Cobb and State

‘Let Freedom Ring’

• MARIETTA - The sky over Marietta was lit up last night with fireworks for the Fourth of July, but before the explosives were shot, the celebration started with a bang in the morning at the city's annual "Let Freedom Ring" parade.
  
  
  
  Thousands of residents clad in red, white and blue lined the street to wave flags as floats passed by. Some people were out as early as 8 a.m. to find the perfect spot for catching a glimpse of parade entrants.

Business

G8 leaders to face worst economic woes

• SAPPORO, Japan - Between surging oil prices, food inflation and a credit crunch that's depressed global growth, leaders from the Group of Eight economic powers face the gravest combination of economic woes in at least a decade when they gather next week.
  
  
  
  The outlook has darkened dramatically since last year's summit in Germany, when the leaders declared the global economy was in "good condition" and oil cost $70 a barrel - which seemed high at the time.

AP Video

Polls

Do you think Americans are more patriotic now than in earlier generations, less or about the same?

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• About the same