Having read through the above this appears a general mix of good, bad and odd information. (PS: tommarcus might be well served to learn the difference between 'your' and 'you're' before dispensing further legal advice.)
As a photojournalist working in the US, my understanding is that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place. So you are allowed to photograph people, places and things on public property. It also is actually lawful to photograph private spaces that can be seen from a public place (eg. into a private yard or even through a window into a private space that can be freely seen from a public sidewalk or road). Of course, there are gray areas with nuances and exceptions. Some of those things might fall under federal law (copyrights, trademarks, likeness, right of publicity, etc.) some might be local (peeping Tom laws). For instance, you might be within your rights to photograph Julia Roberts on a sidewalk in NYC but you might not have the right to put her face on merchandise and begin selling it. You cannot stick your camera up a woman's skirt in a public place. And while it might be totally legal for you to go to a park and photograph random children, for instance, this might make people very uncomfortable and stir trouble. So you should always use your best judgment. Of course in the USA one can be sued for anything, regardless of whether the plaintiff has the law on their side or not. But one also shouldn't conspire with their own fear and worry about the legality of everything.
If you plan to commercialize your work in any way, say, offering images shot in public places to stock agencies, you might need releases for people who appear in the images. There has also been case law for situations in which a photographer has gotten into trouble selling prints of pictures they made of public artworks.
Privately owned spaces are, of course, a different matter. And that includes spaces that appear to be public (like the outdoor areas of Rockefeller Center, for instance). Or maybe a shopping center or mall. There some exceptions in this area too. For instance, some local laws provide additional access to journalists to make images and video in private places when first responders are on the scene as there is a public interest in what is happening. Many years back I was covering a fire on private property and the private security tried to have me removed. But as long as the police and/or fire department are present I had a right to be there as an accredited journalist. That doesn't mean that I haven't been threatened, intimidated, screamed at by all manner of people: business owners, victims or perpetrators of crime, first responders, etc. In 2020 Americans are hyper aware of and uneasy about cameras. Cameras can be very powerful.
In my work as an independent film producer, there were times when it would have been impractical to get releases from everyone who appeared in our shot...say at a restaurant or winery where we might be filming. In those cases we'd put signs up – in conspicuous places – at all of the entrances, which warned people that filming was going on there and that by entering the area they gave their consent to be filmed. So there may be other mechanisms that might unburden you from having to get releases for everyone.
Lastly, never hesitate to seek legal advice from a local attorney who is better equipped to advise you on your legal rights and responsibilities as it relates to the kind of photography that you want to do.