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CNN Live Event/Special
The Fourth in America: Celebrating 250. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired July 04, 2026 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:00]
(MAREN MORRIS PERFORMING "HERO: A SECOND WIND")
SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: That's her newly expanded anniversary album, "Hero, A Second Wind." Awow. That's not a good.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: A '80s Mercedes.
SIDNER: OK. Coming up, we're going to tell you what this thing right here is that is separating us.
BLACKWELL: It's a big moment.
SIDNER: It's going to be huge.
Now, Anderson, I know that you and Andy like to do things that are wild, like smoke them if you got them. We like to light them if we got them. That's the hint. That's the hint.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Smoke what?
PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: What?
COOPER: I don't smoke.
SIDNER: You know what I'm talking about. I'm sorry. That's for another time.
COOPER: Sara and Victor, thank you very much. We'll come back to you shortly. Now --
BROWN: Is there some secret that I need to know about it?
COOPER: No idea.
BROWN: OK.
COOPER: Now for the national anthem -- we are back here in Boston. We are going to be bringing you the national anthem, which is about to start, we believe, in about a minute's time. We're also going to be bringing you Trombone Shorty --
BROWN: Trombone Shorty, yeah.
COOPER: -- from New Orleans, a city I certainly love. He is a legend in New Orleans, and of course, he is on tour. So, we're going to bring you that, as well, of course, the Boston Pops.
BROWN: Yeah.
COOPER: And it's amazing to me the crowd that was here has all come back pretty much. I mean, everybody has kind of resumed the places they had. It is just a lovely evening here in Boston.
BROWN: And it's so nice too, because everyone was in great spirits, leaving. We weren't sure when we were going to get back, if we were going to, and I guess they were on some busses for a little bit. Now they're back. The show is about to begin, and I think we're going to listen in very soon here.
COOPER: We're introducing the conductor.
(BOSTON POPS PERFORMING "THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER")
COOPER: Wow. That's awesome.
BROWN: So powerful.
COOPER: We are in the Cradle of Liberty, the city of Boston, as it celebrates 250 years of American independence. I'm Anderson Cooper. You are watching "Fourth in America: Celebrating 250", a CNN special event. We are here with Pamela Brown. The city knows how to party, because back in 1773, it threw the ultimate party, the Boston Tea Party. Pamela Brown is with me. The energy is here, the excitement is here, and I'm very glad to be here with you.
BROWN: Yeah. It's so special sitting here with you, Anderson. This is our backdrop, listening to the national anthem by the Boston Pops. The America's Symphony, it was created in the 1800s, and just to be here on America's 250th birthday, when you look back at our framers, they didn't even know we would make it this far, right? They didn't have the knowledge we have, and here we are, and there is so much excitement and great vibes here in Boston, and really all across the country. And as the sun starts to set here in Boston, you can feel the anticipation. It really is palpable from this crowd about what's coming. There is a revolutionary-themed drone show ahead of a fireworks show. It's all going to be set to the tunes of, as we were talking about, the Boston Pops.
But first, we've got a surprise in store in New York, where a special guest is about to light up the Empire State Building before the rest of Manhattan will shine with the fireworks being launched from more than 240 different positions.
COOPER: That shot of the Empire State Building, it's just incredible. I've never seen it like that.
BROWN: It's incredible.
COOPER: Lifelong New Yorker. We'll also check in with our friends down at D.C., where they are trying to set a record tonight with more than 850,000 fireworks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:05:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: And welcome back live on CNN with Pamela Brown here in Boston, shaping up to be a beautiful night. Here we're going to be hearing from Trombone Shorty shortly here in Boston. Right now, that's your Charlie Puth from the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida.
