Jumat, 31 Juli 2026

Teen Lifeguard Hero, Two-Headed Gecko, and Swirling Design Surprise

Friday, July 31, 2026

Good Afternoon! Firefighters in England broke through concrete last week to free a "wee hedgehog" stuck in a drain. One small life in a bad spot was worth the sweat to them, and that's the whole job description of a good neighbor, isn't it? What's the greatest length you've ever gone to for an animal? Reply to let us know.

Colorado turns 150 tomorrow, and we’re celebrating with one of the state’s sweetest food legends on the Feel Good Table. It involves a gold-rush town, a moonlit mountain, vanilla ice cream, and a drink that became an American classic. History or Colorado lore? Amy digs in. Plus, she tried last week’s brain-health recipes, and has the photos to prove it. Tune in here!

Do you know what this is? Before smartphones, iPods, and the Walkman, this little gadget changed teenage life in the late ’50s and ’60s. In December 1963, it helped set the stage for Beatlemania in America. In Remember This, find out how a Christmas gift for millions of teenagers became part of the story behind I Want to Hold Your Hand taking off across the country. Watch here!

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Teen Lifeguard Saves Boy From Massive Surf

A 16-year-old rookie lifeguard is earning national recognition after refusing to let go of a drowning boy in towering Santa Cruz, California, surf. Ryder Williams repeatedly vanished beneath crashing waves Saturday while gripping the 10-year-old, who had been swept about 15 yards off Seabright State Beach.

Heavy swells caught beachgoers off guard, and several rushed in to help. Watch the video of the rescue here.

The boy was pulled out with no serious injuries and released to his parents. Williams, in his first season with California State Parks, made two more rescues that same day and was back on his tower three days later.

President Trump invited Williams and his family to the White House to receive a high civilian honor. "Very brave, he deserves it!" he wrote.

Message in a Bottle Found 53 Years Later

A volunteer cleaning New Jersey wetlands found a sealed bottle holding a 53-year-old note: a 9-year-old's tall tale about being kidnapped by "ruthless sponge fisherman" and forced to dive in shark-infested waters.

The prank began in 1973, when Laurie Blair and her sister Allie wrote the message on an Ocean City beach. Laurie, 9, dreamed up the story; Allie, 16, had the better handwriting.

Debris in the marsh shielded the note from fading for decades. John Kauterman posted his find online, and internet sleuths located Allie within days.

The ending is bittersweet: Laurie died in 2017. Her sister says Laurie was certain someone would find it, and that she'd have one thing to say: "I told you so."

Two-Headed Gecko Defies the Odds

A Pennsylvania breeder got a shock this summer when a rare two-headed gecko hatched from an ordinary-looking egg. The tiny crested gecko, named Simon and Garfunkel, arrived June 29 at a husband-and-wife operation in the state's northeast corner.

Animals born with two heads rarely survive long. But at four weeks old, both heads eat independently, neither appears dominant, and they're positioned so they can't bite each other.

The duo weighs about a sixteenth of an ounce, small enough to sit on a fingertip. The breeders say coordination is improving, and the pair has started moving as a team. See a video here.

Reptile fans are hooked. "I'm rooting for these babies!" one follower wrote. See their latest updates here.

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Feel Good Flyover Podcast. Clicking the link will take you directly there:

➤ Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have recorded their first true duet, more than sixty years after The Beatles formed. (Listen Now)

➤ Sermons lost for 1,600 years have surfaced, revealing how an ancient saint wrestled with witchcraft. (Hear Story)

➤ Divers off California are hauling up deadly abandoned fishing nets, and the ocean trash is getting an unexpected second life. (Hear Details)

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➤ Firefighters in England answered a call for a "small animal rescue" and found a "wee hedgehog" trapped in an underground drain. The crew broke through concrete to free the spiky little wanderer, who's now recovering with a local wildlife charity. (See Photos)

➤ Weekly library trips between one Atlanta father and his baby daughter have grown into the Library Dads, a community group where fathers bond with their kids over books. The free events now draw dozens of dads and often fill up fast. (Watch Video)

