The nation holds at Preparedness Level 5 with 92 large fires burning, and Oregon carries the heaviest load with more than 1.1 million acres burned and thousands under evacuation orders. Wisconsin declares a state of emergency after an EF3 tornado tears through Appleton and Menasha, while New Jersey and New York City face a continued flash flood threat that has already forced water rescues and highway closures. Kilauea moves to WATCH status as a new lava fountain episode builds, CISA flags newly exploited Fortinet and Arista vulnerabilities, and dangerous heat grips the Gulf Coast. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.

Key Takeaways

• Wildfire: The nation remains at Preparedness Level 5 with 92 large fires and 25,244 personnel committed. Oregon has roughly 6,000 residents under Level 3 Go Now orders with over 1.1 million acres burned; Washington fires near Kettle Falls, Colville, and the Pasayten Wilderness also drive evacuations.

• Wisconsin tornado: An EF3 tornado with 140 mph winds tracked 12.1 miles through Appleton and Menasha. Governor Evers declares a state of emergency; 68 people were transported with less severe injuries, and some Winnebago County residents are under a boil water order.

• Northeast flooding: New Jersey is under a state of emergency after flash flooding forced water rescues and closed major highways. A Flood Watch covers New York City through Wednesday evening with rainfall rates up to 2.5 inches per hour possible.

• Kilauea: The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raises Kilauea to WATCH and ORANGE as episode 52 precursory fountaining begins; the full lava fountain episode is forecast between July 28 and 30.

• Cyber: CISA adds Fortinet FortiOS and Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator vulnerabilities to the KEV catalog and publishes a new batch of ICS advisories, including Siemens Desigo CC. Federal agencies and operators should prioritize these mitigations.

• Heat: Extreme Heat Warnings continue along the Gulf Coast with heat index values up to 115 degrees in southeast Louisiana; Texas remains under Heat Advisories with indices near 105 to 109.

• Water systems: New boil water notices are active in Arkansas (Maynard, system-wide), Texas (Troup), Kansas (Valley Falls and part of Pottawatomie County), Illinois (Freeport), Michigan (Battle Creek), Florida (Marion County), Georgia (northern Clayton County), and Tennessee (Hartsville-Trousdale).

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Sources

NIFC and Wildfire

• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report: July 28, 2026 national fire summary

• NIFC National Fire News: preparedness level and daily fire activity

CISA

• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog: Fortinet FortiOS and Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator additions

• CISA Cybersecurity Alerts and Advisories: current advisory listing

• CISA ICS Advisories: July 28 industrial control systems advisory batch

• CISA ICSA-26-209-01: Siemens Desigo CC advisory

USGS Volcanoes and Hawaii

• USGS Kilauea Volcano Updates: current alert level and activity

• USGS HVO Volcano Notice: July 28 status change for Kilauea

• Big Island Video News: Kilauea episode 52 eruption window opens

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Messaging

• USGS event page: M 6.8 Uto, Japan earthquake

• U.S. Embassy Japan: Kyushu earthquake natural disaster alert

• Hawaii News Now: PTWC confirms no tsunami threat to Hawaii

Travel Advisories

• U.S. Mission Iraq Security Alert: July 28, 2026

• State Department Travel Advisories: current advisory levels

Weather and Tropical

• NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly briefing: Northeast flash flood threat

• NHC Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook: no development expected

• NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge: extreme heat warnings and advisories

Arkansas

• KAIT: Maynard Waterworks issues boil order for all customers

Florida

• WCJB: Marion County under boil water notice due to water main break

Georgia

• WSB-TV: boil water advisory for northern Clayton County

Illinois

• WIFR: boil order for northwest Freeport neighborhoods

Kansas

• WIBW: boil water advisory for Valley Falls in Jefferson County

• WIBW: boil advisory for part of Pottawatomie County

Louisiana

• WAFB: dangerous heat continues before rain brings some relief

Michigan

• WOOD TV: boil water advisory for parts of Battle Creek

New Jersey

• CBS New York: flash flooding triggers state of emergency and rescues

• Patch: multiple water rescues as New Jersey roads flood

New Mexico

• NWS Flood Watch for New Mexico: effective July 28, 2026

New York

• Patch: Flood Watch issued as severe storms threaten NYC

• Spokesman-Review: New York City braces for potentially life threatening flooding

Oregon

• KLCC: thousands under Go Now orders as Oregon wildfires burn over 1.1 million acres

