US heat wave puts 97 million under advisories as schools reopen
Temperatures in the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley may feel as hot as 46°C through Wednesday
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Rickie Fowler wipes his face in the heat off the fifth tee box during the first round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Photograph: Associated Press News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- The National Weather Service issued heat advisories for 97 million people across the central Plains and Southeast, with dangerous temperatures expected through Wednesday.
- Temperatures may reach 37.8°C, but humidity could make it feel as hot as 46°C in parts of the Southeast, with little nighttime relief.
- The heat wave coincides with the start of the school year, prompting districts to adjust policies to protect students and athletes from overheating.
- No right-rated outlet in the sample below carried the story, though 12 left- and centre-rated outlets did.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 13 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
74/100
Craft
95/100
Hype
35/100
13 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 13 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
A heat wave has settled over much of the United States, with the National Weather Service issuing advisories for roughly 97 million people from the central Plains to the Southeast. The agency expects dangerous temperatures in more than a dozen states in the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley through 29 August 2026. Some areas may reach 37.8°C, but humidity could push the heat index to 46°C in parts of the Southeast.
Nighttime temperatures are not expected to drop below 26.7°C in many urban areas, according to Jeff Masters, a meteorologist at Yale Climate Connections. Masters warned that the combination of high humidity, prolonged heat and minimal nighttime relief would increase mortality risk. The National Weather Service advised people to stay indoors and hydrate where possible.
The heat wave arrives as schools reopen across the country, forcing districts to adapt. One Central Arkansas district mandated indoor recess when the heat index reaches 35°C. In South Carolina, two school districts canceled football scrimmages involving more than a dozen high schools due to the extreme heat. The Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut reported that at least 58 athletes died from exertional heat stroke between 1992 and 2024.
Outdoor workers are also at risk. Madi Ramos, a 21-year-old landscaper in Little Rock, Arkansas, said the heat this year felt stronger than last. During a previous heat wave, Ramos experienced nausea and had to take breaks, while a colleague took three days off after falling ill. Ramos typically drinks seven to eight bottles of water during her 12-hour shifts, sometimes mixing in electrolytes.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated outlets in the sample below carried the story. The left- and centre-rated digests omitted the specific number of states under heat advisories, which the National Weather Service put at more than a dozen. The AP and WPLG reports were the only ones to mention the 58 athlete deaths recorded by the Korey Stringer Institute.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 6 times, most recently on 14 Aug 2026, 14:31, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
7 rated outlets
- The seven left-rated digests and the Associated Press report led on the scale of the heat wave, with the 97 million figure for people under advisories appearing in all of them. The AP report quoted Jeff Masters of Yale Climate Connections on the mortality risk from high nighttime temperatures, and noted that July 2026 was the hottest month on record in the contiguous United States. It also included the link between extreme heat and climate change, attributing it to the burning of fossil fuels.
- The AP report carried the voices of outdoor workers and community organisers, including Madi Ramos and Donna Schillinger, executive director of the nonprofit Micah 6:8 in Rogers, Arkansas. Schillinger said her resource centre had already distributed food and water to nearly two dozen people by Thursday afternoon, up from the usual six per day. The report also detailed the risks to young athletes, citing the 58 heat-stroke deaths recorded by the Korey Stringer Institute.
Centre
6 rated outlets
- The five centre-rated digests and the WPLG report also led on the 97 million figure and the National Weather Service advisories. The WPLG report, which republished the AP article in full, included the same details on nighttime temperatures, humidity and the heat index. It carried the same quotes from Jeff Masters and Madi Ramos, and noted the climate change connection.
- The digests from Rutland Herald, LancasterOnline and Winnipeg Free Press mentioned the 97 million figure and the National Weather Service advisories, but did not include the climate change link or the voices of outdoor workers and community organisers. The WKMG digest led only on the heat wave’s duration and the National Weather Service advisories.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Read it at the source
13 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
7- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens Bangor Daily News in a new tab)
Bangor Daily News — is Bangor Daily News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens The Hamilton Spectator in a new tab)
The Hamilton Spectator — is The Hamilton Spectator biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
6- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens Daily News-Record in a new tab)
Daily News-Record — is Daily News-Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens LancasterOnline in a new tab)
LancasterOnline — is LancasterOnline biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens Rutland Herald in a new tab)
Rutland Herald — is Rutland Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens WKMG in a new tab)
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens WPLG in a new tab)
- Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover US heat wave puts 97 million under advisories as schools reopen?
- Of the 13 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 54% are rated left, 46% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is US heat wave puts 97 million under advisories as schools reopen left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 13 rated outlets on this story, 54% are rated left, 46% are rated centre, 0% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of US heat wave puts 97 million under advisories as schools reopen biased?
- US heat wave puts 97 million under advisories as schools reopen is one event reported by 13 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting US heat wave puts 97 million under advisories as schools reopen?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered US heat wave puts 97 million under advisories as schools reopen?
- 13 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- How many people are under heat advisories in the US?
- The National Weather Service issued heat advisories for roughly 97 million people from the central Plains to the Southeast. The advisories cover more than a dozen states in the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley through 29 August 2026.
- Why are nighttime temperatures a concern during this heat wave?
- Meteorologist Jeff Masters of Yale Climate Connections warned that nighttime lows will not drop below about 26.7°C in many urban areas. High nighttime temperatures increase mortality risk because they offer little relief from prolonged heat exposure.
- How are schools adapting to the heat wave?
- One Central Arkansas school district mandated indoor recess when the heat index reaches 35°C. In South Carolina, two districts canceled football scrimmages involving more than a dozen high schools due to extreme heat. Schools are also urging parents to send bottled water with students.
- Which outlets covered the heat wave and which did not?
- Twelve outlets carried the story: seven left-rated and five centre-rated. The left-rated reports included the Associated Press and six digests, while the centre-rated reports included WPLG and four digests. No right-rated outlet in the sample below reported on it.
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
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