In NPR's ongoing Swing Shift series, voters share how they view America's future. Illustrations by Tara Anand hide caption
In NPR's ongoing Swing Shift series, voters share how they view America's future. Illustrations by Tara Anand hide caption
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries looks out a window at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 2, 2026. Kriston Jae Bethel for NPR hide caption
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries looks out a window at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 2, 2026. Kriston Jae Bethel for NPR hide caption
President Trump speaks at a rally kicking off the Great American State Fair last week, part of the anniversary celebrations organized by White House-backed group Freedom 250. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption
President Trump speaks at a rally kicking off the Great American State Fair last week, part of the anniversary celebrations organized by White House-backed group Freedom 250. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption
A crowd attends the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. Altaf Qadri/AP hide caption
A crowd attends the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. Altaf Qadri/AP hide caption
The Empire State Building is seen in the distance as people take photos of a giant screen showing the message "JUST&T MARRIED!" (T&T for Taylor and Travis) outside Madison Square Garden, where wedding celebrations of pop singer Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs were held, in New York City on Friday. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
The Empire State Building is seen in the distance as people take photos of a giant screen showing the message "JUST&T MARRIED!" (T&T for Taylor and Travis) outside Madison Square Garden, where wedding celebrations of pop singer Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs were held, in New York City on Friday. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department moves through the rubble of a building that collapsed from earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday. Matias Delacroix/AP hide caption
A member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department moves through the rubble of a building that collapsed from earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday. Matias Delacroix/AP hide caption
A worker spreads fertilizer after planting potatoes at Bluff View Farms on April 24 in West Jefferson, North Carolina. High fertilizer prices due to the war in Iran have hit farms already dealing with severe weather, tariffs and the high costs of fuel and labor. Allison Joyce/Getty Images North America hide caption
A worker spreads fertilizer after planting potatoes at Bluff View Farms on April 24 in West Jefferson, North Carolina. High fertilizer prices due to the war in Iran have hit farms already dealing with severe weather, tariffs and the high costs of fuel and labor. Allison Joyce/Getty Images North America hide caption
Dogs might enjoy participating in daytime activities for July 4th — like this dog named Charlie, decked out for a parade in Salisbury, Mass., in 2024. But when fireworks start, veterinarians say it's time to keep pets inside and away from loud startling noises. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Dogs might enjoy participating in daytime activities for July 4th — like this dog named Charlie, decked out for a parade in Salisbury, Mass., in 2024. But when fireworks start, veterinarians say it's time to keep pets inside and away from loud startling noises. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) is scored on by Argentina's Lisandro Martinez during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. Lynne Sladky/AP hide caption
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) is scored on by Argentina's Lisandro Martinez during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. Lynne Sladky/AP hide caption
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The Great American State Fair, pictured on opening day Thursday, brings a Ferris wheel and state-themed pavilions to the National Mall through July 10. Andrew Leyden/Getty Images hide caption
The Great American State Fair, pictured on opening day Thursday, brings a Ferris wheel and state-themed pavilions to the National Mall through July 10. Andrew Leyden/Getty Images hide caption
Theodore Landsmark, lawyer, architect and director of the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University poses for a photo in his office in Boston, Tuesday, March 27, 2018. Pictured in Landsmark's office are a sketch of King, top left, a portrait of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, bottom left, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Stanley Forman, which shows Landsmark being assaulted in 1976 by a demonstrator carrying a flagpole bearing the American flag. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption
Theodore Landsmark, lawyer, architect and director of the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University poses for a photo in his office in Boston, Tuesday, March 27, 2018. Pictured in Landsmark's office are a sketch of King, top left, a portrait of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, bottom left, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Stanley Forman, which shows Landsmark being assaulted in 1976 by a demonstrator carrying a flagpole bearing the American flag. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption
Reenactor John Koopman III, playing George Washington, waves to attendees before participating in a "review of troops" during an event entitled Living History: George Washington's Encampment at the Thomas Baird Homestead in Millstone Township, New Jersey on Saturday, May 30, 2026. The event, showcasing 18th century music, a musket drill, and reenactors playing Washington, Martha Washington, Hannah Till, and members of the 1st New Jersey Regiment, are part of the lead up to the 250th anniversary of the United States. Michelle Gustafson for NPR hide caption
An illustration of the Boston Tea Party, when colonists dumped British East India Company tea into the harbor on Dec. 16, 1773. Some accounts say this marked a pivotal moment when Americans started loving coffee. But one historian says Americans were drinking lots of coffee even before. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption
An illustration of the Boston Tea Party, when colonists dumped British East India Company tea into the harbor on Dec. 16, 1773. Some accounts say this marked a pivotal moment when Americans started loving coffee. But one historian says Americans were drinking lots of coffee even before. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption
A national physician staffing firm tried to take over the contract held by Eugene Emergency Physicians to work in local hospitals. The local physicians used a new state law to oppose the move. sorbetto/Digital Vision Vectors/Getty Images hide caption
People spend time at Washington Square Park during hot weather in New York City on June 29, 2026. Selçuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images hide caption
People spend time at Washington Square Park during hot weather in New York City on June 29, 2026. Selçuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images hide caption
The sun begins to rise over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on July 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. Temperatures in the nation's capital are expected to top 100 degrees as a heat wave stretching from the Midwest to the East Coast impacts up to 90 million Americans. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America hide caption
The sun begins to rise over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on July 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. Temperatures in the nation's capital are expected to top 100 degrees as a heat wave stretching from the Midwest to the East Coast impacts up to 90 million Americans. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America hide caption
Ronnie Van Zant in 1975, onstage with Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta. Tom Hill/WireImage hide caption
Ronnie Van Zant in 1975, onstage with Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta.
