Heat blobs sound cute — but act deadly

It’s *too* hot to go. [Bloomberg]( This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, a little leg of Bloomberg Opinion’s opinions. [Sign up here](. Today’s Agenda - Like any disaster, [heat blobs]( can kill. - [Shorts at work]( are actually chill. - [Digital twins]( could treat the ill. - Democracy is [dying](, it’s not a drill. [It’s Like a Hundred Ninety-Nine Degrees]( Tomorrow is [Juneteenth](. In addition to reading up on the [nation’s progress]( — and serious [lack thereof]( — toward racial equity, I imagine a good number of you will be spending your federal holiday outside in the sun. Maybe you’ll attend a celebration of Black freedom. Or you’ll prepare a [red drink]( to honor the bloodshed of former enslaved Black Americans. But no matter what you do, you’ll probably be sweating. Especially if you’re on the East Coast: Mark Gongloff [says]( the dreaded “heat blob” that has cooked Mexico and the Southwestern US for months is creeping its way into the Midwest, Northeast and Canada. Nearly [150 million people]( are about to get baked, Mark writes: “We’ll sweat through our work clothes and blow out our power bill running the air conditioning. Roads and sidewalks will buckle. Amtrak and public transportation around New York City will lose their spotless reputations for reliable performance (yes, that was sarcasm) as railroad tracks warp and power lines sag.” Come Thursday, don’t be surprised to see some of your male colleagues wear shorts to work. That’s right: Sarah Green Carmichael [says]( showing a little leg at the office is now A-OK, thanks to global warming — and changing attitudes about what constitutes casual workwear. Before you go wondering why Sarah is qualified to make such a declaration, know that she spoke to THE menswear voice of our generation, Derek Guy, who you may know as [@dieworkwear]( on X. “I don’t think it’s a big deal to see a man’s knees,” he told her. Paul Mescal certainly [agrees]( with that statement. While wearing shorts all summer long may sound fun, make no mistake: Hot blobs can kill. In the US, heat waves [are deadlier]( than hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and floods. “Though this week’s heat wave will have all the hallmarks of a discrete natural disaster,” Mark notes, “the Federal Emergency Management Agency will not treat it as such. That’s because it [doesn’t consider heat waves]( or wildfire-smoke events ‘major disasters’ worthy of federal relief.” It’s “a huge oversight,” he argues, because without that classification, towns won’t be able to use federal funds to prep for hot weather and wildfire-smoke events. Better load up on sunscreen now — it’s not like Uncle Sam is going to cover the cost of aloe if you don’t. Digital Twins It’s not just you: The world is definitely getting [sicker](. Not only is Japan fighting a surge of rare [flesh-eating bacteria]( that sends people to the grave within 48 hours, Argentina is in the midst of a historic [dengue outbreak](and measles is [popping off]( in the [US](, the UK and parts of Europe. Oh, and don’t forget tuberculosis — millions of unfortunate souls are [suffering]( from the lung illness, too. Yet there is a bright spot amidst all this disease-induced doom: Scientists are one step closer to treating glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of brain cancer. “Doctors can now create a virtual copy of the affected area in a specific patient using genetic information, medical records, blood tests and scans,” Bloomberg’s editorial board [writes](. Virtual copies, also known as “digital twins,” sit at “the forefront of a long-awaited era of [precision medicine]( — an important evolution from the one-size-fits-all approach to disease prevention and treatment,” they explain. In addition to cancer, the hope is that these digital twins will be able to treat [fatal heart arrhythmias](, manage Type 1 diabetes and speed up clinical trials for rare diseases. To make the industry — which is set to grow to more than [$20 billion by 2028]( — a success, streamlined data collection will be key. Although doctors collect plenty of information from patients, very little, if any of it reaches the broader medical community. Read [the whole thing](. Telltale Charts Next Thursday, two US presidents (one former and one current) will take [the debate stage]( in Atlanta. At least a few minutes of airtime will likely be dedicated to discussing violent crime trends in the US. While Donald Trump loves to say his successor is soft on crime, you might want to take what the man in the MAGA hat [says]( with a grain of salt. Justin Fox [notes]( that the crime wave that began under Trump has actually subsided under President Joe Biden. In fact, every single crime category — murder, rape, robbery, you name it — is down by double-digit percentages from the same period in 2023. “I’ve devoted many pixels over the past year to not-so-encouraging crime statistics amid the overall downward trend,” Justin writes, “but now almost every indicator is pointing in the right direction.” Not headed in the right direction is … democracy itself. Look no further than the film of the year, [Civil War](, which Andreas Kluth [says]( is a “haunting tale of Americans killing one another for no fathomable reason.” No matter which president wins come November, “the US will stop looking at the world through the lens of its own exceptionalism, and behave as just another Great Power using its awe-inspiring might to serve a narrow self-interest,” he writes. As America loses faith in everything from the [Supreme Court]( to the integrity of its [elections](, people around the world are watching. And they’re not impressed: Further Reading Boeing desperately needs a new CEO, not [a lashing]( from senators. — Thomas Black The Supreme Court’s far right faces a [free-speech]( problem. — Noah Feldman Social media isn’t like smoking. Slapping [warning labels]( on it won’t work. — Dave Lee Chinese companies like Shein are trying to [erase]( their Chinese-ness. Big mistake. — Shuli Ren Why India [isn’t pleased]( with 8% economic growth. — Andy Mukherjee Sunak and Biden should be working harder to [expand]( housing supply. — Tyler Cowen Keir Starmer and his team must prepare to make some [enemies]( — and fast. — Rachel Cunliffe France, leaving the EU? No, talk of “Frexit” is [overblown](. — Marcus Ashworth ICYMI Michael Phelps will testify to Congress about [anti-doping efforts](. Zyn is [pausing]( selling nicotine pouches online. Justin Timberlake [got arrested]( for DWI in the Hamptons. Kickers The [grandmother of Juneteenth]( is opening [a museum](. The [57 sandwiches]( that define New York City. The [popcorn bucket]( is no longer just a popcorn bucket. The [Team USA outfits]( by Ralph Lauren are [cool](. Notes: Please send [baby popcorn carriers]( and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. [Sign up here]( and follow us on [Threads](, [TikTok](, [Twitter](, [Instagram]( and [Facebook](. Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. 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