New research suggests major change in China’s air pollution may have kick-started bizarre effects: ‘It will give us surprises’
Leo Collis – July 30, 2024
In the global battle against harmful air pollution, China is both a leader in production and reduction.
According to the 2023 Global Carbon Budget, shared by Our World in Data, the country was responsible for annual carbon dioxide pollution of over nine billion tons from coal in 2022. The next highest polluter, India, was responsible for two billion.
However, government controls on dirty fuel industries have resulted in a 70% reduction in aerosol emissions over the last 10 years, as Yale Environment 360 detailed.
It’s a slightly confusing state of affairs. What’s more confusing, though, is how that aerosol reduction has impacted ocean warming.
What’s happening?
According to analysis published by PNAS and shared by Yale Environment 360, improvements made in reducing air pollution by China have led to warming effects in the Pacific Ocean.
The decline in smog particles has offered less shading protection from the sun’s rays, which has increased the rate of ocean warming and set off a chain reaction of atmospheric events.
As Yale Environment 360 detailed, aerosols can deter around a third of the warming that’s caused by greenhouse gases — which are different from aerosols as they trap heat rather than shade it.
Why is ocean warming concerning?
Since 2013, the Pacific Ocean has been witnessing a warming event known as “The Blob,” which periodically increases water temperatures between California and Alaska by as much as seven degrees Fahrenheit.
This has led to toxic algal blooms, reductions of fish stocks, sea lion displacement, and the forcing of whales into shipping lanes in the hunt for food, among other issues, according to Yale Environment 360.
The analysis suggests that the aerosol reduction in China is at least partly responsible for “The Blob.” Despite these negative effects, cutting the production of aerosol is still an important factor in curbing overall air pollution.
“Aerosol reductions will perturb the climate system in ways we have not experienced before,” atmospheric scientist at Texas A&M University Yangyang Xu, who was not involved in the study, told Yale Environment 360. “It will give us surprises.”
What can be done about rising ocean temperatures?
As Fred Pearce of Yale Environment 360 noted: “To be clear, nobody — but nobody — suggests that we should stop the cleanup of aerosols. The death toll would just be too great.”
The World Health Organization says that outdoor air pollution was responsible for 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019, and aerosols are a key contributor to that statistic.
With that in mind, Michael Diamond from Florida State University, an expert on aerosols and climate, has suggested that reducing methane immediately would mitigate against the warming created in the absence of aerosols.
According to NASA, around 60% of the world’s methane pollution is caused by human activities. Agriculture, landfills, and burning dirty energy are among the leading producers of this harmful gas, which is 28 times more potent in terms of planet-warming potential than carbon dioxide.
So, cutting our consumption of meat and dairy, keeping as many items from heading to landfills as possible, and ramping up the production of electricity from renewable sources are essential to keep methane levels down. If we can do that, we can offset the unusual heating effects that cleaning up aerosols is having on our oceans without compromising human health.
Scientists make ‘incredibly worrying’ discovery after observing pattern in one of Earth’s largest ice fields: ‘We risk irreversible, complete removal of them’
Leslie Sattler – July 28, 2024
Alaska’s Juneau Icefield is melting at an alarming rate, doubling its pace of decline in recent decades.
This vast expanse of interconnected glaciers is shrinking faster than ever before, according to The New York Times, raising what it said scientists called “incredibly worrying” concerns about the future of our planet’s ice.
What’s happening?
The Juneau Icefield lost 1.4 cubic miles of ice annually between 2010 and 2020, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications. That’s twice the rate of melting observed before 2010.
Since the late 18th century, this massive ice field has shed a quarter of its volume, with the most dramatic losses occurring in recent years.
Bethan Davies, who led the research, gave a stark statement to the New York Times: “If we reduce carbon, then we have more hope of retaining these wonderful ice masses. The more carbon we put in, the more we risk irreversible, complete removal of them.”
Why is the melting Juneau Icefield concerning?
The rapid melting of this Alaskan ice field is a clear sign that our planet is overheating.
Climate feedback loop: As ice melts, it exposes darker land beneath, which absorbs more heat and accelerates warming.
Fresh water supply: Glaciers act as natural reservoirs, providing fresh water for ecosystems and human communities.
Wildlife impact: Many species depend on these icy habitats for survival.
