I hope your Independence Day was filled with good fireworks, good food and good friends.

A few things garnering attention in the last few days:

DId you catch Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Face the Nation this weekend? His popularity has goen down quickly following the controversy of Senate Bill 5 and other key issues. "At the end of the day you look yourself in the mirror and you say to yourself, 'Did I do what was right for families and for children? If I paid a political price, so what?'"Kasich said to FTN host Bob Schieffer. "I mean, there's too much posturing. There's too much thinking about your party, yourself."

The Associated Press followed up with this profile about some of the interesting contradictions in Kasich's style and approach to governing.

Meanwhile, tonight Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney and Mountain Party candidate Bob Henry Baber will sit down for an event (it's kind of hard to call it a debate) hosted by the Family Policy Council of West Virginia. It'll take place in Morgantown. Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin (D), who is acting as governor, won't be attending. FPCWV says Tomblin was invited but declined. According to a news release, "Each candidate will separately have a one-hour, sit-down discussion with Dr. Andrew Hawkins, associate pastor at the Morgantown CMA Church to respond."

The Charleston Daily Mail also published this profile of Maloney's thoughts on Marcellus Shale regulations.

Finally, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R), who was just in the area before heading back to DC for more debt ceiling talks, is reiterating some of his concerns over the case of the two Iraqis arrested on terrorism charges:

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder repeating his request to reconsider holding civilian trials for two Iraqis arrested in Bowling Green last month.  

McConnell released that letter on Tuesday, saying the decision to treat Waad Ramadan Alwan and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi as civilian criminal defendants in federal court in Bowling Green is "ill-advised."

The men were charged with trying to send weapons and money to al-Qaida operatives in Iraq.

McConnell also told Holder that a Bowling Green trial is widely opposed by Kentuckians and their elected leaders.

Holder has defended his position, saying terrorism-related trials can be successfully handled by civilian courts.

McConnell wants the men sent to a Navy-run prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.