(CHARLIE PUTH PERFORMING "WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE")
[20:10:00]
(CHARLIE PUTH PERFORMING "WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE")
(CHARLIE PUTH PERFORMING "ATTENTION")
[20:15:00]
(CHARLIE PUTH PERFORMING "ATTENTION")
BROWN: All right. So, that was Charlie Puth, and we are back live here in Boston. I'm here with Anderson, and there is a lot of excitement here, a lot to look forward to. Things were delayed, which means it's sort of just kicking off now. And before we get to this drone show, this revolutionary-themed drone show and the fireworks, we have some performances, including starting with Trombone Shorty. He is going to be doing "Hurricane Season."
COOPER: Yeah. Trombone Shorty, legendary artist from New Orleans, known as Trombone Shorty, because he started playing the trombone when he was four-years-old and the trombone he was playing was said to be like twice the size that he was when he was a little kid.
BROWN: Yeah.
COOPER: That's how he got the name Trombone Shorty. He has got a foundation which gets kids in schools in New Orleans access to some of the legendary musicians in New Orleans, it's such a great music city --
BROWN: Yeah.
COOPER: -- gets them instruments and helps kids learn how to play instruments, which so many schools are no longer able to do. So, he does a lot of amazing work. He is on tour and he is just a legend, one of the great sons of that great city.
BROWN: He really is. So, he is going to start with Hurricane Season. Then at some point tonight, we'll have "Here Comes the Girls" who perform that. Also coming up tonight, Chance the Rapper --
COOPER: Yep.
BROWN: -- who also, similar to Trombone Shorty -- COOPER: Look at that incredible shot. I mean --
BROWN: It's beautiful.
COOPER: -- it's so nice. If you're just joining us, I mean, there was a massive storm that moved in here, rain. We all got drenched.
BROWN: Yeah.
COOPER: The whole crowd got drenched. Let's listen to Trombone Shorty.
(TROMBONE SHORTY & BOSTON POPS PERFORMING "HURRICANE SEASON")
[20:20:00]
(TROMBONE SHORTY & BOSTON POPS PERFORMING "HURRICANE SEASON")
BROWN: Wow.
COOPER: Awesome.
BROWN: That was so cool. I hope the viewers all felt it, and all the energy.
COOPER: yeah.
BROWN: I'm feeling you're watching it, surreal, Trombone Shorty performing with the Boston Pops. So much more in store for you tonight. We are just moments away from the fireworks setting the skies above Boston aglow. One of the first ever cities to light fireworks off for the Fourth of July. That was in 1777.
COOPER: Wow, and a very special guest. New York City's Mayor Mamdani joins us to light up the Empire State Building in New York City. Also, some of the music's biggest artists from across genres are here to mark 250, the celebration all night long. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Welcome back to CNN's "Fourth in America: Celebrating 250", and look at her.
SIDNER: There she is.
BLACKWELL: Absolutely gorgeous. A look at Lady Liberty from CNN's drones. She'll be bathed in more than 30 colors during tonight's fireworks show. It is going to be so beautiful.
SIDNER: Look, I just can't get enough of her and the message she has sent to the world for so, so long. And we're getting some incredible views here, not just of the entire city of Manhattan, but of a certain gentleman and a weird contraption that I'm pretty sure is from us. We've got Mayor Mamdani with us today.
BLACKWELL: Welcome, Mr. Mayor.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: It's such a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.
BLACKWELL: Happy Fourth.
MAMDANI: Happy Fourth.
BLACKWELL: So, have you been celebrating today?
MAMDANI: Well, today began with Sail4th 250. I was standing alongside governors Hochul and Sherrill, and a number of veterans across our city, as we celebrated the 250th anniversary of our nation with incredible ships passing us by on Governors Island.
SIDNER: All right. So, a guy from Uganda, I don't know if you know who I'm talking about, of Indian heritage --
MAMDANI: Yes, ma'am.
SIDNER: -- is now the mayor of the most fabulous city, I'm going to argue in the world.
MAMDANI: I would agree with you.
SIDNER: I know people will fight with me over that.
MAMDANI: They're not here.
SIDNER: Have you lived the American dream yourself?