➤ England's record heat wave has revealed a lost 17th-century garden at Chatsworth House, where ornate flower beds built around 1699 were grassed over decades later. Because the newer grass has shorter roots, it browned faster during the drought, exposing the original swirling design. (See Photos)

➤ Thirty beluga whales left stranded when Marineland Canada shut down are finally getting new homes. The first six traveled by truck and cargo plane to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium and SeaWorld San Antonio, where caretakers say all arrived safely and in great condition. (More)

➤ A 14-year-old Montana cowboy lassoed a man swept down the Yellowstone River, catching him on the first throw. Jory Thomas had spent the past year practicing with his lariat on the family ranch. (Watch Video)

➤ When an SUV began careening along the interstate in Washington with its driver suffering a medical emergency and a child in the backseat, a quick-thinking motorist used his own car to gently pin the vehicle to a stop. Both were rescued without serious injury. (Watch Video)

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A 72-year-old gymnast turns in a full floor routine with the flexibility and strength of a competitor decades younger.

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"He just wants to be a kid and work hard this summer and serve and protect his community."

— Shane Williams, on his 16-year-old son Ryder, the rookie lifeguard whose rescue of a drowning boy in massive Santa Cruz surf went viral this week

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World Cup Drones, Vehicle Security Flaw, and Cattle Run History

Friday, July 31, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1964, NASA's Ranger 7 sent home the first close-up photographs of the Moon before crashing into the surface. Managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, the mission helped pave the way for the Apollo landings.

A video caught a white shark breaching right behind an unsuspecting Newport Beach surfer mid-ride. Does a clip like that keep you out of the water, or would you paddle out anyway? Hit reply and tell us.

Today's sponsor, PuriProduce, offers a simple, chemical-free way to help clean your fruits and vegetables, giving you added peace of mind with every meal.

FBI Seizes 59 Drones at LA World Cup

The FBI seized 59 drones flown illegally near Los Angeles World Cup venues, including SoFi Stadium and the Coliseum fan zone. About 700 were confiscated nationwide.

Agents located operators, who were cited and required to surrender their equipment. None of the devices seized in Los Angeles carried weapons.

Officials said weaponized drones remain a concern as the region prepares for the 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympics. Penalties can reach $100,000.

UC Sets California Admissions Record

The University of California admitted a record 102,031 California residents as first-year students for fall 2026, 1,458 more than last year.

The systemwide admit rate for California first-years rose to 78% from 77%, and UC offered seats to a record 29,372 community college transfers. The increases stem from UC's multiyear compact with the state, which raises funding in exchange for boosting California enrollment 1% a year.

Access still varies widely by campus, with UC Berkeley and UCLA each admitting about 1 in 10 first-year applicants.

Flaw Exposes 2.2M Vehicles

UC San Diego researchers found a Bluetooth flaw in KARR anti-theft devices installed in at least 2.2 million vehicles, most sold through Southern California dealerships since 2017.

Researchers said a universal digital key could allow outsiders to unlock doors, honk horns, or prevent vehicles from starting. Even buyers who declined activation may have the device.

KARR released a firmware patch July 20. Drivers should check for KARR or SWDS stickers, though some affected vehicles may have none, and update through the company’s app.

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➤ Sacramento: A box truck plunged from an Interstate 5 overpass seconds after a mother and two toddlers passed below, damaging their car and breaking her finger. (More)

➤ Richmond: Voters will decide whether to approve a $120 million bond to renovate seven aging fire stations, including two more than 80 years old. (More)

➤ Marin County: River otters at Abbotts Lagoon have developed an unusual taste for brown pelicans, with researchers finding more than 70 carcasses. (More)

➤ Novato: A solo crash into a power pole on Highway 101 downed lines across both directions and sparked small brush fires Thursday, cutting power to thousands before all lanes reopened. (More)

