America at 250: Fireworks, Weather, and a Nation Reflecting

Americans nationwide celebrated the United States’ 250th birthday with Fourth of July fireworks and festivities from coast to coast, even as a brutal heat wave and storms disrupted events; in DC, Trump’s Freedom 250 program was cut short by weather and concluded with a late address, while tall ships, parades, time capsules, and block parties unfolded elsewhere, all set against a backdrop of protests and the presence of white supremacist groups that underscored ongoing political polarization, even as polls suggested many hoped to put differences aside for the day.