MAMDANI: I think that I'm living one of them. And I think the beautiful thing about today is it's a chance to celebrate that the promise of our nation is still true, that promise of opportunity, of freedom, of self-determination, and to be the mayor of our city today, it's something more than I could ever ask for.
BLACKWELL: And so -- I mean, it was, what, 100 and some change here today. They don't give you like a mayoral short set or anything.
MAMDANI: I came in. We had the coldest weather. They told me there was there was a day when it was colder in New York City than Antarctica, and --
SIDNER: Yeah. But that's what you got.
BLACKWELL: Yeah. It's true.
MAMDANI: And today, we had more than 100 degrees. Right now it's a little less than 90, but it has been some of the hottest weather in our city. And we're encouraging New Yorkers, as they celebrate the 250th anniversary, as they celebrate the World Cup, the 50th anniversary of the Macy's fireworks, to still stay safe, stay cool, and a lot of that means staying indoors with air conditioning. SIDNER: I got to ask you, because you also got to be the mayor when
the New York Knicks, after 53 years of suffering, of sadness, of disappointment --
MAMDANI: Yes, ma'am.
SIDNER: -- finally win. They finally become champions of the world, I'm saying it, of the world --
MAMDANI: The truth.
SIDNER: -- and then you had Tay Tay. You had Taylor Swift marrying at MSG.
BLACKWELL: And you're a fan.
SIDNER: What?
MAMDANI: I'm a fan. Yes.
SIDNER: What's this moment like for New York? You being here in this moment when all these things are happening, incredible things.
MAMDANI: It is hard to think of a better time to be a New Yorker, and I think we are always proud of our city. But this summer has felt special. Like you said, it's 53 years of wait, of heartbreak, and all of that fulfilled, and it wasn't just for those that waited. There were those who started watching the team just in the final games, and it meant something to them too, because the team was playing not just for the city, but like the city. And then to have all of that alongside the 250th anniversary of our nation, and an opportunity for us to really celebrate what makes us so proud to be New Yorkers and Americans, it's more than you could ever ask for.
BLACKWELL: And what's also great is, you have so many -- I mean, this is an international city on any given day, but you have so many World Cup fans --
MAMDANI: My God.
BLACKWELL: -- who're here in New York to experience this. What's it feel like to share this moment, this feeling in New York with the rest of the world?
MAMDANI: It's amazing, because as you said, we're a city of 8.5 million people, the biggest city in the country. More than three million New Yorkers were born outside of this country. And so, they bring with them both that love of this country and the roots of where they come from, and in the World Cup, it feels like every team is playing at home when you go around this city, and it's a beautiful moment, because New Yorkers feel like they can be their full selves. And even today, you saw Morocco beat Canada 3-0.
SIDNER: Yeah.
MAMDANI: You were on Steinway. You'd have thought you were in Morocco. [20:30:00]
SIDNER: Everyone is like --
BLACKWELL: Yeah. Yeah.
SIDNER: It feels wild.
MAMDANI: That's what it means to be in New York City. It's the world city, and we say, welcome home to everyone who is coming to visit us.
SIDNER: I do have one quick question.
MAMDANI: Please.
SIDNER: You jumped into a pool with a full suit on.
MAMDANI: Yeah, I did.
SIDNER: What's with the full suit? Why not some shorts, or some trunks? I don't know.
MAMDANI: I think I misunderstood the term swimsuit. I do also have to say, thank you, though, to Goodwill, because I got that super 30 bucks --
SIDNER: Nice.
MAMDANI: -- because you can't go ruining the other suits that you have. But I think it's -- I'm clearly learning that there might be a different way to dress when it's 100 degree weather. So, hopefully next time I see you.
SIDNER: I got you a little present, Mayor --
MAMDANI: Oh my goodness.
SIDNER: -- because I thought it's 250th. The city is booming and banging. You're the mayor. So, this is for you. Open it up.
