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Heat wave continues to boil the Midwest and East Coast while storms brew behind it

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Heat wave continues to boil the Midwest and East Coast while storms brew behind it

Rafael Fontana, 8, gets cooled off by his father Carlos Fontana, both from Chicago, at the Rainbow Pool at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Friday, June 21, 2024.

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A major heat wave has blanketed much of the U.S. in scorching temperatures for about a week — and in many places the hot spell is far from over.

As of Saturday morning, more that 100 million people in the U.S. were under heat alerts, including large swaths of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia, New York and Maryland.

The Midwest is expected to see some relief from the heat after Saturday. But temperatures are expected to peak this weekend from Washington, D.C., to New York. In the South, the hottest weather — which is forecast to be well into the triple digits — is expected to arrive early next week.

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On top of the hot spell, widespread showers and thunderstorms will threaten parts of the Northeast and Midwest. Southern Wisconsin and northeast Iowa are at risk of flash flooding Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

The extreme temperatures are caused by a heat dome — a high pressure system that pushes hot air down and traps it — that is becoming more common and intense as a result of climate change.

Northeast heat will feel like triple digits this weekend

Much of the Northeast will be hot and humid this weekend, with some of the highest temperatures hitting New Jersey.

The heat index in Trenton — what the weather actually feels like when you account for both the temperature and humidity — is forecast to reach 107 degrees Saturday. In Newark, the heat index could go as high as 106 degrees, while New Brunswick could climb to 105 degrees.

The heat wave will also bake New York, though temperatures will likely not reach triple digits, according toNWS New York.

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In Pittsburgh and the surrounding area, the heat index was expected to climb to 105 degrees Saturday. NWS advised to stay indoors and warned not to leave children or pets in unattended vehicles, where the heat could reach “lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.”

Temperatures in the region are forecast to cool down on Sunday as a cold front moves in. At the same time, intense thunderstorms will begin to form — possibly leading to tornadoes in western Pennsylvania.

“Some storms will be severe with winds being the main threat. A tornado or two can’t be ruled out,” NWS Pittsburg advised.

In Philadelphia, the peak of the city’s heat wave will occur this weekend, with the heat index reaching 105 degrees on Sunday. The City of Brotherly Love will also could some intense showers at the end of the weekend.

This image provided by Sioux County Sheriff shows City of Rock Valley, Iowa on Saturday, June 22, 2024. Gov. Kim Reynolds sent helicopters to the small town to evacuate people from flooded homes Saturday, the result of weeks of rain, while much of the United States longed for relief from yet another round of extraordinary heat.(Sioux County Sheriff via AP)

This image provided by Sioux County Sheriff shows City of Rock Valley, Iowa on Saturday, June 22, 2024.

AP/Sioux County Sheriff

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Parts of Iowa and Wisconsin are under flood watch

In Wisconsin, a flood watch has been issued for the lower half of the state, from Wausau to Janesville. So far, Milwaukee is not under a flood warning. About 1 to 3 inches of rain is expected Saturday, with some areas forecast to receive 3 to 5 inches.

Parts of northern and central Iowa, including Fort Dodge and Waterloo, are already experiencing severe flooding.

In Rock Valley, about an hour north of Sioux City, some residents were ordered to evacuate on Friday due to floodwaters. On Saturday, dive teams and swift boat crews searched for any remaining residents in the town. Local officials added that the city was without running water.

On Saturday morning, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation in the northwest part of the state, including Rock Valley and Sioux County.

The heat wave is sending many to emergency rooms

Hospital data from across the country show an uptick of emergency room visits related to heat illness or heat stroke.

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Heat stresses people’s hearts, which could lead to heart attacks. It also worsens air quality, triggering more cases of respiratory issues. Those heat risks are compounded by the humidity.

Dr. George Chiampas, an emergency medicine specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said the real danger is the humidity.

“It’s like putting Saran Wrap over you, and you can’t basically dissipate or push the heat out into a cooler environment,” Chiampas told NPR’s Morning Edition on Friday. “So that humidity, quite frankly, is the most burdensome of what we’re dealing with.”

