The Electra Fire in Sierra Nevada Gold Country broke out Monday afternoon and tripled in size to more than 4.7 square miles (12.2 square kilometers) by Tuesday.

“The rate of spread isn’t what it was like yesterday, but it is still spreading,” said Amador County Sheriff Gary Redman. He said firefighters were working to keep flames confined to unpopulated canyon areas.

Mandatory evacuation orders and warnings combined affected up to 700 residents in Amador County and 300 to 400 people in Calaveras County, Redman said. Evacuation centers were set up for people and animals.

The fire started at a recreation area that was packed with people, forcing 85 to 100 celebrating the holiday at a river to take shelter at a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. facility, Redman said. All were later safely evacuated.

Redman said the cause of the fire was not known, but that it started in the Vox Beach area of the North Fork Mokelumne River. He said that could suggest fireworks or a barbecue as a potential cause.

More than 100 fire engines, 1,200 firefighters and 14 helicopters were sent to the fire, which was a threat to power infrastructure, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. The terrain was described as steep and rugged.

Cal Fire activated an incident management team for the fire. The teams “are made up of trained personnel who provide operational management and support to large-scale, expanding incidents,” Cal Fire said.

One firefighter from the local fire protection district suffered burn injuries, Redman said.

Vox Beach is about 55 miles (89 kilometers) east of Sacramento in the heart of the Sierra Nevada region that is steeped with the history of the mid-1800s Gold Rush.

Several other small fires were burning in the state.

The children’s parade in downtown Highland Park had already gone by, with about 50 school-age children riding bikes, scooters and tricycles. The musicians of the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, complete with full drum set and brass section, were starting to play atop a flatbed trailer.

Then came the sound that Shapiro knew did not fit: pop pop pop pop pop.

Before he knew what was happening, parade-goers from farther down the route began running toward the 47-year-old and his family, screaming about someone with a gun.

“It was chaos,” Shapiro recalled. “People didn’t know right away where the gunfire was coming from, whether the gunman was in front or behind you chasing you.”

For many people, the mass shooting that killed at least seven people and injured more than 30 others adds to the fear that any place, any event in the U.S. can turn dangerous or deadly, even though most gun violence is personal. Highland Park is one of the country’s safest towns, and July 4th parades among the most American of celebrations. Even before Monday’s killings, some people already were on edge, questioning whether to venture into large gatherings, looking over their shoulders during even the most run-of-the-mill activities, from grocery shopping to going to school or catching a movie.

But as the shots rang out in Highland Park on Monday, all most people at the July 4 parade knew at first was confusion, then terror as they searched for a safe place to hide or any way to escape.

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The atmosphere along the short but crowded parade route was exuberant as the kids stepped along around 9:40 a.m., said Vivian Visconti, a 19-year-old Highland Park Park District counselor who helped organize and direct the children’s parade

Parents and other attendees smiled and waved at that first group, while Visconti instructed younger kids to keep moving if they slowed or momentarily veered off the designated route.

“It was fun, cheerful, and hot,” she recalled about passing through Central Avenue business district, lined with tony boutiques, cafes and restaurants. On either side of the street, attendees sat on blankets and lawn tables, some snacking on potato chips or cookies as they watched.

It took the children on the cycles no more than 20 minutes to traverse the entire parade route, which ended at the bottom of a hill near a park, where a bouncy house was set up for youngsters to play in after they completed the trek.

“We may have been one of the only groups who finished the parade route,” Visconti said.

One of the reasons the smaller kids went first was so they could run back up the hill and watch the rest of the parade.

Visconti, too, made her way back up the hill, to the other end of Central Avenue, near the Shapiro family. It was around 10:20 a.m. when she heard several slower booming sounds followed immediately by a rapid secession of what seemed 20 loud pops, she said.

“I thought it was blanks, part of the parade at first,” she said. “But my friend turned to me and told me, ‘No, it’s real!’”

After a pause of around five seconds, she heard another rapid series of shots. She and her friend ran.

Like most others who heard shots, they never saw the shooter, who had climbed a fire escape to perch atop a row of specialty stores. As he fired, some parade-goers fell, mortally wounded. Many others lay bleeding or were carried away by family and friends.

Not far from Visconti, 16-year-old Yonatan Garfinkle, of Highland Park, understood he had to get away fast.

A friend’s dad happened to be passing by in his Jeep. Fifteen other people were already in the vehicle or holding onto it. He jumped on its side, too, hugging it tightly as the vehicle sped away from the city center.

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Staging for the parade was on St. John’s Avenue, near a parking garage and train station. Floats, bands and politicians headed north a bit, then turned west down Central.

