Fourth of July

Roland Emmerich sicced aliens on the world in the aptly titled “Independence Day,” a sci-fi disaster movie starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman ...

Director Roland Emmerich, who co-wrote “Independence Day” with Dean Devlin, has since become a disaster movie specialist with “The Patriot,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “White House Down,” and “Moonfall” among others. Brian De Palma outdid himself in “Blow Out,” a darkly brilliant thriller interwoven with enough genre send-ups to almost call it a horror comedy essential. But look deeper and you’ll discover a delightfully inexplicable enigma of holiday horror that’s sure to leave you asking, “What is happening?” and “Why?” in the most amused way. Categorizing Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear” as an outright horror title would feel like more of a stretch if Robert De Niro wasn’t so indisputably scary in it. This twisty and terrifying saga follows Marisol (Martha Higareda), an undocumented pregnant woman attempting to cross the border for the second time. At a glance, William Lustig’s “Uncle Sam” is a goofy slasher about a serial killer in striped slacks and a star-spangled top hat. Like “The Bay” and “Jaws,” George McCowan’s 1972 creature feature tries to say something about humanity’s mistreatment of Earth, and the especially American logic behind that entitlement. “Jaws” remains the titan of watery summer scares, but Barry Levinson’s “The Bay” will make your skin crawl in ways no shark ever could. Equal parts gore and kitsch, “2001 Maniacs” features some of the most brutal kills on this list and stands a decent chance at ruining your taste for barbecue. Julius Ramsay’s “The Current Occupant” follows Henry (Barry Watson), a man who suspects he may be the President of the United States. Staffers at the psychiatric asylum where Henry is being held disagree. Roland Emmerich sicced aliens on the world in the aptly titled “Independence Day,” a sci-fi disaster movie starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman among others. The list has been capped at 13 titles in a star-spangled homage to the original colonies codified by the Declaration of Independence on this doomed day.

A native N.J. author says he still admires the pyrotechnic spectacles every Independence Day but realizes they have a more somber meaning, too.

This will be my first July Fourth living outside the United States. I now reside in Southern Italy — home, as it happens, to the finest makers of fireworks anywhere. The first July 4th to deploy fireworks — along with the firing of guns and cannons — occurred in 1776, right in the middle of the Revolutionary War, the purpose evidently to boost morale among American troops. Then again, I might feel it my duty to wag a finger. Maybe I would just let it roll off my back. They symbolize the swagger of military might. My parents lounged near the water in beach chairs and my sister and I sprawled nearby on blankets in the sand. They simulate the explosions of modern warfare. My attitude toward the fireworks set off on Independence Day changed dramatically. All of us took an opportunity to pay tribute to the glorious heroic genius of our founders. I would clutch my belly in agony as if wounded by gunfire or grenade, stagger a few final steps and collapse on my belly pretending to be dead. Our kids oohed and aahed as skyrocketing projectiles burst in red, white and blue all across the panorama of Queens and Brooklyn. Every July 4th my country staged a birthday party to celebrate its hard-won freedom and cherished democracy.

Life in post-hypocrisy America creates a newfound understanding of what "home" really means.