MAMDANI: What have we got here?
SIDNER: You like a discount. You like a good deal.
MAMDANI: Wow.
SIDNER: Come on. Come on. And look at the tag, $9.99.
MAMDANI: $9.99. Look, I talk about affordability. I can't --
SIDNER: Come on.
MAMDANI: -- say no. Now, I'm going to have to submit this to my legal counsel.
BLACKWELL: I mean, there is a gift for Cedar City. SIDNER: It's $9.99. It's under the threshold. Look, it's under the 25
bucks.
MAMDANI: Let the world see. This might be a new suit.
BLACKWELL: Well, Mr. Mayor, last night, the spire here, the top of the Empire State Building was blue for Taylor Swift's big wedding, but tonight it's going to be red, white, and blue for the 250th of America, and you have the honors of lighting up this beautiful building. So, can we count down from five?
SIDNER: Let's do it.
BLACKWELL: All right. Let's do it.
MAMDANI: All right. No pressure.
BLACKWELL: Five, four, three, two, one.
SIDNER: Five, four, three, two, one.
BLACKWELL: Yay.
SIDNER: Yay. I love it.
BLACKWELL: Happy Fourth.
SIDNER: Happy Fourth.
MAMDANI: Happy Fourth.
SIDNER: The last thing I want to say to you is --
MAMDANI: Please.
SIDNER: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
MAMDANI: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
SIDNER: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
MAMDANI: Not bad.
SIDNER: That's my handy secret. I got it.
MAMDANI: You're on your way.
SIDNER: Oh, that was fantastic. Look, the light, it's there.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Beautiful red, white, and blue, some of the colors that will be shining over the city. We're expecting dozens more with this fantastic firework show that's coming later tonight. More than 85,000 fireworks will illuminate the skies to celebrate 250.
SIDNER: But first, we're just minutes away from the fireworks spectacular in Boston. Beantown is ready, one of the very first cities ever to mark the Fourth, and a show you just don't want to miss.
BLACKWELL: Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: And welcome back. That is beautiful, New Orleans, the historic district, a city. I love a city where my dad went to high school, actually. A live look at the Big Easy. Tonight, they are hosting their "Go 4th on the River" celebrations tonight. Fireworks will soon be launched over the mighty Mississippi River. A lot for people there to look forward to.
BROWN: Absolutely. And celebrations are also ramping up in Los Angeles. Nick Watt is right outside the Memorial Coliseum. So, Nick, what are you most excited about for tonight?
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, I'm most excited about Smash Pumpkins, but that's because I'm a melancholic middle-aged guy. Right now, we are in the build up to the concert, which is also going to include Chaka Khan, Queen Latifah, Chris Stapleton, and right now, we've got historical figures on stilts. I don't know why they're on stilts. Who cares? And a great crowd. I've seen MAGA hats. I've seen sombreros. I've seen everything in between. We've got a barber shop quartet over here. I would pay money to somebody who could explain to the Founding Fathers what a selfie booth is, right? But this is a big attraction here today.
We've also got a lot of cornhole going on over here. I've seen some overhand throwing of the cornhole, which is frankly unAmerican, and I've told people that, but everybody is having a great time. We're going to have the flyover. We are going to have the fireworks --
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Yeah, exactly.
WATT: -- and all of those musicians.
BROWN: You're really the authority on the issue.
WATT: I can put on a bad American accent, while I'm aligning people for being UnAmerican.
COOPER: But, a middle-age accent.
BROWN: OK. So, here is my question for you, Nick.
WATT: Yeah.
BROWN: How would you explain to the founders about the selfie booth? Like, how would you explain that? How we got to this point in America, 250 years? WATT: I mean -- right. I mean, but it is the great thing about America
that we've innovated all these things, but how would you -- you'd have to first explain what a phone is, then you can also take pictures on a phone, then that it's a huge attraction to stand in front of a wall and do that. Who knows? The Founding Fathers, I think they'd like what we're doing today. I think they'd be very mystified, very.
