News and Weather Briefing for Wednesday, July 01, 2026

• Announcements
• Sponsorships
• Forecast
• Macon Calendar
• Weather Almanac
• WNC News
• NC News
• National News
• World News
• Iran War News
• Russo-Ukraine War
• Financial News
• Science News
• Technology News
• Interesting Videos
• Crypto News
• History & Culture

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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• Town of Franklin Asks Residents to Observe Voluntary Water Restrictions [Macon Media]

• Heat risk will steadily increase through the week, with heat indices likely approaching 100 degrees across the lower elevations, especially by mid to late week. Daily thunderstorms will also be possible across the mountains.

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SPONSORSHIPS

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WEATHER SPONSOR

This space available

This half price sale is for those who sign up during July and remains effect for the rest of the year. Current sponsors receive the half price discount automatically.

DAY SPONSOR

This space available



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FORECAST

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(since this is a quick forecast intended to cover the whole county, bear in mind that higher elevations may experience cooler temperatures than this and the lower elevations may experience higher temperatures than those in the forecast)

.TODAY....Mostly sunny. Patchy fog this morning. A chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Light and variable winds, becoming southeast around 5 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.TONIGHT....Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.THURSDAY....Mostly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. Southeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.THURSDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the upper 60s. Southeast winds around 5 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.FRIDAY....Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. East winds around 5 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 60s.

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HAZARDOUS WEATHER

1. Heat risk will steadily increase through the week, with heat indices in the mid 90 degrees across much of the lower elevations through the Independence Day Holiday Weekend. Daily thunderstorms will also be possible across the mountains. Stay indoors as much as you can, or take frequent breaks indoors to rehydrate.

2. The heat threat begins to wane late weekend and into early next week with a return to a more traditional mid summer pattern featuring seasonable temperatures and daily storm chances.

POLLEN REPORT

Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (3.6 out of 12) today with Plantain and Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-medium range (3.1 out of 12.0).

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MACON CALENDAR

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(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)

Benefit for Randy Drinnon
July 25th at 5pm
Learn more on Facebook

The many ways you can connect to Mountain Findings to arrange donation pick-ups, drop-off location, shopping hours, volunteering, and to learn more on our community grants programs and graduating seniors scholarships.
Facebook: @MountainFindings
Phone: 828-526-9929
Email: MountainFindings1@gmail.com
Webpage: MountainFindings.org
Location: 452 Spruce St, Highlands, NC

LIVE SATURDAY MIDDAY MUSIC CALENDAR FOR JUNE/JULY 2026

11a to 1p at Friends of the Greenway, Inc.
573 E Main St, Franklin, NC 28734
contact: frog28734@gmail.com; 828-369-8488

7-4-2026—It’s Dudes Day on the Fourth! Come have a great get-together with friends old and new as 4 Singer/Songwriters “sing us some songs and tell us some tales”.

7-11-2026—Join us for Bluegrass fun….as Tommy Nelson and the Burningtown Bluegrass Gospel Band bring us their pickin’ and grinnin’ songs.

7-18-26—Two Troubadours...George James and Gary Gibson.

7-25-2026---Bill Petersen will be singing the blues along with maybe some originals. Then, up from Florida, hear John Bois and the Emotional Support Band.

To find out more about the Greenway and our organization, our website is: littletennessee.org.

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WEATHER ALMANAC

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Record Weather Events for this date in Macon County (1872-2025)

Highest Temperature 99°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2012
Lowest Temperature 42°F in Highlands in 1919
Greatest Rainfall 1.65 inches in Franklin in 1961

Record weather events for July in Macon County

Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature 34°F in Highlands on Jul 27, 1911
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873

Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of July
Highest Temperature 109°F Albemarle, Stanly County Jul 28, 1940
Lowest Temperature 32°F Celo, Yancey County Jul 10, 1961
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 21.15 in Highlands, Macon County Jul 29, 1879

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WNC News

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Domestic violence shelter coming to Jackson County, NC | WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)