Greg Gilberg, 45, was on a float with his wife just minutes from making the turn when he saw crowds of frightened parade goers bolt from the avenue. The Highland Park man didn’t hear any shots clearly, but he knew they needed to flee. So he and his wife hurried to where he had left his bike nearby; she jumped on the back with him and Gilberg pedaled as fast as he could home.

As he passed the Highland Park library, Gilberg said, he saw dozens of people streaming inside for safety.

The sound of the shots was much louder on Central Avenue — the parade’s main thoroughfare — where Richard Isenberg and his wife were watching the parade near a shop that sells outdoor gear. Though they could not see who was firing or where they were, Isenberg could tell from the sound that the shooter was close.

The couple fled, turning around a corner and into a lot full of large dumpsters. They saw a man lift his children into one of the dumpsters. He asked the Isenbergs to keep an eye on them as he ran back to the street for other relatives who had come to the parade with him.

The couple returned to the scene Tuesday to try to retrieve their car, which was still in an area cordoned-off by police investigating the crime. Recalling the thunderous sound of gunfire, Isenberg’s wife, who declined to share her name, covered her ears and closed her eyes.

“I can’t stop hearing it,” she said.

Amid the mayhem, the shooter, dressed as a woman, slipped into the panicked crowds and, for the moment, got away.

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For Howard Diamond, 45, of Highland Park, attending the Independence Parade each year was a family tradition.

He was sitting in a lawn chair with his wife, 9-year-old son and other members of his extended family when he heard loud bangs about 500 feet away. Someone said it was fireworks. But he said he knew better, telling everyone they were shots and they needed to move now.

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” he recalled yelling.

Speaking Tuesday from outside a police cordon on Central Avenue, he pointed to a child’s blue miniature car, toppled over amid the pandemonium the day before, saying it belonged to his sister-in-law’s son. He had hoped to retrieve his cellphone, but was told he couldn’t because it was still a crime scene.

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The Shapiro family wasn’t sure of the best escape route, so they decided to run all the way to their nearby home. Shapiro grabbed his daughter in his arms and they sprinted away as fast as they could, leaving behind their children’s stroller and lawn chairs as they fled. Later that night, his 2-year-old woke up screaming, Shapiro said as he returned to downtown Tuesday to pick up the items the family abandoned.

“He is too young to understand what happened. But he knows something bad happened,” he said. “That’s chilling.”

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Burnett reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporter Martha Irvine contributed.

None of the injuries were life-threatening, police and the A’s said.

Because the A’s 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays lasted just 2 hours, 27 minutes, it wasn’t yet dark enough for the fireworks show to start. Fans from a season-high crowd of 24,403 were allowed onto the playing field just after 9 p.m. local time.

“The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is investigating firearm-related injuries that occurred on July 4, 2022, after 9:30 p.m., in the 7000 block of Coliseum Way,” police and the A’s said in a joint statement.

Police initially were notified of a possible shooting victim inside the ballpark and officers located three fans struck by bullet fragments “from what appears to be celebratory gunfire occurring throughout the city of Oakland,” the statement said. An additional victim walked into a hospital.

“I think if it wasn’t Fourth of July, it would be more alarming. Any time during Fourth of July, I can remember this growing up, it’s never safe but people tend to do things that aren’t in the ordinary,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said before the series resumed Tuesday night. “That’s firing weapons in the air in terms of celebration. It’s really unfortunate that we had that happen here in the Coliseum and there were people injured. I know we’ve reached out to those people.”

An investigation is ongoing and Oakland Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland offered a reward up to $20,000 for information leading to an arrest or arrests.

Police reiterated their joint efforts with the A’s and the team’s security to keep everyone attending games in the venue safe.

“From a safety standpoint, I think the Coliseum is a safe environment,” Kotsay said. “It’s just unfortunate that on a holiday with the fireworks show that people were injured.”

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On Tuesday morning, bleary-eyed VIPs walked across tons of white sand through the Etrier de Paris equestrian center on the leafy outskirts of Paris, past lines of spinning wheels and inflatable capsules as nature, fashion and art mingled.

The dreamscape had been specially made for fall-winter by artist Xavier Veilhan, who had adorned Chanel’s indoor ring venue with a gargantuan silver mobile. It had guests — including Marion Cotillard and Keira Knightley — gawping.

Haute couture is the age-old Parisian tradition of producing exorbitantly priced, made-to-measure garments for the world’s richest women.

Here are some highlights of the day’s fall-winter 2022 collections:

CHANEL’S SOFTNESS

With a somewhat incongruous drum rendition via video recording, Chanel ambassador Pharrell Williams rousingly kicked off proceedings before the “real” show began — to soft music and even softer form.

Gentle colors, lines and shapes, punctuated by moments of dazzling buttons, floaty plumes and large hats was the simple formula for Virginie Viard. The French designer was in a soft mood for couture this season, letting subtle twists do the talking.

A loose pastel green skirt suit opened, lined with minutely sparkling crystalline buttons made by the stalwart’s world-famous atelier. It led on to fastidious embroideries and jacquards on loose coats in speckled mint and sand with often-oversize or upturned collars, laded with an air of the 80s. A-line coats with a weighty swag, dropped waists and statement pockets, meanwhile, introduced subtle tensions — alongside hems and fringing in contrasting patterns.

Yet the best looks were those that kept it minimal. A ribbed olive green gown with a clean strap across the bust flared out at the bottom — in a clever take on a mermaid dress. It towed a perfect line between sporty and chic.

Yet, there’s a niggling feeling that Viard has been playing it safe ever since replacing Karl Lagerfeld, who died in 2019.

FRONT ROW

It’s got to be couture week when, to blasting horns of annoyed motorists in tangled traffic, paparazzi skid in the sand for a snap of the celebrity roll call.

Keira Knightley, 37, arrived at the far-flung Chanel show amid the most commotion. The actress, who’s been a house ambassador since 21, arrived in a velvet and lace halterneck LBD by Chanel, accessorized with shades and her husband, British musician James Righton.

French Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard rocked up in a more casual ensemble, comprising a striped Chanel shirt and black micro mini, declining interviews. Actresses Sigourney Weaver, Clemence Poesy and Maggie Gyllenhaal also joined — applauding vigorously when the designer came out at the finale.

ALEXIS MABILLE BLOOMS

French designer Alexis Mabille was in top fall form for a timeless collection of couture that never forgot its whimsy.

Draped gowns in luxuriant pastel silks caressed the body, quivering lightly as they were showcased down the dazzling indigo fabric runway.

Flowers were never far from the Mabille design universe — both literally and figuratively.

A pastel gray silk dress had a central curved split at the knee so that the hem cascaded down in folds like an opening flower. Its top bib was made of intricate white lace like the veins of a petal under a microscope.

Then came flashes of whimsical fashion design — such as one enormous silken flower headdress made of multitudinous shimmering petals.

MENSWEAR REIGNS IN PARIS

Front row fashion insiders are commenting how Paris menswear week — held June 21-26 — felt as equally buzzy as this week’s VIP-filled couture. And unusually so. Couture traditionally outperforms menswear in terms of attention and celebrity presence. But could this be a thing of the past?

From Justin Timberlake to K-pop sensations BTS, the celebrity presence alone of the menswear spring summer 2023 season was enough to rival this week’s couture. And that signals higher levels of attention than normal in the glossy press and online.

This change in gear — or fashion levelling out — comes as men’s luxury brand portfolio has been outperforming women’s wear in terms of growth more generally with more and more eyeballs on the men’s runway.

Of particular note is the proliferation of U.S. menswear brands, which are now opting to show across the pond in Paris to capitalize on the attention. After the ill-fated New York men’s fashion week — launched in 2016 and then canceled over a dwindling presence — reports have noted how myriad U.S.-based houses such as Thom Browne, Amiri, Greg Lauren, KidSuper and Rhude have opted to showcase their designs in the City of Light.

ARMANI GOES ART DECO

A geometric runway cross-pollinated to gentle geometry for Giorgio Armani. This couture season, the Italian fashion legend wanted to “give new space to sparkle and frivolity” inspired by the universe of Art Deco Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka.

On the runway the heyday of the graphic Art Deco movement — the 1930s — was evoked through a graphicism in the silhouettes. Art Deco was a movement created in reaction to Art Nouveau, replacing the latter’s undulating shapes with geometry.

A silken gray jacket had the Oriental-feel fashionable at that time with silvery linear trim. Elsewhere, swirls adorned the busts of dark fitted column gowns, while earrings and necklaces came as chunky and graphic.

As ever, Armani showcased his signature statement shoulders, shimmering organzas and satins and lashings of sparkle in the longest collection seen all season. There were in total 92 looks.

Chris Darnell, 40, died in the accident Saturday that happened during a race between the Shockwave Jet Truck and two airplanes at the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival. No one else was injured in the accident.

The custom-built jet truck reaches speeds topping 350 mph (560 kilometers per hour) and races at air shows across North America, according to Springfield, Missouri-based Darnell Racing Enterprises.

“As the tire came apart it ruptured the fuel tank on the left side of the car and that, of course, initiated the fire. It happened so quickly that Chris didn’t even have time to react,” Neal Darnell, the driver’s father, told The Associated Press.

Video from an audience member shows the truck catching fire before flipping down the runway at Battle Creek Executive Airport.

Neal Darnell, who also drives the Shockwave, said he concluded what happened after watching video of the accident and inspecting the jet truck. He said this was the only accident Darnell Racing Enterprises has had in 20 years.

Battle Creek police and fire officials did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request by The Associated Press seeking further comment about an investigation into the crash.

“Most people don’t like their jobs. Chris loved his job. He would say on a fairly regular basis that he was living the dream and I loved that for him,” Darnell said.

The family is waiting for an autopsy report to learn the official cause of death.

Chris Darnell leaves behind his wife and two young daughters. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family.

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Joey Cappelletti is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

The partnership with the Black Rifle Coffee Co. was revealed on Twitter the day after six people died in a shooting at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago.

It also comes a little more than a month since the Cowboys announced their role in a $400,000 donation to support victims and survivors of the school shooting in Uvalde in South Texas, where 19 students and two teachers died.

The tweet announcing the agreement between “America’s Team” and “America’s Coffee” drew about 200 comments in the first few hours, most of them critical and suggesting the timing of the announcement was poor.

“Maybe read the room a bit, guys,” one person posted, while another wrote, “The Dallas Cowboys just lost one of their biggest fans. Integrity matters.”

The Cowboys declined comment.

The tweet links to a contest offering two tickets to a Cowboys home game and a one-year subscription to the coffee company. Most of the company’s sales are direct to consumer.

Black Rifle was founded by U.S. Army veteran Evan Hafer, who has made support of veterans one of the tenets of his company.

“BRCC is proud to partner with the Dallas Cowboys, who are strongly committed to our mission of supporting veterans, first responders, and America’s men and women in uniform,” a Black Rifle spokesman said. “The long-planned announcement was timed to coincide with the Independence Day holiday — America’s Team. America’s Coffee. America’s Birthday.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ steadfast support of the military was best illustrated when he was one of the most outspoken NFL owners against players kneeling during The Star-Spangled Banner before games to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

The Black Rifle brand has been popular among conservatives and gun-rights advocates, and the Salt Lake City-based company has ties to Texas. The first brick-and-mortar store opened in San Antonio, where the company has a second corporate office.

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That adds to the perspective of Tiger Woods playing this year.

When he said Tuesday that “this is a pretty historic Open,” Woods just as well could have been talking about himself as the 150th anniversary of golf’s oldest championship.

“I’m lucky enough to be part of the past champions that have won there, and want to play there again, and I don’t know when they are ever going to go back while I’m still able to play at a high level,” Woods said at the J.P. McManus Pro-Am in Ireland. “I want to be able to give it at least one more run at a high level.”

Woods won in 2000 by eight shots to complete the career Grand Slam at age 24. He won again in 2005 to complete a different kind of slam. Each time Jack Nicklaus played a major for the last time, Woods won.

He is 46 and still walking gingerly at times from his right leg and ankle being pieced back together following his February 2021 car crash outside of Los Angeles.

Woods returned to play the Masters and PGA Championship, both times making the cut, though he withdrew after the third round at Southern Hills. He skipped the U.S. Open, though not necessarily by choice.

“The plan was to play the U.S. Open, but physically I was not able to do that,” Woods said at Adare Manor. “There’s no way physically I could have done that. I had some issues with my leg and it would have put this tournament in jeopardy, and so there’s no reason to do that.”

That he is even playing is remarkable considering the nature of his injuries, particularly the threat of having part of his leg amputated, which doctors were able to avoid.

He has no idea how much longer he can play, or at least compete. Woods is unlikely to tee it up after the British Open until December, either at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas or what has become his fifth major, the PNC Championship with son Charlie.

“If you asked me last year whether I would play golf again, all of my surgeons would have said, ‘No,’” Woods said. “Now if you say, ‘Play at a championship level,’ well, that window is definitely not as long as I would like it to be.”

PAIRINGS PARTY

Branden Grace of South Africa, coming off a $4 million prize from winning the LIV Golf event in Oregon, was among those with LIV contracts who were added to the Scottish Open field. He joins Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding, who won a temporary stay from European tour suspensions.

Will that lead to awkward moments? Not really. The European tour put Harding and Otaegui as a twosome in the first tee time of the tournament, which starts Thursday. Poulter and Grace play as a twosome in the first group out Thursday afternoon.

As for awkward, that might be found in the group of Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris. It was only a few weeks ago when Zalatoris played with Fitzpatrick in the final group at Brookline and missed a 15-foot putt on the last hole to finish one behind.

OPEN RAILING

The grand celebration of the 150th anniversary of the British Open coincides with a dispute between ScotRail and ASLEF, the union for train drivers.

As a result, the R&A has contacted ticket holders to advise they travel to the Old Course by road or alternative public transport. Nearly 300,000 spectators are expect for the British Open next week.

ScotRail has limited service because of the dispute. It said trains between Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen to Leuchars — the closest station to St. Andrews — would run every hour on tournament days.

The R&A said it will increase capacity at park-and-ride facilities to cope with more cars. Travel time to the Old Course is likely to take a lot longer.

“Due to circumstances out of our control, we have no choice but to urge fans to not travel by rail to The Open and to use alternative means of transport to get to and from St. Andrews next week,” said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director of championship at the R&A. “There is a risk that fans who travel by train may find there are no services to get them home.”

RYDER CUP RAMIFICATIONS

Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson illustrated why it will be difficult for Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau — yes, even Talor Gooch — to be on the U.S. team a year from September in Italy.

Johnson said last week at the John Deere Classic that to be one of six qualifiers or be considered for a captain’s pick, players must earn Ryder Cup points through the PGA of America, which requires being a PGA member.

“The way that we’re members of the PGA of America is through the PGA Tour. I’ll let you connect the dots from there,” Johnson said.

There’s another way to look at it. One of the genius moves of Paul Azinger — the real “Captain America” when it comes to the Ryder Cup — was for the PGA of America to change its points system for 2008 so it was based on PGA Tour earnings. Players can’t get official PGA Tour money if the tour has suspended them for joining LIV Golf.

As for captain’s picks, the Ryder Cup is now a competition between the PGA Tour and European tour. It’s hard to fathom why a captain would want someone who is part of neither.

CASEY’S U-TURN

Brooks Koepka isn’t the only player to change his opinion, just the quickest.

Paul Casey stood his moral ground in 2019 when he turned down the Saudi International. He was a UNICEF ambassador at the time, and Casey told the U.K.-based Independent he would be a hypocrite to sign a deal and get paid to play.

“Anybody who says sport isn’t political, that’s rubbish. Sport is very political,” he said in March 2019. “I’m glad I took a stance, more so if it highlights the issues within the region.”

Two years later, he was part of the Saudi International field, saying he was “open-minded and willing to learn,” that sport can lead to change and he had listened to the event’s commitment to change and its vision for the future.

And now he is the latest to sign up for Saudi-funded LIV Golf league. His first LIV event will be at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey, at the end of the month.

That gives LIV Golf another player in his mid-40s.

DIVOTS

Nelly and Jessica Korda are among those playing in the Aramco Team Series-Sotogrande next month on the Ladies European Tour. It will be their first time playing in Spain. Both played in the Aramco series in New York last year. … J.T. Poston was the first wire-to-wire winner of the John Deere Classic since David Frost in 1992. … The final four spots in the British Open are up for grabs this week — three from the Scottish Open, one from the Barbasol Championship. That would bring the field to 154 players. The top two from the alternate list — this week’s world ranking — are Sahith Theegala and Alex Noren.

STAT OF THE WEEK

J.T. Poston was No. 99 in the world when he won the John Deere Classic, ending a stretch of six consecutive PGA Tour winners from the top 20.

FINAL WORD

“If you don’t want to be a part of this tour, which has given you so many opportunities to make a name and build a financial stability for your family and everything, then that’s fine. Just stay away and we’ll be fine without you guys.” — Billy Horschel, on players signing up for LIV Golf.

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Nordisk Film Biografer, which has 23 theaters nationwide, said on Facebook that the company made the decision out of respect for the victims — the teenage boy it employed, a 17-year-old girl and a 47-year-old Russian man — and “to talk the situation through with our staff.”

One of the chain’s locations is at the Field’s shopping center, located on the outskirts of the Danish capital.

Four other people were hospitalized in critical but stable condition after suffering gunshot wounds in Sunday’s shootings. Authorities have said a 22-year-old Danish man in custody apparently selected people to shoot at random.

In all, around two dozen people were hurt, most in the panicked stampede after gunfire rang out at the mall. Neither the gunman nor the victims can be named under a court order.

“We stand together in this difficult time,” said Crown Prince Frederik who had attended a memorial ceremony for the victims held outside the Field’s shopping center Tuesday evening.

“We are all here tonight to commemorate those killed,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the crowd of several thousand people that also included top officials, firefighters and first responders. A minute of silence was held and many of the thousands had red eyes and were visibly moved. Many hugged each other during the event.

“Tonight we can feel the grief, tonight we can feel the love,” Copenhagen Mayor Sophie H. Andersen said from a stage that had been put up outside the shopping mall. She spoke before a musical interlude by a female choir.

The area was full of flowers, lit candles and handwritten notes.

Authorities have said the suspect acted alone and they have ruled out terrorism as a motive. On Monday, the suspect was ordered held for 24 days in a secure mental health facility on preliminary charges of murder and attempted murder.

Stine Rysgaard, a spokesperson for the shopping mall, said the multi-story mall with more than 130 shops remains closed until at least July 11. all She said the mall had proper security but declined to give details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Opposition figures and pro-democracy activists called the elaborate celebrations an effort to distract attention from Algeria’s economic and political troubles by glorifying the army, and called for the release of political prisoners.

