What A Day - The Push For Federal Action On Extreme Heat

Episode Date: June 20, 2024

Tens of millions of Americans in the Northeast and Midwest are sweating through their first major heatwave of the year. Heat is the deadliest of all natural disasters, according to the National Weather Service, killing more Americans on average each year than floods, tornados and hurricanes combined. This week, a coalition of environmental, labor, and healthcare groups filed a petition to push the Federal Emergency Management Agency to start recognizing both extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters. Jean Su, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity and the petition’s lead author, explains how FEMA could help vulnerable people during extreme heat and smoke events.And in headlines: The first debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump is one week from today, California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he wants to ban smartphones in public schools throughout the state, and Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride is one step closer to becoming the first openly trans person elected to Congress.Show Notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

it's thursday june 20th i'm priyanka arabindi and i'm juanita toliver and this is what a day the show where we're wondering who is leaking the opposition research on president biden's dog yes yet another report of commander biden biting a secret service agent ended up in the daily mail of all places commander i don't know who you're yapping to. You need to shut that mouth. And more than one. Oh, my. On today's show, California is the latest state to call for a statewide ban on smartphones in schools. Plus, we are a week away from the first presidential debate and we'll tell you all the rules that the presumptive nominees must adhere to. But first, it is hot outside, dangerously hot.

Tens of millions of Americans in the Northeast and Midwest are sweating through their first major heat wave just before summer even officially begins. The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures in the high 90s, but it will feel more like 100. And huge swaths of both regions are under heat watches and warnings into Saturday. Out west, wildfire season is off to an early start as well. Since the weekend, around 20 fires in California have already burned tens of thousands

of acres in the state, and more are burning in Washington and Oregon. Okay, that is not good. As we all know, here in New York City, already getting up there, it's scorching, not quite as high and no fires currently, which is good, but it's not great. I know a lot of people will sometimes brush off the health risks that come with extreme heat, but can you explain for us just why it's so dangerous? Plain and simple, heat is the most deadly of all of the natural disasters, according to the National Weather Service. On average, every year heat kills more Americans than floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes combined. Just look at last year, which was the hottest year on record and also the deadliest, according to the Associated Press. The AP crunched data from the Centers for Disease Control and found that excessive heat contributed to the deaths of more than 2,300 people in the United States in 2023.

That was the most deaths in more than 40 years of record keeping. And in terms of heat, this year is already on track to be hotter than last year. Despite all of this information, we still don't think of heat the same way that we tend to, you know, with these other natural disasters that you mentioned, you know, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods. And we also don't see the same kinds of big federal government responses like we do with those other disasters. Why is that? Well, there's a law called the Stafford Act that sets out how the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, responds to disasters. The law lists the kinds of disasters FEMA can respond to, but heat isn't included. Now, that list is not exhaustive. For example, FEMA was activated to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemics aren't on the list either. Still, that lack of specificity is partially why

FEMA has historically left it to states to handle these kinds of extreme heat emergencies. But a coalition of environmental groups, labor groups, and healthcare professionals is trying to change that. They filed a petition this week asking FEMA to start recognizing both extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters. To learn more about the petition, I spoke with its lead author, Jean Su. She's senior attorney and the director of the Energy Justice Program at the Center for Biological Diversity. Here's our conversation. All right, so your coalition is arguing that FEMA needs to start treating heat and smoke the way it treats other natural disasters. Does FEMA have the ability to act unilaterally and

start doing that? Or does Congress need to change the language in the Stafford Act, which governs how FEMA responds to emergencies? So FEMA can actually do it itself. The Stafford Act, which governs FEMA, has the definition of major disasters, which is super broad. It actually says major disasters are any natural catastrophe, including floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, but not limited to those. And we actually saw COVID-19 as a perfect example. Both Presidents Trump and Biden announced that COVID-19 was a major disaster and asked for states to also declare them major disasters. But nowhere in the definition does it actually say infectious disease or pandemic. So this is a super broad definition. And FEMA just has to acknowledge and recognize that it is and say, yes, it is.

