OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 22, 2026--
MidFirst Bank is proud to be a sponsor of "From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage," a new exhibition opening June 18 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Stretching across 5,000 square feet, the exhibition brings together more than 600 specimens and cultural objects — many rare and never before exhibited — from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories, celebrating the breadth of America's natural and cultural heritage through December 2029.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260622466866/en/
Drawing from the museum's collection of more than 148 million objects, "From These Lands" is a fitting celebration of America’s 250 th Anniversary, showcasing the extraordinary range of American nature, geology and cultural traditions and connecting visitors to an even deeper history of this remarkable land. Rarely seen specimens bring America's story to life — from a brilliant blue gemstone from California rarer than gold to a Northern bobwhite collected by a young Theodore Roosevelt in New York. Oklahoma is represented in the exhibition by an American mastodon tooth, a rare fossil specimen that visitors can touch; Oklahoma’s state flying mammal, the Mexican free-tailed bat; and its state bird, a Scissor-tailed flycatcher. These objects provide a unique sampling of the state’s natural history.
“From Oklahoma’s mastodons to ancient fossils and geological wonders, “From These Lands” is a unique opportunity to celebrate the exceptional range of our nation’s natural history,” said Jeff Records, Chairman of MidFirst Bank. “MidFirst values the Smithsonian’s dedication to making cultural and educational experiences accessible to all Americans and visitors from abroad.”
“We are grateful to MidFirst for its generous support of the exhibit,“ said Kirk Johnson, the Sant Director of the National Museum of Natural History “‘From These Lands’ presents an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our landscapes, the depth of our history and the connections that link people and the natural world across borders. Sponsors like MidFirst help make it possible for our four million annual visitors to participate in the nation’s 250 th anniversary.”
About MidFirst Bank
With over $42 billion in assets, Oklahoma City-based MidFirst Bank is the largest privately owned bank in the United States. MidFirst operates banking locations in Oklahoma, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Utah, and provides commercial lending, wealth management, private banking and mortgage servicing nationwide.
MidFirst demonstrates a strong commitment to community investment through philanthropy, volunteerism and partnerships with organizations that advance healthcare, education, and civic development. For more information on MidFirst Bank visit midfirst.com.
About the National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is connecting people everywhere with Earth’s unfolding story. It is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world’s most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily, except Dec. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit the museum on its website, blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
MidFirst Bank Sponsors Smithsonian Exhibition Marking America's 250th Anniversary
PARIS (AP) — France gritted its teeth Monday for a week of record-busting temperatures, sweltering in a heat wave with daytime highs above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and sleep-robbing sweaty nights.
The national weather service, Meteo France, said most of the country — the largest in the European Union — was entering conditions that likely won't ease before Friday.
Meteo France called the heat wave exceptionally intense and similar to the August 2003 heat wave, "but with a still uncertain duration.” France introduced a heat watch warning system after that heat wave, when the highest temperatures in over half a century caused an estimated 15,000 deaths, many of older people in apartments and retirement homes without air conditioning.
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Human-caused climate change is tied to increasing extreme weather, and U.N. climate agency projections say the next five years should shatter more heat records.
Several towns across France experienced their hottest day ever on Monday. Paris baked through its hottest night for June, not getting below 24.2 C (75.5 F). The French capital broke another June record with 37.7 C (99.9 F) recorded Monday afternoon.
“This will continue through the end of the week, with heat levels never before recorded across more than three-quarters of the country on Wednesday and Thursday," the weather service said.
The heat wave worsened air quality in Paris as it causes the formation of ozone that traps pollution. The air quality monitoring agency in the Paris region said pollutants were likely to exceed the recommended threshold.
In a country without widespread air-conditioning, people tried to adapt. Education minister Edouard Geffray said 1,352 schools were closed on Monday due to the heat, while several thousand adjusted their schedules, with students released earlier and classes relocated in air-conditioned rooms.
A growing swath of France, spreading on Monday to more than half its regions, was under a “red alert” for heat, with areas forecast to suffer highs past 40 C and nights not dropping below 20 C.
Broadcasts on the Paris transport network urged commuters to hydrate. Medical specialists warned of the potentially deadly combination of drinking alcohol in extreme heat. Authorities cracked down on alcohol consumption in public.
Multiple drownings were reported as people sought relief in rivers, despite warnings about currents and other dangers.
Two children, aged 2 and 4, died on Monday after being found unconscious in their family’s car in the southern town of Carpentras, according a statement from the public prosecutor. According to initial findings, they had locked themselves inside the vehicle. An investigation was opened under the offense of involuntary manslaughter. Government messages warned parents not to leave children unattended in cars.
In the United Kingdom, the weather office issued a rare “red” weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday, saying temperatures could exceed 37 C (99 F) in the shade and could rise to 40 C in parts of England and Wales.
The Met Office said extreme temperatures could cause heat-sensitive equipment to fail, including power and mobile phone services.
Over the last four years, more than 200,000 people across Europe died from heat-related causes, and most of those were preventable, the World Health Organization’s Europe office said this month. The above-average temperatures can cause heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke.
The EU monitoring agency found that in Europe and globally, 2024 was the hottest year on record and the continent experienced its second-highest number of “heat stress” days.
Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, especially in southeastern Europe, making the region more vulnerable to health impacts and wildfires.
The burning of gasoline, oil and coal, plus deforestation, wildfires and many kinds of factories, release heat-trapping gasses that cause climate change.
A woman shields herself from the sun with an umbrella as she walks in the garden of the Palace of Versailles, outside Paris, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A man shields himself from the sun with a scarf as he walks in the garden of the Palace of Versailles, outside Paris, during a heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A woman shields herself from the sun with an umbrella as she walks in the garden of the Palace of Versailles, outside Paris, during a heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Young boys prepare to dive in the Seine river, in Samois-sur-Seine, south of Paris, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A family walks through a cooling water spray at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
People walk along the Seine river during music day in Paris, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
People cool off in a water spray at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
A sign outside a pharmacy displays a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Paris, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
