A Less-Than-Explosive Fourth of July

In much of the country, Americans will have to celebrate the Fourth of July without a bang. With devastating droughts, fires, floods and budget cuts plaguing much of the nation, counties from New England to New Mexico have extinguished their fireworks festivities. "Of course, a lack of fireworks is disappointing, but I think everyone understands that safety comes first and there are other ways to celebrate the weekend," said Samantha Park, a spokeswoman for Austin, Texas, where fireworks were...Full Story