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The United States had its hottest summer on record this year, narrowly edging out the previous milestone that was set 85 years ago during the Dust Bowl. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday that the average temperature this summer for the contiguous U.S. was 74 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2.6 degrees warmer than the long-term average. The heat record caps off a season full of extremes, with parts of the country experiencing persistent drought, wildfires, record-breaking heat waves, hurricanes and other extreme weather exacerbated by climate change. (Chow, 9/9)

Since the start of the pandemic, about 130 Black morticians have died from COVID-19, according to the association that represents them. Deaths of funeral workers are not closely tracked. But the National Funeral Directors Association, which represents the broader industry, said it has not seen a corresponding rise in COVID deaths among its members. The deaths of Black morticians are particularly notable because of the prominent role they have long played in many communities. Often admired for their success in business, a number have been elected to political office, served as local power brokers, and helped fund civil rights efforts. (Geller, 9/10)

Amazon is under pressure from Democrats in Congress over how its algorithms promote hoax COVID-19 cures, including the livestock dewormer ivermectin, as well as anti-vaccination claims and other medical misinformation. Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts sent letters this week to CEO Andy Jassy pressing for information on Amazon's misinformation policies and what the company is doing to stop its systems from recommending books and other products linked to falsehoods about the pandemic and vaccines. (Bond, 9/9)

Traveling from Glen Burnie to Towson for her community language program has been a struggle for 63-year-old veteran Alison Elinoff. A stroke 15 years ago left the right side of her body paralyzed. She skipped class several times — often for a doctor’s appointment at the Veterans Administration hospital or because she was too tired. Her performance suffered. “I really like virtual — virtual is great,” Elinoff, who struggles to speak clearly because she has aphasia, a condition developed after a stroke. She likes being in class in person, but it takes 45 minutes to get there, which she said is a hassle. (Louis and Green, 9/10)

COVID concerns are keeping a growing number of Americans out of the labor market. The wave of Delta variant infections over the past two months has renewed worker fears, which threatens to exacerbate ongoing labor shortages. It's a reversal from earlier in the summer when the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines enabled employers to fill open jobs for months as workplace safety improved. (Ro, 9/9)

Tom Brady calmly ran out from a smoke-filled tunnel, leading the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers onto the field Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys in front of a full stadium for the first time since COVID-19 upended the world and changed the way sports were viewed. The NFL kicked off its biggest season — teams are playing a 17-game schedule — with no capacity limitations as the league follows the NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA and others in opening its doors to soldout stadiums. (Maaddi, 9/10)

Sleep is key in the healthy aging process, with disruptions linked to outcomes like greater risk of depression, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. But how much sleep is ideal as adults progress into late life? A recent study published in JAMA Neurology, stemming from PET scans among 4,417 older adults with normal cognition, indicated short sleep of 6 hours or less was linked to a higher burden of the amyloid-beta protein; toxic buildup of amyloid is believed to serve as a precursor for Alzheimer's disease. The study authors from Stanford University also found that both short and longer sleep of 9 hours or more were tied to higher body mass index (BMI), worse self-reported cognitive function and depressive symptoms. (Rivas, 9/9)

Sitting for hours at a desk can play havoc with our metabolic health, contributing over time to high blood sugar and high cholesterol, even in people who otherwise seem mostly healthy. But a practical though small new study shows that standing up and moving every 30 minutes for about three minutes may lessen the health impacts of over-sitting. The study found that climbing several flights of stairs, bopping through some jumping jacks or squats or even taking as few as 15 steps during these mini-breaks improved aspects of blood sugar control among office workers, without noticeably interrupting their work flow. (Reynolds, 9/8)

Aubrey Gordon collects vintage diet books. She has amassed almost 100 titles, including the 1973 volume “Slimming Down,” written by Johnny Carson’s sidekick, Ed McMahon. “Slimming Down” — which featured chapter titles like “The Breadstick Conspiracy” and “Two Martinis Into Connecticut” — is the book that began Ms. Gordon’s collection. And while the idea of mixology as nutritional strategy might seem absurd to a reader today, Ms. Gordon said that so much of the current thinking about what is now known as wellness is just as “hilarious and wacky.” (Petersen, 9/9)

More than three decades after Neil Patrick Harris rose to fame on the hit ABC medical drama “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” Peyton Elizabeth Lee has stepped into the lead role of a wunderkind physician in the reimagined Disney+ series “Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.” Created by Kourtney Kang (“How I Met Your Mother,” “Fresh Off the Boat”), the gender-flipped reboot, which premiered Wednesday, centers on Lahela Kameāloha (Lee), a 16-year-old Native Hawaiian prodigy who is juggling a burgeoning medical career and unconventional life as a teenager in present-day Hawaii. (Gao, 9/9)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: The Future Of Public Health 

The covid-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on public health, a key part of the health care system that usually operates in the background. Public health has, over the past century, helped ensure that Americans have clean water to drink, untainted food to eat and vaccines that have helped obliterate once-common deadly diseases. But like other issues related to the pandemic, public health has become politicized and controversial, leading some public health officials to quit or retire. Some even have been physically threatened just for doing their jobs, trying to keep people healthy and safe. (9/9)