Finance / Law

The nation’s founding document failed to achieve its most immediate goal, but in time abolitionists and feminists shifted its focus to human rights, transforming it into arguably the most consequential freedom document ever composed. Editor’s note: Americans may think they know a lot about the Declaration of Independence, but many of those ideas are elitist and wrong, as historian Woody Holton explains.

An internet search for macaroni and cheese recipes will turn up more than 5 million hits, but many still prefer to get theirs in a box. In January 2015, food sales at restaurants overtook those at grocery stores for the first time. Most thought this marked a permanent shift in the American meal.

For in the midst of all the injustices that confront us every time we check news headlines, remembering is as crucial as forgiving. On the anniversary of America’s independence, the abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass made a biblical Psalm—Psalm 137—best known for its opening line, “By the rivers of Babylon,” a centerpiece of his most famous speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”

To make a basic firework or firecracker, you just put this powder in a container, usually made of thick cardboard or paper. For many people around the world, the very first moments of the new year will be filled with the sounds and colorful light shows of fireworks. From loud bangs to long whistles, bright reds to pale blues, there are thousands of variations of fireworks and an entire branch of chemistry that explores these fun explosions.

Bon Jovi’s latest studio album—the band’s 16th—entered the chart’s at No. 1 last month. This marketing exec says entrepreneurs can learn a lot about staying power from the band. In the four-part Hulu series Thank You, Goodnight, director Gotham Chopra does a deep dive into the impressive career and longevity of the band Bon Jovi.