Hot dogs, parades, fireworks: US celebrates Fourth of July

Americans celebrated the United States' 241st birthday in both joyous and serious ways, from flashy firework displays for massive crowds to small-town parades. Tuesday's events even went international, as U.S. senators travelled to Afghanistan and spent the holiday with the troops and an Independence Day exhibition took Major League Baseball to London.

US celebrates July Fourth with parades, picnics, fireworks

Americans are celebrating their country's 241st birthday with big-time fireworks, small-town parades and the quirky spectacle of competitive hot dog eating. Tuesday's festivities stretch from a baseball home run derby in London to a picnic at the White House to a Utah ski town where residents initially weren't even sure they'd be home for Independence Day after recent wildfires.

Cruz gets an earful in McAllen for July Fourth

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas, waded into this Democratic stronghold Tuesday to celebrate the Fourth of July -- and predictably got an earful from protesters, many upset with the Senate's efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. Cruz, who has a knack for confrontation with his political opponents in Washington and far outside it, had to speak over the demonstrators for most of his speech at an Independence Day ceremony, twice pausing to address the commotion.

VP Mike Pence walks in Fourth of July Parade

The airport confirmed to FOX 17 on Monday that representatives for the VP had reached out to them last week, urging them to prepare for a possible arrival on Independence Day. Federal Aviation Administration restrictions to airspace around Ford Airport were put into place recently - VIP restrictions that also ban flights over Grandville during the parade.

TV’s nonpartisan July 4th: fireworks, the US Constitution

This image released by HBO shows President Barack Obama, left, with filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi during the filming of "The Words That Built America," airing on the Fourth of July on HBO. This image released by HBO shows President Donald Trump during the filming of "The Words That Built America," airing on the Fourth of July on HBO.

Drones are here: Regulators trying to keep up with commercial, recreational users

It sounds like a scene from "The Jetsons" with people zipping around from place to place in aerocars that also deliver packages and pizza. However, the future of driverless taxis and delivery drones flying through the skies is closer than many people may think.  The first Chinese-made ferry for individual passengers is scheduled to fly this month in Dubai.

Despite police findings, Muslim students still see bias in death of Muslim girl

Despite a contrary finding by local law enforcement, the UC-Berkeley Muslim Student Association held a vigil last Tuesday for a Muslim teenaged girl was killed on June 18 in what they regard as a "hate crime." In Virginia, Nabra Hassanen and other young Muslims were returning home on June 18 from their mosque after a pre-dawn breakfast during Ramadan when they were confronted by Darwin Martinez Torres , an illegal immigrant from Honduras.

In Sickness and in Health

In this still image from "The Big Sick," stand-up comic, actor and writer Kumail Nanjiani pitches woo to Zoe Kazan, the on-screen counterpart of Nanjiani's real-life wife and "Sick" screenplay co-writer Emily V. Gordon. In "The Big Sick," stand-up jokester Kumail Nanjiani describes acceptable professions for a Pakistani-American.

Aldi reopens remodeled Sheffield Village store

Aldi is offering grocery shoppers a fresh experience as it reopens its remodeled Sheffield Village store today, the first of seven Cleveland-area stores that are part of an aggressive $1.6 billion investment plan recently announced. To celebrate the reopening of the store that's been closed since the end of May, Aldi is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:25 a.m. on Friday.

United Way of Alamance to allot $72K in U.S. aid

Alamance County will get $72,616 in federal aid for emergency food and shelter this year, the United Way of Alamance County said. A board headed by FEMA and consisting of representatives from the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, The Jewish Federations of North America and The Salvation Army selected the county to get the aid.

Crackdown on NGOs: Delhi may face tough questions

Three months after Christian charity organisation Compassion International was forced to shut its operations in India following a government directive, the Indian side may be asked some tough questions from US interlocutors on the crackdown on NGOs during Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's stay here. The Prime Minister, who arrived in Washington DC Saturday night, will meet US administration officials Sunday onward and US President Donald Trump Monday.

Nation 27 mins ago 8:46 p.m.No Ramadan celebration at White House, though Trump said during campaigna

For the first time in over two decades, the White House did not host an Iftar or Eid celebration dinner to mark the month of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month when Muslims fast during daylight hours. Hosting an Eid celebration or an Iftar dinner the nightly meal when Muslims break their fast during Ramadan -- had been a White House tradition since 1996, when then-first lady Hillary Clinton hosted the first Eid dinner there.

Donald Trump ends decades-long White House tradition of celebrating Ramadan with iftar dinner

Donald Trump's government has not held an iftar dinner for the end of Ramadan, breaking a Muslim tradition held at the White House for more than two centuries. Donald Trump's government has not held an iftar dinner for the end of Ramadan, breaking a Muslim tradition held at the White House for more than two centuries.

The US – Russia spat over Syria isn’t fading away

Yesterday the war of words was heating up between Russia and the United States, as opposed to the war of wars involving the shooting down of a Russian-made Syrian fighter bomber. Telling America that its jets will now be treated as targets was, in some respects, a rather predictable response for the Russians, but when such diplomatic flare-ups take place they frequently sink below the media waves again fairly quickly.