So what's the holdup? Why aren't they acknowledging this? Why hasn't FEMA historically treated extreme heat and wildfire smoke the same way it treats other disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes? So I think it's a matter of custom and practice. In the past, FEMA has been used to these one-off disasters like hurricanes and floods. And how they've been programmed for so many decades is to deal with those disasters, which basically run through and destroy homes. And they are used to just building back to status quo. Like if your roof was thrown off by hurricane, I'm going to come back and build it back. So that's the way that they've been programmed for decades. Extreme

heat and wildfire smoke are just a whole different ballgame now in terms of disasters, because the actual damage that you see isn't to your home. It's actually to your body. And I think FEMA has found that quite something new and not something that they're used to. But our argument is actually the remedies to actually dealing with your body breaking down is not just medical services, but it's actually building infrastructure like permanent cooling centers and air filtration systems, actually redoing your home, especially homes for workers and low-income communities that are just poor housing stock and that are super holy. And so, you know, if you turn on your air conditioning, if you even have it, your building envelope is so crappy that the cool air

just flows out. And if you're in wildfire smoke season, the smoke comes in. So literally, you can just retrofit that home and get the building insulation in, get the high energy efficiency windows, get your efficient heat pumps, which are also air conditioners, put in your air filtration systems. And so these are the things that we're asking FEMA to do. And you mentioned proof of concept related to the COVID-19 pandemic. How do the recommendations your coalition is putting forward compare to some of the actions that FEMA took during the pandemic? So during COVID, the common sense pieces were doling out vaccines,

doling out test kits, doling out respirators for hospitals. In the very same way, we're actually looking at doling out air filtration systems, doling out energy efficient air conditioners, which are heat pumps. It's the same types of kind of instruments and mechanics that we're asking to be deployed. There's also another piece of this, which is the long-term mitigation pieces, which we think are super important that go beyond these emergency centers. And that is actually making sure that residences and public buildings are actually hooked up to community solar and rooftop solar and storage. And the reason I say that is because extreme heat right now

is actually frying up our grid infrastructure. Right. And we've seen that, for example, throughout the country and Texas and in other states too. Absolutely. And it leads to rolling blackouts. And the other kind of exacerbating factor is that everybody has their air conditioning on now. country and Texas and in other states too. Absolutely. And it leads to rolling blackouts. And the other kind of exacerbating factor is that everybody has their air conditioning on now. So the demand is high. Your grid is literally crumbling before you. And I'd have to say that FEMA is in this incredible position where they should be targeting those communities that are suffering from this the most. So our low-income communities, our communities of color, our work communities who don't have the upfront capital to install

rooftop solar, for example, but who should be targeted first because they are the ones who are bearing the brunt of the extreme heat consequences and the wildfire smoke consequences. And how has climate change increased the risks associated with the heat? One of the interesting parts to know about heat is this measure called heat index. And so it's temperature, but it's also humidity. And they pair this together. And health professionals who have also paired up with us on this petition have said that around 80 degrees, if you are working outside, it already starts to disintegrate your ability to function in your body.

So your ability to sweat and retain water is completely compromised. And you basically start wilting away. You're losing water at a rate that you cannot regenerate. 90 degrees of the heat index where humidity and the temperature even gets worse, you are seeing even greater body dysfunction. And I think where the rubber meets the road is when you really think about those who died and those who have these long-term health risks. You know, ground zero are farm workers. There are construction workers.

