Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Heat-Related Deaths And Illnesses Rising, CDC Data Shows
NPR: See Where Rates Of Heat-Related Illness Are Highest, According To CDC Data
The U.S. is seeing high levels of heat-related illness this year, according to data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided to NPR. The agency has been collecting national data on heat-related illness from emergency departments since 2018 and currently releases it daily through its Heat & Health Tracker. (Huang, Hurt and Wroth, 7/26)
Politico: Texas Dem Leads Thirst Strike For Worker Heat Protections
As temperatures soar across the country, Texas Democratic Rep. Greg Casar is leading workers and civil rights leaders in an all-day hunger and thirst strike Tuesday to highlight the need for updated federal workplace heat standards and protections. Casar will have no water, food or breaks until nurses require him to stop, according to a release. The event is intended to call for a federal workplace heat standard, including protections for rest and water breaks. (Alvey, 7/25)
The Washington Post: Heatwave Causes Texas Deaths, Tests Power Grid And Swelters The South
Much of the United States felt like a blazing inferno on Wednesday, as record heat attacked the South like a blowtorch, thick smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed the Great Lakes region, and triple-digit temperatures threatened to wallop California for the first time this year. (Werner, Stillman and Selig, 7/25)
NPR: Phoenix Melts In A Record Streak Of Days Over 110 Degrees. And It's Not Over Yet
So far this year, 18 people have died from heat-associated deaths, and 69 more deaths are under investigation, according to Maricopa County's weekly heat report. "It feels like an oven," says Eric Brickley, of Feed Phoenix. The community organization has been setting up hydration stations around the city, delivering ice and water to the homeless population, and anyone who needs it. "It is basically the only thing that keeps someone from perishing. Some of the places people are living are so hot and deadly that without ice, even in the shade, they will die." (Lim and Marquez Janse, 7/25)
North Carolina Health News: Many NC Inmates Live Without Air-Conditioning
As many North Carolina residents seek chilled shelter from stifling heat advisories, warnings and indices expected to top 100 degrees, many in the state’s prison population are confined inside buildings without air conditioning. In 2021, state lawmakers included $30 million in the approved two-year spending plan to retrofit older prison buildings with cooling systems. In late June, a prison system spokesperson sent out a news release heralding the completion of the first project — one unit at Caswell Correctional Center, a medium-security facility for men. (Blythe, 7/26)
The Boston Globe: Homeless Shelters In Boston Aim To Provide Respite In The Heat
Temperatures continue to rise in Boston this week, with the city expected to see 90-degree days to mark the end of an already hot and humid July. Thursday and Friday are expected to top 90 degrees in Boston, possibly beating this year’s record high for the city of 91 degrees, set on July 17. Mayor Michelle Wu has declared a heat emergency for Thursday and Friday when “the heat index [is] expected to reach the mid-90s to 100 degrees,” her office said in a statement. A heat advisory will be in effect Wednesday through Saturday, when residents should also take steps to stay safe from the heat, the statement said. (Scales and Smilgius, 7/25)
Meanwhile, in Florida sea temperatures reach worrying highs —
USA Today: Florida Water Temperatures Climb To Stunning New Highs
No hot tub needed in South Florida this week. Water temperatures in the bays between the mainland and the Florida Keys were so warm Monday that meteorologists say they were among the hottest ocean temperatures ever recorded on Earth. Water temperature at a buoy in Manatee Bay south of Miami reached an incredible 101.1 degrees Monday evening. That could be a new world record, besting an unofficial 99.7 degree temperature once reported in Kuwait. But meteorologists say the Florida gauge's location in dark water near land could make that difficult to determine. (Voyles Pulver, 7/25)
