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May 12: The "Rededication of America" daylong jubilee at the National Mall on Sunday is billed as all-inclusive, but are you really invited?

According to an email from Freedom 250, "Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving" program will feature a heavy contingent of Christian speakers.

This program is part of the wider, yearlong America250 celebration commemorating America's Semiquincentennial birthday.

According to prior USAY TODAY reporting, of the 15 faith leaders participating in the Rededicate 250 event, 14 are Christian, including seven evangelical leaders and two Catholics, according to the news release. 

Orthodox Jewish rabbi Meir Soloveichik is the only non‑Christian religious leader listed as a participant.

So where does this leave patriotic Americans who aren't Christian? Here's what non-Christians and agnostics should know about this weekend's celebration.

May 12: Summer is more than a month away, but for a few days beginning this weekend, it will feel like the middle of July in the greater Philadelphia region — enough that you'll want to take steps to protect your skin.

According to a recent American Academy of Dermatology study, roughly 35% of Americans got sunburned that year, up from 25% in 2020.

In an earlier AAD survey, 39% of respondents were unaware of at least one key sunburn risk, like the fact you can burn on a cloudy day or through a car window.

With a stretch of upper‑80s to low‑90s heat on the way, here’s what you need to know about safeguarding your skin.

May 12: Tax filers who are certified as seriously delinquent and owe the IRS tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes will need to address that debt before booking a flight, because they won’t be able to get a new passport or renew an existing one.

The U.S. Department of State’s passport rules focus on people who aren’t paying down large federal tax debts.

The IRS created the "seriously delinquent" category to flag people who are deep in the hole, often with years of unpaid balances that have snowballed with penalties and interest.

For most everyday filers who are a few hundred — or even a few thousand — dollars behind and working out a payment plan, the passport risk is low; the program is aimed at a relatively small group of people who owe very large amounts.

But what is that tax debt threshold? Here's what flyers need to know.

May 12: Planning to take a flight this summer? If you owe back child support, you may not make it beyond the airline check-in counter.

The U.S. Department of State updated its passport regulations in May, taking aim at parents who accrued thousands of dollars in unpaid child support payments.

While a specific dollar amount is unknown, NJ Child Support handles tens of thousands of cases, and when parents fall far behind, courts can escalate from wage garnishment and license suspensions to bench warrants for missed payments or no‑shows in court — a step separate from this new federal passport risk.

Nationwide, parents are supposed to receive tens of billions of dollars in child support each year, but on average they see only about two‑thirds of what they’re owed — and roughly three in 10 get nothing at all in a given year, according to USAFacts.

Here's what you need to know and do if you owe child support and plan to book a flight this summer.

May 11: The 2026 tick season has started, and with it comes Lyme disease.

The New Jersey Department of Health confirmed the Garden State is considered a high-incidence state for Lyme disease, and while the most common Lyme disease symptoms are easy to spot — early-stage Lyme disease sometimes mimics the flu, according to the Mayo Clinic — you'll also need to look for the more subtle and lesser-known Lyme disease symptoms.

Here's what you need to know about Lyme disease symptoms heading into and through the summer.

May 11: Ticks have arrived in New Jersey, but do you know when it's time to head to the ER after being bitten by one?

Rutgers University identified four tick species — American dog, Asian longhorned, blackegged/deer and Lone star — that are most prevalent in New Jersey. You need to be particularly mindful of the blacklegged tick, as it can transmit Lyme disease to humans.

A+ Urgent Care confirmed that as of April 2026, the Garden State recorded 13 tick-related complaints per 100,000 ER visits.

Here's when you need to head to the emergency room to treat a tick bite.

May 11: It is tick season at the Shore and across South Jersey, and while humans should worry about tick bites, should you be concerned if a tick bites your family pet?

Rutgers University identified four tick species — American dog, Asian longhorned, Blackegged/deer and Lone star — that are most prevalent in New Jersey, and at least three of these species can bite your cat or dog.

Here's what pet owners in Jersey need to know about pet tick bites heading into summer.

May 11: Disease-carrying ticks are common in Delaware, but can a tick bite kill you?

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control confirmed more than a dozen tick species in Delaware, but state wildlife officials say five types account for most of the bites residents need to worry about; these ticks commonly bite people in Delaware:

• American dog tick
• Blacklegged/deer tick
• Gulf Coast tick
• Lone star tick
• Longhorned tick

The DNREC also issued tick alert in late April confirming more than 350 cases of Lyme disease were reported in the First State in 2025.

What's more, Delaware sits in the top ten of states for incidence rates of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and spotted fever rickettsioses, according to the Oxford Academic Journal of Medical Entomology.

Here’s what Delawareans need to know about the ticks around them heading into summer.

May 11: Made a mistake while filling out your 2025 income tax return this year?

You aren't alone; in its 2025 annual report to congress, the National Taxpayer Advocate says the IRS processed about 3.7 million individual amended returns in fiscal year 2025 — but you can act now to get back on the right track.

Here's the steps you need to take to file an amended income tax return this year.

May 6: Mosquito season in the Mid-Atlantic started a bit early this year — Secaucus began its mosquito control program on April 1, and Morris County started its mosquito control program on April 6 — so you need to take steps now to prevent a lingering mosquito problem.

Earthkind notes mosquitoes typically show up around late April and persist through October.

Residents have reason for concern. According to World Population Review, there are 50 mosquito species in Maryland and Virginia, 57 in Delaware, 60 in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and 70 in New York.

And in the greater Philadelphia region, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health issued an alert April 24 warning of mosquito bites transferring West Nile virus.

With that backdrop, here are steps you can take to protect your family from mosquito bites.

May 5: The 2026 tax season ended nearly a month ago on April 15 — the IRS processed over 140 million federal income tax returns as of April 24, according to the IRS' latest available tax-fling statistics — but if you haven't yet received your income tax return, the IRS points to several reasons delaying your refund.

Here's what to know if you are still looking for your 2025 income tax return, and how you can track it.

May 5: Why is Mother's Day always in May?

A form of Mother's Day celebrations stretch back to the very early 1900s according to History, but you may not know the real reason why Mother's Day traditionally falls on the second Sunday in May.

Mother's Day remains an extremely popular holiday, as 84% of people plan on celebrating it this year — and spend roughly $284 doing so, according to the National Retail Federation.

Here's why we celebrate moms when we do.