Americans celebrate July Fourth with a bang after pandemic cancellations

NEW YORK - Americans marked their nation’s 245th birthday on Sunday with fireworks that may look brighter, hotdogs that may taste juicier and marching bands that may sound jauntier after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of nearly all celebrations last year.

As always, fireworks displays are the highlight of the July Fourth holiday. Two of the biggest pyrotechnic shows in the country will blast off over the National Mall in Washington, and over a mile stretch of New York City's East River, separating Manhattan from the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn.

Some classic July Fourth events such as Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Brooklyn's Coney Island remained scaled back to allow for social distancing in recognition of the continued threat of the COVID-19, which has killed more than 600,000 Americans. The more aggressive Delta variant has raised alarms about the potential for another surge among the unvaccinated.

Even so, this holiday was a time for Americans to show their patriotism and to celebrate a fresh sense of freedom in a personal sense by mingling with friends once again and enjoying summer's simple pleasures.

But this year's July Fourth was not entirely carefree. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned state and local police last week of a heightened threat of violence by domestic extremist groups amid relaxed COVID-19 restrictions and the July Fourth holiday.

It was expected to be the busiest July Fourth road travel holiday on record - with an estimated 43.6 million Americans behind the wheel, or 5% more than a previous record set in 2019, the American Automobile Association said.

Aleksandra Magidoff, a 12-year-old from Brooklyn, traveled to a New Jersey suburb to reconnect with a lifelong friend and her family. They were among the more than 3.5 million people who have moved out of New York, once the U.S. epicenter of COVID-19, since the pandemic started in the spring of 2020.

"I'm so excited - I can talk to them and celebrate with them and just socialize!" said Magidoff, who was fully vaccinated under the enormous blue whale model at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The girls planned to gorge on "a bunch of hamburgers and hotdogs" before taking in the fireworks show at a New Jersey fairgrounds, she said.

Last July Fourth she watched fireworks from her apartment building's rooftop while under pandemic lockdown, allowed to celebrate with only her immediate family.

In Washington, masks must be worn by any unvaccinated people who are among the 1,000 people attending President Joe Biden's July Fourth celebration on the White House lawn with essential workers and military families, officials said.

The president hosts the event three days after his visit to Surfside, Florida, to console families whose loved ones were in a condo tower that collapsed on June 24. Several Florida communities have canceled their July Fourth fireworks out of respect for those impacted by the tragedy, city officials said.

Elsewhere in Washington, marching bands stepped off on Sunday in a traditional parade on Capitol Hill's Barracks Row. As darkness falls, the National Mall was expected to draw big crowds to a 17-minute fireworks display set off from both sides of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

On New York's East River, 50 pyrotechnicians have spent days loading more than 65,000 shells on five barges to wow audiences watching the spectacular show either in person or on television. The display is presented by Macy's department store.

Lighting up the night's sky not only delights crowds but also promises to restore a lifeline this year for the businesses that supply the 16,000 July Fourth fireworks displays that typically occur in cities and towns. Last year, only a "scant few" went on with the show, said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association.

"Approximately 70 percent are scheduled to return, and many will be bigger and better than pre-pandemic levels," Heckman said.

But for some July Fourth was somber.

In addition to the pall cast over the country by the pandemic and the Florida building collapse, the U.S. West faces a heightened risk of wildfires after a scorching heatwave and extremely dry conditions. And nationwide supply chain glitches tied to the pandemic have jacked up prices of everything from household items to fireworks.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Additional reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York and Andrea Shalal and Mark Hosenball in Washington; editing by Diane Craft and Marguerita Choy)

-reuters-

Pricier grills, cheaper meat: How Trump's trade policy plays on July 4

WASHINGTON/CHICAGO -- US consumers likely paid more for grills to cook their Independence Day hot dogs and burgers this year because of the US-China trade war, but they will find some consolation in less costly meat for cookouts as tariffs curb US exports.

The tit-for-tat tariff fight between the world's two largest economies started by US President Donald Trump a year ago has US companies facing higher costs for metals and components, while US agricultural exports to China have fallen off.

