Thursday, July 2nd, 2026

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Pennant. To listen to this newsletter, click the “Listen Online” link in the top right corner of this email.

On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress voted in Philadelphia to declare the 13 American colonies independent from Great Britain — two days before it adopted the formal Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July.

Kroger has announced a $1.65 billion deal to acquire regional grocer Giant Eagle. Find out what it means for the future of the chain in Top of the Fold.

Also, be sure to read Part 2 of our three-part America 250 series below.

CINCINNATI — Kroger announced Wednesday it is acquiring regional grocer Giant Eagle in a $1.65 billion deal that adds nearly 200 stores and about $9 billion in annual sales across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Indiana.

The deal includes $1.25 billion in cash plus the assumption of roughly $400 million in liabilities, and while Kroger expects to divest a limited number of stores to win regulatory approval, the company says the transaction won't close until 2027.

HAMDEN — Four adults were arrested on felony child-endangering charges after 16 children were found in "deplorable" conditions in a rural Vinton County home Tuesday, in what Attorney General Andy Wilson called the worst scene of his career.

Those arrested were Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders, and two of the children were flown to level-one trauma centers.

CLEVELAND — The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning across much of Ohio, with heat indices expected to reach 100 to 110 degrees and little overnight relief through the week.

Forecasters warn the prolonged heat is especially dangerous for older residents, people with respiratory conditions, and pets, with rain chances not returning until the weekend, WKYC reported.

In the first part of this series, we looked at the Constitution. But writing it was only half the battle. Before it could become the law of the land, nine of the 13 states had to vote yes, and plenty of Americans were not sold. The fight to win them over produced one of the greatest pieces of political writing in history: the Federalist Papers.

In 1787, as soon as the Constitution was finished, the country began arguing about whether to accept it. New York was an especially tough holdout, and if a state that big said no, the whole plan could fall apart. So three supporters decided to make their case the way arguments were made back then, in the newspapers.

Alexander Hamilton came up with the idea and pulled in two others, James Madison and John Jay. Starting in the fall of 1787, they cranked out 85 essays explaining what the Constitution meant and why the country needed it. Hamilton wrote the most, Madison wrote a big share, and Jay wrote only a few because he got sick partway through.

Strangely, they never signed their own names. All 85 essays ran under a single pen name, "Publius," borrowed from a hero of the ancient Roman republic. Everyone could tell "Publius" knew his stuff, but the real authors stayed hidden, and for more than a hundred years afterward, historians argued over exactly who wrote which essay.

What did they actually say?

Continue reading the article here.

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