Holiday Weekend Politics, Iran Mourns Supreme Leader, US Vs Belgium World Cup Drama

What could be more American than dueling points of view? President Trump marked Independence Day by talking about communists. New York's mayor gave his speech among naturalized citizens and spoke of immigrant contributions to America. I'm Michelle Martin. That's Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News. Coming up, Israel wants to know where it fits into a US agreement with Iran. Our colleague in Tel Aviv reports that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been seeking a meeting with president Trump. Also, The US placed Belgium tonight in the World Cup with all of their top players available. Team USA's top scorer in the tournament received a red card, which would have meant his suspension tonight. And then FIFA, the soccer authority, suspended the suspension. Was there political interference? Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day. This message comes from Angie. If you're tackling a home project, check out angie.com. From roofing to remodels and everything in between, Angie connects you with skilled pros who do such a good job, you might trust them to do other things, like pull out your tooth or be your kid's godfather. Don't actually ask them to do those things. Just let them get the job done well. Angi, the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find a pro for your projects at angi.com. That's angi.com. Support for this podcast and the following message come from Vanguard. Every day, shareholders meet to discuss important matters about the companies you invest in. Now you can make your voice heard too. Vanguard investor choice makes it easy to set your proxy voting preference for your eligible Vanguard index funds. Visit vanguard.com/investorchoice to learn more. Vanguard investors own shares of their index funds, and those funds own shares of the companies they invest in. Vanguard Marketing Corporation distributor. Americans celebrated the July 4 in all kinds of ways. It was the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the United States. New York had so many fireworks, they set the Brooklyn Bridge on fire. Other cities dodged extreme heat or thunderstorms and celebrated anyway. In Washington, a white nationalist group marched through the city as did counter protesters while military jets flew over the city for much of the day. I think, Michelle, you were watching and listening to that as we went through the day. The DC fireworks began very late, delayed by a thunderstorm and by a speech by the president who started after 11:00. Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world only to have that menace rear its ugly head right back here in America. The weekend offered contrasting views of America, and NPR's Mara Eliasson was watching and listening to much of it. Mara, good morning. Good morning, Steve. What was your impression of the president's speech? The president's speech was overtly political. Just like his speech on Friday at Mount Rushmore, he excoriated Democrats using his latest epithet for …