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? Pic du jour Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP Wildflowers bloom where a home once stood in Altadena, Calif. Today marks one year since the deadly Eaton and Palisades Fires exploded in size and tore across opposite ends of L.A. county. Go deeper: How the communities are rebuilding, via N.Y. Times (gift link)

? 1,000 words Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times This stunning shot — by New York Times great Doug Mills — captures Monday night's fireworks display over the Washington Monument on the final evening of a projection show celebrating America 250.

? Pic du jour Photo: Stewart Verdery Reader Stewart Verdery — who's sent us some brilliant parting shots over the years — tells us: "I actually think this was the coolest photo of 2025." "On a transatlantic flight in September into Dulles, I ... happened to look over and see the sunset from 35,000 feet over the Atlantic. Looks like the sun is sitting on top of the clouds."

? Wild highway Photo: Colorado Department of Transportation Construction is complete on what Colorado officials call North America's largest wildlife crossing — passing over a busy stretch of Interstate 25. Why it matters: The Greenland wildlife overpass covers a major migration zone for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, bears and mountain lions, Axios Denver's Alayna Alvarez writes. For decades, the freeway sliced through their routes, raising the risk of collisions. The new system will cut wildlife-vehicle crashes by 90%, Colorado transportation director Shoshana Lew estimates. At 209 feet long and 200 feet wide, the overpass spans six lanes of interstate traffic.