U.S. wildfire history includes disasters from 1871 Wisconsin to 2018 California, with death tolls documented by state agencies, the National Park Service, and fire historians. Here’s a factual look at 10 of the deadliest fires and the communities they changed.

A projected Social Security funding shortfall is already shaping how many older Americans budget for retirement travel. Economists and travel analysts say higher prices and benefit uncertainty could squeeze those plans even more in the next decade.

China leads rare earth production, but USGS data shows several other countries hold very large reserves. Brazil, India, Australia, Russia and Vietnam are among the nations with the biggest known deposits.

A new report suggests adults 60 and older are rethinking where they want to retire, with costs, climate risks and health care access shaping the list. These 10 states came up repeatedly in recent survey and migration data.

Virginia is moving toward legal recreational marijuana sales starting May 1, 2027, under legislation lawmakers approved in 2025. The plan sets rules for licensing, taxation, and local control, but many details will be decided before stores open.

Several major U.S. cities are tightening July 4 firework rules this year, with burn bans, fines, and limits on personal fireworks already confirmed in parts of California, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. What is allowed still varies block by block, and many cities have not published one full regional list.