Over the last five years, emergency rooms in the Midwest, including those in Michigan and Wisconsin, saw on average about 350 heat patients for every 100,000 admissions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In recent days, that number was nearly double.

Emergency calls have also increased in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

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NPR’s Alejandra Borunda contributed reporting.

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Bill Clinton to testify before House committee investigating Epstein links

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Bill Clinton to testify before House committee investigating Epstein links

Former president Bill Clinton is scheduled to give deposition Friday to a congressional committee investigating his links to Jeffrey Epstein, one day after Hillary Clinton testified before the committee and called the proceedings “partisan political theatre” and “an insult to the American people”.

During remarks before the House oversight committee, Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, insisted on Thursday that she had never met Epstein.

The former Democratic president, however, flew on Epstein’s private jet several times in the early 2000s but said he never visited his island.

Clinton, who engaged in an extramarital affair while president and has been accused of sexual misconduct by three women, also appears in a photo from the recently released files, in a hot tub with Epstein and a woman whose identity is redacted.

Clinton has denied the sexual misconduct claims and was not charged with any crimes. He also has not been accused of any wrongdoing connected to Epstein.

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Epstein visited the White House at least 17 times during the early years of Clinton’s presidency, according to White House visitor records cited in news reports. Clinton said he cut ties with him around 2005, before the disgraced financier, who died from suicide in 2019, pleaded guilty to solicitation of a minor in Florida.

The House committee subpoenaed the Clintons in August. They initially refused to testify but agreed after Republicans threatened to hold them in contempt.

The Clintons asked for their depositions to be held publicly, with the former president stating that to do so behind closed doors would amount to a “kangaroo court”.

“Let’s stop the games + do this the right way: in a public hearing,” Clinton said on X earlier this month.

The committee’s chair, James Comer, did not grant their request, and the proceedings will be conducted behind closed doors with video to be released later.

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On Thursday, Hillary Clinton’s proceedings were briefly halted after representative Lauren Boebert leaked an image of Clinton testifying.

During the full day deposition, Clinton said she had no information about Epstein and did not recall ever meeting him.

Before the deposition, Comer said it would be a long interview and that one with Bill Clinton would be “even longer”.

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Read Judge Schiltz’s Order

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Read Judge Schiltz’s Order

CASE 0:26-cv-00107-PJS-DLM

Doc. 12-1 Filed 02/26/26

Page 5 of 17

and to file a status update by 11:00 am on January 20. ECF No. 5. Respondents never provided a bond hearing and did not release Petitioner until January 21, ECF Nos. 10, 12, after failing to file an update, ECF No. 9. Further, Respondents released Petitioner subject to conditions despite the Court’s release order not providing for conditions. ECF Nos. 5, 12–13.

Abdi W. v. Trump, et al., Case No. 26-CV-00208 (KMM/SGE)

On January 21, 2026, the Court ordered Respondents, within 3 days, to either (a) complete Petitioner’s inspection and examination and file a notice confirming completion, or (b) release Petitioner immediately in Minnesota and confirm the date, time, and location of release. ECF No. 7. No notice was ever filed. The Court emailed counsel on January 27, 2026, at 10:39 am. No response was provided.

Adriana M.Y.M. v. David Easterwood, et al., Case No. 26-CV-213 (JWB/JFD)

On January 24, 2026, the Court ordered immediate release in Minnesota and ordered Respondents to confirm the time, date, and location of release, or anticipated release, within 48 hours. ECF No. 12. Respondent was not released until January 30, and Respondents never disclosed the time of release, instead describing it as “early this morning.” ECF No. 16.

Estefany J.S. v. Bondi, Case No. 26-CV-216 (JWB/SGE)

On January 13, 2026, at 10:59 am, the Court ordered Respondents to file a letter by 4:00 pm confirming Petitioner’s current location. ECF No. 8. After receiving no response, the Court ordered Respondents, at 5:11 pm, to immediately confirm Petitioner’s location and, by noon on January 14, file a memorandum explaining their failure to comply with the initial order. ECF No. 9. Respondents did not file the memorandum, requiring the Court to issue another order. ECF No. 12. On January 15, the Court ordered immediate release in Minnesota and required Respondents to confirm the time, date, and location of release within 48 hours. ECF No. 18. On January 20, having received no confirmation, the Court ordered Respondents to comply immediately. ECF No. 21. Respondents informed the Court that Petitioner was released in Minnesota on January 17, but did not specify the time. ECF No. 22.

