Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed, marking the birth of a new nation. But if you read the Declaration closely, it’s not just about creating something new;  it’s about ridding itself of something unwanted. It’s a break-up text, announcing secession from the British Crown. Today, that same spirit is fueling a modern-day movement in Illinois.

A growing number of rural counties want to secede from Illinois and create a  51st state called “New Illinois.”  Driven by frustration over the dominance of Chicago politics,  they are organizing for a new future. This week on The Sunday Story, reporter Connor Towne O'Neill takes us inside the movement to split Illinois, and the challenges facing a modern secessionist movement in the land of Lincoln.


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President Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore turns dark. Despite the heat, Americans are finding ways to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Two former Trump allies want to start a new political party. And after four months, Iranians officially mourn Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, killed in Israeli/U.S. airstrikes.

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The United States turns 250 tomorrow, but a brutal heat wave is already forcing cities to cancel parades and fireworks, and Washington D.C. will decide this morning whether the public can even attend its July Fourth events.
Russia hit Kyiv with one of the deadliest strikes of the war overnight, firing nearly 600 missiles and drones that killed at least 27 people, Moscow says it's payback for Ukraine's attacks on its oil facilities.
And Democrats are hoping to take back the House this fall, but infighting is getting in the way as progressive upsets energize blue-city voters while raising doubts about whether that message plays in the places the party actually needs.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Luis Clemens, Tina Kraja, Jason Breslow, Mohamed ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Zac Coleman.

And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:50) July 4th Heat Wave
(05:11) Russian Strikes On Ukraine
(09:03) Future Of Democratic Party 

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President Trump and his family brought in more than a billion dollars last year, much of it from cryptocurrency ventures that have dwarfed his real estate business and raised questions about potential conflicts of interest.
Democratic socialists scored another big win in Colorado as Melat Kiros upset longtime Congresswoman Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary, the latest in a string of progressive victories that Republicans are already using to paint the whole party as too extreme.
And the U.S. men’s team advanced to the World Cup round of 16 with their first knockout win in 24 years against Bosnia-Herzegovina, though they’ll be without their top scorer after a red card in a match played under dangerous heat in the East.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jan Johnson, Russell Lewis, Jason Breslow, Alice Woelfle and Mohamed ElBardicy

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Zac Coleman.

And our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:54) Trump's Crypto Earnings
(05:43) Democratic Socialists Rising
(09:26) USA Advances In World Cup

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The Supreme Court closed out its term with a major loss for President Trump, upholding birthright citizenship, though the justices handed him plenty of power elsewhere over the course of the year.
Democratic socialist Melat Kiros pulled off a stunning upset in Colorado's primary, unseating a 15-term congresswoman in the third such win for the left in a week, while an anti-Washington mood also cost longtime Senator Michael Bennet his bid for governor.
And the World Cup enters its knockout rounds as a brutal heat wave grips the East, putting more than 100 million people under extreme heat warnings and setting up some of the biggest games to be played in dangerous conditions.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Anna Yukhananov, Padma Rama, Barrie Hardimon, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Zac Coleman.

And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.

(0:00) Introduction
(02:07) SCOTUS Upholds Birthright Citizenship
(05:54) Colorado Primary Results
(09:35) World Cup Heats Up

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The U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up its term with three consequential decisions, upholding birthright citizenship guarantees, striking down campaign finance limits and allowing trans athlete bans.

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This bonus episode of Up First was produced by Ana Perez, Lilly Quiroz, and Milton Guevara. We get engineering support from Zac Coleman and Damian Herring.

Our deputy executive producer is Kelley Dickens and our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

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The U.S. and Iran are set to meet in Qatar today after a weekend of trading fire that strained their fragile ceasefire, though the two sides can't even agree on whether the meeting is happening, while in Lebanon a deal meant to end the fighting is drawing fierce backlash from people who say their government sold them out.
It's the last day of the Supreme Court's term, with a long-awaited ruling on birthright citizenship that could decide whether every child born on U.S. soil is automatically an American citizen, a major test of the 14th Amendment and President Trump's immigration agenda.
And it's primary day in Colorado, where the races offer clues about the national mood with a democratic socialist on the rise, a fight for Latino votes, and rural voters who feel left behind by Washington.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Larry Kaplow, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Zac Coleman.

And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:53) US & Iran In Qatar For Talks
(05:17) SCOTUS Birthright Ruling
(09:02) Colorado Primary Preview

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The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is barely holding after a weekend of strikes, with the U.S. hitting Iran and Iran firing back at American bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, though talks are still set to resume and Israel and Lebanon have reached a deal of their own.
Search and rescue efforts continue across Venezuela five days after two powerful earthquakes, with the death toll approaching 1,500 and thousands still missing as families dig through rubble themselves.
And President Trump's immigration agenda just got a boost from the Supreme Court, with hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians now told to find new legal status or leave the country, even as a bigger ruling on birthright citizenship is still to come.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Miguel Macias, Tara Neill, Dana Farrington, Mohamad ElBardicy and Adam Bearne.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical director is Zac Coleman.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:58) US-Iran Strikes Test Talks
(05:36) Venezuela Quake Search & Rescue
(09:24) Trump's Immigration Wins

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What happens to famous works of art when they are stolen from museums and private art collections? In the Netherlands, museums and collectors reach out to Arthur Brand, a self-styled art detective who works to track down art that has gone missing and fallen into the criminal underworld.  

This week on The Sunday Story, when a famous Van Gogh painting is stolen from a museum, Brand teams up with an unlikely partner – art thief Octave Durham. Together, the pair work to rescue a masterpiece from the underground market and return it to its museum home.


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Three days after twin earthquakes hit Venezuela, rescue teams race against time, President Trump's interest in overhauling elections is not shared by all of his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill, and New Mexico tries to provide free childcare for all residents.

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Rescuers in Venezuela are racing to reach thousands still missing after two powerful earthquakes struck seconds apart, with at least 235 people confirmed dead, hundreds still trapped, and U.S. search teams now heading to help.
The Supreme Court handed President Trump two big immigration wins, clearing the way for his administration to strip legal status from hundreds of thousands of immigrants and making it harder for migrants to claim asylum at the border.
And President Trump is trying to win back farmers hurt by his own tariffs and the Iran war, dangling 11 billion dollars in new aid even as many in farm country say they'd rather have good profits than government checks.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tara Neill, Anna Yukhananov, Rebekah Metzler, Mohamad ElBardicy, and HJ Mai.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:59) Venezuela Earthquakes Aftermath
(05:45) SCOTUS Immigration Rulings
(09:30) Trump Offers Farmers Aid

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