A California town celebrates America's birthday and wonders what's next

John asks whether the Italian prime minister will end up coming back to Trump hat in hand. Who knows? The issue of Giorgia Meloni’s clash with the U.S. president has already been forgotten in Italy; right now, everyone is talking about the heat.

“People aren’t so bad individually; it's the governments that are the problem,” comments Mike, who runs a vinyl and comic book store in Orcutt in central California. “I have a Russian friend I get along with, for example.”

He works with two other Mikes. “You come from Italy – are you very Catholic? Is it fair to say the Vatican has too much power?” It is unclear whether Mike can truly say everything he thinks in this neat and peaceful town in the Santa Maria Valley. The early summer morning here is surprisingly gray and cool thanks to “June Gloom,” a meteorological phenomenon that brings in low-altitude marine clouds. Many military families live in Orcutt. After World War II, they were attached to the Air Force base where crews trained; today, they primarily work at the nearby Vandenberg Space Force Base.

In short, this part of solidly Democratic California has more Republicans than the rest of the state, and shop owners who did not vote for Trump are cautious. Stacy is one of them. She runs a........

© Il Manifesto Global