Whittier police deployed drones 233 times and armored vehicles 19 times during 2025, while reporting no field use or discharge of several other equipment categories.

Nearly two months after the Great American State Fair, photographs from June 28 offer a look at how Washington transformed the National Mall for America’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Dolly Parton dies at 80 after a life that shaped American culture and inspired publicly supported programs for literacy, disaster relief and medical research.

On a rain-soaked walk through Washington, the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial stood on opposite sides of a divided landscape. At 250 years, the United States faces its own deep divisions—but the Constitution remains the bridge connecting Americans across them.

On June 28, I began my America 250 reporting journey in Washington, D.C., beneath heavy rain and storm clouds. From the Washington Monument, the rain-obscured capital became a powerful metaphor for the storms America has weathered before—and the possibility of renewal that may follow.

David Brearley’s annotated printed draft of the Constitution preserves the crossed-out words and handwritten changes made during the final days of the Constitutional Convention. The document reveals that America’s new federal government was created through continuous debate, compromise and revision.

David Brearley’s annotated printed draft of the Constitution preserves the crossed-out words and handwritten changes made during the final days of the Constitutional Convention. The document reveals that America’s new federal government was created through continuous debate, compromise and revision.

The Treaty of Paris ended the American War for Independence while recognizing the thirteen former colonies as free, sovereign and independent states. Its language reveals how different the original confederation was from the federal nation established under the Constitution.

In 1778, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr and other Continental officers signed oaths renouncing King George III. These documents reveal how American allegiance originally meant loyalty to free, independent and sovereign states—not yet to one consolidated nation.

The Declaration of Independence was not completed in a single moment. Congress declared independence on July 2, approved the text on July 4, ordered an engrossed copy on July 19, and began signing it on August 2, 1776.

Before declaring independence, 12 American colonies united through the 1774 Articles of Association. Signed by 53 delegates, the agreement created a coordinated economic resistance movement that helped lay the foundation for the United States.

Despite algae-green water, rain and ripples, the Washington Monument remained reflected in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool—a powerful symbol of America’s founding ideals enduring through troubled and imperfect times.

Before reporting from the ground, Whittier 360 News Network rode the Great American State Fair Ferris wheel to document the event's massive footprint, stage layout, state pavilions, and its setting between the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument.

How many people attended the America 250 July 4 Fireworks Spectacular? With no official attendance methodology released, Whittier 360 News Network conducted an independent analysis based on firsthand reporting, photography, 360-degree video, crowd flow observations, and the event footprint to estimate peak event-related attendance while documenting how crowd movement during the celebration may have been misunderstood.

Step inside Whittier 360 News Network’s America 250 coverage from Washington, D.C., with traditional photo galleries and interactive 360-degree images from the National Mall, Washington Monument area, Lincoln Memorial, and surrounding public spaces.

Whittier 360 News Network has officially arrived in Washington, D.C., where we will provide on-the-ground coverage of the America's 250th anniversary celebrations. Our arrival at Washington National Airport showcased the city's preparations for the historic milestone, with prominent America 250 banners welcoming visitors from across the country. An aerial view of the National Mall—including the Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool, and Washington Monument—offered an inspiring fi

Whittier 360 News Network will be reporting from Washington, D.C., during the nation’s America 250 celebrations after receiving approved press access to cover Freedom 250 Presents: The Great American State Fair on the National Mall. Because of this national reporting opportunity, Whittier 360 will focus its Independence Day coverage this year on events in Washington, D.C., rather than the local Fourth of July celebration in Whittier. The Great American State Fair is being hel

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a series of landmark decisions Thursday on immigration, gun rights, federal authority, and product liability, making it one of the busiest opinion days of the current term. Whittier 360 News Network examines what the rulings mean for Americans, including their potential impact on residents of Whittier and Southeast Los Angeles County.

Whittier voters are expected to decide in November whether to move city elections to the statewide general election cycle and impose a 12-year lifetime term limit for mayor and City Council members.

The Whittier City Council voted 5–0 during a special meeting to direct staff to draft a formal protocol for responding to ICE activity near City facilities, programs, and public spaces. The vote followed public comment that leaned heavily against ICE, council discussion over what Whittier can legally do, and staff’s account of how the City responded when federal immigration agents were reported near the Whittier Central Library.