The Takeaway: Not Worried About the Heat? You Should Be; Debt Ceiling Updates

The summer heat wave that continues to blister the nation has claimed 13 lives in the Midwest, including a 65-year-old Kansas man who died while mowing his lawn. His internal body temperature was 107 degrees, police said. Still not worried about the heat? You should be. Also: How to protect yourself during a heat wave. (If might even be too hot to do what the guy on the left is doing.)



... Lots of interesting developments Tuesday from Congress:  First the House approved a plan that would require an increase in the debt limit to be tied to a balanced-budget amendment. The measure is not likely to pass the Senate and President Obama has threatened a veto. Second: A new strategy for reducing the federal debt has garnered support from President Obama and top GOP and Democratic lawmakers. The plan would save $3.7 trillion over 10 years. The kicker? " The proposal, crafted by a bipartisan group of senators known as the "Gang of Six,"calls for $500 billion in immediate savings and requires lawmakers in the coming months to cut agency spending, overhaul Social Security and Medicare, and rewrite the tax code to generate more than $1 trillion in fresh revenue." Still confused? Get answers.

... FDA panel rejects new diabetes drug. Monday I wrote about a new diabetes treatment that lowers blood sugar by causing it to be excreted and eliminated through urine. The  drug increases the risk of breast and bladder cancers. ... Every little bit counts. If people even slightly reduced their risk factors for dementia - lowered blood pressure, quit smoking, lost a few pounds - about 492,000 cases of Alzheimer's disease could be prevented over the next 40 years, says a new study.  ...  From Candy Sagon: Nagging works. Married men seek help for heart attacks faster.

(Photo: H. Lorren Au Jr. /The Orange County Register/AP)