Fireworks Perils; Injured Bald Eagle; Monkeys Attack: Patch Morning Briefing

Happy Independence Day! Hopefully you have the chance to enjoy it with friends, family, or whomever you most want spend your time. Here's what you need to know get your holiday off to a good start.

America’s Dangerous Love For Pyrotechnics: 4 Facts About Fireworks

There's nothing more American than fireworks on the Fourth of July. We've come to associate the love of country with the love of fiery explosions, and fireworks are only growing in popularity. While it's important to have fun and to celebrate, it's also important to be aware of the dangers fireworks pose. Here are four things you should know about the festive displays. (Patch)

Injured Bald Eagle Found In Washington, DC

An injured bald eagle is recovering in the care of the rescue organization City Wildlife in Washington, D.C., after being discovered over the weekend. Bald eagles, the national bird, used to be an endangered species, but they were taken off the list in 2007, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service. The species has been thriving in D.C. (Patch)

Wild Monkeys ‘Attack’ Family At Florida Park

“Guys, this is Florida, there are no monkeys in Florida,” a young boy says on a video. Except, he's wrong — there is an anomalous colony of rhesus macaques in Silver Springs. It seems the resident rhesus macaques were none too happy to have human visitors, and they made it quite clear by growling, hissing and chasing people away. (Patch)

Quick Hits

Charlie Gard Case: President Trump Offers American 'Help' (Patch)

Man Caught Speeding At 122 MPH Up I-495: State Police (Patch)

America's 20 Hottest Real Estate Markets for June 2017 (Patch)

Pete Frates, Who Inspired Ice Bucket Challenge, Back In Hospital (Patch)

Forecasters Eye A Potential Tropical Storm Brewing Down South

It's still too early to tell, but meteorologists are closely watching a low pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean that may yet turn into a tropical storm and swing toward the U.S. An average hurricane season produces about 12 named storms, of which six become hurricanes. Three of those storms generally become major hurricanes. (Patch)

Trump Warns China U.S. May Act Alone On North Korea: Report

After another ballistic missile test by North Korea, President Trump is warning China that he may be forced to act unilaterally against the rogue nuclear state, according to a New York Times report. (New York Times)

Black Moms Die In Childbirth 3 Times As Often As White Moms. Except In North Carolina.

By targeting resources to low-income mothers, the state was able to reduce a devastating disparity that afflicts the rest of the nation. (Vox)

Why Abraham Lincoln Is An Icon For Republicans And Democrats Alike

Presidential hopefuls across the aisle go out of their way to praise the 16th commander in chief. (Patch)

6 People Die in Wisconsin Plane Crash; Names Released

Authorities have identified the six people who died in a plane crash in northern Wisconsin over the weekend. (Patch)

This Day In History

1776 — The Second Continental Congress adopts the United States Declaration of Independence

1827 — New York State abolishes slavery

Famous Birthdays

1930 — George Steinbrenner, a businessman and owner of the New York Yankees

1943 — Geraldo Rivera, and American journalist and Fox News contributor

Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images