The top local stories this evening from KERA News:
North Texas is sweating through its second straight record day of heat. Friday’s high of 108 makes this the hottest July 20th ever in Dallas. Wichita Falls also blew away its daily record with 112 degrees.
The National Weather Service says the heat wave should peak tomorrow, when Dallas could see 110 degrees. But highs should ease down to 100 or so by the middle of next week.
Dennis Cain, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, says the heatwave in 2011 was worse. Highs in Dallas-Fort Worth topped 100 every day for more than a month.
“And then for the older folks, you go all the way back to 1980,” said Cain. “And that's the benchmark as far as heat waves are concerned here in North Texas.”
The summer of 1980 saw three consecutive 113-degree days.
Meanwhile, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said power-usage set all-time records twice Thursday afternoon, breaking previous records from Wednesday.
Other stories this evening:
- Think the heat is tough? Now imagine what it's like for pregnant moms. KERA's Courtney Collins knows. She's six months into her second pregnancy, and, as she reports, that misery is backed up by science.
- Figuring out what's fact, and what's not, in the news is a challenge to the majority of Americans. That's according to a new study from the Pew Research Center. Jeffrey Gottfried co-wrote the report. Today on Think, he talked with Krys Boyd about a survey that asked respondents to mark whether a statement was a fact or an opinion.
- The United Nations says over 65 million people around the world were displaced at the end of 2015. It's hard to comprehend the number of forced migrants, and still recognize the individuals. That challenge is at the heart of an exhibit at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. In our weekly State of the Arts conversation, KERA’s Anne Bothwell talks with artist Bernardo Vallarino about trying to express the refugee experience. The exhibit runs through July 27 at Fort Worth Community Arts Center. On Saturday, refugees will give testimonials about their experiences.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
