A new bill co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema aims to fight extreme heat issues impacting infrastructure and personnel along the border.
Sinema introduced the Border Weather Resiliency Act alongside Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. If passed, it would require Customs and Border Protection to assess the risks and submit a plan to safeguard border personnel and infrastructure from extreme weather.
That includes record heat waves seen along the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks and freezing temperatures along the U.S.-Canadian border in past years.
The senators say the move comes after the hottest year on record and record-setting summer temperatures in Arizona last year — the U.S. also experienced a record-number of weather emergencies in 2023. A 2021 government watchdog report found that natural disasters have resulted in billions of dollars in federal spending in the five years before the report.
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Arizona’s largest electric utility will no longer disconnect customers’ power when temperatures exceed 95 degrees, following a settlement with the Attorney General’s Office. -
The victim was an older adult male, but officials have not released any additional details about the case. Temperatures this spring have been much hotter than average. -
According to National Weather Service data, temperatures have averaged about 8.3 degrees above-normal so far this month – the third-hottest start to April on record in Phoenix. -
The Industrial Commission of Arizona voted to adopt heat safety guidelines for workplaces in the state. But labor groups still hope for enforceable regulations. -
Arizona labor groups are calling for state regulations to require specific protections from heat in workplaces. But actions from the state have so far fallen short of what workers have called for.
