Short Wave

A new investigation shows heat is even deadlier than we thought

September 4, 2026·14 min·4-min readnarrativescience
Podzilla Summary (4 min)
TLDR
The episode of Shortwave from NPR investigates the severe undercounting of heat-related deaths in the United States, revealing that official figures may miss up to 80% of actual fatalities. Through a collaborative statistical model, reporter Alejandra Barunda and epidemiologist Quinn Ad

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Guest

A

Alejandra Barunda

narrative on Short Wave

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Alejandra BarundaQuinn AdamsNate Rott

Companies

Centers for Disease Control

Research & Papers

Excess Mortality Analysis of Heat-Related Deaths in the United States

Topics

Climate ChangeData ScienceEpidemiologyLong Form JournalismResearchScientific Method

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