Tens of millions of Americans in the Northeast and Midwest are sweating through their first major heatwave of the year. Heat is the deadliest of all natural disasters, according to the National Weather Service, killing more Americans on average each year than floods, tornados and hurricanes combined. This week, a coalition of environmental, labor, and healthcare groups filed a petition to push the Federal Emergency Management Agency to start recognizing both extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters. Jean Su, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity and the petition’s lead author, explains how FEMA could help vulnerable people during extreme heat and smoke events.
And in headlines: The first debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump is one week from today, California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he wants to ban smartphones in public schools throughout the state, and Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride is one step closer to becoming the first openly trans person elected to Congress.
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