You think of the hideous mendacity of it all, that Roe saved the futures of as many men as it did women. The term of empowerment that belonged to the pro-choice movement for a half-century became a rallying cry for people who could not bear the horrors of wearing a mask. They can hire people who will tell the world that institutions are committed to everyone, and you see another gas lamp lit, for the billionaires who sign the checks and hire the inclusion people to the big jobs who order the hats with team logos and rainbows on them also bankroll the political movements that have led to the stripping away of rights from citizens with the strength of a tsunami. Some prominent male athletes offered public support, as did the social media accounts of some teams, but you think about the players, the teams, the games, and all of the performative nature of support. Black people have known it for centuries, and the alarm will always ring for the ones who have forgotten. There are two rules in the United States, never directly articulated but rife with consequence when broken: Beyond what the mainstream, which is to say white America, determines to be acceptable, it is forbidden to express humanitarian compassion and concern for the people of Palestine -- just ask Dwight Howard. And it is unacceptable to unequivocally advocate for Black people. Think about the people chasing them, the ones over past decades who always told your people to obey, the ones so quick to call others anti-American. You tell yourself to not think about the utter, enraging hypocrisy, to resist the useless and flaccid equivalencies. Would they react to years of being told to shut up and play, of backing the blue, or respecting the law? The crowd came because it was July 4, a Monday day game -- a great day for baseball and family -- and, along with Bat Day, the biggest giveaway day of the year: Yankee Cap Day. You smile a little at the victory in that, because only a few decades earlier, the Yankees were most resistant to a brilliant piece of marketing. From Miranda rights to the environment, to the separation of church and state, to guns -- so many guns -- people are reeling. The spectacle of all-white juries acquitting proud, admittedly guilty white killers of Black people largely predated your birth, and thus for the past 18 months you've held on to a truth: The events of Jan. 6, where Americans stormed the most symbolically important legislative building in the free world -- and a sitting president reportedly enraged he was not taken to the Capitol to join them -- are the most unforgivable betrayals of the American ideal in your lifetime. The Fourth of July nears, and through these Massachusetts towns and villages -- Three Rivers, Palmer, Belchertown -- you see the annual preparations for its arrival.

The 2022 MLB season is just about at its halfway point; let's take a look around the league.

With all due respect to the Brewers and Cardinals (and Dodgers and Padres), this is the division race I'm most looking forward to in the second half, in either league. Like I said, the Pirates are bad, but we're slowly beginning to see the makings of the next contending Pirates team (Cruz, Contreras, Ke'Bryan Hayes, etc.) Padres is always a blast and NL Central race might prove to be the most competitive when it's all said and done, but I find the NL East race most compelling. The Giants are still alive in the postseason race, no doubt about it, but the golden touch that drove their 2021 success is nowhere to be found in 2022. The Dodgers have a significant edge in the core team-wide categories: MVP: Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals. Recent injuries have knocked Manny Machado (ankle) and Mookie Betts (rib) down a peg in the MVP race, though there's still plenty of time to make a run at the award. He's been the league's best hitter, and his strong defensive reputation will help his case (for what it's worth, Goldschmidt's defensive numbers are quite poor this season). The Cardinals winning the division, or at least clinching a postseason spot, would help Goldschmidt come voting time. The races are not over, but the Yankees and Astros are sitting pretty. Twice in history have there been co-Rookies of the Year: Butch Metzger (Padres) and Pat Zachry ( Reds) in 1976, and John Castino (Twins) and Alfredo Griffin (Blue Jays) in 1979. MLB and the MLBPA agreed to a 12-team postseason format as part of the new collective bargaining agreement this season and the races for the sixth and final spot in each league are close, though only a few teams are in the mix. Best team: Yankees. The Astros humbled them a bit with their combined no-hitter two weeks ago, but yeah, it's the Yankees. The season is roughly halfway complete and they're on pace for 117 wins, enough that the " can they challenge the single-season wins record?" Gerrit Cole should never be ruled out of a Cy Young race with half the season still to be played.

The City of Margate is hosting a day of fun Monday for the Fourth of July, which began with a parade at 9 a.m..

- Zhixiang Food Truck - Che Grill - Bruno’s After the parade, eventgoers may visit the Calypso Cove Aquatic Facility from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., where there will be a Fourth of July pool party featuring live music by a steel drummer and face painters. To register, please visit. The event is free to all.

Columnist Janice Ellis wonders what is the end game for the nation if we stay on the divisive and destructive course we are on (Joe Raedle/Getty Images). As ...

Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics. Do you like what you see happening to America? What about some of our most endearing patriotic songs? Instead, vote for those candidates who will rebuild, unify, and keep America moving in the right direction. Traditionally, we have put more importance on the presidential elections. The greatest problems we face, while troubling, are not rising inflation, high gas prices, nor rampant gun violence.

On the Fourth of July back in my hometown in Illinois, there would be lots of firecrackers going off and in the early evening, a band concert would take ...