Tom Hill/WireImage
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, bottom left, who is also Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) poses for photos with newly promoted generals Wang Shuguang, top left and Wang Gang, top right while Zhang Shengmin, Vice Chairman of the CMC stands at the right in Beijing, on Friday, July 3, 2026. Li Gang/Xinhua via AP hide caption
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, bottom left, who is also Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) poses for photos with newly promoted generals Wang Shuguang, top left and Wang Gang, top right while Zhang Shengmin, Vice Chairman of the CMC stands at the right in Beijing, on Friday, July 3, 2026. Li Gang/Xinhua via AP hide caption
Scenes in Primm, Nevada outside the Buffalo Bills Casino on Wednesday June 24, 2026. Krystal Ramirez for NPR Krystal Ramirez for NPR hide caption
Matthew Childress, father of Chloe Childress, one of the Camp Mystic counselors who died in the July 4 floods in Texas, stops to look in her room in their home on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Houston. Annie Mulligan/KUT News hide caption
Matthew Childress, father of Chloe Childress, one of the Camp Mystic counselors who died in the July 4 floods in Texas, stops to look in her room in their home on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Houston. Annie Mulligan/KUT News hide caption
U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks at a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 24. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption
A TV reporter from Telemundo works on the pitch ahead of the 2026 World Cup Group B football match between Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 18, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A TV reporter from Telemundo works on the pitch ahead of the 2026 World Cup Group B football match between Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 18, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Yebba's song "Yellow Eyes" is one of our critics' favorite songs of the year. Charles Myers hide caption
Yebba's song "Yellow Eyes" is one of our critics' favorite songs of the year. Charles Myers hide caption
Ambassador Samantha Power (C), former head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), embraces fired employees and their supporters outside the agency's headquarters on February 27, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
Healthcare workers rally at a Manhattan union headquarters to show support for the Haitian and Syrian communities after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could end temporary protected status for potentially millions of foreign nationals from countries experiencing conflict and violence. The decision means that over 330,000 Haitians and Syrians could lose their work authorizations and ability to remain in the country. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
Healthcare workers rally at a Manhattan union headquarters to show support for the Haitian and Syrian communities after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could end temporary protected status for potentially millions of foreign nationals from countries experiencing conflict and violence. The decision means that over 330,000 Haitians and Syrians could lose their work authorizations and ability to remain in the country. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
In this photo provided by Sam Volker Photography, Neil the Seal, a 1,000 kg (2,200 pound) elephant seal, plays with a traffic cone in Tasmania, Australia, on June 27, 2026. Sam Volker Photography/via AP hide caption
A spoiled ballot sits in a mailbox at the Hardin County Clerk's office during the November 2024 election. Justin Hicks/Louisville Public Media hide caption
A spoiled ballot sits in a mailbox at the Hardin County Clerk's office during the November 2024 election. Justin Hicks/Louisville Public Media hide caption
President Trump holds up an executive order to limit mail-in voting as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick looks on in the White House's Oval Office in March. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption
President Trump holds up an executive order to limit mail-in voting as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick looks on in the White House's Oval Office in March. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption
A nurse waits to be disinfected at the Clinique Universelle, in Bunia, eastern Congo, June 13, 2026. Because of attacks on healthcare workers during the Ebola crisis in DRC, some healthcare workers didn't want to give us their names. Arséne Mpiana for NPR hide caption
Laurie LaCour (from left), Stan Herd and Jennifer Lewis pose Thursday in front of the "Thank You Lawrence" sign created and donated by Algeria supporters who attended the team's previous game against Austria. Chihiro Kai hide caption
Laurie LaCour (from left), Stan Herd and Jennifer Lewis pose Thursday in front of the "Thank You Lawrence" sign created and donated by Algeria supporters who attended the team's previous game against Austria. Chihiro Kai hide caption
Scotland fans at the FIFA World Cup 2026 often reworked the chorus 'Seven Nation Army' to be "No Scotland, no party." Justin Setterfield/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption
Scotland fans at the FIFA World Cup 2026 often reworked the chorus 'Seven Nation Army' to be "No Scotland, no party." Justin Setterfield/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption
Edvin Esmerovic, 18, of south St. Louis, cheers on Bosnia and Herzegovina with hundreds of other fans during a watch party for the Dragons' FIFA World Cup knockout match against the United States on Wednesday at Bevo Caffe Lounge in St. Louis' Bevo neighborhood. The United States defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2-0. Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio hide caption
Edvin Esmerovic, 18, of south St. Louis, cheers on Bosnia and Herzegovina with hundreds of other fans during a watch party for the Dragons' FIFA World Cup knockout match against the United States on Wednesday at Bevo Caffe Lounge in St. Louis' Bevo neighborhood. The United States defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2-0. Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio hide caption
Shannon Malone cheers before marching to the San Francisco Bay Area stadium for the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, Calif., on July 1, 2026. Beth LaBerge/KQED hide caption
Shannon Malone cheers before marching to the San Francisco Bay Area stadium for the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, Calif., on July 1, 2026. Beth LaBerge/KQED hide caption
Mexico fans reacts to its national team scoring against the Czech Republic during a watch party at Shell Stadium in Houston on June 24. Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images hide caption
Mexico fans reacts to its national team scoring against the Czech Republic during a watch party at Shell Stadium in Houston on June 24. Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images hide caption
