OPINION NEWS
Showing 12 articles
AP
Donald Trump: Turning America's 250th Anniversary into a Personal Spectacle","description":"From headline appearances to custom coins, President Trump is reshaping America’s milestone celebrations into a showcase of his own brand and narrative. This piece explores how he’s used every platform—concerts, the White House, the U.S. Mint, and beyond—to cement his imprint on the nation's heritage.","summary":"The 2024 250th‑anniversary festivities have been hijacked by President Donald Trump. After the pulsing of major musical acts, the event steered into his personal broadcasting, prompting him to announce himself as the headlining act of the Great American State Fair. Trump’s signature style—blending public events, personal branding, and tap-in to historic symbols—has seen him place his likeness on passports and a commemorative coin, and to dominate the celebratory narrative. Historians note that Trump’s approach diverges sharply from past presidents, whose celebrations were more broadcast‑controlled and less self‑centered. Despite controversy, his every‑tune experience, from UFC bouts to White House renovations, shows his readiness to use the upcoming U.S. World Cup as another high‑profile platform to project himself and steer national stories. The article looks at the divergence between presidential tradition and Trump’s modern, celebrity‑style hosting of national celebrations.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/fc72892/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4535x3023+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F69%2F19%2F180862c0fcd10a7899071cf8bb32%2F5237373024674d20888ae9afa79553a0","text":"<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>When the nation’s 250th anniversary began to feel like a 2024 political circus, the president made sure the spotlight was still on himself.</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">A surge of expected musical performers pulled out of the Great American State Fair because the event had become too tied to President Trump. The void was filled when the former businessman announced that he would headline the fair. In saying so, he clarified that a president who thrives on the spotlight will not cede the stage for a national celebration.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">Trump’s love for the limelight appears in every public gesture—from the prim‑page “Cage Match” event at the White House on his 80th birthday to a signature minting of a 24‑karat gold coin bearing his likeness. He even has his picture on the new U.S. $250 bill and on passports issued in connection with the anniversary.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>Why the president’s penchant for self‑promotion matters</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">Historian Timothy Naftali, former director of the Nixon Library, says the president’s actions are predictable and self‑centred: “He frames everything around himself,” he notes. When contrasted with past leaders—Andrew Jackson’s party‑ranging inauguration, FDR’s “Children’s Hour,” or Ronald Reagan’s White House revelries—Trump’s reach is both broader and grander.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>The 250th Anniversary Stage‑Set</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">In addition to a “fair” that kicks off with his 80th‑birthday bout, the president has orchestrated a host of anniversary‑milestone events. A federal task‑force led by Trump, a new UNESCO‑approved World Cup peace prize, and a drawn tournament all take a Trump‑centric cue. He even scheduled a town‑hall‑style event, invading the Kennedy Center’s ceremonies and spearheading two historic renovations that place his brand on the nation’s architectural stage.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>From the Chair to the Commemorative Coin</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">The U.S. Mint’s 24‑karat gold coin is a direct slide into this narrative. Trinidad of Trump’s children run the Trump Organization and hold the “Trump 250” trademarks, signifying a family‑in‑business approach that blurs the lines between personal brand and national celebration.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>Comparisons with Earlier Presidents</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">The question raised by scholars is why this mixture of personal ministry and national history is uncharted. History professor Marc Stein argues past presidents were careful to let the message stay on the nation and the ideals that shape democracy. For instance, Ford’s commentary on the Valley Forge “liberty” was a careful move away from fitting his own ambitions.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>On the World Cup, an American Stage</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">The incoming host duties for the U.S. FIFA World Cup seasoned Trump’s knack for professional self‑branding. A federal World Cup task‑force, a peace prize created from FIFA, and a promise to present the trophy all point to a chance to cement his name in sports history. It’s not unprecedented for a president to introduce a tournament, but Trump’s narrative integration is.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>Overall Insight</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">The 250th‑anniversary of America and the co‑hosted World Cup have been used to display a modern form of public celebration that blends politics and spectacle. Trump’s steering of both private entrepreneurs and federal agencies to re‑brand historic milestones underscores how a single personality can reshape national narratives—whether a celebration becomes a propaganda moment or a cultural pivot.</p>
