July 1, 2026
Toddler Dies in Hot SUV
“… an investigation into the death is underway.”
The Plantation Police Department after a 23-month-old boy was found dead Monday inside an SUV outside a preschool in Plantation, Florida. The child’s father reportedly discovered he had never dropped the toddler off when he returned to pick him up later that day. The tragedy comes as a dangerous heat dome settles over much of the U.S., with forecasters warning this could be the hottest Fourth of July on record for millions of Americans with more than 300 temperature records could be set by Saturday.
Learn More:
- Toddler found dead in SUV outside Florida preschool (ABC News)
- It could be the hottest July 4th ever for millions of Americans (CBS News)
Fireworks Restrictions Amid Wildfires
“Fireworks are a cause of fires, there’s no two ways about it.”
Alamosa Fire Chief Frank Wirth on his decision to cancel the Colorado town’s fireworks display due to dry conditions. Wildfires and extreme fire conditions across the Western U.S. have prompted states and local officials to urge caution or restrict personal fireworks displays ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, human-caused wildfires account for about 85% of all U.S. wildfire occurrences each year.
Learn More: What to know about fireworks and the risk of wildfires this July 4th (AP)
Victor Willis, Voice of the Village People, Dies at 74
“We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played …”
Pres. Donald Trump Wednesday morning on the death of Victor Willis, the lead singer and co-writer behind “Y.M.C.A.”, “Macho Man” and “In the Navy.” According to his wife, Willis died Tuesday at 74 following a short but aggressive illness. In recent years, Pres. Trump began using “Y.M.C.A.” at rallies during his 2024 presidential campaign, and the Village People performed the song at a rally ahead of his January 2025 inauguration. Willis said at the time that the performance did not endorse Pres. Trump’s policies.
Learn More:
- Victor Willis, lead singer of the Village People, dies at 74 (CBS News)
- Victor Willis, Lead Singer of the Village People, Dies at 74 (New York Times Gift Link)
Rare First Edition of Wuthering Heights Sells for Record £1.2 Million
“This is exactly the kind of book collectors dream about but almost never see.”
Mark Wiltshire, a rare books specialist at Christie’s, on a rare first edition of Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey before it sold in London for £1,206,500 ($1.6M in U.S. dollars). The 1847 three-volume set is considered among the finest surviving examples in private hands and the first textually complete copy in its original publisher’s cloth to appear at auction since 1908. The sale marked the highest price ever paid at auction for a printed book by a woman author.
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by Katie Larsen,