COOPER: Yeah.
BROWN: I would agree.
COOPER: But I think they would certainly understand why Uncle Sam is on stilts. That -- they were totally dead.
BROWN: Yes. It would total sense.
WATT: Can you explain why he is on stilts? I don't know. It looks cool.
COOPER: Because they can be.
WATT: Yeah, yeah.
COOPER: Because this is America, and they can. Yeah.
WATT: Yeah. Yes, Anderson. You've summed it up.
COOPER: Yeah.
WATT: Thank you.
BROWN: As you're talking to people, it sounds like there is people from all different backgrounds coming there. What are they all telling you?
WATT: I mean, people are just happy to -- I mean, a lot of people actually, strangely, before they talk about country, they talk about friends and food. Food is what they're obsessed with. Who knew? Back to you, guys.
COOPER: Well, actually, you got to -- we got to go, but you just got to turn around, because now Ben Franklin is on stills behind you too. He is joined in on the act. So, they're all there.
BROWN: There they are.
COOPER: All right. Performing now from Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, is Josh Groban and Jennifer Hudson.
(JOSH GROBAN AND JENNIFER HUDSON PERFORMING "UNCHAINED MELODY")
[20:40:00]
(JOSH GROBAN AND JENNIFER HUDSON PERFORMING "UNCHAINED MELODY")
JOSH GROBAN, SINGER AND SONGWRITER: The one and only Jennifer Hudson, everybody, one more time.
COOPER: That was Grammy Award winner --
GROBAN: We love you, Jennifer. Thank you so much.
COOPER: -- that was Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and actor Josh Groban on his North American tour, promoting his new album, Cinematic, with special guest Jennifer Hudson.
BROWN: Yes. And behind us, we are waiting for Chance the Rapper to take the stage any second now. Right now, our friend Jane Lynch, who was here on the show earlier, is speaking right now, and I believe she is introducing.
COOPER: Also, just to let you know, the fireworks in New York have been moved up till 09:00 p.m. So, we're going to bring you that live. Let's check out Chance the Rapper.
BROWN: All right.
JANE LYNCH, ACTRESS AND COMEDIAN: -- through arts and civic engagement, make some noise for three-time Grammy winner, Chance the Rapper.
("CHANCE THE RAPPER PERFORMING "NO PROBLEM")
[20:45:00]
("CHANCE THE RAPPER PERFORMING "NO PROBLEM")
("CHANCE THE RAPPER PERFORMING "RIDE")
BROWN: Thanks to everyone there. You were listening to Chance the Rapper with "Ride", and it's so wonderful just to hear his performance, but with the orchestra --
COOPER: Yeah. It's cool.
BROWN: -- in sync with him, it's really, really cool. So, we have a lot more ahead here with the Boston Pops here in Boston, and there is a lot going on over in New York as well. They've moved up the fireworks.
COOPER: That's right. We're going to have fireworks here in Boston, obviously hoping also in D.C., but in New York, they've moved it up to the top of the 9 o'clock hour. Let's check in with Sara and Victor for that. Guys.
BLACKWELL: Yeah. They've moved up the fireworks to start at 09:02 now, because they want to avoid there being any weather interruption. So, we get to see that fantastic show even sooner. So, now, just a few minutes away.
SIDNER: And the city is already lit up, y'all. I mean, it is red, white, and blue everywhere. There are all kinds of lights, and this is more than we normally see in New York. And there you see, we just had the mayor flick on the light here at the Empire State Building. So, you're seeing red, white, and blue up and down the Empire State Building.
BLACKWELL: Yeah, and we just went up to the 103rd level. It is a fantastic view. It is beautiful. But we have here with us the Knicks' good luck charm.
SIDNER: Yes, sir.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
SIDNER: They're loving it.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
SIDNER: They're loving it. All right. First of all, let me talk about this outfit we have on, because we are brave and we are bold --
AVERY WILSON, SINGER-SONGWRITER: Yes, we are.