• Cherokee people confront America250 with pride, pain [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• NC Lawmakers finally agreed on a budget proposal. Here’s what it means for you. [NC Local]
• Democrats propose constitutional amendment to protect early voting in North Carolina [NC Newsline]

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NC News

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Duke Energy prepares for summer heat | WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)


• $15M for PFAS detection near NC fire stations included in proposed state budget [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• NC budget would give raises to officers — and cut hundreds of vacant positions [Raleigh News & Observer]
• How can data centers potentially impact our environment? [Queen City News]

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National News

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Life-threatening heat dome for 175M+: ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - June 30, 2026 | ABC News


• Trump takes new Qatari jet for test flight to celebrate America 250 — and another president [New York Post]
• 5 takeaways from Supreme Court’s landmark decision day [The Hill]
• Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s proposed limits [AP News]
• Birthright citizenship: “We break no new ground today” [SCOTUSblog]

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World News

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What is the future of modern warfare? | BBC News


• In Germany, political fallout from heat wave begins | DW News [France 24]
• Venezuela earthquakes latest: UN to provide 10,000 body bags - as double disaster survivor vows never to return [Sky News]
• Turkey tightens security and showcases strength and commitment ahead of NATO summit [AP News]

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Iran War News

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Middle East live: Qatar reaffirms backing for US – Iran talks | France 24


• Iran Update Special Report, June 30, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: Tehran says Hormuz is its ‘greatest instrument of power’ [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: US agreed to Hezbollah presence in Lebanon, Iran's Ghalibaf says as talks continue in Doha [Jerusalem Post]

Five ways the US could invade Iran | Caspian Report


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Russo-Ukraine War

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Moscow space center struck: Can Ukraine knock out Russia’s satellites? | World News Tonight | TVP World


• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 30, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Russia's Putin promises security as Ukraine ramps up attacks [DW News]
• What Putin's admission about fuel crisis means for Russia [DW News]

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Financial News

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Kevin Warsh to Speak at Sintra, ECB Warns Inflation Shock Not Over | Daybreak Europe 7/1/2026 | Bloomberg Television


• Trump Reports at Least $1.2 Billion in 2025 Crypto Earnings [Yahoo Finance]
• Europe’s defense boom faces a new test: Can it actually deliver weapons? [CNBC]
‘REPEAT OF COVID’: Economist warns PRICE SHOCKS are coming | Fox Business



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Science News

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How the Earthrise Photo Shattered a Thousand-Year Illusion | Anton Petrov



• ESA Outlines High-Tech Lander Instruments for 2050 Enceladus [Universe Today]
• Scientists discover a surprising link between vitamin C and brain health [ScienceDaily]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 26 – July 5 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]

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Technology News

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The Level1 Links with Friends Show July 1: TikSlop


• Amazon blames piracy apps with malware for killing new Fire Stick sideloading [Ars Technica]
• Claude Fable 5 Will Be Back Online Wednesday, Anthropic Says [Gizmodo]
• Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 06/29/2026 [Torrent Freaks]

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Interesting Videos

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The lifted beach of Galfa, Trinidad: Giant landslide or mud volcano? | TheGeoModels



How the Earthrise Photo Shattered a Thousand-Year Illusion | Anton Petrov



The biggest bomb ever dropped - The Bomb Podcast: Kennedy & Khrushchev | BBC World Service



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CRYPTO NEWS

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Bitcoin Falls Below the 200 Week Moving Average | Benjamin Cowen


• The Future Cyberpunk Imagined Is Here: How Much Did It Get Right? [Decrypt]
• Bullish Bitcoin RSI divergence has analysts calling for 2022-style bear market bottom [Coin Telegraph]
• Trump Holds Up CBDC Ban Through 2030 as He Demands a Voter-ID Law [Bitcoin.com]

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HISTORY AND CULTURE

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Why Sudan Split in Two - Sudan’s 22-Year Civil War Explained | Kings and Generals



Why the Mongols Vanished After Conquering Everything | Animated History



The Fall of Burgundy & the Rise of the Habsburgs — The Burgundian Wars 1474-77 | SandRhoman History



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Published at 6:00am on Wednesday, July 01, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins