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NPR spent 2 years tracking deaths from heat. We found a staggering hidden toll
Summary by The Los Angeles Editorial Desk · Byline on the source page: Alejandra Borunda | NPR , as published by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio)
· August 31, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) · view original
Collage by Emily Bogle (NPR / ) Thousands of Americans die every year from a chronically underreported cause: heat. As summer heat intensifies because of human-driven climate change, the United States' official tally of heat-related deaths does not come close to capturing the full hum...
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Summary created by The Los Angeles Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Alejandra Borunda | NPR, as published by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) Original story Read at the source Source published Aug 31, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key points As summer heat intensifies because of human-driven climate change, the United States' official tally of heat-related deaths does not come close to capturing the full hum... Collage by Emily Bogle (NPR / ) Thousands of Americans die every year from a chronically underreported cause: heat.
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What is this story about? Collage by Emily Bogle (NPR / ) Thousands of Americans die every year from a chronically underreported cause: heat. As summer heat intensifies because of human-driven climate change, the United States' official tally of heat-related deaths does not come close to capturing the full hum...
When was this published? This article was first published on August 31, 2026 by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) and curated for The Los Angeles readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Alejandra Borunda | NPR at LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio). To learn more about how The Los Angeles selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more News coverage from The Los Angeles, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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