Microwaved squishy toy explodes onto boy's face and chest amid viral trend, causing horrific burns

An Alabama teenager and his family are warning about the dangers of a viral social media trend after he suffered third-degree burns when a microwaved sensory toy exploded.

Eli Blackmon, now 13, was 11 when he saw videos on TikTok showing people putting NeeDoh squishy toys in the microwave in order to soften them.

The NeeDoh, a sensory toy similar to a stress ball, is described on the company’s website as a "gratifying super soft, super stretchy dough filled groovy glob."

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"I thought it was harmless because an adult tried it and nothing happened," he told Fox News Digital this week.

"When I took it out, my older sister held it for a few minutes, then I was playing with it. As soon as I squeezed it, it burst and the hot gel exploded onto my neck, chest and hands."

The hot gel caused third-degree burns on the boy’s neck and chest.

"At first I was just feeling frantic because I wasn’t sure what was going on because he was just screaming and not communicating," the teen’s mother, Fallon Blackmon, told Fox News Digital.

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"My husband is a fire medic and I work in emergency call taking, so I had a little knowledge of how serious it was. That obviously didn’t keep me from panicking on the inside."

She was not aware of this trend before her child's injury, she said.

"If I was aware, we would have had a conversation about not doing it."

Eli Blackmon recalled feeling extreme pain after the injury.

"I thought I was going to die. I kept telling my parents, ‘I don’t want to die, I’m sorry,’ and I that I loved them."

Blackmon was transported by ambulance to the emergency department at the local children’s hospital, and was later sent to the burn unit for wound care and debridement.

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"With how severe the burn was, they would typically recommend skin grafts, but they wouldn’t consider it for him because of the risks to his airway," his mother said.

Blackmon had weekly visits with the burn unit for four months, during which the doctors scraped off dead skin and performed wound care.

"This was done with no pain meds or numbing, so all his follow-up appointments were very painful," Fallon Blackmon said.

"Once the wound started to heal and the scarring began, they had to do chemical burns because he was developing granulation tissue."

The teen also developed a rash from the bandages, which quickly turned into a staph infection.

"Another issue was that the burn was pulling fluids from his body, and this caused severe lower GI issues for months," his mother said.

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Blackmon, who is a jiu-jitsu athlete, missed months of training and competing due to the injury. The family also faced thousands of dollars worth of hospital bills, doctor bills and wound care supplies over the four-month care period.

Now, the teen and his mother aim to help prevent other families from going through the same ordeal.

"If you purchase these types of toys, please just mention this trend and not to do it," she urged parents. "Even if they don’t have social media, kids in school are hearing it from other kids."

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Today, Blackmon attends to his scar each day so that it doesn’t cause any issues with neck mobility.

"I have to do stretches and moisturize and massage it daily," he said.

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"It hasn’t really changed my confidence because all my friends and family are very supportive and tell me my scar is cool."

To other kids who may be thinking about participating in this social media trend, Blackmon’s advice is simple: "Don’t do it! It’s stupid! It causes so much pain and other problems."

"Actually, just don’t do any trends on TikTok, even if you think they are harmless," he added. "Talk to your parents."

Blackmon’s mother agreed, noting that sharing the story and receiving negative criticism from adults online would be worth preventing another child from being "scarred for life" and experiencing something so traumatic.

A spokesperson for TikTok USDS Joint Venture previously shared with Fox News Digital that any content that "promotes dangerous behavior" and may lead to serious injury is considered a violation of the platform's Community Guidelines. The company claims that it immediately removes these videos when they are found.

Fox News Digital reached out to the manufacturer of NeeDoh requesting comment.

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Armed man arrested at US Capitol barricade as police probe why he drove onto restricted grounds

An armed man was arrested Monday after driving to a security barricade outside the U.S. Capitol, prompting a police investigation into why he came to the heavily protected complex and temporarily shutting down part of the Capitol grounds.

U.S. Capitol Police said officers arrested the man at the North Barricade after discovering he had a firearm.

Firearms are prohibited on Capitol Grounds, and authorities immediately closed the area while investigators processed the scene.

