RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ From his early days as television commentator and on through a three-decade career in Congress, former North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms never left any doubt about his beliefs. » Full Story

NEW YORK (AP) _ 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 creat » Full Story

BIG SUR, Calif. » Full Story

NEW YORK (AP) _ The National Park Service is considering reopening Lady Liberty's crown for the first time since the Sept. » Full Story

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Larry Harmon, who turned the character Bozo the Clown into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century, died Thursday of congestive heart failure. » Full Story

SEA BRIGHT, N.J. (AP) _ Authorities protecting a dolphin family in a New Jersey river are stepping up enforcement over the July Fourth holiday. » Full Story

BIG SUR, Calif. » Full Story

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (AP) _ Three U.S. » Full Story

WASHINGTON (AP) — Grappling with a record death toll in an overshadowed war, President Bush promised Wednesday to send more U.S. troops into Afghanistan by year’s end. » Full Story

BETHEL, Vt. » Full Story