Published July 6, 2010
Token heat wave photo (AP)
It’s hot. Ninety degrees as I write. And the heat won’t let up for days. It’s the first heat wave of the year, which always brings the predictable heat-wave stories.
They’ve all been done. The socioeconomic implications? Yup. Crime? Done. How to identify heat stroke? Funding for municipal pools? Old people without air conditioning? The demand on public utilities? Water sales? Sunscreen advice? Lost productivity? Global warming? DONE.
In the morning news meeting today, we puzzled over how to cover a serious public health emergency without resorting to clichés. We decided to ask you.
How should we cover this story today? How is the heat affecting you right now? Are you laying asphalt today? Are you at the beach? (Why are you reading my blog on a day like this?)
While I have you, here are a few helpful resources for the weeklong swelter: