Consumer Reports

In response to our call for Independence Day photos, people shared more than 200 photos with USA.gov on Flickr. These wonderful images capture the variety of ways in which people celebrate the 4th of July.

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About two weeks ago, we asked people to share their Independence Day photos with us by adding them to our group on Flickr. Since then, people from all over the world have shared over 200 photos! We’ve had a lot of fun seeing how people celebrate our favorite day of the year with BBQs, swimming, fireworks, parades, and time with family and friends. Here is a selection of the many beautiful 4th of July photos people shared with us that capture the variety of ways that people celebrate our independence across the country. Hope you had a great holiday! Untitled by Shawn Farrington Untitled by cebasham Happy 4th of July by John F Hark Red, White, & Blue by Budweiser Clydesdales by Tim Archibald Independence Day Parade by oplkids swirly by jasonsbytes Waterford VA July 4 2009 by NancyTylerPhotos In the Spirit by Mr. Saint Spaniel BamBam on the 4th of July by erniejon See more beautiful 4th of July photos shared on Flickr .

I’m taking a hiatus from my Gov Gab hiatus today to bring you my GSA coworkers reports about their Fourth of July experiences. My colleague Karen Trebon tells us about the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and my colleague Jonathan Rubin reports out on the National Mall fireworks display. Tell us about your Independence Day celebrations in the comments section and don’t forget to post your photos to the USA.gov Fourth of July Flickr photostream . You have until midnight eastern time tonight and we’ll be highlighting our favorite photos here tomorrow!

Last week President Obama signed the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 into law. The new Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program offers cash to people who own old, fuel inefficient cars to help them buy new, fuel efficient cars. Sounds interesting? You bet. Who doesn’t want to spend less money on gas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce our dependency on oil and increase energy sustainability AND get a shiny new car in the deal? How does it work? Now that it’s a law, program details are available. Here are some quick facts – visit cars.gov for more details. The amount of the credit is $3,500 or $4,500 depending on what you trade in and what you buy Your car must be less than 25 years old You must buy or lease a new car Generally, your trade-in must get 18 or less miles per gallon (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements) Your trade-in must be registered and insured continuously for the full year before the trade-in You don’t need a voucher, dealers will apply a credit at purchase Program runs through Nov 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. The vehicle that you are trading in is required to be destroyed. Therefore, the value you negotiate with the dealer for your trade in is not likely to exceed its scrap value. The law requires the dealer to disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value of your trade-in vehicle. Watch out, I’ve already heard reports that fraudulent websites have popped up, pretending to offer information about the CARS program but they’re really phishing for your personal information. Stick with the official CARS website for official program information. p.s. Don’t forget to submit your Independence Day photos on the USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov Flickr Group