This year I augmented the display with a brass replica of the Statue of Liberty, spraying water from the dock into Yellow Creek for the enjoyment of our boating ...

Weather permitting, we fly the flag every day at our house, and even subconsciously it reminds us.And I don’t think it hurts that one day a year we celebrate our freedom with fireworks, boating, traveling to be with family, etc. I know some pontificate that the Fourth should be more than a vacation day, rather a day to acknowledge our liberties and blessings. This year I augmented the display with a brass replica of the Statue of Liberty, spraying water from the dock into Yellow Creek for the enjoyment of our boating neighbors.

On Independence Day, a reminder that the promise of America is still unfulfilled.

comments. HAVE YOUR SAY. There are some holidays that are shared around the world, like Eid, Christmas, and other traditions that people celebrate in the ...

By 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognise July 4th as a state celebration. As it’s known as Fourth of July, the date of Independence Day is self-explanatory, falling on July 4th each year. Nonetheless, July 4th is the date that has been celebrated since 1776.

Independence Day has arrived as the United States is rocked by hearings over the Jan. 6 insurrection, awash in turmoil over high court rulings on abortion ...

“That is an essential glue of constitutional democracy.” But he sees the Jan. 6 hearings probing last year’s storming of the U.S. Capitol as a reason for hope, an opportunity to rally behind democratic institutions. “Today, I encourage you to imagine what this nation could be if and when we live up to our values.” “Moral courage as a locus for Americans to place hope, the willingness to stand up for what is right and true in spite of negative consequences to oneself,” he said. “Independence Day doesn’t feel like much of a celebration when our basic rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are on the chopping block,” New York Attorney General Tish James, a Democrat, tweeted. “The Fourth of July is a sacred day in our country — it’s a time to celebrate the goodness of our nation, the only nation on Earth founded based on an idea: that all people are created equal,” President Joe Biden tweeted on Monday. “Make no mistake, our best days still lie ahead.”

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are hosting a Fourth of July barbecue for military families on the South Lawn of the White House Monday ...

Many believed the country should celebrate on July 2, the anniversary of the vote. Representatives of the colonies actually voted for independence on July 2, 1776. U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are hosting a Fourth of July barbecue for military families on the South Lawn of the White House Monday afternoon.

Illinois State Police tweeted Monday that it is aiding local authorities with "an active shoot situation that occurred at the Highland Park Parade."

“It was just sort of chaos … There were people that got separated from their families, looking for them. This is an active incident,” the statement reads. Police are actively looking for the shooter. “Highland Park Police are responding to an active shooter incident that occurred in downtown Highland Park during the 4th of July parade. In a statement on its website, the city warned residents to “shelter in place” as the hunt continues for the shooter. At a press conference on Monday, law enforcement officials told media that the shooting appears “completely random” and it appears the shooter was on a roof with a rifle, which an official from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department says has been recovered.

Highland Park police say 19 people were taken to hospitals and authorities are still searching for the suspect. Gunfire at a Fourth of July parade in ...

A children’s bike and pet parade also was scheduled to start 30 minutes before the main parade. My condolences to the family and loved ones; my prayers for the injured and for my community; and my commitment to do everything I can to make our children, our towns, our nation safer. Miles Zaremski, a Highland Park resident, told the Chicago Sun-Times: “I heard 20 to 25 shots, which were in rapid succession. My team and I are safe and secure.” The parade was suddenly halted 10 minutes after it started later after shots were fired. It was unclear if the five dead were among the 19 hospitalized.

City officials confirmed that the parade was canceled and encouraged people to avoid the area as police investigate.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that dozens of shots were fired as the parade was about to begin. We will continue working with local officials to help those affected," the governor said. Residents are being advised to "shelter in place."

The police said at least two dozen more people were injured after the shooting in Highland Park, Ill., north of Chicago, and that they were searching for a ...

