The latest July Fourth news, headlines and analysis from The NE Times.
A fireworks malfunction set the Brooklyn Bridge alight during America's 250th Independence Day show — a test of the invisible systems behind celebration.
A masked Patriot Front march through Washington DC during the US 250th anniversary raises hard questions about public space, symbolism and response.
Three children died when a storm capsized a boat on Geneva Lake, and nearly a million lost power as heat returned — a case study in overlapping summer hazards.
Joey Chestnut's 18th Mustard Belt and Miki Sudo's 12th women's crown made the 2026 Coney Island contest a study of dominance, ritual and spectacle.