• Central Oregon Fire Info: Rowe Creek Complex update, July 28

• Central Oregon Fire Info: interagency dispatch update, July 28

Tennessee

• Boil water notice for Hartsville-Trousdale water district customers

Texas

• Tyler Morning Telegraph: City of Troup issues boil water notice

• NWS Heat Advisory for Texas: effective July 28, 2026

Washington

• FOX 13 Seattle: where Washington wildfires are currently burning

Wisconsin

• NWS Green Bay: July 27, 2026 severe storms and tornado summary

• WBAY: NWS upgrades Monday’s tornado to an EF3, more than 60 injuries reported

• WTMJ: Governor Evers declares state of emergency following severe storms

Good morning, I'm Cedric and this is your EM Morning Brief for

2

Wednesday, July 29, 2026, and today’s

episode is sponsored by The Nims Store.

3

The nation remains at Preparedness

Level 5, the highest level on the scale.

4

The National Interagency Coordination

Center's Tuesday situation report counts

5

92 large fires nationwide, including 9 new

large incidents, with 25,244 firefighters

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and support personnel committed.

7

Oregon carries the heaviest load: dozens

of active large fires cover more than 1.1

8

million acres and roughly

6,000 residents are under Level

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3 Go Now evacuation orders.

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In the Midwest, Governor Tony Evers

signs Executive Order 300 declaring

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a state of emergency after Monday's

severe storms, which include an EF3

12

tornado that tracked through Appleton

and Menasha in the Fox Valley.

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In the Northeast, a slow

moving storm system drives a

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multi-day flash flood threat.

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New Jersey is under a state of emergency

after Monday night's flooding forced

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multiple water rescues and closed sections

of major highways, and a Flood Watch

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covers New York City through Wednesday

evening with rainfall rates up to 2.5

18

inches per hour possible.

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On the cyber front, CISA adds two

vulnerabilities to the Known Exploited

20

Vulnerabilities catalog, affecting

Fortinet FortiOS and Arista VeloCloud

21

Orchestrator, and releases a new

batch of industrial control systems

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advisories, including one for Siemens

Desigo CC building management software.

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In the Pacific, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano

Observatory raises Kilauea to Volcano

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Alert Level WATCH and Aviation Color Code

ORANGE as precursory activity for lava

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fountain episode 52 begins at the summit.

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Overseas, a magnitude 7.1

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earthquake strikes southern Japan near

Kumamoto; the Pacific Tsunami Warning

28

Center confirms there is no tsunami threat

to Hawaii or American Samoa, and the U.S.

29

Embassy in Japan issues a natural

disaster alert for the Kyushu region.

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The State Department's Mission Iraq

issues a security alert reminding U.S.

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citizens of the Level 4

Do Not Travel advisory.

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The National Hurricane Center expects

no tropical cyclone development in

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the Atlantic over the next seven

days, while dangerous heat continues

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across the south central United

States with heat index values up to

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115 degrees along the Gulf Coast.

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Let’s run through the states.

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Arkansas: Maynard Waterworks

issues a boil order for its entire

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water system in Randolph County.

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The Arkansas Department of Health

confirms the order on Tuesday.

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Customers should boil water for drinking

and cooking until further notice.

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Florida: Marion County utilities

customers in an affected service

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area are under a boil water notice

after a water main break on Tuesday.

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Crews are making repairs and the

notice remains in place pending

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clear bacteriological samples.

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Georgia: A boil water advisory

is in effect for northern

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Clayton County in metro Atlanta.

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Residents in the affected area

should boil water for drinking and

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cooking until the advisory is lifted.

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Hawaii: The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

raises Kilauea from ADVISORY to WATCH

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and the Aviation Color Code from YELLOW

to ORANGE as precursory low level

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activity for episode 52 of the Halemaumau

eruption begins Tuesday morning.

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By Tuesday evening the north vent

fountain reaches roughly 200 to 300 feet,

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and the observatory forecasts the full

fountain episode between July 28 and 30.

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All activity remains within

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park;

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the main hazards are volcanic gas

and Pele's hair carried downwind.

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Idaho: Great Basin Complex Incident

Management Team 3 assumes command of

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the Tartar Fire, burning in grass,

brush, and timber about 21 miles

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northwest of Weiser across private,

BLM, Forest Service, and state lands.

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The fire is among the large

incidents reflected in Tuesday's

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national situation report.

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Illinois: A boil order is in effect

for neighborhoods near Galena

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Avenue in northwest Freeport after

a water main break on Tuesday.

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Affected customers should boil water

until testing confirms it is safe.