The events mark the country’s official declaration of independence on July 5, 1962, after a brutal seven-year war that ended 132 years of colonial rule. The war, which Algerian officials say killed around 1.5 million people, remains a point of tension in relations between Algeria and France.

Russian-made warplanes whizzed overhead, armored vehicles rolled through central Algiers, and warships were decked out in the city harbor. Algerian flags flew from buildings across the country, and patriotic songs rang out from loudspeakers.

“A day of glory for a new era” was the official slogan of the celebration, which includes concerts, sports events, lectures and photo exhibits retracing the horrors of the war.

Previous presidents abandoned holding military parades, but President Abdelmadjid Tebboune revived the tradition for this anniversary, for the first time in 38 years.

The military show of force took place amid growing tensions between Algeria and Morocco over the disputed Western Sahara region, and with a resurgent threat from Islamic extremists in the Sahel region on Algeria’s southern edge.

Tebboune began the ceremony by laying a wreath at a monument to “martyrs of the revolution,” and inaugurated a monument dedicated to foreigners who joined the fight for Algerian independence. He then mounted a military vehicle and greeted representatives of Algeria’s armed forces while waving to crowds who chanted: “One, Two, Three, Long Live Algeria!”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of Hamas and the presidents of Tunisia, Niger, Congo and Ethiopia took part in Tuesday’s anniversary events, standing on a platform erected in front of the Grand Mosque of Algiers.

In a speech, Tebboune underlined that “the Algerian army, heir to the National Liberation Army, constitutes the protective shield of Algeria.”

Opposition figures, and those involved in 2019 protests that helped overthrow Tebboune’s long-serving predecessor Abdelaziz Bouteflika, weren’t invited to the ceremonies.

The country’s oldest opposition party, FFS, issued a statement saying that, “60 years after independence, we are seeing more disappointments than fulfilled promises. We are facing the same problems of political instability, economic fragility.”

Journalist Karim Tabbou, active in the Hirak pro-democracy movement, said Algerians’ freedoms “are under constant threat.” Tabbou has been repeatedly arrested and is currently under court supervision.

“All the spectacles of illusion, all the cosmetics can’t hide the reality of a country eaten away by the corruption of a political system that considers that management by security alone is the only way to govern Algerians,” he said on independent broadcaster Radio M.

The president signed decrees Monday announcing pardons for thousands of prisoners, primarily those convicted of common crimes suffering severe illnesses or who are registered for exams aimed at improving their education.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether political prisoners would be among those freed.

More than 300 Hirak participants, journalists and political activists are currently held in Algerian prisons, according to the National Committee for Freedom of Detainees, a group of volunteer lawyers campaigning for their release.

The presidential statement announcing the pardons mentioned measures for the benefit of “young people prosecuted and detained for having committed acts of assembly and related actions.” The official news agency APS cited a presidential official as saying that included Hirak activists arrested during protests or for posts online deemed as “threatening public order.”

The presidential statement also mentions a draft law under development that would allow for the release of political activists or jailed journalists, as a result of Tebboune’s outreach consultations in recent months with various political players.

APS said the law would also concern certain Algerian figures in exile, and people in prison since the “black decade” of the 1990s, when security forces fought an Islamic insurgency in a conflict that left hundreds of thousands dead. Such a measure could include Islamist figures who have fled Algeria or who are serving prison terms for terrorist crimes committed in the 1990s.

Louisa Kanache, whose journalist husband Mohamed Mouloudj has been detained since September on charges of threatening state security and diffusing fake news on Facebook, said she was excited by the president’s statement, but uncertain whether her husband would be freed.

“Even lawyers don’t know how to read the presidential statement,” she said. “I’m torn between hope of seeing the end of the tunnel, and worry.”

The shooting happened in a residential neighborhood of Gary, Indiana, about 12:45 a.m. and officers who responded found three people down and unresponsive, city police Lt. Dawn Westerfield said.

The wounded were taken to hospitals, Westerfield said. Authorities have released no information on the severity of their injuries.

Westerfield said investigators are trying to determine the circumstances of the shooting, including whether more than one shooter was involved.

The Lake County coroner’s office said those killed included a 20-year-old woman from Olympia Fields, Illinois; a 26-year-old man from Lafayette, Indiana; and a 25-year-old man from Merrillville, Indiana.

Two Philadelphia police officers working at the event suffered graze wounds when shots were fired shortly after the event started Monday in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum. The gunfire came just hours after another holiday shooting in suburban Chicago left at least six people dead and at least 30 wounded.

Witnesses in Philadelphia said they saw some people being run over or banged into as people tried to flee the packed crowd, with many running through or over metal fences that had been set up for crowd control purposes. No serious injuries were reported in the chaos, though many people said they had scrapes and bruises.