Grill manufacturers such as RH Peterson Co, which owns high-end brands Fire Magic Grills and American Outdoor Grill, said they were struggling with higher prices for raw materials like steel as well as Chinese-made components of their products.

"It's something that has been very harmful for our operations," said Joe Valencia, purchasing manager at RH Peterson.

While the company absorbed some of the costs, it has raised prices on grills by almost 10 percent this year - more than the normal seasonal increase of 1 percent to 4 percent each summer, said Jerry Scott, senior vice president of sales.

Fourth of July meats are bountiful in US grocery stores after US farmers increased production and trade disputes limited some exports.

At a Kroger Co-owned Mariano's grocery store in Chicago, customers enjoyed "Buy one, get one free" steak specials and $3.99 burgers this week.

"I actually did notice that meat was cheaper this year," said Donald Denna, a Mariano's customer. "We normally cook chicken on the Fourth of July, but this year I got steak."

Lean ground beef used in hamburgers costs $4.52, down from $4.65 last year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Boneless New York strip steak costs $8.64 a pound, down from $9.75 a year ago.

"Ongoing trade disputes that constrain market access and/or result in elevated tariffs ultimately reduce the volume and value of US meat exports," said Glynn Tonsor, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University.

Pork spareribs for the grill cost $2.07 a pound, up slightly from $2.04 a year ago. Pork prices have increased as an outbreak of a fatal hog disease in China has fueled expectations for increased US exports by companies such as Tyson Foods Inc despite a 62% tariff on US pork in China.

COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE

US pork exports to China and Hong Kong, the No. 2 buyers of US pork before the trade war, were down 16 percent this year through April and also fell to top-buyer Mexico as the Trump administration renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement, according to the US Meat Export Federation.

Beef exports to China fell 34 percent to 30,242 metric tons. China is not a major buyer of US beef but imposed a 25 percent retaliatory tariff on imports last year. Large US supplies of beef and pork are keeping a lid on chicken prices too.

The trade war has roiled global markets, with varying consequences for consumers. Futures prices for Midwest hot-rolled coil steel,, one type of metal used in grills, have fallen this week to $525, below record highs from May 2018 when Trump applied broad tariffs on global steel imports but well above their five-year low of $364 in December 2015.

It could have been worse. The US government recently postponed the introduction of tariffs on $300 billion worth of products, a list that included all Chinese-made grills, after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Japan last month.

Of the grills sold in the United States, 90 percent are imported and most larger chains such as Home Depot Inc and Lowe's Companies Inc buy their products straight from Chinese suppliers.

Another piece of good news - fireworks, a July 4 staple, were also included on the list of Chinese products slated to have 25 percent tariffs levied on them in July. But those tariffs were also postponed. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US on alert for terror threat on July 4 holiday

NEW YORK, United States - The United States is ramping up security across the country and urging people to stay alert over the Independence Day holiday weekend over fears of a terrorist threat.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center have all warned of an increased risk of attacks during the long Fourth of July weekend.

New York State is ratcheting up its monitoring of celebrations and events on Saturday, expected to draw large crowds to America's biggest city.

"We are keenly aware that New York State remains a top target for terrorists," Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

"As we celebrate with family and friends this Independence Day, I urge all New Yorkers to not only remember the freedoms that we hold dear, but also remain cautious of their surroundings and learn to recognize and report suspicious activity."

Other major cities, including the capital Washington, were also on heightened guard, although there were not thought to be any specific threats.

"Our nation is under threat, our law enforcement, our military are under threat, so we take the threat seriously," ABC News quoted US Park Police Chief Robert MacLean as saying.

In Boston, scene of an attack on the city's marathon in 2013 that killed three and left scores wounded, police said security would be high.

"We're just stepping it up to make sure it can be as safe as possible," Boston Police Commissioner William Evans told The Boston Globe.

A lone-wolf attack would be the "worst nightmare," he said, adding police were not aware of any specific threats.

US authorities will also be on their guard abroad.

The State Department had "reminded our posts to review their security posture and procedures," spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

"The reminder issued by the State Department is routine, done before all major holidays, and is not indicative of any specific security threat," he added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com