Latest Fourth of July News
Couple celebrating 50th anniversary died in train derailment
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Don Varnadoe spent months watching videos about train trips on his office computer in preparation for a special cross-country vacation to celebrate his and Margie Varnadoe's 50th wedding anniversary. He phoned his co-workers in coastal Georgia,...
Feds: Los Angeles bomb technicians caused major explosion
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police bomb technicians made major miscalculations in June when they detonated illegal fireworks improperly and caused a massive explosion that rocked a city neighborhood and injured 27 people in June, according to a report by federal investigators. ...
COVID-19 surge in the US: The summer of hope ends in gloom
WASHINGTON (AP) — The summer that was supposed to mark America’s independence from COVID-19 is instead drawing to a close with the U.S. more firmly under the tyranny of the virus, with deaths per day back up to where they were in March. The delta variant is filling...
Luke Combs, Dan + Shay celebrated by peers at ACM Honors
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dan + Shay, Luke Combs, Rascal Flatts and more country artists were celebrated alongside prominent songwriters, producers and industry leaders at the Academy of Country Music Honors awards show. In front of a limited crowd at the Ryman...
Taliban suppress more dissent as economic challenges loom
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban violently dispersed scattered protests for a second day Thursday amid warnings that Afghanistan's already weakened economy could crumble further without the massive international aid that sustained the toppled Western-backed government. ...
India's Modi to unveil $1.35 trillion infrastructure plan
NEW DELHI (AP) — India will soon launch a $1.35 trillion national infrastructure plan that will boost the country's economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Sunday as part of independence day celebrations. Wearing a flowing bright saffron-colored turban, Modi...
East St. Louis church ordains women as clergy for first time
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) — On the morning of Sunday, July 4, Independence Day, Macedonia Baptist Church had its own celebration of freedom. But it didn’t involve American flags and fireworks. This was a different, personal type of freedom for the...
Recreational cannabis sales in July smash previous months
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Retailers in Maine sold $9.4 million in adult-use cannabis products in July, which is 45% more than the previous month. Business owners credit the boom to summer tourism, the July Fourth holiday, a larger array of products and falling prices, the...
Kool & the Gang co-founder Dennis Thomas dead at age 70
NEW YORK (AP) — Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, a founding member of the long-running soul-funk band Kool & the Gang known for such hits as “Celebration” and “Get Down On It,” has died. He was 70. He died peacefully in his sleep Saturday in New Jersey, where he...
Pope resumes public audiences a month after major surgery
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis resumed his routine of holding weekly audiences with the general public a month after he underwent bowel surgery, and during the much-awaited appearance Wednesday he recalled the anniversary of the devastating Beirut port explosion and expressed the desire...
