US heat wave smothers Pacific Northwest, poses extreme risk in California and Arizona

SEATTLE (AP) — Residents of the Western U.S. sweltered in a heat wave Saturday that hospitalized some people, with temperatures forecast to hit dangerous levels throughout the weekend in Washington, Oregon, Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.

About 1.2 million people were under extreme heat risk, meaning temperatures were expected to stay dangerously high with no relief overnight. The largest area under the warning was around Tucson, Arizona, where the National Weather Service forecast highs between 102 and 107 degrees Fahrenheit (39 and 42 degrees Celsius). Areas of inland Southern California also faced extreme risk.

Another 18.6 million were under major heat risk nationwide, affecting workers and anyone without regular cooling and hydration, including in Miami.

Portland, Oregon, reported a record high for Aug. 22, according to preliminary data: 102 degrees (38.9 Celsius). If upheld it would break the 98-degree (36.7-degree Celsius) high for the date, set in 1942, according to the NWS.

Struggling through the smothering heat were long-distance runners in a Portland's annual Hood to Coast relay race, which goes from inland Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean. At least one runner competing as part of a group of athletes over 50 lost consciousness after running 4 miles (6.4 kilometers).

David Loftus said he does not remember collapsing but his companions told him it happened shortly after he passed the baton. “Some other stranger saw me wobbling and caught me before I hit the ground,” Loftus said.

When he regained consciousness, he saw an ambulance there to pick him up. Loftus, a writer and amateur actor from Portland, said Saturday that he hydrated and doused himself with water before his leg of the race but it wasn't enough. He was held for observation overnight at a hospital but recovered.

Around the time Loftus took the baton, a notice of extreme heat emergency was posted for Portland and the surrounding county. Emergency visits and 911 calls were up.

“Typically, we see a single visit or no visits. Yesterday, we had 16 visits, six of them from Hood to Coast participants,” Brendon Haggerty of the Multnomah County Health Department said via email. “The Portland metro area is facing the highest heat risk of 2025.”

In June 2021 the city recorded a high of 116 (46 Celsius) during a heat wave that resulted in more than 100 deaths. Most of the victims lived alone, and the vast majority were 60 or older, but the youngest was 37, officials said at the time.

The quote from David Loftus has been corrected to show that someone caught him before he “hit the ground,” not “left the ground.”

Hood to Coast relay race runners and supporters at Exchange Point 12 near Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Southeast Portland, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Teresa Mahoney/The Oregonian via AP)

The Pickett Fire burns above a vineyard in the Aetna Springs area of Napa County, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Los Angeles Angels' Yoan Moncada wipes away sweat during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Construction crews work in the heat on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A jogger runs up an inclined sidewalk in the heat on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Los Angeles County lifeguards stand on guard as people cool off at Castaic Lake on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in Castaic, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107792953/en/

Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.

Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.

“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”

Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.

About Kuleana Rum Works

Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.

https://kuleanarum.com/additive-free/