SIDNER: -- and we don't have a single drop of food or anything on this. How did you do that?
WILSON: I don't know. A lot of reasons.
SIDNER: Tell me about being a person who is revered, because now the Knicks have finally won, and your voice was all over it.
WILSON: Yes. Honestly, you know what, it's something that I think I didn't really know would be as monumental and as big. I know that there has been a track record of a lot of ups and downs, but to be a part of the championship and the victory of it all, is -- it's a dream come true, to be honest, to know that my voice is really spreading people and giving them joy, and touching people that I don't think I would have maybe necessarily done just by doing my own career.
[20:50:00]
BLACKWELL: Avery Wilson with us. And I've heard that the national anthem is a difficult song to sing.
WILSON: Yeah.
BLACKWELL: Talk to me about that.
WILSON: 100 percent.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
WILSON: It's using a lot of your voice, no matter who you are, man or female. But you know what? I don't try to think about how hard it is. I have to do my job and bring the love and the unity forwards.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
SIDNER: How do you prepare for that? Because it is a hard -- I mean, you remember when Whitney --
WILSON: I mean --
SIDNER: -- but we all remember.
WILSON: Well, of course.
SIDNER: Like, I'm still not over it.
WILSON: Right.
SIDNER: I still sometimes listen to that version --
BLACKWELL: I'm sure people played it today.
SIDNER: Yes.
WILSON: They played it today.
SIDNER: Yeah. OK. See.
WILSON: Yes.
SIDNER: So, how do you prepare your voice for that? Like, what do you do? You warm up, you get ready, but there is a moment of truth that comes, and there must be nerves, are there?
WILSON: Oh, yeah. The national anthem will definitely try you as a vocalist, but I think it's just waking up and having your whole body be warm, your voice be warm, and then also realizing what you're singing about, and I think that's a really loaded topic for us as people. But I really just try to stay focused on what my message is and what I receive from it to give people true, honest unity.
SIDNER: That is such a beautiful way to end this interview with you.
BLACKWELL: And we're going to hear the performance.
WILSON: Oh yeah. Absolutely.
SIDNER: We are so lucky. I got to tell you, look at these pictures, those from the CNN drone, and I got to tell you, it's just --
BLACKWELL: Gorgeous.
SIDNER: -- a gorgeous, gorgeous picture. Have you been to the top of the Empire State Building?
WILSON: No. This is my first time.
SIDNER: See, and so many people live in New York, just like everywhere else.
WILSON: Yeah.
BLACKWELL: But it's like now it's so much bigger than that. WILSON: Yeah.
SIDNER: It's beautiful for me.
WILSON: I need a flag and a sign as well.
SIDNER: You really do. You need a cake.
BLACKWELL: And what's fantastic about this vantage point is that this canopy of the fireworks is going to be about 1,000 feet. So, that puts us in the 85 to 100 storey range, and we're on 86th. So --
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: -- high level with this fantastic show. We're seeing some people, some fireworks there.
(CROSSTALK)
SIDNER: It is unofficial fireworks are going off right now. Where is that? That's on this side of the bridge. So, that's Brooklyn. I'm not going to bring Brooklyn. That's Manhattan. That's the city right there. Roman nose off. I don't know where that is, but it's close.
BLACKWELL: Let me ask you this. Obviously it's July 4th and 250th. What does this moment mean to you?
WILSON: You know what, to be able to share my voice in monumental moments is all I've ever thought about and dreamed about. I think when I think of the greats, like we talked about Whitney, we talked about Aretha Franklin, and talk about -- I'm thinking Marvin Gaye, another great one, it's like these are monumental moments, and the fact that I, Avery Wilson, had that moment to do so in front of the world is nothing like it. It's kind of speechless.
BLACKWELL: Avery, thank you so much for being with us. And I will hear more from you in a moment.