Investigators have not yet determined where the shots were fired from or how many were fired. It’s also unclear whether someone intentionally fired at the officers or if the shots possibly came from someone shooting off a weapon to celebrate the holiday or stray bullets from an unrelated shooting.

One officer suffered a wound to the forehead — with officials saying the bullet was found in the officer’s hat — while the other was wounded in the shoulder. Both officers were treated at a hospital and were later released. No other injuries were reported in the incident and no arrests have been made.

Speaking with reporters Monday night after the shooting, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said the increasing violence in the city has left him “looking forward to not being mayor.” He also cited frustration over efforts to toughen gun laws.

“This is a gun country. It’s crazy. We are the most armed country in world history and we are one of the least safe,” Kenney said. “I’m waiting for something bad to happen all the time. I’ll be happy when I’m not mayor and I can enjoy some stuff.”

The Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 on Tuesday announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Police said the shooting took place about 11:30 p.m. Monday at Boom Island Park.

“We were just watching fireworks and we just heard a whole bunch of shots,” Kaayla Laanaee told WCCO-TV. “I just heard them going over my head to the trees. I was just ducking by the lake.”

First responders converged on the park and police began investigating and laying evidence markers.

Minneapolis Park Police said there was no formal July Fourth event or fireworks at the park, but that people had gathered there to celebrate the holiday.

Police say no one is in custody. Authorities have not released details about the eight who were taken to hospitals.

But the pandemic-disrupted summers of 2020 and 2021 turned the camping experience, like most every other part of American life, upside down. Some camps closed, while others attempted to host kids and adopted safety precautions. For many parents of kids too young to get vaccinated, camp just wasn’t an option.

So this year, many families may be attempting a “normal” they haven’t tried since 2019 – or haven’t tried at all.

And after two years of hybrid school schedules and learning online, kids may feel trepidation at an in-person camp.

Fortunately, camping experts say, there are plenty of ways parents at home can help support their summer campers.

SHARE INFO ABOUT YOUR CAMPER

This year, “kids need more,” says Tom Rosenberg, president and CEO of the American Camp Association. “They need more supervision, they need more coaching.”

Camp directors and counselors might be especially grateful for insight into the children they’re hosting. Communicate with the folks in charge: Knowing how a child responds to conflict “helps us provide a better experience for the camper,” agrees Julie Bowman, manager of camps and public experiences at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh.

Think about dropping a note to camp directors sharing strategies that work for you with your child.

COMMUNICATE WITH CARE

Parents often write letters to sleepaway campers explaining how terribly the kids are missed at home. These parents mean well, “but that 9-year-old kid really believes that their parent needs them. They’re worried about their parents,” says Bob Bechtold, director of programs at Pittsburgh’s Sarah Heinz House, which operates a day camp and overnight camp. And they might feel more homesick.

Rather than focusing your letter on how much you miss the child, Bechtold says, “it should be more prompts to get the kids to talk about their experiences and telling them how proud you are.”

Mention that you’re looking forward to hearing their stories about camp and you’re so glad they’re having new experiences.

“That puts them in a good place where they can be successful – where they’re not worried about home, where they’re not thinking about what’s going on there,” Bechtold says. “That’s what camp’s about – making those memories, living in the moment.”

Also, let your child know in your letters that this can be a summer for trying new things and having fun rather than worrying about excelling, Rosenberg says.

“Making mistakes is an important part of learning, development and growth mindset,” he says, and “that’s what’s great about camp. It’s a place where kids can really learn to improve their disposition, to learn and become more curious, to be more discovery-oriented. And not be afraid to just go for it and try something new.”

SENDING SUPPLIES

Camps often have emergency items like towels that a camper can borrow. But kids can feel surprisingly uncomfortable telling a counselor they’ve forgotten something, Bechtold says. Some will do without key items rather than ask for help.

So if your child hasn’t left for camp yet, confirm what’s needed even if you believe you know, and use a written checklist when packing. And if camp has already begun, let your child know that if anything got left behind, they can tell their counselors and ask for help remedying the situation.

DEALING WITH DEVICES

Help your child understand and follow the camp’s policy on phones and digital devices. Sometimes the rules can be jarring to kids who have spent lots of time on digital devices throughout the past couple of years.

At Bowman’s day camp, “we encourage them not to bring a cellphone,” she says. “And if they do bring a cellphone, we ask that they keep it tucked away.”

Rosenberg says this can be especially stressful for some boys who are more used to communicating via text or on gaming platforms where they’re not expected to show emotion or connect empathetically with others.

If your child hasn’t begun camp yet, confirm the policy on phones and other devices, and prepare your camper for it. If camp is underway and your child is frustrated that device use is limited, try to encourage them to embrace a screen-free (or at least screen-minimal) summer.

