The Evening; An early heat wave

Also, the Surgeon General called for warning labels on social media.
The Evening

June 17, 2024

Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday.

  • The first severe heat of the year
  • A pause in fighting in southern Gaza
  • Plus, Tony Award winners
A man in a blue bucket hat and pink shirt pours the last drops of water from a bottle into his mouth as he stands in front of stacks of boxes with warning signs.
The excessive heat was being felt in the Midwest today.  Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

An early heat wave is sweeping the country

The official start of summer is still days away, but the Midwest today was already enveloped in extreme levels of heat and humidity that could last throughout much of the week. The heat index — a measure of how the temperature feels — hit 102 degrees in Cincinnati.

Similarly sweltering conditions are expected to push into the Northeast beginning tomorrow and continuing into the weekend. The area sometimes reaches such high temperatures in late July or August, but it will be a drastic change for millions of Americans who have grown accustomed to several months of mostly comfortable temperatures. Here's what to expect where you live.

"What makes this concerning to forecasters is that it is an early season heat wave," The Times's meteorologist, Judson Jones, told me. "Some places are 10-20 degrees above where it should be this time of the year."

Judson said it was also concerning that the heat was expected in many areas to stick around. "It's the first one of the season and it's going to be sweltering for four or five days," he warned. "The body hasn't really adapted for summer heat yet."

Environmental, labor and health care groups filed a petition today to push the federal government to declare extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters, unlocking funding for cooling centers, health screenings, and other preparations.

From tomorrow to Thursday as many as 75 record highs, both daily and for the month, are expected. The June heat wave in the U.S. follows what was the hottest May worldwide on record — and the 12th consecutive month in which the average global temperature was the highest on record for that month.

Stay safe and cool: We asked emergency room doctors what the public should know about extreme heat. Here's their advice. We also have heat-related travel tips.

A truck loaded with pallets on a road.
Aid passing through the Kerem Shalom crossing point in Israel to the Gaza Strip.  Amir Levy/Getty Images

A pause in combat took hold along a Gaza aid route

The Israeli military said today that it had paused combat operations during daylight hours near a border crossing in southern Gaza, a new policy that officials said would continue every day "until further notice."

Aid workers in Gaza said they were cautiously hopeful that the daily pauses — which apply only to a seven-mile stretch of road in southern Gaza — would allow them to more easily and safely deliver much needed food and supplies. Still, agencies warned that other restrictions on movement, as well as lawlessness, made food distribution difficult.

In related news, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet after the departures of two key members. This is who's left in his inner circle.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy speaking and holding a microphone. He is wearing a dark blue military-style jacket.
Dr. Vivek Murthy said that he was "quite optimistic" that legislators will put forward a bill requiring a warning label from platforms. Susan Walsh/Associated Press

Surgeon General called for warnings on social media

The U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, said today that he would push Congress to require a warning label on social media platforms similar to those on tobacco and alcohol products. The labels would advise parents that they could harm teenagers' mental health.

"There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids," Murthy wrote in Times Opinion. Read his full essay here.

For interested parents, we collected some expert tips for weaning kids off social media.

More top news

TIME TO UNWIND

Daniel Radcliffe in a purple suit next to three women.
Daniel Radcliffe won his first Tony Award last night for "Merrily We Roll Along."  Dolly Faibyshev for The New York Times

The highlights from Broadway's biggest night

Attendees of last night's Tony Awards might remember the show for the music, the fashion or the all-night partying. But the Tonys also set the tone for the year on Broadway. So I asked our theater reporter Michael Paulson what to take away from the awards.

"All of the performers who won were first-time winners, which is exciting, and they included some well-known actors, among them Daniel Radcliffe, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Paulson and Jonathan Groff," he said. "And this awards season reminded us that nonprofit theaters, which are facing all kinds of very serious challenges, remain a key source of this country's best theater: All of the nominees for best new musical and for best new play were nurtured by nonprofit theaters."

Caitlin Clark dressed in a navy T-shirt and holding a basketball against a black background.
"It just gives me something to work for," Caitlin Clark said of not making the U.S. team. Luke Hales/Getty Images

June is when Olympic dreams live or die

When the Summer Olympics begin next month in Paris, many American athletes will be fulfilling their lifelong dream of representing the U.S. at the highest level. But before that, many more hearts will be broken.

Caitlin Clark, the ascendant star of women's basketball, recently found out that she wouldn't be going to Paris. Over the next few weeks, hundreds more athletes — many of whom have spent years training to represent Team U.S.A. — will face a series of cutthroat qualifying trials, often alongside training partners and former Olympics teammates.

A conveyor belt with copies of Adventure Journal.
Magazines like Adventure Journal are designed to be collectible. Gabriella Angotti-Jones for The New York Times

Dinner table topics

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

A grilled pork chop on a plate with rice, cucumbers, pineapple, cucumber and lime.
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Grill: This 5-ingredient grilled pork chop recipe maximizes flavor by using garlic and pineapple.

Watch: Speculative science fiction, period drama and sly thrillers are among this month's hidden streaming gems.

Read: Time management experts actually use these productivity books.

Style: Adapt your wardrobe to a new city without compromising your style.

Travel: Here are five places to visit in New York to celebrate pride.

Dry off: Wirecutter tested 42 hair dryers. This one is their favorite.

Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz.

Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here.

ONE LAST THING

A baby wearing a white top with a blank name tag.
Tank? Clementine? Halo?  Jamie Grill/Getty Images

Have we reached peak baby name?

Celebrities have so often turned to unusual names for their children that it has spawned a recurring joke in which people on social media sarcastically suggest that they would name their child after something they like: "I love you, my little Diet Coke" or "Goodnight, queso."

Does that mean that the era of atypical baby names is over? Probably not. We spoke to baby name consultants who get paid hundreds of dollars to come up with names that are "unique but not too out there."

Have a special evening.

Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

Phil Pacheco was our photo editor today.

We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.

Evening Briefing Newsletter Logo

Writer: Matthew Cullen

Editorial Director: Adam Pasick

Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe

Photo Editor: Brent Lewis

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