Today Just Happens - 7/4/2025
Your daily-ish dose of NYT Games, politics, news, sports, and more.
Happy Fourth of July my friends. Are we allowed to be happy today? There sure seems like a lot of reasons not to be. But we will power through and review today’s NYT Connections and Wordle, both of which bringing a touch of cleverness to our morning.
How did you fare today? Let me know in the comments below.
NYT Connections
Puzzle #754
🟦🟩🟨🟪
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟩🟩🟩🟩
This was a very, very clever puzzle today. I obviously fell for the states red herring right off the bat, but their inclusion on the board made the eventual correct groupings jump out at me. Yes, I actually remembered what lanthanum was from my high school chemistry classes. My hint for you: think of abbreviations for these things. You’ll figure it out.
NYT Wordle 1,476 3/6
🟨⬛⬛⬛🟩
⬛⬛⬛🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
This one could have gone sideways really quickly, which is ironic considering the final solution to today’s Wordle. Baseball pitchers will be pleased with today’s puzzle, or perhaps race car drivers? Two vowels await in the final word today, so choose wisely and don’t swerve too much from the path.
Today in the News
The new budget bill will become law today at some point. If you follow me on TikTok you already know my thoughts on this, and while my wife and I fall into the “least likely” bucket of US citizens to be affected by it, that’s not really the point. Millions of Americans will be negatively impacted as a result of this new law. Kristen and I simply aren’t wired in a way that allows us to ignore that.
I can appreciate that everyone is raised differently and come from different life experiences. My wife and I are very fortunate to be in a situation where we both work, have little debt, are highly educated and have a house over our heads. We also might actually benefit slightly from this new budget bill once it becomes law. But at what cost? One group of people should not have to suffer in order for another to flourish. That’s not how this country is supposed to work.
Yet, it does. We are reminded of that stark reality every single year. People don’t often realize — usually due to their ignorance, purposeful or not — that “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is meant for ALL people living in this country. The line between the Haves and Have-Nots is razor thin and one’s life situation can change in an instant. If we all realized that and took heed in the fragile nature of survival, perhaps we wouldn’t be in the situation we now find ourselves.
The Fourth of July is meant to be a celebration of freedom from oppression and authoritarian rule. Instead, today marks a moment in our nation’s history where lawmakers just made the lives of so many worse.
I recommend celebrating something different today. You have the freedom to choose what that might be. For me, it’s going to be hot dogs.
Wordle 1,476 4/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Connections
Puzzle #754
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟩🟨🟨
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩
One stupid mistake. For me the hardest part was trying to figure out which set was what color.
In regards to our country, what a lot of people don't realize is this bill makes it illegal for any facility that provides abortions to receive Medicaid for ANY procedure. Medicaid never paid for abortions but these heartless assholes don't care about that. Now everyone on Medicaid whose only option for healthcare is a clinic like Planned Parenthood can no longer receive treatment. So technically they didn't take Medicaid away from these people but they did take away their only doctor. We aren't celebrating today because what is there to celebrate.
Thanks for your very well-written comments on the state of our country! 100% agree! Frightening events happening every day! Great to hear a voice of reason!