Five people died and 16 were hospitalized in the attack on the parade in a northern Chicago suburb, the Highland Park Police said. The timing of a trip by Lisa O. Monaco, the No. 2 law enforcement official in the United States, to Philadelphia in late June, with the heat setting in over the city, was noteworthy. The bangs, he said, that “everyone seemed to confuse it with fireworks” — and then the crowds running. He saw a woman “completely bloody,” he said and multiple people, including a child, injured or dead. And I saw the bullets hitting the tree that was like literally in front of us.” The shooting, he said, led to a “horrific” scene of terrified people and bloodied bodies. He estimated the family was sitting in chairs about 20 feet away from the gunman, who was on the roof of a cosmetics store firing down. The family reached a building and hugged a wall to try to escape the gunman’s line of sight. Representative Brad Schneider, who represents Highland Park, a northern Chicago suburb, in Congress, said he was at the start of the parade when someone began to shoot. Miles Zaremski, 73, a Highland Park resident who was at the parade, said in an interview that he heard what sounded like gunshots from an automatic rifle. He said SWAT teams were going door to door in the area. Police said they believed the gunman, who was not in custody, had fired from a rooftop, using a rifle.

Six people were killed and at least 19 wounded as gunfire and chaos shattered a Fourth of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.

Please share that the parade activities are canceled with your family and friends." "Police are responding to an incident in downtown Highland Park," the city said in a Facebook post. “We saw two cop cars go in the opposite direction, which was unusual. Emir Gomez, 41, stood outside his parents’ house across from the fire station as sirens continued to blare and a helicopter flew overhead. We are monitoring the situation closely." The shooter – described as a white male with dark hair, 18 to 20 years old was still at large, and residents were warned to shelter in place.

At least six people died and 24 were wounded in a shooting at a July Fourth parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, and officers are searching for a ...

"People started saying: 'There's a shooter, there's a shooter, there's a shooter,"' Glickman told The Associated Press. "So we just ran. "It was just sort of chaos," she said. He and other children in the group held small American flags. "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims at this devastating time. Hundreds of parade-goers — some visibly bloodied — fled the parade route after shots rang out, leaving their belongings behind. He and O'Neill described the shooting as random.

Rarely have Americans been so divided on what their country stands for as on the 246th anniversary of independence.

Since last year, Republicans and Democrats have combined to pass a huge new law fixing the country's aging infrastructure -- a task that evaded recent presidents before Biden. And after a deal between Republicans and Democrats, the Senate passed one of the most sweeping firearms safety laws in a generation. This could cushion the impact of a recession many experts fear is on the way. There are plenty of vaccinations to go around, though again, politics appears to be threatening the common good with refusal to take such precautions a badge of honor among some grassroots conservatives. Liberals who once dreamed of a new Franklin Roosevelt are dissatisfied with the results of their narrow monopoly on political power in Biden's Washington. But their radicalism also risks alienating the crucial middle ground of voters who ought to be up for grabs as the GOP dives right. Biden has piloted the United States out of the depths of the pandemic recession. On the left, more and more people see a Supreme Court that is openly flouting majority opinion as illegitimate. Gun crime in cities is recalling a more violent past and every Monday brings a grim accounting of the weekend's mass shootings. We have the strongest economy in the world. The Supreme Court was once seen as a moderating force for stability. Her evasions encapsulated how many supporters of abortion rights see hypocrisy and inhumanity among some of those who profess to care for life -- and the irreconcilable divide on this issue in the country. released last week said things in the country are headed in the wrong direction. The decision validates a half-century campaign by conservative activists, many of whom have sincere moral objections against abortion, which they equate with the murder of an unborn child.

Highland Park officials are urging people downtown to shelter in place. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker tweeted, "State police are on the scene and we have made all ...

We will continue working with local officials to help those affected.— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) July 4, 2022 We will continue working with local officials to help those affected." Enough is enough!"

Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Kris Jenner and Jessica Chastain were among the stars who addressed the overturning of Roe v. Wade on Fourth of July.

But yeah, who else is psyched for ‘Independence Day’ this year?” “May we sustain our fury to propel this complicated country forward and not further backward.” I know I share that with so many of you,” she wrote.