What is a 'heat dome' and how long do they last?
America is no stranger to the “heat dome.”
More stories from our newsroom
Recent reporting and curated coverage across every beat we cover.
Texas adds Humble Atascocita's Jason Johnson to 2027 recruiting class
Jason Johnson, a 3-star recruit from Humble Atascocita, chose the Longhorns over Cal, Louisiana State and Vanderbilt.
Austin Police search for suspects in 7-Eleven robbery
The Austin Police Department (APD) is asking the community for help in locating three people involved in a May 31 robbery at a 7-Eleven on 411 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
More than $72M in meth seized by CBP officers in South Texas
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in South Texas made a massive bust on June 19, seizing more than $72.3 million worth of methamphetamine hidden inside two separate cargo shipments.
Waymo helps City of Austin detect potholes
Autonomous vehicles are helping City of Austin crews identify road problems.
Texas DPS deploys explosive detection K-9 teams to Houston for FIFA World Cup security
Texas Department of Public Safety explosive detection K-9 teams and their handlers have deployed from Austin to Houston to support security efforts during the F
Police seek suspects in Central Austin 7-Eleven robbery that injured store clerk
Police are asking for the public's help identifying three suspects who robbed a Central Austin 7-Eleven and tackled a store clerk in the early morning hours of
Texas announces $34M AstraZeneca settlement over Medicaid scheme
Texas is recovering nearly $34 million from AstraZeneca to settle allegations that the pharmaceutical giant used an illegal kickback scheme to improperly influence Medicaid prescriptions.
Gracie the giraffe is back home at her Texas ranch
A giraffe that escaped from a Hill Country ranch earlier this month is back home.
Hyundai recalls 96K Tucson SUVs as dashboards may go blank
Hyundai recalled nearly 100,000 SUVs over concerns that the instrument panel could reboot while the vehicle was being driven.
Williamson County deadly crash: Driver of 18-wheeler killed
Authorities say they're investigating a deadly crash involving a semi-truck that went over the side of an overpass and onto SH 130.
AI is helping gas stations collude to raise California fuel prices, lawsuit says
A lawsuit accuses California gas station operators of using artificial intelligence software to illegally coordinate and drive up prices at the pump.
Central Texas leaders warn AI-driven layoffs could signal broader job losses
After thousands of layoffs tied in part to artificial intelligence, Central Texas leaders are raising concerns about what it could mean for the future of jobs in Austin's booming tech sector.
Great Horned Owl rescued from South Austin pool
Austin park rangers rescued a Great Horned Owl found trapped in a balance tank at Garrison Pool in South Austin, the City of Austin Park Rangers said.The ranger
Chase on I-45 ends with officer-involved shooting
A chase through several Texas counties Monday ended with an officer-involved shooting.
Texas Parks and Wildlife issues extreme heat guide for summer visitors, pets
As temperatures and heat indexes soar past 100 degrees this holiday weekend, Texas Parks and Wildlife is urging state park visitors to protect themselves and their pets with these essential heat safety tips.
WATCH: Butterflies swarm Texas coast during mass migration
A video shows a swarm of butterflies surrounding vehicles crossing Corpus Christi Bay earlier this month.
California man dosed sons daily with hallucinogens, ran psilocybin operation: prosecutors
A 43-year-old California man pleaded guilty last week to trafficking psilocybin mushrooms and using his two young sons in the operation after repeatedly dosing them with the hallucinogenic drug, federal prosecutors announced.
California children airlifted to burn center after roasting marshmallows goes wrong
Two children were airlifted to a burn center, and an adult was hospitalized after a backyard gathering in Oceanside went wrong when a small outdoor tabletop fireplace that was being used to roast marshmallows flashed and shot flames at the children, igniting their clothing.
JetBlue flight reports striking drone while landing at JFK
A JetBlue Airways pilot reported striking a drone while approaching John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Monday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
2026 Patriot Games: Dates revealed, applications opened for national high school competition
The Patriot Games are coming Washington, D.C. in the first weeks of August.
Guy Fieri becomes co-owner of NASCAR racing team
A North Carolina racing team is rolling out a new member of its ownership group.