"Our investigators are working to learn more about the suspect and why he drove to the U.S. Capitol ," Capitol Police said in a statement.

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Authorities have not identified the suspect or announced any charges.

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Police remained at the scene Monday afternoon, where officers were seen removing items from a Ford Bronco parked diagonally in front of the barricade.

From a distance, the items appeared to include water bottles and other belongings.

A dog that had been inside the vehicle was removed safely and taken away in an SPCA vehicle.

The North Barricade remained closed as the investigation continued.

Fox News' Dan Scully, Chad Pergram, and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.

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Shark sightings trigger beach alarm after swimmer is bitten during summer spike

A surge in shark sightings and a swimmer’s shark bite have beachgoers on the East Coast on high alert.

A small sand tiger shark is likely what bit a man who suffered non-life-threatening lacerations to his foot while swimming at Jones Beach State Park Field 6 on Long Island over the Fourth of July weekend, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation determined.

The beach was temporarily closed while state officials searched for more sharks, but they reopened it to restricted swimming after an hour.

Days before, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks) alerted beachgoers to expect intermittent beach closures at Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York City’s largest beach, due to multiple shark sightings. According to NYC Parks, Rockaway Beach has recorded 23 shark sightings and been closed 23 times since May.

Sixteen of those shark sightings occurred within the first five days of July, reported NYC Parks.

"The city’s emergency management agency said they received multiple shark sightings at the Queens beach ... and asked those trying to escape the heat to follow guidance from on-duty lifeguards," Fox Weather reported.

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Long Island beach lifeguards spotted a shark off Point Lookout on July 2, prompting the beach’s temporary closure, along with the shutdown of neighboring Hempstead beaches, the Associated Press reported.

A fisherman hooked and released a 5½-foot sandbar shark about 200 yards offshore from East Haven Town Beach in Connecticut in late June, according to local sources. No injuries were reported.

The uptick in shark sightings in the New York area may be due to increased surveillance efforts.

In May, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a press release that the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Conservation were enhancing the state's surveillance capability with new drones and drone operators to patrol sharks and other marine-life activity along Long Island State Park beaches this summer.

Shark bites are rare, especially with alert systems in place, Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s shark research program, told the AP.

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Last year, the Lulu Gribbin Shark Alert System Act became law in Alabama. It’s named after Lulu Gribbin, who survived a shark attack, but lost a hand and part or her leg, in the incident.

The system works like an Amber Alert and sends an emergency warning to people’s cellphones when a confirmed shark attack happens near an Alabama beach.

"If there had been any type of alert that was given, that there’s no way that Lulu would have been in the water," U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, the Alabama Republican who sponsored the legislation, told the AP. "And so we talked about how a simple change could have made a huge impact."

Naylor told the AP, "If somebody is bitten by a shark, and then an alert goes out, the probability that another person’s going to be bitten by a shark within, let’s say, two or three hours is incredibly small."

The OCEARCH Shark Tracker is a free, public online map that allows people to follow the movements of tagged sharks through satellite tracking.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Hero in birthday suit grabs his hose and saves two homes from Fourth of July smoldering firework fire

What makes a hero? Is it someone who wears their underwear on the outside of their clothes like Superman? Not necessarily. In fact, clothing isn't even required.

A hero is defined by their courage and selflessness. Do they risk heading for the shorts drawer or do they run outside completely naked after being woken up in the middle of the night to news of a fire?

A Sumner, Washington man didn't bother heading for a pair of shorts. His neighbor woke him up in the early morning hours of July 5, he saw the flames between their homes, and his Navy training kicked in.

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A smoldering firework from the Fourth of July festivities had caught fire in Wesley Howard's neighbor's garbage can. He knew that immediate action was required and ran outside in his birthday suit.

With his hose in his hand, he started fighting the fire as it spread through his fence and made its way to his home. His quick action, burned his toes on hot embers, KIRO reported.

It also "likely saved both homes."

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"I was dead asleep in the bedrooms and when I came running out to the top of the stairs to see what was going on, I could see out the window right here between two houses that it was just glowing bright orange," the naked hero told the local outlet.

