Health

Extreme heat can slow cognition and increase anxiety, research finds. AleksandarGeorgiev/Getty Images hide caption

When patients arrive with heat stroke, medical teams quickly cover them from head to toe with bagged or even loose ice to lower their core temperatures back below 100 Fahrenheit, according to Dr. Jeffrey Elder, who leads emergency management at the New Orlean's largest hospital, University Medical Center. ER staffers also use misting fans on patients and administer IV fluids for rapid rehydration. Drew Hawkins/Gulf States Newsroom hide caption

When people listen to the same song, their brain waves can synchronize. It's one way that music creates a sense of connection and wonder. BlackJack3D/Getty Images hide caption

Georgianna McKenny, 17, is the high school grand-prize winner in NPR's fifth-annual Student Podcast Challenge. Imani Khayyam for NPR hide caption

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are ticking up. But even if illnesses keep rising, it appears unlikely that they will hit previous summer peaks. EMS-Forster-Productions/Getty Images hide caption

In 2006, Waikiki Beach was near empty of swimmers due to a sewage spill which diverted millions of gallons of raw sewage into a nearby canal. Marco Garcia/Getty Images hide caption

An aerial view shows damage to a Pfizer pharmaceutical factory in Rocky Mount, N.C., from a tornado that struck on July 19. The plant produces many drugs used in hospitals. Sean Rayford/Getty Images hide caption

Thomas Greene with his wife, Bluizer, at their home in Oxford, Pennsylvania. After Thomas had a procedure on his leg, the anesthesia providers billed Medicare late, and he was sent to collections for the debt. Rosem Morton/KFF Health News hide caption