There's a very tragic story of a construction worker in Texas who passed out and died. You also have indoor workers like warehouse workers. So, you know, workers in particular are in an incredibly vulnerable position here. And that's why AFL-CIO, SEIU, National Nurses United, and United Farm Workers all joined this petition. We have the largest labor unions with us because this extreme heat and wildfire smoke issue is really a deadly issue for workers. And these events, these heat events can affect tens of millions of people in dozens of states simultaneously. So for agencies like FEMA to effectively respond to them, that'll take an incredible amount of resources. What do federal and state governments need to do to build their

capacity to better respond to these types of extreme heat events and to convey to FEMA how these events currently fully overwhelm their existing resources at the state level. So we've been talking to many local governments and state governments who, I mean, to be honest, this is such a unique type of disaster that even they are trying to wrap their minds around what is the best planning strategy to make this happen. So if you are talking about cooling centers, for example, where to place those is absolutely important. Where you can place it, where somebody can actually walk to it, it's walkable, and it's in the most vulnerable communities. So around farm areas, around low-income communities, how many do you need in a

certain radius that people can just walk to it and be safe? And what, you know, states and local governments have told us is that they need money for planning. They actually need to do the surveys and figure out where people are living. And then they need to figure out where to place all of these pieces, where to retrofit first. So in a lot of ways, I think that FEMA funding in kind of bang for your buck is actually getting these planning services off the ground ASAP with professionals who actually understand what types of mitigation measures and emergency measures need to be put in place. Extreme heat is like the climate emergency in that people, if it's not so sudden, if it's not so dramatic, because it's so slow as a killer,

people don't really care about it. But I think that's exactly the point of why it needs to be tackled immediately. It's the largest killer and the most silent killer. And that's why FEMA and our federal government and every state and local government needs itself to get in gear to really deal with this

monstrosity of a climate emergency. That was my conversation with Jean Su, senior attorney and the director of the Energy Justice Program at the Center for Biological Diversity. And folks, remember, don't mess around with heat. Stay inside if you can. Take lots of breaks if you can't. Drink lots of water. And if you're feeling unwell, do not power through it. Take care of yourself. That is the latest for now. We'll get to some headlines in just a moment. But if you like our show, please make sure to subscribe and share it with your friends.

We'll be right back with some headlines. Headlines. The first presidential debate between President Biden and former President Trump is one week from today. Dun, dun, dun. Brace yourselves. It's happening, people. On Tuesday, it was confirmed that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not have enough statewide ballots to qualify for this debate.

Big relief there. And this debate is a little bit different than what you might be used to. First of all, it's hosted by CNN and not the Presidential Debate Commission. The commission originally had debate plans for the fall, but both of the candidates snubbed them. There is a new set of rules from CNN for this debate also, but the biggest change is the absence of the audience. It'll just be the presumptive nominees,

moderators, and the crew. This will be tough for Trump in particular, who thrives off of a live audience. What makes this even harder, though, is the 90-minute broadcast, which has two scheduled commercial breaks. And during these breaks, campaign staff are not allowed to interact with the candidates at all. That means no little touch-ups, no ringside pep talks.

They will just be left with their own thoughts. Why is that so funny to you? I could just picture Trump looking over at Biden and just talking smack and Biden being like, somebody help this person because he's confused. I know. We need a camera on them during the commercial break. We need the footage. Keep them mic'd. There are commercials, which is another shift from previous debates hosted by the commission where there wasn't any corporate advertising. But, you know, this is CNN. They have to make money, keep the lights on somehow. And there won't be any opening statements this time around. But each candidate will still give a two minute closing statement

at the end of the debate. No notes or written prep is allowed, which is wild to me. And candidates microphones will be muted when it's not their turn to speak. Both Biden and Trump have endorsed these rules, at least so far. Remains to be seen what they say afterwards. Juanita, what is your favorite rule here? What are you most excited to see? Everybody on mute. Yes. A la Beyonce.