Let's now go to Trombone Shorty --
SIDNER: There you go.
BLACKWELL: -- with the Boston Pops.
LYNCH: -- of love, and of course the recently discontinued Dunkaccino. Gone but not forgotten. And now, performing with the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, give it up once again for Su Yavuz and Trombone Shorty.
(TROMBONE SHORTY PERFORMING "HERE COME THE GIRLS")
[20:55:00]
(TROMBONE SHORTY PERFORMING "HERE COME THE GIRLS")
LYNCH: Yeah. Let's hear it one more time for Trombone Shorty. Amazing. Oh, folks, I am joined now by the lovely --
SIDNER: So, I don't know if you guys can hear us --
BLACKWELL: Here we go.
SIDNER: -- but I think my mic just came back on. That was Trombone Shorty. We had a little glitch here. Yes, the weather is starting to come to us.
BLACKWELL: We're not going to talk about that yet.
SIDNER: Nope. OK.
BLACKWELL: We're not going to talk about the weather.
SIDNER: Fine. Fine. It's beautiful.
BLACKWELL: We got that beautiful shot of the Empire State Building.
SIDNER: We do.
BLACKWELL: We are just minutes out from a fantastic fireworks show. And look at New York. I mean, she is beautiful.
SIDNER: They've already started.
BLACKWELL: Now, these are some community --
SIDNER: These many peoples. These are community?
BLACKWELL: Yeah. These are community fireworks, but we're expecting a fantastic show. 85,000 shells, again, 20,000 from the Brooklyn Bridge. We're expecting that beautiful show, dozens of colors and effects. Dozens of pyrotechnicians are working, and look at that skyline.
SIDNER: Wow.
BLACKWELL: Look at that, how America is celebrating before the official show tonight. People have been waiting for the sun to go down and the temperatures to go down.
SIDNER: And the temperatures finally, it is pleasant. It feels like a normal New York night. There we are. We are right up there in -- right below the blue. That is where Victor and I are standing, at the red, white, and blue there. The mayor just flipped on the switch. And I got to tell you, there is something so special about being up here on this time --
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
SIDNER: -- on this date --
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
SIDNER: -- on this birthday of this country. There have been a lot of things happening in our country, but just being beside you, Victor, and being here with all the people that we love and care about and work with, and to be able to say, like, we love y'all.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
SIDNER: We love this country, and we want it to be the best country it can possibly be, with a lot of love, care, and togetherness, and not division.
BLACKWELL: And I think togetherness is the point here, because there are a lot of major holidays that we don't celebrate all together as a country, some of those for religious reasons or others, but this is one that all Americans can celebrate, the 250th birthday of our country, and we're seeing, again, these splashes of color and celebration across the New York skyline.
All of the buildings are lit up. We've shown you the Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building is lit up. I mean -- so, as we look over, and this is -- I was talking a little earlier with Avery Wilson, who is going to be performing here at the start of the show, about how fortunate we are to be on the 86th floor, because the canopy of fireworks tonight will reach 1,000 feet. 1,000 feet is somewhere between 85 to 100 stories. So, we'll be at eye level with this 25- minute show here at the Empire State Building.
So, you're obviously going to get the best views from our drones and cameras across the city, from dozens of positions, these firework that we shot of.
SIDNER: That's one of our drones right there showing that shot.
BLACKWELL: We see the drone here. But for you and I to sit --
SIDNER: Yeah.
BLACKWELL: -- stand here, we're going to have a great story too.
SIDNER: Gorgeous. And we know that we've got folks from the Navy that are up here with us. They have brought folks from the Norwegian Navy who have just, for the very first time, come to New York. So, they're getting this spectacular show. I'm telling you, they're not going to want to leave.
BLACKWELL: And so, we're looking --
SIDNER: They're not going to leave.
BLACKWELL: -- over the Hudson River and the East River as well, and there are the tall ships that have been here. People have their private boats out.