5

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Chicagoans pay respects to Jesse Jackson as cross-country memorial services begin

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Chicagoans pay respects to Jesse Jackson as cross-country memorial services begin

James Hickman holds a photo montage of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson before a public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

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CHICAGO — A line of mourners streamed through a Chicago auditorium Thursday to pay final respects to the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. as cross-country memorial services began in the city the late civil rights leader called home.

The protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate will lie in repose for two days at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition before events in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, where he was born.

Family members wiped away tears as the casket was brought into the stately brick building. Flowers lined the sidewalks where people waiting to enter watched a large screen playing video excerpts of Jackson’s notable speeches. Some raised their fists in solidarity.

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The casket with the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives before a public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

The casket with the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives before a public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

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Inside, Jackson’s children, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Rev. Al Sharpton were among those who stood by the open casket to shake hands and hug those coming to view the body of Jackson, dressed in a suit and blue shirt and tie.

“The challenge for us is that we’ve got to make sure that all he lived for was not in vain,” Sharpton told reporters. “Dr. King’s dream and Jesse Jackson’s mission now falls on our shoulders. We’ve got to stand up and keep it going.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks as Jesse Jackson Jr. listens after the public visitation for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks as Jesse Jackson Jr. listens after the public visitation for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

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Jackson died last week at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak in his later years.

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Remembrances have already poured in from around the globe, and several U.S. states, including Minnesota, Iowa and North Carolina, are flying flags at half-staff in his honor.

But perhaps nowhere has his death been felt as strongly as in the nation’s third-largest city, where Jackson lived for decades and raised his six children, including a son who is a congressman.

Bouquets have been left outside the family’s Tudor-style home on the city’s South Side for days. Public schools have offered condolences, and city trains have used digital screens to display Jackson’s portrait and his well-known mantra, “I am Somebody!”

People wait to enter the security checkpoint for the public visitation for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

People wait to enter the security checkpoint for the public visitation for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

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His causes, both in the United States and abroad, were countless: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.

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“We honor him, and his hard-earned legacy as a freedom fighter, philosopher, and faithful shepherd of his family and community here in Chicago,” the mayor said in a statement.

Next week, Jackson will lie in honor at the South Carolina Statehouse, followed by public services. According to Rainbow PUSH’s agenda, Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to deliver remarks; however, the governor’s office said Thursday that his participation wasn’t yet confirmed. Jackson spent his childhood and started his activism in South Carolina.

Details on services in Washington have not yet been made public. However, he will not lie in honor at the United States Capitol rotunda after a request for the commemoration was denied by the House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office.

The two weeks of events will wrap up next week with a large celebration of life gathering at a Chicago megachurch and finally, homegoing services at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Family members said the services will be open to all.

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“Our family is overwhelmed and overjoyed by the amazing amount of support being offered by common, ordinary people who our father’s life has come into contact with,” his eldest son, Jesse Jackson Jr., said before the services began. “This is a unique opportunity to lay down some of the political rhetoric and to lay down some of the division that deeply divides our country and to reflect upon a man who brought people together.”

The family of the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives as Yusep Jackson wipes his eyes before public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

The family of the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives as Yusep Jackson wipes his eyes before public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

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The services included prayers from some of the city’s most well-known religious leaders, including Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich. Mourners of all ages — from toddlers in strollers to elderly people in wheelchairs — came to pay respects.

Video clips of his appearances at news conferences, the campaign trail and even “Sesame Street” also played inside the auditorium.

Claudette Redic, a retiree who lives in Chicago, said her family has respected Jackson, from backing his presidential ambitions to her son getting a scholarship from a program Jackson championed.

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“We have generations of support,” she said. “I’m hoping we continue.”

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