AP
Muhammad Ali’s Legacy of Compassion Becomes a 10th‑Anniversary Day of Service","description":"On the tenth anniversary of the boxing legend’s passing, Louisville’s Muhammad Ali Center honors his lifelong commitment to service with a ‘Day of Compassion’ that calls for acts of care and empathy.","summary":"Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali’s wife and the center’s lifetime director, reflects on the boxer’s mantra that “service to others is the rent we pay for our room here on earth.” The Muhammad Ali Center will celebrate the 10th‑anniversary of his death with a Day of Compassion aimed at uniting communities in an increasingly polarized nation. The story recalls Ali’s historic funeral, the city’s tribute, the new U.S. Postal Service stamp, and the call for leaders to act with compassion in the face of weakened voting rights.","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Muhammad_Ali_1978.jpg","text":"<p>LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Muhammad Ali’s legacy extends beyond his stinging right jab, world titles and Olympic gold medal, to the heart and compassion he showed long after he left the ring, his wife Lonnie Ali said.</p>\n<p>“He transcended boxing into every space you can imagine,” she told The Associated Press this week ahead of the 10‑year anniversary of <a href=\"https://apnews.com/celebrity-general-news-dedb61d1ce6d4aac972f8e479992723c\">Ali’s death</a> on June 3, 2016, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.</p>\n<p>“Muhammad lived by this mantra: service to others is the rent we pay for our room here on earth,” Lonnie Ali said during an interview at The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. “He showed up every day with kindness and empathy in his heart for people who are in need.”</p>\n<p>Ali, known as the “Louisville Lip” in his hometown, rose to prominence as a trash‑talking world champion boxer in the 1960s and began speaking about civil rights issues as his star was rising. He is widely regarded as the most famous and influential boxer of all time, winning the heavyweight title three times.</p>\n<p>The Ali Center is sponsoring a “Day of Compassion” on Wednesday, the 10th anniversary of his death, to promote acts of service and caring. Lonnie Ali, who serves as the center’s lifetime director, said the hope is an expanding annual event to highlight works of service and volunteering.</p>\n<p>The day will focus on one of “the core values that made up Muhammad Ali” in an increasingly divided country, she said.</p>\n<p>“Today, we are in a place where we are losing touch with our humanity and with each other,” she said. “It’s causing rifts, not just in families and communities, but in this nation. We’re becoming increasingly polarized and separated, and sort of retreating to people who think like us, look like us, and not really reaching out.”</p>\n<p>She also challenged political leaders to lead with compassion, noting the recent <a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-louisiana-alabama-4e3225083caccda5ec73a98533a79add\">weakening of the 1965 Voting Rights Act</a> by the Supreme Court.</p>\n<p>“We should always be thinking about how we can uplift a community, not how we can make it harder for them,” Lonnie Ali said. “We want equal representation in this country. You can’t have equal representation when you’re denying people voting rights, you can’t do that.”</p>\n<p>But there is hope, she said, and she saw that when the city of Louisville came together for a weeklong celebration of Ali’s life in 2016. The week was capped by a <a href=\"https://apnews.com/general-news-domestic-news-domestic-news-ddf9b131fcc34c349e20c02c257ce637\">funeral procession through the city</a> and past her late husband’s modest childhood home near downtown Louisville. Former President Bill Clinton and actor Billy Crystal spoke at his funeral, and Will Smith, who portrayed Ali in a 2001 movie, was a pallbearer.</p>\n<p>The outpouring of love for Ali at his hometown funeral service was livestreamed to millions around the world. A decade later, Ali’s face <a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/muhammad-ali-forever-postage-stamp-33534e74228d40ac43a4b22b5578a7bc\">graced a U.S. Postal Service stamp</a> for the first time, showing his enduring influence.</p>\n<p>“We’re talking about people who traveled thousands of miles to come here, who had never met the man, never laid eyes on him personally, but wanted to … give their last respects to him: kings, princes, presidents, heads of state, celebrities, sports figures,” Lonnie Ali said.</p>
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