NPR

Heat Wave Unleashes Record-High Temps From California To Great Plains : NPR

It might be tempting to shrug at the scorching weather across large swaths of the West. This just in: It gets hot in the summer.

But this record-setting heat wave's remarkable power, size and unusually early appearance is giving meteorologists and climate experts yet more cause for concern about the routinization of extreme weather in an era of climate change.

These sprawling, persistent high-pressure zones popularly called "heat domes" are relatively common in later summer months. This current system is different. Deepening Drought Holds 'Ominous' Signs For Wildfire Threat In The West Environment Deepening Drought Holds 'Ominous' Signs For Wildfire Threat In The West

"It's not only unusual for June, but it is pretty extreme even in absolute terms," says Daniel Swain, climate scientist at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. "It would be a pretty extreme event for August," Swain says, when these typically occur.

NPR

A Rise In Traffic Fatalities Leads To Spike In Police Officer Deaths : NPR

On Monday, 19-year Arvada, Colo., police veteran Gordon Beesley marked another loss for the law enforcement community. Beesley was killed along with two other people during a shooting at a downtown shopping district, authorities said.

He is the fourth Colorado police officer to die on the job this year.

The rate of on-the-job fatalities for police is higher this year than it was at this time in 2020, according to an organization that tracks law enforcement deaths.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reports that as of June 21, a total of 151 total deaths were recorded -- an 11% jump over last year. The number includes federal, state, military, tribal and local law enforcement officer deaths.