The changes in the Juneau Icefield serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address our planet’s overheating. By taking action now, we can help protect these vital ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
What’s being done about the Juneau Icefield?
While the situation is serious, there’s still hope. Scientists, policymakers, and laypeople are working together to slow the melt.
For example, studies like this one help us understand the problem and develop targeted solutions. International efforts, such as the Paris Agreement, aim to limit planetary heating and protect vulnerable areas. And many communities are switching to renewable energy sources to reduce carbon pollution.
You can make a difference, too, with actions big and small. The most important thing you can do is get educated about topics like this and use your voice to help steer public sentiment and beyond, however you feel.
By making these small changes in our daily lives, we can contribute to a cooler future for our planet. Remember, every action counts when it comes to preserving our planet’s incredible ice fields and the vital role they play in our global ecosystem.
Russia’s Putin vows ‘mirror measures’ in response to U.S. missiles in Germany
The Associated Press – July 28, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets sailors prior to the main naval parade marking Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, second left, and Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, left, arrive to watch the main naval parade marking Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool)Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, second right, and Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, right, greet sailors prior to the main naval parade marking Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russia may deploy new strike weapons in response to the planned U.S. stationing of longer-range and hypersonic missiles in Germany, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.
Speaking at a naval parade in St Petersburg, Putin vowed “mirror measures” after the U.S. earlier this month announced that it will start deploying the weapons in 2026, to affirm its commitment to NATO and European defense following Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“If the U.S. implements such plans, we will consider ourselves free from the previously imposed unilateral moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter-range strike weapons, including increasing the capability of the coastal forces of our navy,” Putin said. He added that Moscow’s development of suitable systems is “in its final stage.”
Both Washington and Moscow have in recent weeks signaled readiness to deploy intermediate-range ground-based weapons that were banned for decades under a 1987 U.S.-Soviet treaty. The U.S. pulled out of the agreement in 2019, accusing Moscow of conducting missile tests that violated it.
The allegations, which Russia denied, came as tensions mounted between Moscow and the West in the wake of the downing of a Malaysian airliner carrying 298 people over war-torn eastern Ukraine. Two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian were ultimately convicted over their role in the attack.
Washington and Berlin said in a joint statement this month that the U.S. weapons to be placed in Germany would ultimately include SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and “developmental hypersonic weapons”, including those with a significantly longer range than the ones currently deployed across Europe.
Most of Russia’s missile systems are capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said last week that the Kremlin did not rule out new deployments of nuclear missiles in response to the U.S. move.
Ryabkov added that defending Kaliningrad, Russia’s heavily militarized exclave wedged between NATO members Poland and Lithuania, was of particular concern.
Putin warns the United States of Cold War-style missile crisis
Guy Faulconbridge and Dmitry Antonov – July 28, 2024
Russian President Putin chairs a meeting in Moscow
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday warned the United States that if Washington deployed long-range missiles in Germany then Russia would station similar missiles in striking distance of the West.
The United States said on July 10 that it would start deploying long-range missiles in Germany from 2026 in preparation for a longer-term deployment that will include SM-6, Tomahawk cruise missiles and developmental hypersonic weapons.
In a speech to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria and India to mark Russian navy day in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg, Putin warned the United States that it risked triggering a Cold War-style missile crisis with the move.
“The flight time to targets on our territory of such missiles, which in the future may be equipped with nuclear warheads, will be about 10 minutes,” Putin said.
“We will take mirror measures to deploy, taking into account the actions of the United States, its satellites in Europe and in other regions of the world.”
Putin, who sent his army into Ukraine in 2022, casts the war as part of a historic struggle with the West, which he says humiliated Russia after Soviet Union fell in 1991 by encroaching on what he considers Moscow’s sphere of influence.
Ukraine and the West say Putin is engaged in an imperial-style land grab. They have vowed to defeat Russia, which currently controls about 18% of Ukraine, including Crimea, and parts of four regions in eastern Ukraine.
Russia says the lands, once part of the Russian empire, are now again part of Russia and that they will never be given back.
COLD WAR?
Russian and U.S. diplomats say their diplomatic relations are worse even that during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and both Moscow and Washington have urged de-escalation while both have made steps towards escalation.
Putin said that the United States was stoking tensions and had transferred Typhon missile systems to Denmark and the Philippines, and compared the U.S. plans to the NATO decision to deploy Pershing II launchers in Western Europe in 1979.
