Record Heat Wave Hits The West; Utility Suppliers Threaten Shut-Offs

The Washington Post: Record-Setting Heat Blasts The West: ‘Your Skin Is Almost Sizzling’ 
Millions of blasting air conditioners strained electric grids, prompting Texas and California utilities to threaten shut-offs. The National Weather Service in Las Vegas tweeted all-caps appeals for residents to stay hydrated and stay inside: “Long duration heat waves are DEADLY.” Doctors from Palm Springs to Phoenix warned about pavement so scorching it can give people third-degree burns. Fueled by climate change, the first major heat wave of the summer has seized the western United States, toppling records and threatening lives. The event is unprecedented in its timing, intensity and scope, said Washington State University climate scientist Deepti Singh; never have such severe conditions been recorded over such a large area so early in the summer. (Kaplan, 6/17)

In other news about environmental health —

AP: Foam Containing 'Forever Chemicals' Used Against Plant Fire
A company hired to help extinguish a fire that gutted a northern Illinois chemical plant this week used foam containing toxic compounds that have tainted surface waters and groundwater across the U.S., officials said Thursday. The private contractor sprayed the foam for about three hours Tuesday at the Chemtool Inc. factory near Rockton, despite concerns raised by government regulators the previous day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told The Associated Press. (Flesher, 6/18)

NBC News: A Hacker Tried To Poison A Calif. Water Supply. It Was As Easy As Entering A Password.
On Jan. 15, a hacker tried to poison a water treatment plant that served parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. It didn't seem hard. The hacker had the username and password for a former employee's TeamViewer account, a popular program that lets users remotely control their computers, according to a private report compiled by the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center in February and seen by NBC News. (Collier, 6/17)

NBC News: 'All The Water's Bad': In McDowell County, You Have To Get Creative To Find Safe Drinking Water
Every week, Burlyn Cooper parks on the edge of a winding two-lane road, unloads a dozen plastic jugs from the trunk of his car, and uses a hose to fill them with the spring water that drips from a mountain's exposed rock face. For Cooper and many of his neighbors, the mountain's runoff is their most reliable, and trusted, source of drinking water. "I've got so used to it, I wouldn't know how to act, to turn the faucet on and have good water," he said. "I can't imagine it." (Rappleye and Kaplan, 6/17)

In other public health news —

Politico: Child Tax Credit Checks Could Come As A Surprise To Some 
The Biden administration is preparing to send money to millions of Americans — including to some who may not want it. Its plan to have people claim a portion of their child tax credit each month, starting in July, is primarily designed to provide a steady stream of cash to low-income Americans. But the administration intends to automatically enroll everyone who takes the credit — some 50 million families, earning up to $400,000 — in the monthly payment program unless they opt out. (Faler, 6/17)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Poverty And Trauma Affect Kids Physically, Too, Including When Molars Emerge, Penn Study Shows
Poverty and trauma take more than mental tolls on children. Childhood adversity affects kids’ physical development too, and new research suggests it leaves its mark in an unexpected place: teeth. In a study published this month, University of Pennsylvania scientists found that kids who are exposed to significant stressors often see their first molars emerge earlier than less-stressed youngsters. Molar growth could be accelerated by months in some Black or Hispanic kids or those from lower income families. While the reasons are still unclear, the study confirms years of research showing that adversity and inequity affect the body — and it starts early. (Nathan, 6/18)

The Washington Post: How To Take Better Care Of Your Teeth After Skipping Dental Checkups During Covid 
Beyond its psychological toll, the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on our bodies: Many people have put on pounds, picked at their skin, broken their toes — and, according to dentists, damaged their teeth. As more Americans return to dental offices, practitioners say they’re seeing a significant rise in tooth-grinding and jaw-clenching likely brought on by pandemic-related stress and anxiety. They’re also seeing an increase in cavities and gum disease that may be due to a combination of lapsed appointments, pandemic eating and drinking habits, and less-than-stellar brushing and flossing. (Chiu, 6/17)

Fox News: Intermittent Fasting 'No Magic Bullet' For Weight Loss, Researchers Say
While a preferred method of many dieters, intermittent fasting may not be the most effective way to lose weight. A study published in Science Translational Medicine is challenging the long-held belief that fasting provides better results than traditional calorie restriction diets based on a three-week-long experiment. The study, which was conducted by a team of physiologists at the University of Bath’s Centre for Nutrition, Exercise & Metabolism (CNEM), split 36 lean, healthy adults into three groups. Group 1 fasted on alternate days with their fast day followed by a day of eating 50% more than usual. Group 2 reduced calories across all meals every day by 25%. Group 3 fasted on alternate days like Group 1, but followed their fast day with one day eating 100% more than usual. (Hein, 6/17)

In updates on the opioid trial in West Virginia —

Charleston Gazette-Mail: Health Economist Puts Harm Of Prescription Opioids In Cabell, Huntington At More Than $3 Billion
The estimated price tag on the harm caused by prescription opioids in the Cabell County-Huntington community is more than $3 billion, according to a Harvard University health economist who testified Thursday in the federal trial against the prescription drug wholesalers accused of fueling the opioid epidemic. Thomas McGuire, professor of health economics at Harvard Medical School, presented an economic valuation of roughly $3.3 billion attributed to the harm caused by prescription opioids in the Cabell-Huntington community. Approximately $2.8 billion of that total is attributed to lives lost, while the remainder is tied to excess health care costs in Cabell County. (Serre, 6/17)