With the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team continuing to shine in the World Cup and scheduled to face The Netherlands in the final on Sunday, two Florida Democrats are taking advantage of the moment to push for the team to be paid more. 

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., one of the cochairs of the Congressional Soccer Caucus, wrote to Carlos Cordeiro, the president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, on the matter. 

For the past couple decades, my block has hosted a party to celebrate our nation’s birth, replete with all the typical summertime Americana: seed-spitting contests; red, white, and blue bicycle parades; a Batman bounce house (which is our contribution as the parents of two young boys). It’s a scene that plays out in neighborhoods across the country.  

This holiday unfailingly brings us together. But why? Why do fireworks and barbecues unite us in early July? Because we’re all different.

Sandra Mortham, national chair for the organization Maggie's List, says Independence Day is the perfect time to name a patriot and public servant to a post she will use to elect more conservative women to office.

Mortham announced Wednesday the appointment of Jennifer Carroll as the new national spokeswoman for Maggie's List. Carroll served with Gov. Rick Scott as the 18th lieutenant governor of Florida from Jan. 4, 2011 to March 12, 2013. 

This past week, U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., the dean of the Florida delegation, announced he plans to run for another term in 2020 despite his fight with pancreatic cancer.