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In honor of our country's birthday, enjoy four American stories on this fourth of July!
Statue of Liberty reopened
Photo courtesy of FlickrreviewR/Wikimedia Commons.
The Statue of Liberty reopened today, July 4, 2013, on the 126th anniversary of its dedication. Lady Liberty had closed her door since Superstorm Sandy in October.
"We've not only repaired damage from Sandy, but we've also taken steps to protect Liberty Island from major storms in the future, just as we're doing in the rest of our city," said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to CNN.
One of the visitors, a young girl named Katie Belvel, told CNN that “[Statue of Liberty] means a lot to me because it’s our country and I love it.” Many visitors claimed that there would not be a better gift than the reopening of the Statue on Independence Day.
Snowden’s next stop might be Latin America
Photo courtesy of VOA/Wikimedia Commons.
Snowden withdrew his asylum request to Russia. During the same time, 10 of the 21 countries on his list turned him down. Brazil and India rejected his request while Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain and Switzerland said that the request was invalid since Snowden himself was not in their countries.
On Wednesday, rumor had it that a plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales from Russia also carried Snowden. Bolivia’s foreign minister David Choquehuanca denied that Snowden was on board and said he didn’t know “who invented the lie.”
Latin American countries hold different opinions on whether or not to grant Snowden political asylum. Countries such as Brazil and Chile tend to negotiate with the US. Others countries are more likely to give Snowden a shelter. The destination of Snowden is still hard to predict.
Obama addresses Independence Day
Photo courtesy of Alessio85/Flickr.
In his weekly address, President Obama reminded the audience what Independence Day means.
Obama said, "On July 4, 1776, a small band of patriots declared that we were a people created equal – free to think and worship and live as we please. It was a declaration heard around the world – that we were no longer colonists, we were Americans, and our destiny would not be determined for us; it would be determined by us."
Firework displays canceled to cut costs
Joint Base Pearl Harbor and North Carolina's Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base decided to cancel their firework displays to save money and cut expenses. In canceling its fireworks, Joint Base Pearl Harbor is expected to save some $55,000, according to CNN.
Hopefully you can get yourself to some live ones, but if not, enjoy some complimentary Youtube fireworks! Happy fourth!
[youtube]18212B4yfLg[/youtube]
School and year: A&S, 2016
Favorite Beyonce lyric: "I'd roll outta bed in the morning, and throw on what I wanted then go"
