WSJ: R.I.P.: Budget Woes Spell Doom for Roadside Rest Stops –Drivers Looking for a Break Keep on Trucking; Virginia Leaves Door Open for July 4 Holiday. Also great slideshow.
WSJ: M-80s: The Big, Illicit Bang
By law, a firecracker sold for on-the-ground consumer use can contain no more than 50 mg of explosives. An M-80 has at least 3,000 mg. (Contrary to urban legend, that is not equivalent to a quarter-stick of dynamite, which typically contains at least 20,000 mg.)