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Just over a week ago, twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, not far from its capital city of Caracas. According to an initial review of satellite data, more than 58,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed (The Guardian, June 30, 2026).

According to various polls, a substantial proportion of Americans have not been in the mood to celebrate the semiquincentennial, the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and foundation of the United States of America. Why? And what does it tell us about the state of the union?

Last week, there was a major earthquake just outside Caracas, Venezuela. The initial 7.2 quake was followed seconds later by an even greater 7.5 quake—an event known as a “seismic doublet.” As of the time of this writing, casualties are still being counted, but more than 2,000 are already known to have died, more than 10,000 have been injured, and tens of thousands are still unaccounted for (NPR, July 1, 2026).