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Kansas: The Kansas Department of Health

and Environment issues a boil water

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advisory for the City of Valley Falls

public water supply in Jefferson County

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on Tuesday, followed by an advisory

for part of Pottawatomie County.

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Affected customers should boil

water for consumption until

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the advisories are rescinded.

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Louisiana: An Extreme Heat Warning is

in effect for parishes around Lakes

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Pontchartrain and Maurepas and the coast,

with heat index values up to 115 degrees.

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A Heat Advisory covers surrounding areas.

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Officials urge residents to

limit outdoor exposure, check on

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vulnerable neighbors, and never

leave people or pets in vehicles.

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Michigan: Battle Creek issues

a boil water advisory for parts

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of the city amid ongoing water

system repairs in Calhoun County.

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Affected residents should boil

water for drinking and cooking

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until the advisory is lifted.

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New Jersey: Governor Phil Murphy

declares a state of emergency after

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torrential rain and flash flooding.

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Fire crews in Hawthorne answer more than

20 calls including 17 water rescues after

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floodwaters submerge portions of Route

208, and at least five people are rescued

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from stranded vehicles in River Edge.

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Flooding closes parts of Interstate

287, Interstate 280, Route 440, and

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multiple state routes in Middlesex,

Monmouth, Ocean, and Mercer counties.

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A moderate risk of excessive rainfall

continues for northern New Jersey

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with additional storms expected.

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New Mexico: A Flash Flood Watch covers

portions of northern, central, and western

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New Mexico through Tuesday evening.

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Slow moving storms are capable

of rainfall rates above 2 inches

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per hour, with the greatest risk

on and below wildfire burn scars.

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New York: A Flood Watch is in effect for

New York City from Tuesday morning through

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Wednesday evening as repeated rounds

of heavy rain threaten flash flooding

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in low lying and flood prone areas.

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Forecasters expect widespread totals

of 2 to 3 inches with rates up to 2.5

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inches per hour in the strongest storms.

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City officials advise residents of

basement and garden apartments to

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prepare go bags and be ready to move

quickly if water enters their homes.

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Oregon: At least 6,000 people are under

Level 3 Go Now evacuation orders as

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dozens of large fires burn more than 1.1

100

million acres, centered on

Gilliam, Wheeler, Wasco, Crook,

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Jefferson, and Umatilla counties.

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The Rowe Creek Complex stands at 215,225

acres and 36 percent containment.

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The Hay Creek Complex reaches 90 percent

containment at 181,821 acres, while the

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Brewer Fire grows to about 70,821 acres

at 10 percent and the Akawa Butte Fire

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reaches about 27,344 acres at 6 percent.

106

Tennessee: The Hartsville-Trousdale

water district issues a boil

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water advisory for its customers.

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Residents should boil water for

drinking and cooking until the

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utility gives the all clear.

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Texas: A Heat Advisory continues

across portions of the state through

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Tuesday evening with heat indices

peaking near 105 to 109 degrees.

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Separately, the City of Troup in Smith

County issues a boil water notice

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for customers west of Brandon Street

along State Highway 110, County Road

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2138, and several nearby streets.

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Washington: Multiple large fires remain

active with evacuations in place.

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The Modrite Fire carries Level 3 Go

Now and Level 1 Get Ready evacuation

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orders, with a shelter operating

at Kettle Falls Middle School.

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The Ptarmigan Fire in Okanogan

County grows to 10,842 acres in

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the Pasayten Wilderness near the

Canadian border, and the Bradeen Hill

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Fire southwest of Colville prompts

evacuations and road closures.

121

Wisconsin: Governor Tony Evers signs

Executive Order 300 declaring a state

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of emergency after Monday's severe

storms across eastern Wisconsin.

123

The National Weather Service upgrades

the Appleton and Menasha tornado to an

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EF3 with winds up to 140 mph along a 12.1

125

mile track.

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Officials report 68 people transported

to hospitals with less severe

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injuries, widespread power outages,

and disruptions to public water

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systems, including a boil water order

for some Winnebago County residents.

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All other states have no significant

updates in the last 24 hours.

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Let’s run through the territories.

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American Samoa: The Pacific Tsunami

Warning Center confirms there

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is no tsunami threat to American

Samoa following the magnitude 7.1

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earthquake near Kumamoto, Japan.

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No local action is required.

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All other territories and the District

of Columbia have no significant

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updates in the last 24 hours.

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That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.

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New episodes drop Monday through

Friday in the 5:00 AM hour P.T.,

139

so the day starts with

clarity instead of catch-up.

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Stay Safe.