"I saw it was a raging fire as much as I could see. So I had two options: run back in the bedroom and get some shorts or run straight downstairs outside, grab a hose and start fire fighting. So that’s what I did."

Howard had found a pair of shorts and put them on by the time police and firefighters arrived on the scene. He had saved the day.

Like every hero, this clothesless crusader had a message to share on how to prevent this from happening to you: douse your fireworks.

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ICE makes nationwide arrests of illegal immigrants, murderers, pedophiles in holiday blitz

EXCLUSIVE: Federal immigration authorities had a busy Independence Day weekend, arresting illegal immigrants all over the country, including some with convictions for murder, burglary and child sex crimes, during a holiday sweep.

The arrests came as many Americans were celebrating the nation's 250th birthday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Monday.

"While Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of the greatest nation on Earth, the brave men and women of ICE were arresting the worst of the worst, including multiple murderers, pedophiles, rapists, kidnappers, drunk drivers, drug traffickers, and other dangerous public safety threats," said DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "Our law enforcement officers work around the clock, even on holidays, to make our communities safer."

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Bis noted that under President Donald Trump, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has hired 12,000 new officers and agents in less than a year, more than doubling the agency's workforce.

"Thanks to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, we have an additional 12,000 ICE officers who will continue delivering on the American people’s mandate to make our nation SAFE AGAIN," she said.

Those arrested over the weekend included Radimir Thompson-Nagle, a Panamanian citizen with criminal convictions for murder and assault in Brooklyn, New York, ICE said.

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Marcos Rubio-Hernandez, a Mexican citizen, was previously convicted of second-degree murder and kidnapping in Wilson County, North Carolina. Roberto Gutierrez-Diaz, also from Mexico, has convictions for sodomy (victim less than 12 years old), sexual abuse (victim less than 12 years old), attempted rape (domestic violence), and burglary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Francisco Olmedo-Silva, from Mexico, has convictions spanning Oregon, Wyoming and Pennsylvania for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, escaping from custody and robbery.

Pedro Mazorra-Herrera, from Cuba, was convicted of aggravated stalking, resisting an officer with violence, burglary with assault or battery and cocaine possession in Miami, Florida.

Monday's announcement came as the Trump administration continues its deportation campaign targeting criminal illegal immigrants and pushing back on sanctuary jurisdictions.

"Sanctuary city politicians who put illegal alien criminals over their own citizens are a national security threat," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin posted Monday on X. "Seven of the 10 safest cities in America cooperate with @ICEgov. Meanwhile, @GovernorVA has created a hotbed of illegal alien criminal activity in her own backyard."

Mullin's remarks came in response to a Fox News Digital story stating that Fairfax County, Virginia, has refused to transfer 615 illegal immigrants to ICE over the past 16 months while turning over just 11. The county designated itself a sanctuary jurisdiction in 2021.

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Patriotic pride on display as America 250 guests share reflections: 'Awesome to be here'

The Great American State Fair was packed this Independence Day, drawing crowds for a mix of holiday celebration and personal reflection.

As the festivities unfolded, attendees shared what spending the Fourth of July with their families means to them.

"It kind of makes us emotional because of our country and the people who died, you know, and gave up what they've done," Tom Rutledge, a grandfather who traveled to the fair from Texas, told Fox News Digital.

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Rutledge brought his 13-year-old grandson along so he could experience the Fourth of July celebration firsthand.

"I wanted him at 13 to experience this," Rutledge said. "There's a gap, maybe, in our younger generation. The education... has not been really communicating what this country's about, how many people love it."

Despite those concerns, the fair's youngest attendees showed plenty of patriotic spirit. Many young children expressed joy at being there, undeterred by long travels, storm warnings and summer heat waves.

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"I’m excited for the fireworks," one young girl told her father, while another child could be heard cheering as planes flew low overhead.

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For the adults in the crowd, the fair offered a welcome reminder of national unity. A father who traveled from Florida said the best part of the day was simply being surrounded by fellow patriots, from the youth to the service members who protect the nation.