The beauty of camp, Rosenberg says, is that kids develop their budding identities by forming face-to-face connections with others.

Ideally, he says, millions of kids will set digital screens aside this summer and “start building stronger social-emotional connections — the human connections we all need.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE – Melissa Rayworth writes about topics including parenting and home design for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter at @mrayworth.

Their choice is probably not about whether to cut streaming services or opt for store-brand groceries. Instead, they may have to pick between buying enough food and paying rent.

The families hit hardest by inflation typically have little in savings and other resources. And that lack of access to wealth can be rooted in a history of inequality, says Phuong Luong, a Massachusetts-based certified financial planner and founder of Just Wealth, a financial education and consulting firm.

For example, say generations of your family have been underpaid or limited in where they can live, due in part to racist policies. Then inflation causes everything to become more expensive.

You may have to scrape together cash to support not just yourself, but also family or community members. Perhaps you have to spend money and time traveling across town to the grocery store or doctor’s office.

“Your proximity to people with resources and people with wealth is going to be different depending on where you live and who you are,” Luong says. “There’s a larger context than just expenses and budgeting.”

Whatever context describes your situation, here’s how to combat inflation if money is already tight.

PRIORITIZE ESSENTIALS

Aim to pay for expenses that enable you to live safely: housing (mortgage or rent), utilities and food. Also try to cover costs that help you work, such as transportation, cell phone and child care.

Next-level priorities are those that trigger major consequences if you don’t pay: taxes, child support and insurance.

For credit cards, aim to pay your minimum at least, because you may need that credit access.

TAP LOCAL RESOURCES

If you’re struggling to pay bills, find support. Luong suggests Findhelp.org, which lists local programs designed to cut costs across many categories.

Calling 211 or visiting 211.org can also help you find assistance related to housing, health, food and emergency costs.

PICK UP THE PHONE

You may also save money by calling credit card and insurance companies, lenders, banks, cell phone providers and other businesses you pay.

With the pandemic affecting so many consumers, these companies “are a little more empathetic than they have been,” says Emlen Miles-Mattingly, co-founder of Onyx Advisor Network, a Sacramento, California-based support platform for underrepresented financial advisors.

They may pause or lower payments, for example, or forgive overdue bills. Or they could lower your interest rate.

But you have to ask. And often a patient phone call with customer service yields quicker, more effective results than an email or online form.

CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

To overcome financial struggles, “community is going to be major,” says Dasha Kennedy, Atlanta-based financial activist and founder of The Broke Black Girl Facebook community.

Leaning on — or supporting — your family members, friends and neighbors can take many forms. For example, Kennedy points out how temporarily living with others can lower housing expenses. Or you can pool resources by sharing a vehicle or splitting a large expense.

To connect with supportive locals you’ve yet to meet, look to libraries, religious organizations and recreation centers. Or use virtual platforms like Facebook and Nextdoor.

In these in-person and online spaces, you may find free or inexpensive goods and services. Maybe someone will give away secondhand clothes or walk your dog while you work.

Or seek guidance. Your neighbors may point you toward free, nearby health resources, for example, or describe what’s helped them stretch their money.

PROFIT FROM YOUR SKILLS

Of course, making more money helps, too. If you’re already working, Kennedy recommends first trying to increase earnings through your employer. Consider working overtime or negotiating raises and role changes, she says.

Or explore side work — with caution. Plenty of online gigs could waste your time, take your money or misuse your personal information.

“It’s high time for frauds and scams,” Kennedy says. Trust your gut, and read reviews. Also check the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau websites for tips to avoid scams.

The most effective way to make money? “Monetize skills you already have,” Kennedy says. These could include anything from cleaning and organizing to writing and designing.

Assuming you start without clients, she suggests tapping your community once again.

“You may not have the time to build trust and reputation, so you’re going to have to rely on personal relationships,” she says. Ask friends, neighbors and family members to promote and vouch for you.

MIND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Money struggles are exhausting. So regularly “connect with yourself,” Miles-Mattingly says. Identify what makes you feel better, whether it’s walking outside, calling a friend, meditating or reading.

If time is tight, make your activity quick, and consider Miles-Mattingly’s point: “People, when stressed, don’t have the best decision-making abilities.” And hard times mean hard decisions. It pays to feel centered before negotiating a lower bill or agreeing to a side job.

To avoid feeling overwhelmed during times of financial stress, Kennedy tries not to overthink the unpredictable future. Instead, she suggests “focusing on getting through the day.”

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This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Laura McMullen is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: lmcmullen@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lauraemcmullen.

RELATED LINKS:

NerdWallet: Need help paying bills ASAP? Use this quick-help tool https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-how-not-to-pay-your-bills

Findhelp.org: Search and connect to support https://www.findhelp.org/

211.org: Help starts here https://www.211.org/