Because when those mics are on mute, I can just picture Trump going off, arms flailing, mouth moving. Yep. And there's no sound. The joy. The joy. The joy. Truly, truly the joy. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced this week that he plans to work with lawmakers

to ban smartphones in public schools throughout the state. The Los Angeles Unified School District's board also voted to ban smartphones in its classrooms on Tuesday, a policy that will go into effect next January. This comes amid a growing effort by states to crack down on distractions in the classroom. Florida and Indiana already have restrictions in place, banning phones in schools, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans to pursue a similar statewide policy next year. But beyond distracting students from their studies, there is also growing concern over

the impact of social media on their young minds. Earlier this week, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for cigarette-style warning labels on social media platforms due to how they can impact young people's mental health. Newsom said on Tuesday that he wants California's legislature to adopt tougher phone restrictions before August when this year's legislative session ends. Yeah, listen, kids are not the only ones actually who could benefit from those cigarette style warning labels. I think all of us could use that every now and then. This is a good move. I remember being, I mean, there were phones in my day. I don't want to age myself that much, but for the most part, we were not allowed to use them. And I can't imagine how difficult it must be to concentrate with that temptation in your pocket if you're 16 or whatever.

Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride is one step closer to making history and becoming the first openly transgender person elected to U.S. Congress. McBride is running for the U.S. House to represent Delaware's at-large congressional district. And just last week, her primary opponent, Eugene Young, dropped out of the race. McBride is now the sole candidate running without an official Republican challenger for the vacant seat. During the Obama administration, she was the first openly trans person

to work in the White House and has remained close with the Biden family. In Delaware's state Senate, she has been a champion of workers' rights, helped codify paid family leave across the state, and has strongly advocated against gun violence. If elected, McBride would also be the youngest elected official from Delaware since none other than Joe Biden himself.

It is a happy pride indeed over there. Truly. Love this for them. Love to see it. Thailand will soon become the first Southeast Asian country to legalize gay marriage. The country's Senate passed a landmark bill this week that removes all gendered language from the definition of marriage, simply defining it as a partnership between two people. The legislation now heads to Thai King Mahavijee Rolongkorn, who is expected to grant final approval. The law will go into effect four months after it's published in the government's Royal Gazette.

Thailand will become only the third Asian country to recognize marriage equality after Nepal and Taiwan. And I love that this Pride Month is having global implications. Love to see it. And those are the headlines. One more thing before we go. We all make bad decisions sometimes. And although you probably have a group chat of friends to dissect what is going on in your life, understanding the nightmare fuel that is Supreme Court decisions might require a law degree or three. So let strict scrutiny be

your guide to this decision season. From abortion bans to Trump trials, law professors and hosts Melissa Murray, Kate Shaw and Leah Lipman decode the drama and break down everything you need to know and keep you sane in the process. New episodes release every Monday wherever you get your podcasts and now on YouTube. Please keep an eye out for bonuses whenever SCOTUS tries to set the nation back another 60 years. And we want to hear from you listeners. Do you live in a state that has recently passed a ban

on gender affirming care for trans youth? Have you or someone you love been personally affected by Republican backed attacks on life saving medical treatments? Let us know about how bans on gender affirming care have impacted your life. Send us a voice note or written response to Raven at crooked.com. That is R A V E N Crooked.com with your name, where you're from, and how you've been affected. If you'd prefer to remain anonymous, just let us know. We'd really love to hear from you. That is all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, congratulate Thailand, and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about Sarah McBride's political ascent like me,

What A Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at Cricut.com slash subscribe. I'm Juanita Tolliver. I'm Priyanka Arabindi. And get your debate bingo cards ready. Every time Trump is flailing his arms. While muted. Who forgets their thought process in the middle of an answer.

If a thought just trails off. if the sentence does not end. Because there's no notes. I don't know if these are bingo cards or just drinking games, but either way, don't drink to that. That's dangerous. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Bill Lance. Our associate producers are Raven Yamamoto and Natalie Bettendorf.

We had production help today from Michelle Alloy, Greg Walters, and Julia Clare. Our showrunner is Erica Morrison, and our executive producer is Adrian Hill. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kshaka.