National Nation

Huge trove of 78 rpm records donated to Syracuse U

A vast collection of 78 rpm records - valued at $1 million, weighing 50 tons and representing more than a half-century of American music history - is being donated to Syracuse University by the estate of a prominent New York City record shop owner.

FBI probe latest setback for beleaguered Detroit

Auto industry cutbacks, double-digit unemployment and one of the nation's highest home foreclosure rates have left Detroit with a dreary economic future.

Guests for Sunday TV news shows include Lieberman

Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows:

Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist proposes to girlfriend

Gov. Charlie Crist won't be sleeping alone in the governor's mansion much longer - he is engaged to a woman he met in New York City last September who quickly captured his heart.

Fireworks display accident in Iowa injures 12

Fire officials in northern Iowa say at least a dozen people were injured during a municipal Fourth of July fireworks display.

Twin fires raging along California central coast

Weary firefighters got no Independence Day reprieve from a pair of out-of-control wildfires that roared along California's central coast, chewing through opposite ends of an arid forest in the Los Padres National Forest.

7th victim of helicopter crash dies in hospital

Authorities say the lone survivor of a mid-air crash of two medical helicopters has died at a hospital.

Smooth sailing for yacht builders despite economy

Fuel prices are soaring and credit markets tightening, but the super-rich are still lining up to pay tens of millions of dollars for mega yachts.

Facts about super yachts

Spitzer call girl drops 'Girls Gone Wild' lawsuit

The call girl involved in a scandal that brought down New York's former governor has dropped a lawsuit claiming "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis exploited her image and name on the Internet.

US marks Independence Day with fireworks, revelry

The nation's largest fireworks display exploded in a spectrum of color over the East River, temporarily stealing the spotlight from New York's world-famous skyline and helping to create a brilliant end to a day of July Fourth celebrations nationwide.

How patriotic are you?

Former Republican Sen. Jesse Helms dies at 86

Former Sen. Jesse Helms, an unyielding champion of the conservative movement who spent three combative and sometimes caustic decades in Congress, where he relished his battles against liberals, Communists and occasionally a fellow Republican, died on the Fourth of July. He was 86.

Epic NC politician's life ends on Fourth of July

Jesse Helms: a polarizer, not a compromiser

More coverage from the Charlotte Observer

More coverage on this story from The News & Observer

Biographical information on ex-Sen. Jesse Helms

Jesse Helms quotes on life and politics

Reaction to the death of Jesse Helms

Legacy.com guestbook for Jesse Helms

Tropical Storm Bertha speeding over Atlantic

Tropical Storm Bertha continues to speed across the Atlantic Ocean.

Facts about super yachts

A look at the super yacht industry:

Hundreds remember 9/11 flight crews with sculpture

On a pedestal in a Texas intersection hundreds of miles from where terrorists crashed planes seven years ago, two flight attendants and two pilots, rendered in bronze, now care for a traveling child.

How patriotic are you?

Crew memorial

Farmers say salmonella scare has hurt tomato sales

Expect fewer slices of red, ripe tomatoes next to the grill this holiday weekend.

http://www.cdc.gov

http://www.wga.com

http://www.californiatomatofarmers.com

http://www.dimareinc.com

http://www.fda.gov

Epic NC politician's life ends on Fourth of July

At Fourth of July parades and barbecues around the Tar Heel state, Jesse Helms' supporters recalled this father of the conservative movement as the man who stood up for traditional values and the defeat of communism - but still had time to help his constituents.

Statue of Liberty's crown may reopen to public

The National Park Service is considering reopening Lady Liberty's crown for the first time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to documents a congressman released on July Fourth.

How patriotic are you?

Pal in case of Vermont girl regrets involvement

When Kevin Grosenheider received a call early Monday from his friend, Raymond Gagnon, asking him to dispose of a safe, he decided to help him out.

2 supervisors at raided meatpacking plant arrested

Two supervisors at an Iowa meatpacking plant that was raided by federal immigration agents in May were arrested and charged with encouraging people to live in the United States illegally.

Jesse Helms: a polarizer, not a compromiser

"Compromise, hell!" Jesse Helms screamed in a 1959 editorial that captured what would become the legacy of his Senate career and his place in the conservative movement.

Croc Dundee to tax authorities: 'Come and get me'

"Crocodile Dundee" star Paul Hogan challenged Australian tax authorities Friday to track him down in the United States after a newspaper report that he was under investigation for tax evasion.