I'm Rachel Martin. After hosting Morning Edition for years, I know that the news can wear you down.

So we made a new podcast called Wild Card, where a special deck of cards and a whole bunch of fascinating guests help us sort out what makes life meaningful.

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst.

Billions of Americans remain under heat alerts today,

as record-breaking heat brings temperatures

topping 100 degrees in parts of the country. Relief is on the way, but as NPR's

Amy held reports, it's expected to be short-lived.

Much of the eastern half of the US still trapped in a heat wave that's persisted for almost a week.

It is unusual.

Typically we don't have the heat lasts for such a long time.

Forecaster Bob Orveck says cooler air should break it up by Monday.

But by midweek, the heat's back, nearly everywhere.

Almost all the country has above average temperatures.

Pretty much everyone's gonna be above 90 degrees.

Global warming is making heat waves more frequent and intense. It's the deadliest form of

weather. In the US data show more people die at home from the heat than anywhere else. Many are vulnerable or

socially isolated. Why checking on neighbors counts. The CDC says heat related

ER visits have spiked this past week. In Idaho officials announced the first two heat-related

deaths of the year. Amy held NPR News. What appears to be a portion of the

much touted U.S. pier to deliver aid to Gaza has washed up on a popular beach in Tel Aviv.

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