At 250, the American Dream Is Alive and Well

How Americans Are Feeling About the U.S. as the Country Turns 250

With the country's landmark Semiquincentennial anniversary approaching, polls show that many Americans are harboring negative feelings about the state of the U.S.––and its future.

California city council members voted out in a landslide refuse to leave office

Elected officials in California are carrying on with business as usual, even after their constituents voted overwhelmingly to send them packing.An election was held on April 28 in the California city of Avenal in Kings County, where the mayor, Alvaro Preciado, and three city council members — Leticia Gamez, David Reynosa, and Pablo Hernandez — were recalled with at least 76% of voters backing the ouster in each case. The Kings County Registrar of Voters certified the recall election.'I’ve never seen a city so deflated.'The driving force behind this electoral housecleaning — which the council members unsuccessfully attempted to stop with a lawsuit in April — was principally voter concerns about transparency and the council's previous decision to cease contracting with the county fire department.Preciado, Gamez, and Hernandez voted on June 11 to reject the will of the electorate and remain in office. They even approved a new city budget despite recall advocates producing a restraining order, reported the SF Chronicle.Those officials clinging to power, including Reynosa, maintain that the recall election was conducted unlawfully by Kings County and without the council's authorization.Preciado told the SF Chronicle last month that he was staying in office until a judge decides on the recall's legality.California Democrat Attorney General Robert Bonta cleared the way for legal action against the recalled officials on June 11.RELATED: Gov. Pritzker says he's one of the good billionaires, not the ones vilified by socialists In his opinion, Bonta noted that "if the Relators are correct on the merits, then the Defendants are not lawfully occupying office. It would not be in the public interest to permit elected officials to disregard election results."Days after Bonta granted the recall campaigners' application for leave to sue in quo warranto, residents served Preciado and the other recalled officials a lawsuit and an earful at an Avenal city council meeting.Dalila Barajas, a resident of Avenal who is one of the recall proponents, told KGPE-TV, "It just seems that the more meetings they have, the more money that they're spending illegally, the more our citizens are getting frustrated and the more we're asking for them to step down."While Bonta cleared lawsuits against the recall officials, King County District 2 Supervisor Richard Valle criticized the state attorney general for his apparent disinterest in the scandal, telling KMPH-TV on Wednesday, "I believe that if these were MAGA republicans who were refusing to leave office, someone in California would have done something about that.""We were hoping he would take some action," added Valle."I’ve never seen a city so deflated in my time of being around in public service. The people feel like nobody’s coming to help," added the King County supervisor. "Why is it being allowed to take place here in the state of California, in the county of Kings, in the city of Avenal? It’s embarrassing."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

USMNT defense turns biggest question mark into World Cup strength

If no one truly knew how good the U.S. national team was before the World Cup started, then no one had even the slightest clue of how good its defense was. 

A Visit to Jefferson’s Monticello as the Declaration of Independence Turns 250

It’s a vibrant house museum, a scholarly center, and as close to Jefferson’s clone as we’ll get.

Costco announces all California stores to shut on Fourth of July — here’s where to go instead

The membership-only retailer will shut all its U.S. warehouses on Saturday, July 4, including its 142 California location.

Dem-turned Independent Joe Manchin urges Fetterman to ‘set himself free’ and follow suit

Former Democrat-turned-Independent Senator Joe Manchin is urging Sen. Fetterman to follow in his footsteps as his former party lurches left. Manchin bucked the Democratic Party in 2024 […]

Sanctuary county refused 615 ICE transfer requests, turned over just 11 illegal immigrants, records show

Records show Fairfax County declined to transfer 615 illegal immigrants to ICE while turning over just 11 over roughly 16 months of data collected.