If you’re planning to drive for the July 4th holiday, expect delays or leave earlier. Read on to see how many people will be sharing the road with you.
Pokemon Go, which has become a favorite summer game over the past three years, is celebrating its third anniversary with a special mission! Heavy has a step-by-step guide for how to complete it.
And we Americans really love our ranch dressing, but would you want to taste it on a Pop-Tart? The folks at Hidden Valley ranch would love to see that happen.
Here’s what you need to know in the daily roundup:
TOP STORY: A Record Number of Americans Are Traveling For the July 4th Holiday
More Americans than ever are planning to hit the road for a #July4 road trip, thanks to lower gas prices. Millions more will fly, take cruises or ride buses and trains. #IndependenceDay #travelforecast t.co/8S7llrHVhA
Hit the road early this year if you’re planning to travel for the July 4th holiday. AAA says that a record number of Americans are planning getaways: nearly 49 million! More than 41 million people are expected to drive to their destination, as opposed to flying or taking public transportation.
July 3 is anticipated to be the most congested on the freeways. If you’re among those planning to drive, AAA says you should anticipate delays as much as four times the normal commute.
There is a piece of good news. Gas prices are expected to stay lower than usual for this time of year. The national average for a gallon of gas is $2.61, which is about 23 cents cheaper than last summer.
WHAT’S BUZZING THAT HAS EVERYONE TALKING: Pokemon Go Jump Start Research Quest Launches
Niantic
Haven’t played Pokemon Go in awhile? The makers of the game are celebrating its third anniversary with a “Jump-Start Research” quest.
The mission is meant for gamers who haven’t played in a while and are looking to catch up with the competitors. You must have reached Level 10 or higher in order to access the Special Research quest. It will be available through September 2.
Pokemon Go debuted in 2016 and became a global sensation almost overnight. The app reached 500 million downloads within its first three months. Fewer people are regularly playing the game now compared to 2016, but Pokemon Go remains very popular, especially during the summer months. According to BusinessApps, Pokemon Go’s total revenue reached $2.45 billion as of March 2019.
Read the step-by-step guide to the Jump Start Research quest here.
OFF-BEAT: Would You Eat Ranch-Flavored Pop-Tarts?
The folks at Hidden Valley Ranch would love to make ranch-flavored Pop-Tarts. The company recently retweeted an image of a Pop-Tarts box with a ranch dressing bottle added to it. The pastry was made to look green.
Hidden Valley shared the picture and added the comment, “Hey @PopTartsUS – let’s have some fun and give the people what they want ?” However, don’t get too excited about this idea. PopTarts USA responded to the tweet with a simple, “lol no.”
A representative from the Kellogg Company, which has been making Pop-Tarts since the early 1960s, also confirmed to USA Today that there is no plan to expand their flavor choices to include ranch.
What do you think of the idea of a ranch-flavored Pop-Tart? Take our poll below.
DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
NEW VIDEO – The fifth largest wildfire in Arizona state history continues to put up a fight against fire crews on the ground and in the air, but headway is being made. Here’s a time lapse of the blaze from over the weekend just released by officials in the area. #WoodburyFire
- Wildfires continue to burn out west. To stay up-to-date, see interactive maps for New Mexico, California and Arizona here.
- A 73-year-old hiker who was missing for a week in the Angeles National Forest has been safely rescued.
- Parts of the Plains and Midwest are facing a risk of severe storms that may include tornadoes.
- An Ohio woman who tripped near a collapsed “wet floor” sign at a casino has been awarded $3 million in damages.
- A burglar stopped to grill himself a hamburger before stealing the safe from a Wendy’s in Florida.
CHECK THIS OUT: ‘Porch Pirates’ Return a Sick Child’s Gift After Learning He Had a Brain Tumor
Did you see the story last night about Timmy & his stolen replica WWE championship belts?
GOOD NEWS – suspects did the right thing & returned the belts this morning
BAD NEWS – our deputies at @Edgewood_PD need your help to id the suspects
Case details: t.co/1OHM5nCi54
Timmy Vick, a 5-year-old autistic boy from Delaware, loves wrestling. When he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, his parents decided they’d try to lift his spirits by purchasing a replica WWE championship title belt.
But when the belt was delivered to the house, a pair of “porch pirates” got to the package first. Timmy’s father shared the surveillance video of the two women who took the package, which was then shared by the local police on social media.
After Timmy’s story was spread publicly, the thieves returned the wrestling belt with an apology note. The letter read, “Never in a million years would I have expected I would have stolen from a sick 5-year-old. I have a 6-year-old myself and I’m ashamed of what I did.” The suspects explained that they suffered from drug addiction and battled homelessness, and had been looking to earn money off of whatever was in the package. They added that the situation has motivated them to try to get sober.
Timmy’s father says he is not looking to press charges because they returned the belt, but prosecutors may still do so.
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