24 million are at risk for dangerous heat, the FDA is expected to decide on whether or not to approve a new Alzheimer’s drug, two New Jersey firefighters die in massive cargo ship blaze, police say Houston teen reported missing 8 years ago was home the whole time, Trump aide Walt Nauta was arraigned today, OceanGate is suspending operations following submersible implosion, and Meta’s Threads microblogging site launches strong in a direct challenge to Twitter.
Good Thursday afternoon. 24 million are at risk for dangerous heat, the FDA is expected to decide on whether or not to approve a new Alzheimer’s drug, two New Jersey firefighters die in massive cargo ship blaze, police say Houston teen reported missing 8 years ago was home the whole time, Trump aide Walt Nauta was arraigned today, OceanGate is suspending operations following submersible implosion, and Meta’s Threads microblogging site launches strong in a direct challenge to Twitter. Here is what’s in our Nightly Rundown. |
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24 million on alert for dangerous heat today |
More than 24 million are under heat alerts in parts of the Northeast into New England as well as Florida, New Mexico and Arizona. Heat Alerts in the Northeast, New England, and Florida are in effect until this evening, while out in the west, excessive heat warnings in Arizona have been extended to Friday evening and Heat Advisories in southern New Mexico have been extended to at least Saturday Evening. Today, record heat could be seen in New York State as well as northern Maine, southern Florida, and southern New Mexico. In Tucson, Arizona, the temperature could hit a record high of 111 degrees this afternoon and in Syracuse, New York, the temperature will approach the record high of 95 degrees today. Extreme heat is likely to blame for the death of a man in Death Valley National Park on Monday. He was found unresponsive in his car which had veered off the road. He was found by a maintenance worker. Temperatures there the day before had been above 120 degrees. At Grand Canyon National Park, heat is also the suspected cause of a hiker’s death on Sunday. The extreme temperatures we are seeing raise new concerns about just how much heat the human body can bear. |
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FDA decision expected today on new Alzheimer's medication |
Today the FDA is expected to make a decision on whether or not to grant full approval to the first drug to slow disease progression in Alzheimer’s patients. The drug is called Leqembi made by Eisai, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, and U.S.-based Biogen. The medication first got accelerated approval earlier this year after evidence showed it clears the amyloid plaque buildup in the brain that is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Leqembi is designed to treat those with mild dementia and cognitive impairment who have those amyloid plaques. While promising, researchers say it is not a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease. An 18-month clinical trial showed it slows decline in cognitive ability by 27% compared to a placebo. The drug costs about $26,500 a year and is given as an IV infusion every two weeks. John Domeck is a patient who received the drug in the trial. He and his wife Anne say it has given them new hope for the future. “It changed our life, Alzheimer's changed our life four years ago, and now this drug has given us, We're planning.” Others, however, are less optimistic about Leqembi's benefits. Dr. Alberto Espay, a neurologist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, said that the 27% slowing in the progression of the illness falls below the threshold of what would be "noticeable" to a patient. “The odds for brain swelling and hemorrhage are far higher than any actual improvement,” said Espay, who launched a petition in June calling for the Alzheimer’s treatment to not get full approval. |
Two N.J. firefighters are dead after a massive cargo ship fire |
A cargo ship carrying thousands of cars was docked at Port Newark when the blaze broke out Wednesday night. The fire was burning on the 10th floor of the ship but spread upward to the 11th and 12th floors. Firefighters were working to put it out but had to leave the area because of the intense heat. Two firefighters got lost while trying to back out, according to Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson. "Unfortunately, we lost two members today," Rufus said. "This was a tragedy and my heart goes out to the families of each of these members and the Newark Fire Department." Officials identified the firefighters lost as Augusto Acabou, 45, and Wayne Brooks Jr., 49, both belonging to Engine 16 in the East Ward of Newark. |
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What else we're watching: |
Trump aide Walt Nauta was arraigned today and is pleading not guilty in the Florida classified documents case. |
Police say the Houston man who was reported missing 8 years ago was at home the whole time. |
OceanGate has announced it is suspending all exploration and commercial operations following the Titan submersible implosion. |
Mortgage demand dropped to its lowest level in a month as interest rates rise. |
Today’s JOLTS report from the Labor Department found that in May there were 9.8 million job openings, a drop of 496,000 from the previous month. This is the lowest level of job openings since April 2021 when employers started ramping up hiring a year after the start of the pandemic. |
Meta’s Threads microblogging site launches strong in a direct challenge to Twitter. What you need to know here. |
Delta is upgrading its fleet to bring better wifi to passengers. |
Tourist who scratched his name on the Colosseum has apologized. |
George Tickner, the co-founder and original guitarist for the band Journey, has died at the age of 76. |
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Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app. |
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