Last week, wildfire smoke blanketed some of North America's biggest cities, sweeping across large swaths of the northeast and beyond. The smoke exposed millions to deadly levels of pollution and made many consider new climate adaptation strategies that may have previously overlooked.

So what exactly happened? The team at Heatmap News put together some of the best coverage on an entire week of deadly wildfire smoke, looking at countless angles of a story that dominated headlines for days. This week, we talk to three writers at the heart of Heatmap's wildfire coverage. Guests on the episode include:

Robinson Meyer, founding executive editor of Heatmap. He was previously a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he covered climate change, energy, and technology.

Emily Pontecorvo, a founding staff writer at Heatmap. Previously she was a staff writer at the nonprofit climate journalism outlet Grist, where she covered all aspects of decarbonization, from clean energy to electrified buildings to carbon dioxide removal.

Jeva Lange, a founding staff writer at Heatmap. Her writing has also appeared in The Week, where she formerly served as executive editor and culture critic, as well as in The New York Daily News, Vice, and Gothamist, among others. 

Related Reading

Almost Everyone Got the Smoke Wrong

The Worst Day for Wildfire Pollution in U.S. History 

The 5 Big Questions About the 2023 Wildfire Smoke Crisis

The East Coast’s Wildfire Smoke Is On Par With the West’s Worst Days

Is It Safe to Go Outside? 

How to Stay Safe from Wildfire Smoke Indoors

Is the Smoke Bad for My Plants?

How Many People Will This Smoke Kill? 

The Smoke Will Get Worse Before It Gets Better 

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