The Soviet leadership, including General Secretary Yuri Andropov, feared Pershing II deployments were part of an elaborate U.S.-led plan to decapitate the Soviet Union by taking out its political and military leadership.
“This situation is reminiscent of the events of the Cold War related to the deployment of American medium–range Pershing missiles in Europe,” Putin said.
The Pershing II, designed to deliver a variable yield nuclear warhead, was deployed to West Germany in 1983.
In 1983, the ailing Andropov and the KGB interpreted a series of U.S. moves including the Pershing II deployment and a major NATO exercise as signs the West was about to launch a pre-emptive strike on the Soviet Union.
Putin repeated an earlier warning that Russia could resume production of intermediate and shorter range nuclear-capable missiles and then consider where to deploy them after the United States brought similar missiles to Europe and Asia.
(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by David Evans)
Donald Trump Tells Christians They ‘Won’t Have to Vote Anymore’ if He’s Elected to Another Term
Charlotte Phillipp – July 27, 2024
Kamala Harris’ campaign team later called the former president’s comments a “vow to end democracy”
Joe Raedle/GettyDonald Trump speaks during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference at the Palm Beach Convention Center on July 26, 2024.
Former President Donald Trump made waves after urging his Christian followers to vote for him in the upcoming presidential election “just this time” — and saying that they “won’t have to do it anymore” if he wins.
During an event on Friday, July 26, hosted by the conservative Christian organization Turning Point Action, Trump, 78, addressed the crowd and implied that if he were to be voted in, “everything” would be “fixed,” according to multiple sources, including Rolling Stoneand The Hill.
“Christians, get out and vote, just this time,” Trump said as the crowd in West Palm Beach, Fla., cheered, per the outlets.
“You won’t have to do it anymore,” he said. “Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
Brandon Bell/GettyPresident Donald Trump speaks to attendees during his campaign rally on July 24, 2024 in Charlotte, N.C.
“I love you Christians. I’m a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote,” Trump continued.
At the same event, Trump also claimed that he would “once again appoint rock-solid conservative judges who will protect religious liberty,” per Rolling Stone.
In a statement shared by Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign team on Saturday concerning what they called “Trump’s vow to end democracy,” Harris for President spokesperson James Singer said: “When Vice President Harris says this election is about freedom, she means it.”
“Our democracy is under assault by criminal Donald Trump: After the last election Trump lost, he sent a mob to overturn the results,” Singer continued.
“This campaign, he has promised violence if he loses, the end of our elections if he wins, and the termination of the Constitution to empower him to be a dictator to enact his dangerous Project 2025 agenda on America,” he added.
Want to earn extra money through a side hustle? Here’s why 1 in 3 Americans do it.
Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY – July 27, 2024
The gig economy is still big in the U.S. and growing.
More than a third (36%) of U.S. adults are working a side hustle – earning money in addition to their main source of income – according to a new Bankrate survey. They are earning more than they did last year, with the average side hustler making $891 a month, up from $810 last year.
Though the number of respondents who said they had a side hustle was down slightly from last year’s 39%, it is way up from 2019 when Bankrate first started surveying respondents about their extra gigs, Ted Rossman, Bankrate senior industry analyst, told USA TODAY. By comparison, in 2019, 19% of respondents said they had a side hustle.
“More people are side hustling because of inflation and because of high interest rates,” Rossman said. “Technology has made it easier as well. A lot of people are doing work from home and things online and via various mobile apps.”
Updated numbers are not widely available, but in 2018, Marketdata estimated the gig and side hustle market at $2.58 trillion. That year, analysts thought 36% of the U.S. workforce of 160 million already had an extra gig job. That number was forecasted to grow by more than 50% by 2027 to 83 million Americans working a side hustle.
And then Covid happened.
More than a third of Americans, or 36%, are working a side hustle, such as dog walking, according to a new Bankrate survey.
The number of people who picked up a side hustle spiked during the pandemic, said Bryce Colburn, lead editor covering small businesses for USA TODAY/Blueprint, a personal finance content partner to USA TODAY.
Colburn, whose journalists have written several stories about side hustles, said that while he can’t say the side hustle industry grew directly because of COVID-19, the spike in the number of people who had side hustles during and after the pandemic is pretty clear.
“Remote work has definitely been a huge factor in the growing of side hustles,” Colburn said. “We now have technology to do remote work, which then means that now if you’re home, you also can work on other things.”
