MOUNT RUSHMORE in South Dakota (Wikipedia).

President Donald Trump will be making a speech Friday night at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

The Associated Press is reporting that the president will criticize “the left wing mob and those practicing cancel culture” in his remarks.  A fireworks display is also scheduled and expected to attract thousands of spectators.

Mount Rushmore is home to a huge granite carving depicting four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. According to Gov. Kristi Noem, social distancing won’t be required at the event and masks will be “optional.”

Objections to the event were sounded by leaders of some Native American tribes, arguing that the event put members of their tribes at a heightened risk of coronavirus. There has also been some concern about the danger of exploding fireworks over a dry landscape.

Coronavirus cases up across the nation

Over 52,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported across the U.S. on Thursday as the nation prepares for the 4th of July holiday. That figure is a new one-day high for the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University’s count.

On Friday, Jerome Adams, the U.S Surgeon General, recommended that anyone celebrating the holiday in a crowded setting wear a mask.

The total count of COVID-19 cases worldwide is now put at 11,031,905, with the U.S. at 2,788.395. Global deaths are at 523, 777, led by America with 129,306 fatalities.

Friday stock market is a bit bull-ish

Wall Street celebrated the day before Independence Day with modest rallies at the leading stock exchanges. The Dow Jones Average on Friday showed an increase of 92.29 points to 25,827.36, a rise of 0.36 percent. The S&P 500 was up 14.15 points to 3,130.15, a 0.45 percent gain. The Nasdaq increased by 53 points to 10,207.63, up 0.52 percent.

Great weather for a great nation

Mother Nature must like the United States of America. The weather on Saturday – the Fourth of July – will be summer perfect. The National Weather Service is forecasting a sunny day all day long, with a high of 82. Patchy fog will begin to settle over West Orange County after 11 p.m. But you’ll be home in bed by then, right? On Sunday, it’ll be patchy fog until 11 a.m., followed by sun and a high of 84. If you have to return to work on Monday, the high outside of your office will again be around 84. Cooler temps near the coast, of course.

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