NPR News: 07-03-2026 1AM EDT

Giles Snyder· Host0:00

Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Forecasters are warning about that heat wave that has much of the central and eastern U.S. in its grip. They say little to no relief is in sight. Megan Boroski is a meteorologist for the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network.

Megan Boroski· Soundbite0:17

It's all tied to a dome of high pressure that's building over the eastern half of the United States, and that air is sinking, and as it sinks, it warms. And so also with the sinking air, our warm air is going to be trapped at the surface. It's got nowhere to go, and so we experience those very warm temperatures, uh, at the surface of the Earth.

Giles Snyder· Host0:38

The National Weather Service says the heat wave will be focused on the eastern U.S. through the Independence Day weekend, with peak feels like temperatures up to one hundred fifteen degrees. A federal grand jury has indicted a man accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. NPR's Joe Hernandez reports the felony destruction of property charge carries a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison.

Joe Hernandez1:02

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Janine Pirro, says David Hearn allegedly pulled up two square feet of sealant from the bottom of the Reflecting Pool. Pirro says witnesses included a Park Service worker who told Hearn to stop.

Janine Pirro· Soundbite1:15

Hearn reacted by shouting at that Parks employee, saying that she cared too much about the Reflecting Pool.

Joe Hernandez1:25

The Trump administration has spent around fourteen million dollars to renovate