Who is doing side hustles?
All ages are taking on side hustles, but more millennials and Gen Zers seem to have side hustles, Colburn said.
Colburn’s observation matches results from Bankrate’s study: Gen Zers (ages 18-27) had the highest number of people with a side hustle (48%) compared with millennials (ages 28-43) with 44%. Among Gen Xers (ages 44-59), 33% had an extra job, while 23% of baby boomers (ages 60-78) said they had a side gig.
Parents of children under 18 are more likely to have a side hustle (45%) than adults without children (36%) or those with adult children (28%), according to the survey.
Some workers may even be doing their side hustle during their remote full-time job, Colbun said.
Here’s some more highlights from Bankrate’s study:
More people started side hustles after 2022: More than half or 52% of side hustlers started less than two years ago.
Side hustlers spend their money differently: 37% use some of their money from gigs on discretionary spending; 36% use the extra cash for day-to-day expenses; 31% put some money into savings; and 20% use the income to pay down debt.
Side hustling isn’t temporary: 32% of respondents think they’ll always need an extra job to pay the bills.
How much are people making from side hustles?
Nearly two-thirds of side hustlers, or 63% in the Bankrate survey, said they are making more than $100 a month, and more than 1 in 4 respondents, or 28%, are making more than $500 a month.
Younger generations and men are more likely to have a side hustle, and make more. Millennial side hustlers report making an average $1,129 a month, and Gen Zers make $958. Gen Xers make $751 and baby boomers make $561 a month.
The gender pay gap is also alive in the gig economy: Only a slightly higher percentage of men (38%) have side hustles compared with women (33%), but men make an average of $1,034 a month, while women average $735 a month.
A food delivery worker looks at his mobile phone while carrying items to be delivered at a mall in Beijing on July 10, 2024.
Why are people taking side hustle jobs?
High inflation and rising housing costs, in addition to regular monthly bills and the desire to travel and save money, are causing more people to look to side hustles, Rossman said. “Americans are still finding that one job isn’t enough. The cost of living has risen sharply in recent years,” he said.
But Rossman said he also takes with a grain of salt the study statistic saying 32% of people with a side hustle felt they’d always need it to make ends meet.
“Most of these people are relatively new to it, and yet they’re saying they think they need to do it forever,” he said, since more than half have had a side hustle for two years or less. “Maybe things won’t be as bad as people fear.”
Still, “it’s very much a spending story,” he said. “Last year, it was all about day-to-day expense … “This year, it’s more fun spending and ‘I’m going to side hustle to take a nice vacation or splurge on some electronics’ or something like that.”
Colburn said his reporters were surprised to find that while many side hustlers said they were doing the extra job because they needed the money, “50% of people say that they’re doing it for fun and not for money.”
What are some of the best side or most popular gigs?
Side jobs that involve e-commerce, such as eBay or Etsy or using social media to funnel people to an e-commerce platform are popular, Colburn said.
Meanwhile, some of the easiest side hustles, according to Blueprint, are house sitting, dog walking, freelance work and grocery delivery. Blueprint also suggested some side jobs to avoid, such as online survey taker, ride-share driver and mystery shopper, saying they may not pay enough for the time invested.
A lot of people don’t realize that they have to pay taxes on anything more than $400 earned from a second job or that a successful side gig could push you into a higher tax bracket, he said.
Rossman said he believes the number of people doing side hustles will continue to grow, especially as the workforce continues to change and people either choose to job-hop or can’t maintain job stability.
Some people may also turn their side hustle into a passion project or even their next full-time job, he said.
Rossman gave a final bit of advice: if you are going to do a side hustle, walk before you run.
“I think a side hustle is a great way to drum up some extra money, maybe pay off credit card debt,” he said. “But be wary of things that require a big upfront investment. Sometimes they can be an outright scam … other times it’s maybe a multilevel marketing thing where you have to stock up on a bunch of inventory.
“Explore it first, take it for a test drive … prove out the concept before you dive headlong into it.”
Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY.
Now, research highlights a discovery that could pave the way for a new class of weight loss medications—and it’s linked to how your body responds to exercise. Here’s what the study discovered, plus what it could mean for the future of drugs like Ozempic.
Meet the expert: Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.
What did the study find?
