After serving tours in the Middle East, it was a Brooklyn backyard barbecue that proved deadly for Sergeant Kidson George. The 26-year-old man was gunned down on the porch of a Crown Heights home where he was celebrating the 4th of July with his girlfriend and others. George was shot twice in the chest by his girlfriend's former boyfriend, sending children screaming and dashing for cover. An unidentified 27-year-old woman was hit by a stray......

"spectacular" by i'mjustsayin on flickr The weather held out quite nicely for last night's fireworks show. And while regular midtown viewers may have felt shorted by the southern shift of the East River barges, quite a show was put on for those downtown and in Brooklyn. If you have any exceptional or stand-out photos from last night's display, please tag them "gothamist" on flickr.......

Who better to celebrate the rich tapestry and diversity of America than the Muppets? They can be seen above performing a rousing rendition of 'Stars and Stripes Forever' in their own inimitable style. If one is watching the fireworks this evening, we suggest using this video as a simulcast audio addition.......

New Yorkers have an additional reason to celebrate the 4th of July: The date also marks the emancipation of slaves and abolition of slavery in New York in 1827. Though the state legislature passed prior laws with the goal of gradually emancipating slaves, they were open to abuse. In 1817, the legislature decreed that slavery in New York State and the City was forbidden as of Independence Day, 1827. According to The Encyclopedia of New......