Body recovered from Lake Travis after swimmer goes missing Friday
The body of a man was recovered from Lake Travis on Saturday after he went underwater and did not resurface, the Travis County Sheriff's Office said.Deputies wi
New ranking reveals America’s most and least educated cities
America’s most educated workers aren’t spread evenly across the nation, they cluster in places that offer better job markets, higher wages and better lifestyle rewards for their degrees.
Former Pac-12 Player of the Year joins Texas softball coaching staff
Freeman joins Southeastern Louisiana's Rick Fremin as an addition to the staff following the departures of Kristen Zaleski and Ehren Earleywin. Zaleski was named the head coach at Utah State, and Earleywine joined the staff at Tennessee.
Celebrate America's 250th birthday at Texas State Parks
Texas State Parks roll out specialized historic, pioneer, and patriotic programming across the state for the nation's Semiquincentennial celebration.
1 dead after semi-truck falls off overpass, shuts down SH 130
The driver of a semi-truck is dead after the vehicle fell off an overpass onto State Highway 130 in Williamson County on Monday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Driver dead after crash sends semi-truck off overpass onto SH 130
One person is dead and three others were hospitalized after an Audi SUV struck an 18-wheeler, sending the semi-truck off an overpass onto State Highway 130 in W
How to stay cool and save on energy as heat dome brings triple-digit temperatures to millions
Temperatures in the 90s are spreading across the Midwest and will reach the East Coast by midweek, when it will feel like 100 to 110 degrees for tens of millions of people ahead of the 4th of July weekend. Here are some tips to stay cool, save on energy, and not break the bank.
Austin is using Waymo AV data to target pothole repairs
Waymo is using its autonomous vehicles to feed real-time data back to the City of Austin to address street conditions and fix problem areas.
July 4th: CapMetro to waive evening fares
CapMetro will be suspending evening fares on July 4th to help Central Texans celebrate Independence Day.
Person drowns at Lake Travis: Game wardens
Wardens responded to at least six "water-related fatalities and emergencies" in Texas on June 27.
18-wheeler goes over side of highway overpass in Round Rock
The Round Rock Police Department says there has been a major crash at SH 130 and University Boulevard.
American pride reaches lowest level in quarter century, poll finds
As the U.S. gears up for its 250th anniversary, a new poll reveals American national pride has plummeted to its lowest level in over two decades.
Austin ISD slows boundary plan, pushes some changes to 2027-28 school year
Austin ISD delayed a plan to redraw most of the district's zones, which impacts which schools students feed into, by a year. But some changes are still happening in fall 2027.
Gracie the giraffe safely returned to Cedar Hollow Ranch
Escape giraffe Gracie is back at Cedar Hollow Ranch in Leakey, Texas. The ranch says she was safely recovered after “excellent preparation” and a “flawless” recovery plan, thanking the public for prayers and support.
Flesh-eating screwworm outbreak escalates in West Texas; strict transport ban issued
Federal and state agricultural officials have confirmed that the number of New World screwworm cases in the United States has reached 27, prompting Texas authorities to issue a fresh round of emergency quarantine orders to combat the flesh-eating parasite's expansion in West Texas.
Deep Eddy Pool reopens Monday after week-long closure for repairs
Deep Eddy Pool reopened Monday morning after a week-long closure for repairs, the city's Parks and Recreation Department announced.The pool, located at 401 Deep
Free rides on CapMetro for Austin's Independence Day event
CapMetro announced it will suspend fares starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, ahead of the annual Austin Symphony Orchestra concert and fireworks show downtown.
Texas mother of five killed in broad-daylight stabbing; three women charged with murder
Three women have been charged with murder after a 32-year-old mother of five died following a stabbing in the border city of Del Rio, authorities said.
Ratings show Austin loves watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Austin is the No. 3 local market for the tournament in terms of rating, registering a 3.04 since the games began June 11. That means that 3.04% of all the households with TVs in the Austin DMA tuned in to watch the world's most popular athletic event. Kansas City leads the way with a 3.80 rating,...