On this version of Hot off the Wire:
» The IRS says it is ending its decades-old policy of making unannounced home and business visits — in a an effort to keep its workers safe and combat scammers who pose as IRS agents. Effective immediately, the change follows a number of other actions the agency has taken to improve worker safety.
» Food manufacturers who deliberately add sesame to their products and include it on their labels are not violating a new federal allergy law. That's according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. More companies are adding sesame flour to foods that didn’t have it before because they say its easier to do that than try to keep the allergen away from other foods and equipment.
» After a three-year exile driven by the pandemic, San Francisco’s downtown has waited for the crowds, the commuters and electric ambience to return. Instead, it has become a prime example of what downtowns shouldn’t look like: vacant, crime-ridden and in decay.
» Japan's population has declined in all of its 47 prefectures for the first time in a record drop, while its population of foreign residents reached a new high of almost 3 million people, highlighting the increasing role that non-Japanese people play in the shrinking and aging country.
» A system of ocean currents that transports heat northward across the North Atlantic could collapse this century, according to a new study. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation has been weakening over the last several decades, scientists found. Scientists earlier have said a complete collapse could lead to more extreme weather in Europe and rising sea levels in the United States.
» A United Nations report says the Asia-Pacific region needs to drastically increase its investments in disaster warning systems and other tools to counter rising risks from climate change.
» Thousands of crime victims each year are confronted with the difficult financial reality of state compensation programs that are billed as safety nets to offset costs like funerals, medical care, relocation and other needs. Many programs require victims to pay for those expenses first and exhaust all means of payment before they reimburse costs, often at rates that don’t fully cover expenses.
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Arizona meteorologist Jorge Torres talks about the impacts of the record-breaking heatwave on the people, the power grid and everyday life.
🎧 In this episode, Patrick Wilson, a reporter for Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism team, talks about his coverage of the Virginia State Police.
🎧 The hosts discuss the role housing prices play, and whether involuntary treatment for those with mental health and substance abuse issues is appropriate.
Are you prepared if a major storm strikes? According to this week's guest, knowledge is power when protecting your home.
🎧 Moviegoers flock to "Barbenheimer" as "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" provided a jolt the film industry needed. Learn more on the latest episode of Streamed & Screened!
🎧 Get a recap of some of this week's top sports and entertainment stories through this special edition of our daily news podcast.
Jim Swift from The Bulwark discusses the mechanics of how a modern conspiracy theory goes viral.