➤ Kern County: Rescuers pulled a woman from the fast-moving Kern River after a helicopter crew spotted her clinging beneath a rock. (More)

➤ Also Kern County: Supervisors tentatively approved updated sidewalk vending rules requiring permits and limiting where vendors may operate in unincorporated areas. Final approval is still required. (More)

➤ Arvin: The city council approved additional budget cuts while preserving two police positions and the K-9 unit as the city faces a $1.4 million deficit. (More)

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➤ Santa Clarita: A fire tore through an AutoNation Ford repair facility, burning up to 20 vehicles before crews stopped it from spreading. (More)

➤ Also Santa Clarita: A former deputy city clerk sued the city, alleging workplace harassment, discrimination, and retaliation after she reported a co-worker’s conduct. (More)

➤ Los Angeles County: More than 500 Calabasas customers face overnight power outages Friday and Saturday as Southern California Edison upgrades equipment during a heat wave. (More)

➤ Anaheim: Technical problems at four groundwater wells caused low water pressure Tuesday, temporarily affecting Disneyland Resort, Angel Stadium, City Hall, hotels, and nearby residents. (More)

➤ Irvine: California lawmakers are weighing data center regulations as residents raise concerns that the AI boom could increase electricity costs and strain local resources. (More)

➤ I read the same headlines you do, and there are mornings when the news industry looks like it's coming apart. But then I look at what The California Flyover team builds every single day, publishing facts over the spin, and I've never been more sure that we're on the right side. The California Flyover will always be free, but producing it isn't. If you rely on us for news without noise, and believe fact-first journalism is worth fighting for, will you help The Flyover network hit our milestone of 6 million readers?

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➤ The NBA's probe into whether the LA Clippers funneled money to Kawhi Leonard through a $28 million endorsement deal with now-bankrupt company Aspiration could drag into 2027 if the league and the players' union can't agree on findings. Leonard's trade to Toronto remains frozen until the probe is resolved. (More)

➤ Former Chargers linebacker Billy Ray Smith Jr., a College Football Hall of Famer and the No. 5 overall pick in the 1983 draft, has died at 64. His family said he had dementia caused by CTE. (More)

➤ Dodgers and Lakers owner Mark Walter is facing a federal loan fraud investigation after a whistleblower alleged $16 billion in undisclosed loans were funneled through his insurance companies to finance his sports empire. (More)

➤ 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall is out with swelling in his right knee related to a ligament injury that cost him 10 games last season. The team expressed "concern" and is exploring all options, including surgery. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Golf

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➤ A $1.9 million state grant will help fund downtown Redding sidewalk, drainage, landscaping and accessibility upgrades along Oregon Street, with construction beginning in August. (More)

➤ Hollywood Burbank Airport’s new $1.3 billion terminal will open Oct. 13 with 14 food options, shorter walks to gates, and improved runway separation. (More)

➤ The stalled Residence Inn by Marriott in Paso Robles is under construction again, with the long-delayed Highway 46 West hotel now expected to open in 2027. (More)

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➤ Napa’s “Steampunk Jimmy” Moses travels more than 20 miles daily with his dog Gus, carrying his home aboard a copper-colored art bike. (See Photos)

➤ A new Texas exhibit traces the 1849-1860 cattle drives that pushed herds west from San Antonio to San Diego, told through 16 paintings drawn from two trail bosses' diaries. (More)

➤ A Newport Beach surfer rode a wave unaware that a white shark had leaped from the water just behind him. (See Video)

➤ A mountain lion strolled through a Monrovia backyard shortly before children usually played outside, but the family had slept in that morning. (Watch Video)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The father who gave his son the rifle used in Georgia's deadliest school shooting has been sentenced in a first-of-its-kind case. (Hear Details)

➤ Coordinated cyberattacks on dozens of Minnesota water plants are reportedly under investigation for possible ties to Iran. (Hear Episode)

➤ Belgian authorities say an intern inside NATO's top military command is suspected of spying for an unnamed foreign power. (Listen Now)