NPR News: 07-04-2026 5PM EDT

Speaker 10:00

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Dan Ronan· Host0:18

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. A heat wave is impacting many parts of the United States this July 4th. NPR's Sydney Lupkin reports hospitals are preparing for an increase in visits to emergency rooms.

Speaker 30:34

In this past week, Dr. Ryan Stanton has seen two golfers, two gardeners, an airport worker, and a couple of construction workers in his Lexington, Kentucky ER with heat-related illness.

Ryan Stanton· Soundbite0:45

It's been a little bit of everybody, and I know everybody wants to get out there and enjoy this, uh, this time of year, but boy, it is ... If it were a dry heat, it'd may be a little bit better, but it is not in most of the country. It is a wet, humid blanket.

Speaker 30:58

Stanton is the president-elect of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He says humidity makes it harder for our bodies to handle the heat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you can protect yourself by staying in air conditioning as much as possible and drinking plenty of fluids. If someone around you is experiencing severe overheating, called heatstroke, call nine one one. Sydney Lupkin, NPR News.

Dan Ronan· Host1:24

Ukraine launched another wave of drone attacks against Russia overnight. This as