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Why “record-breaking heat” isn’t always what it seems · Apple News Today

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  Shumita Basu, Narrating: Good morning! It's Monday, July 31st. I'm Shumita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show: new numbers reveal how staggering Trump's legal bills are, how New York is struggling to find housing for migrants, and the U.S. women gear up for a critical World Cup match.
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  But first, scientists believe that the month that ends today may go down as the hottest-ever on record. We've heard some variation of that phrase a lot lately: "record-breaking heat," "hottest in history." And it's true, there are new records being set, what feels like daily, across the world. But "Vox" reporter Umair Irfan spoke to us about how it's important to dig into the details when we hear stuff like this.
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  Umair Irfan: First of all, in terms of the context, you know, you shouldn't really be talking about "the hottest day ever" because "ever" is a very long time, it would be useful for reporters, including myself, I'm very guilty of this at times, but to establish when we're talking about a record, how long that record was. What is that record specifically talking about? Is it a measurement at a specific weather station? Are we talking about measurements over a larger area? Are we talking about computer models and reconstructions of the past? Like that that's important to know, and I think that that helps clarify how we build our understanding of this.
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  Basu, Narrating: Some records matter more than others. Also, some aren't what they seem.
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  Irfan: Sometimes we'll find, with some hindsight is, perhaps that record didn't really hold up to scrutiny. Or we might find out that it does, and so the initial reports are not always the most accurate, and it sometimes does require a little bit more investigation to find out.
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  Basu, Narrating: Take the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth: 134 degrees, in Death Valley, California, back in 1913. One weather historian argues, if you look at readings from the surrounding area, that measurement looks like a total outlier, so it was probably not accurate.
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  If that's the case, the hottest temperature ever recorded may have happened this year. Getting a more accurate understanding of what happened in the past, before humans began to keep good records, is helpful to scientists who are trying to understand today's heat and ongoing climate change. It requires some geological digging-around for context.
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  Irfan: We don't just look at temperatures, but then we also look at other proxies, things like ice cores, rocks, and the way plants grew and even tree rings. Basically, we get a better understanding of what's going on now because we can extend the timeline of what the world was like before we started, you know, radically changing the planet's thermostat.
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  Basu, Narrating: Now, let's take a quick look at some other stories in the news. We've got a big new number that shows just how extensive the legal bills are for former president Donald Trump. The Washington Post has details on how his political action committee has spent more than $40 million on legal work for Trump and his inner circle. He faces trials and investigations in multiple jurisdictions on a variety of charges, from his handling of classified documents to his business dealings, to his efforts to undermine the election he lost. And with no end in sight to the legal issues, his team is reportedly creating a formal legal defense fund, to raise money to cover mounting bills. In Pakistan, dozens of people are dead, following a suicide bombing at a political rally yesterday. Police believe the Islamic State may have launched the attack. Militant violence is on the rise in the country, following a breakdown of a ceasefire between Pakistan's government and the local Taliban group. Staying abroad, West African governments say they're considering military action to restore democratic rule in Niger. A military junta seized power and detained the president last week. Regional leaders are giving the military one week to restore order, before they'll consider using force to do so.
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  This next story brings us back to the U.S., where the latest wave of migration from Latin America is creating opportunities and challenges for cities. There's evidence that the influx of people is helping the labor market, with businesses moving to hire migrants during the current worker shortage. But affordable housing is in very short supply across America. So, some new arrivals are having trouble finding a place to live. "The Wall Street Journal" looks at how the housing issue is playing out in New York City. The shelter system there is stretched beyond the limits, at a record high. Around 100,000 migrants have arrived since last year. Most are living in shelters or relief centers. The city expects to spend around $3 billion or more this fiscal year on managing the wave of migrants. The city council is for the expansion of a voucher program that gives people money to get out of shelters and into more stable housing. Supporters of the housing-voucher program say it's a vital lifeline for longtime residents and migrants alike. But Mayor Eric Adams doesn't agree with the council on expanding it.
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  Eric Adams: We have no more room in the city.
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  Basu, Narrating: A big problem, he says, is money.
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  Eric Adams: We need help from the federal government. We've been very clear.
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  Basu, Narrating: Adams also says, New York is busy enough trying to provide housing for existing residents in need. The city is starting a program distributing flyers at the U.S. southern border, urging people to stay away from New York. The city is unique in many ways. But this challenge of housing migrants is not. So, a lot of urban leaders are watching to see how this plays out in New York, as cities around the country deal with a housing situation that was already difficult before more people arrived.
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  Tomorrow at 3am eastern, midnight Pacific, the U.S. takes on Portugal in their final group stage match in the World Cup. Now this match is crucial. After tying with the Netherlands, the U.S. needs to not just win this one, but ideally, win by a lot. That'll set them up to win their group, which helps going into the knock-out rounds. After the Whistle hosts, Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe, recently spoke with the team's former coach, Jill Ellis. She led them to two World Cup wins in 2015 and 2019. And she says, the U.S. needs to be wary of Portugal.
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  Jill Ellis: They're a well-oiled machine. They know their system; they know their identity. I don't think they're gonna be easy. I played against them in, I think it was, maybe, '19, and we beat them one nil. So, they're a tough opponent.
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  Basu, Narrating: Some are questioning the U.S. lineup choices so far. One player who hasn't started yet is Rose Lavelle. The amount of time that she can play is limited because of an injury. But Ellis says, Lavelle is so good, she'd put her in the starting line-up anyway.
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  Ellis: She's just that player. I mean, I boil it down so simple. It's dribble, pass, shoot. I mean she can run at players, she can pull the trigger and she can facilitate for others. She can do it all. So, I would certainly bring her into that starting lineup.
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  Basu, Narrating: As we've said before, there's a lot of pressure on the U.S. women to win this tournament. And Coach Ellis knows that feeling better than anyone.
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  Ellis: You know, I remember our president saying to me, I don't like the color silver. It was pretty clear, you know, what the expectation was. You know, but I think, I think you, you know, as I used to say to the players, you're built for this, and the bigger the moment, the bigger you will perform.
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  Basu, Narrating: To hear the full interview on After the Whistle, follow the show on Apple Podcasts. Or if you're listening in the News app right now, it's cued up to play for you next. I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
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