Don't call it a heat 'wave': Expert weighs in after a month of record-breaking heat
After a month of record-breaking heat, are we past calling it a heat "wave?" NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Duke heat expert Ashley Ward.
Climate
Scientists fight to help protect the Florida coral that's dying from heat
Marine scientists say record ocean temperatures have sparked widespread coral bleaching in the Florida Keys. The extreme heat and bleaching have been deadly — killing all coral on one popular reef.
How New Orleans is coping with a surge in heat-related illnesses
Hospitals throughout the U.S. are seeing increases in patients with heat illnesses this summer. We look at how New Orleans is coping with the rise in heat-related EMS calls and ER visits.
The dry Midwest is getting some much needed rain, but it might not be enough
Dryness in the Great Plains and Midwest has choked out crops. Recent rains have been a godsend. Climatologists predict cooler, wetter weather that may help loosen the region's years-long drought.
Why it's so important to figure out when a vital Atlantic Ocean current might collapse
Scientists know a current in the Atlantic ocean could collapse suddenly as the climate changes. The question of when matters to billions of people around the globe.
Biden rolled out some new measures to respond to extreme heat as temperatures soar
On a very hot day in Washington, President Biden met with mayors from two cities grappling with extreme heat, announcing some new measures to try to help workers deal with the issue.
How rising ocean temperatures will impact ecotourism in Florida
NPR's A Martinez speaks with Jennifer Pollom, executive director of the Ocean Conservation Foundation, about the effects of high ocean temperatures on ecotourism in the Florida Keys.
Los Angeles paints the town — literally, to reflect the sun and cool the city
A new project in Los Angeles is trying to cool the city by painting streets with a reflective coating to bounce away heat from the sun. Other cities like Phoenix are undertaking similar efforts.
Life can be much hotter for Americans in or near big cities, new analysis shows
A new analysis finds that tens of millions of urban Americans are dealing with even hotter temperatures than their rural neighbors, as heatwaves blast the country.
Heat kills, but it doesn't have to: How the government can help
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Kathy Baughman McLeod of the Arsht-Rock Resilience Center about why heat waves don't have the same legitimacy or federal funding as other extreme weather events.