
How to stay safe while using fireworks
CNN
If you plan to light fireworks on July Fourth, here are some safety tips to keep in mind.
An estimated 11,500 injuries involving fireworks were treated in US emergency rooms in 2021, 8,500 of which occurred between June 18 and July 18, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's 2021 Fireworks Annual Report. During that time period, people under 25 years old and under 15 years old accounted for around 49% and 29% of total injuries, respectively.
Even among those who understand the risks, adherence to fireworks safety measures can be hit and miss, a recent poll found.

The US military’s strikes in Iran over the weekend prompted a swift response from across the federal government to react to any fallout, but current and former officials say the administration’s DOGE-driven cuts to a host of agencies have made it harder to grapple with the conflict and prepare for potential retaliation.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Wednesday said in a statement that the agency had obtained “a body of credible evidence [that] indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged” by recent strikes, underscoring a broad intelligence community effort is ongoing to determine the impact of the US strikes on three of the country’s nuclear sites on Saturday.

White House’s DOGE spending cuts request runs into criticism, questions from some Senate Republicans
The head of the White House budget office on Wednesday defended the Trump administration’s push to enact sweeping cuts to federal funding, even as some Republican senators voiced concerns and raised questions about the breadth of them.