America’s Bicentennial turned the Fourth of July in 1976 into a very different kind of holiday, with tall ship parades, railroad exhibitions and citywide events that look unfamiliar today. Newspaper archives and federal records show how major cities celebrated 50 years ago.

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of global oil trade today, but its strategic role stretches back thousands of years. Here’s how a 21-mile-wide waterway between ????? and Oman became one of the world’s most closely watched chokepoints.

A cross-country road trip with stops at Walmart stores in all 50 states turned up 10 locations that were notably harder to navigate, less stocked, or more chaotic than the rest. This listicle is based on one traveler’s on-the-ground observations, with each stop tied to a specific city and store area.

A new look at retirement migration points to 10 states where Americans over 55 most often say a big move did not work out as planned. The complaints center on housing costs, insurance, health care access, taxes, climate and daily living expenses.

A growing number of states now let eligible adults carry a concealed handgun without a permit, but the rules still change at state lines. For travelers, the biggest issue is that age limits, prohibited places, and vehicle rules are not the same everywhere.

Texas approved a new elementary curriculum in 2024 that includes Bible stories, and similar proposals are now surfacing in several other states. What is confirmed varies by state, with some efforts tied to curriculum reviews and others to new laws or state guidance.