NPR News: 07-04-2026 4AM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman.
What impact is extreme heat having on the eastern U.S.?
The extreme heat that's broiled much of the eastern U.S. for the past several days is beginning to fade a bit, at least for now. It brought record temperatures to some areas and caused stress, particularly for those who live in cities. Ashley Ward of Duke University's Heat Policy Innovation Hub says that's because of something called the heat island effect.
Places that we live in our built environment hold on to heat that's absorbed during the day. So what happens is overnight, those things like pavement and buildings, they absorb that heat. I mean, they absorb it during the day and release it slowly at night. So this is one of the reasons why we see overnight temperatures remaining persistently high.
Hot, dry weather and strong winds, meanwhile, are driving wildfires around the west. In southeastern Colorado, the Aspen Acres Fire has consumed more than 81,000 acres and is 0% contained. From Ember Station, KRCC, Shauna Lewis has more.
The fire started early Monday morning. Since then, thousands of people have evacuated from small rural communities in the forested mountains west of the city of Pueblo. Sid Heptic only had about an hour to pack up and leave. A firefighter came in to the place and said, you got to go, got to go. And we could see the fire coming. Heptic believes his home is totally destroyed. But he says his family has already decided they'll rebuild on the property they've owned for more than 50 years. Fire officials say some rain is in the forecast, but it'll be weeks before the drought conditions will change. For NPR News, I'm Shawna Lewis in Pueblo.
The massive heat wave across Europe last week led to a major rise in deaths across France. Health officials Friday say there were at least 2,000 more deaths that week than the week before. And in the Paris region, deaths were up by 63 percent. Record high temperatures were set across Europe last week. Candidates that identify as Democratic Socialists have been gaining momentum in deep blue states, but as NPR's Sage Miller reports, it may be an uphill battle for the movement to gain traction elsewhere.
There's a solid chance Congress will include more Democratic Socialists following the midterm election in November. They won big primary races in places like New York and Colorado. But can they convince the party to get on board? New polling from Pew Research shows about a third of Democrats say they like Democratic Socialist leaders. And there is room for growth. A majority of Democrats say they're neutral on Democratic Socialists. The poll did find moderate Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are not convinced the party should be moving in the direction of Democratic Socialism. Sage Miller, NPR News.
Kiko Fujimori is the new president of Peru. The 51-year-old was declared the winner of last month's runoff election on Friday. She takes office later this month. She'll be that country's ninth president in 10 years. You're listening to NPR News. The Justice Department and 17 states have reached settlement agreements with three major egg producers. The producers faced allegations that the companies illegally colluded to raise prices. To resolve the claims, the settlements require the companies to collectively pay $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs. Tens of thousands of runners are expected at the annual July 4th Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta.
How are wildfires affecting communities in the western U.S.?
That's despite extremely hot and humid conditions. As Alex Helmick from member station WABE reports, officials have issued a red flag warning ahead of the race.
The warning means runners should take extreme caution. Atlanta is currently under a heat advisory until Saturday evening. The heat index is again expected to top 100 degrees this weekend. The Atlanta Track Club, which organizes the event, said it consulted with its medical team and public safety partners before deciding to move forward with the race, which drew more than 50,000 participants last year. The track club is urging runners to slow their pace, use cooling stations along the course, and hydrate.
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