"I'm just looking forward to being around all the American citizens who make this country awesome," he said.

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That sense of community was on full display throughout the fairgrounds, where tight crowds seemed to bring out the best in people rather than testing their patience.

"It is amazingly crowded, [and] people are amazingly nice," one couple said. "We’re making friends!"

They then gestured to another couple next to them, whom they had just met while waiting in line for the Ferris wheel. Despite hailing from different parts of the country — Tennessee and New Jersey — the new friends had quickly bonded over their shared patriotism and holiday spirit.

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The '1776 Diet': What Americans really ate during the nation's founding

Many of the American colonists’ eating habits have made a comeback in recent years. They ate minimally processed, locally sourced whole foods and regularly incorporated organ meats into their meals.

Livestock and many Old World crops had already been introduced to North America by European explorers and settlers during the centuries before the nation's founding.

Early settlers adapted European cooking traditions using ingredients available in North America, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) reported.

Indigenous peoples introduced corn to the colonists, and it became a core ingredient in many of their recipes. Beans, squash, and potatoes were among the other crops that became incorporated into colonial cooking, according to the CSPC.

"Cornmeal appeared in dishes such as hasty pudding — a thick porridge similar to polenta — and johnnycakes, simple griddle cakes that were popular from New England to the South," reported History Facts.

Cornmeal Johnnycakes, roast pork and cream cheese are distinctly early-American foods the CSPC has recipes for on its website.

Regional customs and crops greatly influenced what the colonists ate. Rice and okra grew well and was plentiful in the South, where French and African influences also shaped eating habits. Dutch, English and German immigrants largely settled the north and established the region’s culinary traditions.

Seafood such as rockfish and crab dominated the diets of early Maryland settlers, NPR reported.

Meat was a status symbol, local food historian Joyce White told the publication. Beef was prized, and chicken was often saved for egg production.

"If it's your pig or cow coming from your plantation, you don't want to waste it," White said.

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Thomas Jefferson was known for his decadent tastes and a fondness for French wine and macaroni and cheese, reported NPR. Records show that black-eyed peas, turnip greens and ham were also part of the Founding Father's diet.

Salted and preserved fish and meats, including bacon, sausage, liver pudding and offal, were staples of working-class people's diets, while the upper classes indulged in such luxuries as white flour and sugar.

Interest in these traditional foods has resurfaced in recent years as some Americans seek diets centered on whole, minimally processed ingredients.

Advocates of the Make America Healthy Again movement, for instance, have promoted organ meats, or offal, as some of the cheapest and most nutrient-dense foods people can eat.

Stews that evolved as ingredients became available were also common an America's early days.

The amount of alcohol the colonists consumed was "staggering," Adrian Miller, author of "The President's Kitchen Cabinet," told NPR.

"They were very open about how much they were drinking," he said.

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George Washington wrote a recipe for "small beer" in a journal he kept as a young colonel in charge of the Virginia militia during the Seven Years’ War, Fox News Digital previously reported. The New York Public Library houses the journal.

"Small beer," according to the library, derives its name from the small amount of alcohol it contains. It was quick to make, safer to drink because the brewing process helped eliminate bacteria in the water — and it was an "everyday, mainstay beverage," the library reported.

"While the 1776 Diet has some positives — such as emphasizing whole foods, home cooking and fewer ultra-processed foods — it’s not one I’d recommend following too literally," registered dietician Lisa R. Young, adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University, told Fox News Digital.

"Colonial Americans often ate foods like salted ham, organ meats and other preserved meats out of necessity," she said. "Today, we know it’s best to limit processed and cured meats because they’re high in sodium and saturated fat, and organ meats, while nutrient-dense, are best eaten in moderation due to their high cholesterol content."

Focus on the healthiest aspects of the 1776 diet, Young recommended. That includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish and lean proteins.

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"Of course, you can emulate the Founding Fathers’ diet for the week of the 250th anniversary," she said. "What you eat for a day or a week won’t matter much in the scheme of things."

Some of the Founding Fathers drank a lot of ale, often in the morning, Young noted.

"We shouldn’t emulate that," she said.

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