NPR News: 07-04-2026 8AM EDT

Speaker 10:00

This message comes from Capital One. With the Capital One Savor Card, earn unlimited three percent cash back on dining and entertainment. Capital One. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. Details at capitalone.com.

Windsor Johnston· Host0:13

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Fourth of July celebrations are getting underway in cities and towns across the country today. But a dangerous heat wave is forcing schedule changes, prompting some cancellations, and raising concerns about heat-related illnesses. NPR's Brian Mann reports.

Brian Mann0:35

For a lot of Americans, like eight-year-old Logan Longsworth from New Jersey, this holiday is just about having fun.

Logan Longsworth· Soundbite0:41

How I'm gonna be celebrating the Fourth of July is I'm gonna light some firecrackers and stuff like that. And we also saw the Statue of Liberty.

Brian Mann0:49

But people in much of the country are facing dangerous heat. An Independence Day parade scheduled for today in Washington, D.C. was canceled. Many events have been rescheduled to start later to avoid the hottest part of the day. Fireworks have been banned in parts of the country because of high wildfire risk. Officials are warning the public to take lots of precautions, limit your time outdoors, bring water, and stay in the shade whenever you can. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York.

Windsor Johnston· Host1:14

Republican lawmakers defunded some healthcare providers that offer abortion under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin reports, that provision only lasted one year, and that year is now over.

Selena Simmons-Duffin1:29

Under