The study, which was published in June in the journal Molecular Metabolism, analyzed mouse and human models to explore how the protein PGC-1α impacts exercise and its effects on the body. In case you’re not familiar with it (and why would you be?), PGC-1α is a protein that is involved in several processes in the body, including thermogenesis. Thermogenesis works to help your body efficiently consume energy in your muscles.
When you work out, more PGC-1α is expressed in your muscles and more energy is burned. But people who lose weight slowly when they do regular physical activity may be missing variants of PGC-1α that regulate the body’s metabolism and response to short-term exercise.
By targeting this protein, scientists think they can essentially help to rev up your metabolism. The researchers concluded in the study that increasing how much PGC-1α is expressed is “pivotal” for burning more energy and “essential” for regulating metabolism.
What does this study mean for fitness?
At this point, it’s hard to say. The scientists just discovered that it could be helpful to target this protein for weight loss, but the details and kinks of this haven’t been worked out just yet.
But it’s possible that people who already burn fat efficiently with the help of exercise wouldn’t be helped by a medication that targets PGC-1α, says Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. Still, it’s super early on in the process, making it tough to determine for sure.
What does this mean for weight loss drugs?
It’s not clear at this point. Again, this is in very early stages and there’s a lot that still needs to be explored. However, there is a chance that this could lead to a new class of weight loss drugs, giving people with overweight and obesity more options, Ali says.
Right now, Ali sees this as a potential additional tool to help with weight loss versus the only tool someone would use.
“The majority of weight loss is because of diet,” he says. “Exercise has a number of benefits, including enhanced weight loss, and it can improve cardiovascular health.”
It’s easy to forget about the risk of heat exhaustion or sunstroke when you’re enjoying a pool party or hanging out at the beach, but these serious conditions can and do happen. Ahead, three emergency room physicians answer questions about how to stay safe when it’s scorching out — from being able to identify symptoms to the most effective ways to keep cool.
Why should I care about heat illness now?
Summer is when temperatures are the highest in the U.S. As temperatures soared last year, so did ER visits for heat illness. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in April found that there were nearly 120,000 heat-related emergency room visits in 2023, and 90% of them happened between May and September.The most ER visits happened in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, with males and adults between the ages of 18 and 64 having the highest rates of ER visits for heat illness.
Heat is also the deadliest form of extreme weather, the National Weather Service warns. Hot weather kills 1,220 people annually, according to the CDC. And tolls are rising each year, amid climate change. Last year was the hottest in human history, and a record-breaking 2,303 people died from heat exposure, the Department of Health and Human Services estimates.
“With hotter summer months rapidly approaching, it’s important to plan ahead to protect yourself and others from heat illness,” Dr. Marc Taub, an emergency physician and medical director of emergency services at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Calif., tells Yahoo Life. “It’s especially important to take precautions for those who are more vulnerable to the heat, such as children, older adults, pregnant persons, those who work outdoors, people without ready access to cool areas and fluids and people with underlying health conditions.”
Heat illness (also known as heat-related illness) is an umbrella term used to describe several conditions that can happen to your body when temperatures rise.
Heat illness generally refers to these conditions:
Heat cramps: These can be the first sign of heat illness, and usually involve painful muscle cramps that can happen in the legs and abdomen, per the National Weather Service (NWS).
Heat exhaustion: Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt that usually happens from sweating a lot, according to the CDC. It can cause heavy sweating, fatigue and dizziness, along with other symptoms.
Heat stroke: Also known as sunstroke, this is the most serious heat illness, the CDC says. It happens when the body can no longer control its temperature. The sweating mechanism fails, and the body is no longer able to cool down. Body temperature can also get to 106 degrees or higher within 10 to 15 minutes, according to the CDC. Heat stroke can lead to permanent disability or death.
Symptoms of heat illness vary depending on the type you experience. Here’s a breakdown, according to the CDC:
Heat cramps
Muscle cramps in the abdomen, arms or legs
Pain in the abdomen, arms or legs
Spasms in the abdomen, arms or legs
Heat rash
Red clusters of pimples or small blisters
Pimples or blisters that show up on the neck, upper chest, groin, under the breasts and in elbow creases
Heat exhaustion
Headache
Nausea
Dizziness
Weakness
Irritability
Thirst
Heavy sweating
Elevated body temperature
Urinating less than usual
Heat stroke
Confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech
Loss of consciousness
Hot, dry skin or excessive sweating
Seizures
Very high body temperature
How dangerous is heat illness?
It depends on the type of heat illness you have. Heat rash and heat cramps are “generally uncomfortable if you are healthy,” Dr. Lewis Nelson, chair of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, tells Yahoo Life. However, they are not usually serious.
But anyone can experience heat exhaustion and heat stroke — the latter of which is life-threatening, he points out.
“With heat stroke, you can develop organ problems, kidney failure, heart problems and stroke-like symptoms,” Dr. Eric Adkins, emergency medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells Yahoo Life. “You can die from heat stroke.”
I am having symptoms. What should I do?
Doctors recommend getting out of the heat ASAP if you don’t feel well. “The most important intervention if you feel sick in the heat is to move to a cooler area,” Nelson says. “This may be as simple as moving out of the sun or going indoors.”
Using a fan can speed up the evaporation of sweat and help you cool down, but Nelson points out that it’s “not very efficient” at higher temperatures. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends that people don’t use fans when the heat index temperature, which is a combination of the temperature and humidity, is above 99 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Making sure you are adequately hydrated is critical and replacing the lost sweat with water, plus electrolytes will help avoid a fall in your blood sodium level,” Nelson says.
It’s also a good idea to take off extra clothes and put on wet towels, if you have them nearby, to help cool you down, Adkins says. Spraying water on your body can also help, according to Taub.
If someone is showing symptoms of heat stroke, call 911 immediately. The NWS also urges getting “immediate medical attention” if heat cramps last for more than an hour, the person vomits or if heat exhaustion symptoms get worse or last for more than an hour.
How can I stay informed about heat risks?
The CDC just launched a Heat & Health Tracker to make it easier to know what’s happening with heat in your area. The tracker offers local heat and health information, including rates of emergency room visits for heat illness where you live. The CDC also notes which medications might make you more vulnerable to the effects of heat, and how to store them safely when temperatures rise.
“Keep track of daily weather forecasts and local heat alerts,” Taub says. “Good sources of information on current and forecasted weather include local news channels and weather websites.” He also suggests checking out Heat.gov for up-to-date information and forecasts.
My car is always sizzling in the summer. How can I keep myself cool?
Car temperatures can skyrocket, and research has found that interior temperatures can hit 116 degrees and seats can get up to 123 degrees.
“Getting into a hot car for a brief period of time is generally safe, but opening the windows or turning on the air conditioning should help moderate the temperature,” Nelson says. “The inside of a car, especially in the sun, can reach unsafe temperatures if not cooled, so do not keep children or pets in closed cars, even if out of the sun.”
Adkins recommends parking in the shade when you can. A sun shade in your car can help to deflect heat away from the interior as well, Taub says. If your car doesn’t have air conditioning and it’s extremely hot outside, Adkins suggests taking public transportation if it’s available.
What are the most effective ways to stay cool?
If you feel yourself getting hot, there are a few things you can do to cool off in the moment.
Drinking plenty of water is an obvious choice, but Adkins also recommends keeping an eye on the color of your urine. “If it looks more pale yellow, you’re hydrated,” he says. “If it’s dark yellow, orange or brown, that’s a primary sign of dehydration.”
Using fans, including portable fans, when the heat index is below 99 degrees can be helpful, along with misting yourself with cool water, Nelson says. Putting cool, wet cloths on your wrists, neck and ankles can help keep your temperature down, too, Adkins says.
Is there anything else I can do?
Doctors say there are a few other moves you can make to keep yourself cool on hot days. A big one is avoiding being outside on the hottest times of the day — typically between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. — if you’re able, Adkins says.
Nelson also suggests carrying around a bottle of water with you to make sure you’re staying well hydrated. Carrying a portable fan in your bag and using it when you need to cool off can also be helpful, according to Adkins.
If you want to really plan ahead, Adkins recommends planting trees on your property to create shade for the future.
Overall, doctors stress the importance of being aware of the heat in your area and taking steps to keep yourself cool. “Exposure to excess heat can be serious — and it’s important to take it seriously,” Adkins says.
This article was originally published on May 22, 2024 and has been updated.
Hillary Clinton: How Kamala Harris Can Win and Make History
By Hillary Rodham Clinton – July 23, 2024
Mrs. Clinton was the Democratic nominee for president in 2016.
Credit…Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
History has its eye on us. President Biden’s decision to end his campaign was as pure an act of patriotism as I have seen in my lifetime. It should also be a call to action to the rest of us to continue his fight for the soul of our nation. The next 15 weeks will be like nothing this country has ever experienced politically, but have no doubt: This is a race Democrats can and must win.
Mr. Biden has done a hard and rare thing. Serving as president was a lifelong dream. And when he finally got there, he was exceptionally good at it. To give that up, to accept that finishing the job meant passing the baton, took real moral clarity. The country mattered more. As one who shared that dream and has had to make peace with letting it go, I know this wasn’t easy. But it was the right thing to do.
Elections are about the future. That’s why I am excited about Vice President Kamala Harris. She represents a fresh start for American politics. She can offer a hopeful, unifying vision. She is talented, experienced and ready to be president. And I know she can defeat Donald Trump.
There is now an even sharper, clearer choice in this election. On one side is a convicted criminal who cares only about himself and is trying to turn back the clock on our rights and our country. On the other is a savvy former prosecutor and successful vice president who embodies our faith that America’s best days are still ahead. It’s old grievances versus new solutions.
Ms. Harris’s record and character will be distorted and disparaged by a flood of disinformation and the kind of ugly prejudice we’re already hearing from MAGA mouthpieces. She and the campaign will have to cut through the noise, and all of us as voters must be thoughtful about what we read, believe and share.
I know a thing or two about how hard it can be for strong women candidates to fight through the sexism and double standards of American politics. I’ve been called a witch, a “nasty woman” and much worse. I was even burned in effigy. As a candidate, I sometimes shied away from talking about making history. I wasn’t sure voters were ready for that. And I wasn’t running to break a barrier; I was running because I thought I was the most qualified to do the job. While it still pains me that I couldn’t break that highest, hardest glass ceiling, I’m proud that my two presidential campaigns made it seem normal to have a woman at the top of the ticket.
Ms. Harris will face unique additional challenges as the first Black and South Asian woman to be at the top of a major party’s ticket. That’s real, but we shouldn’t be afraid. It is a trap to believe that progress is impossible. After all, I won the national popular vote by nearly three million in 2016, and it’s not so long ago that Americans overwhelmingly elected our first Black president. As we saw in the 2022 midterms, abortion bans and attacks on democracy are galvanizing women voters like never before. With Ms. Harris at the top of the ticket leading the way, this movement may become an unstoppable wave.
Time is short to organize the campaign on her behalf, but the Labour Party in Britain and a broad left-wing coalition in France recently won big victories with even less time. Ms. Harris will have to reach out to voters who have been skeptical of Democrats and mobilize young voters who need convincing. But she can run on a strong record and ambitious plans to further reduce costs for families, enact common-sense gun safety laws and restore and protect our rights and freedoms.
She has a great story to tell about the accomplishments of this administration. Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris led America’s comeback after Mr. Trump bungled the pandemic and left our economy in free fall. Under their leadership, the United States has created more than 15 million jobs, and unemployment is near a 50-year low.
When inflation spiked around the globe, many economists said the only way to tame it would be a painful recession with major job losses. But Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris kept Americans working as inflation fell back toward normal levels and real incomes for working people rose.
When many thought bipartisanship was dead, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass major legislation on infrastructure and clean energy, microchips and national security. From drug prices to student debt, they’ve delivered results that have made our country stronger and people’s lives better.
Ms. Harris is chronically underestimated, as are so many women in politics, but she is well prepared for this moment. As a prosecutor and attorney general in California, she took on drug traffickers, polluters and predatory lenders. As a U.S. senator, she rigorously questioned squirming Trump administration officials and nominees and was inspiring to watch. As vice president, Ms. Harris has sat with the president in the Situation Room, helping make the hardest decisions a leader can make. And when the extremist Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, she became the administration’s most passionate and effective advocate for restoring women’s reproductive rights.
I look forward to hearing her prosecute a compelling case against Mr. Trump, who failed as a president the first time and is running on a dangerous agenda. A second Trump term would be much worse than the first. Mr. Trump’s plans are more extreme, he is more unhinged, and the guardrails that constrained some of his worst instincts are gone.
Ms. Harris can explain to the American people that inflation would surge again under Mr. Trump, thanks to his proposed across-the-board tariffs, sweeping tax cuts for the rich and mass deportations. The policies outlined by Mr. Trump’s allies in Project 2025, from further restricting abortion rights to dismantling the Department of Education, are a recipe for a weaker, poorer, more divided America.
