, I had the chance to visit with members of one of my home state’s police organizations. It has been a rough couple of years for them. While the radical chic of attacking the police and demanding they be defunded has somewhat abated, my friends reminded me that dangers wrought by this injurious policy have only managed to dent, not end, its advocacy.

Price of Independence Day Cookout Substantially More Than Last Year

July 4, 2022July 3, 2022 The Center Square

If you plan on holding a July 4 cookout this weekend, expect to pay a lot more than what you paid for last year’s meal.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation marketbasket survey, the overall cost for the Independence Day cookout is up 17%, or about $10 from last year. Ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation tied in part to increased government spending, and the war in Ukraine are being blamed for the price hikes.

Delta Airlines to Allow Travelers to Change Flights at No Cost Ahead of Holiday Weekend

July 3, 2022July 2, 2022 The Center Square

Delta Airlines will allow travelers to change flights over the Independence Day holiday weekend at no cost, saying it expects an increase in traveler numbers not seen since before the pandemic.

This week’s announced comes as Americans continue to face flight cancellations and delays around the country amid ongoing airline industry issues.

Commentary: Targeting Citizens for Expressing Traditional Values is a Hallmark of Tyranny

October 26, 2021October 25, 2021 Wisconsin Daily Star Staff

All my life I’ve felt a bond with places and with people.

Growing up in Boonville, North Carolina, population then about 600, I went to elementary school and the Methodist church, knew many of the merchants in town—Harvey Smith, grocer and mayor for many years, Donald the barber, Mr. Weatherwax who owned the pharmacy and was kind enough to let me read comic books on the premises, and a dozen more adults—and relished my friends and their families. Boonville’s red clay and rolling hills are as much a part of me as any genetic code.