Wildfire chases July 4th visitors from Big Sur (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:26:47 GMT
AP - Independence Day is normally a booming time for tourism here, with visitors settling into cliffside vacation homes or trekking out to campgrounds nestled among the redwoods. But this year, the only out-of-towners in Big Sur are firefighters working around the clock to save the storied community from flames.

Bush to address new citizens on 4th of July (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:59:53 GMT
AP - President Bush will spend some time this July 4th at the home of the man who virtually wrote the Declaration of Independence. Bush plans to visit Thomas Jefferson's hilltop home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, Va. He'll taking part in Monticello's annual naturalization ceremony, addressing 76 new American citizens.

Gas prices hit another high for holiday weekend (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:11:05 GMT
AP - Fireworks aren't the only thing skyrocketing on this Fourth of July. The price of gas has hit another all-time high.

Obama visits traditionally-Republican Montana (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:24:16 GMT
AP - Barack Obama is celebrating the 4th of July in Butte, Montana, attending a parade and picnic. It's a state that usually gives its three electoral votes to a Republican. Only two Democrats have carried Montana since 1948. Republicans typically take it for granted and Democrats usually write if off. But this year, Obama is spending a sizeable amount of time and money to try to win it.

Freed hostage Betancourt to return to France today (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:18:57 GMT
AP - Ingrid Betancourt, freed from captivity and humiliation in the jungles of Colombia, returns to her beloved France and a hero's welcome Friday in the gilded halls of the presidential palace.

Over 50 are injured in bomb explosion in Belarus (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:20:28 GMT
AP - A homemade bomb exploded at an outdoor concert in Belarus' capital early Friday, injuring at least 50 people. Officials blamed hooligans.

Former hot-dog champ Kobayashi hungry to regain title (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:03:56 GMT
AP - He's gone from hot-dog top dog to underdog. Renowned competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi is aiming to chomp his way back to the top of the annual Fourth of July hot dog eating competition on Coney Island after a disappointing three-dog loss last year shattered his six-year winning streak.

Court orders YouTube to give Viacom video logs (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:52:12 GMT
AP - Dismissing privacy concerns, a federal judge overseeing a $1 billion copyright-infringement lawsuit against YouTube has ordered the popular online video-sharing service to disclose who watches which video clips and when.

Larry Harmon, longtime Bozo the Clown, dead at 83 (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:51:16 GMT
AP - Larry Harmon wasn't the original Bozo the Clown, but he was the real one. Harmon, who portrayed the wing-haired clown for more than half a century, died Thursday of congestive heart failure, said his publicist, Jerry Digney. He was 83.

Federer, Nadal a step away from Wimbledon final (AP)
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:50:21 GMT
AP - The top two players in men's tennis are on course to meet in their third straight Wimbledon final, but both have to get through today's semifinals first. No. 1 Roger Federer plays Marat Safin and No. 2 Rafael Nadal meets Rainer Schuettler.