The vice president’s law enforcement experience gives her the credibility to rebut Mr. Trump’s lies about crime and immigration. The facts are on her side: After spiking under Mr. Trump, the murder rate is plummeting under the Biden-Harris administration. Illegal border crossings are also dropping fast and are now the lowest they’ve been since 2020, thanks in part to Mr. Biden’s recent executive order. We’d be making even more progress if Mr. Trump hadn’t killed a bipartisan immigration compromise in Congress this year for his own selfish political purposes.
As a friend and supporter of Mr. Biden, I find this a bittersweet moment. He is a wise and decent man who served our country well. We have lost our standard-bearer, and we will miss his steady leadership, deep empathy and fighting spirit. Yet we have gained much as well: a new champion, an invigorated campaign and a renewed sense of purpose.
The time for hand-wringing is over. Now it’s time to organize, mobilize and win.
Hillary Rodham Clinton was the Democratic nominee for president in 2016 and is a former U.S. secretary of state and senator from New York.
Let’s face it, this race has always been a contest between age-related forgetfulness and age-related anger and aggression.
Now, instead of running against a man who appears too old to keep his thoughts together, Trump will have to face off against a younger and more vital opponent — at exactly the time the American people have said in a loud, clear voice that they’re tired of the same old men and the same old rhetoric.
Trump, and his party, brought this on themselves. They turned their remarkably efficient attack machine on too early.
The debate last month pretty conclusively showed that Biden isn’t up to what Americans expect from their president anymore.
It’s not his fault. Biden has been a man of great accomplishments in the Senate, as vice president, and as president over a long and productive career.
But age catches up to everyone.
From The Opinion Team
President Joe Biden withdrew Sunday from the 2024 presidential race. Read more on this developing news event, from our Opinion team:
Four years ago, Biden was the bulwark against the continuation of Trumpism. That’s what Democrats want and what the country needs again in 2024.
The way for Republicans to ensure their victory would have been to go along with the Democrat-created illusion of “Joe’s fine,” until after the Democrats held their convention and it was too late to turn back and pick someone else.
In the first debate, Trump should have tried to channel Ronald Reagan, politely smiling and answering the questions that were put to him. He should have waited for the second debate to pounce on Biden’s infirmity.
It’s the difference between tactics and strategy.
Now, no matter whom the Democrats choose to run against Trump, he’ll have a much harder case to make for himself.
He’s going to have to defend a Republican Party that, as we saw at their convention, basically supports restoration of the Soviet Union and seems terrified of fruit-pickers and hotel maids at the border.
To keep his vital right-wing evangelical base, Trump’s going to have to embrace their demands to ban abortion by any means necessary, which Americans in states blue and red (even Kansas) have voted repeatedly not to do. Against a more agile opponent, he won’t get away with claiming Democrats support abortion up to the moment of birth, or after, as he did against Biden in their debate.
And to keep his billionaire mega-donors, he’ll have to defend the Heritage Foundation’s God-awful Project 2025, a blueprint for dismantling just about everything in the United States that makes it a decent place to live.
So now, let’s see if the Democrats can be more strategic than Republicans (which, admittedly, they seldom are).
While they have several candidates who could potentially beat Trump, the Democrats have only one sure thing: Michelle Obama.
Polls show that other possible contenders, including Vice President Kamala Harris — who Biden endorsed shortly after announcing that he was stepping down — run slightly behind Trump. They’d start out playing catch-up.
Since her husband left the White House, she’s been the good soldier, supporting others for the top job while always saying she’s not interested in it herself.
But she’s also said she’s “terrified” at the potential outcome of the November election. While she might not actively campaign for the nomination, I’d think she’d find it pretty hard to turn it down if delegates at the Democratic National Convention were to draft her next month.
Dawn Staley, women’s basketball legend, head coach at the University of South Carolina and a four-time Olympic gold medalist (three as a player, one as coach), called the right play in a recent appeal to former president Barack Obama on X:
“Now please let us borrow @MichelleObama for just 4 short years! First Gentleman is a good look for you.”
Nobody knows better than Staley that when you’re down by a couple of points late in the fourth quarter, you want to get the ball in the hands of your best player to take the final shot.
The Democratic Party would do well to listen to her.
