A major heat wave that began yesterday will reach its boiling point over the next few days.

Why it matters: Heat stress is the top weather-related cause of death in the U.S.

• It is especially dangerous for older adults, children and people with medical conditions like diabetes, asthma and heart disease.

Driving the news: The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a heat advisory for Northeast Ohio counties through Thursday evening.

• The local forecast calls for temperatures above 90 degrees through Friday, with highs approaching or surpassing daily records.

Heat index values — or "feels like" temperatures — are expected to exceed 100 degrees.

• The city of Cleveland has extended hours at several recreation centers to serve as "cooling centers" through Friday.

What they're saying: "Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses," NWS warns.

• "Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors."
• Cleveland Clinic's tips for preventing heat exhaustion, including staying hydrated, limiting physical activity and wearing "loose-fitting or vented clothes."

An additional threat: Record temperatures can lead to high energy demand that can overload local transformers and the electrical grid.

• A similar heat wave last summer left tens of thousands of Northeast Ohio residents without power for days.

The big picture: Cities from Minneapolis and Chicago to Nashville and Atlanta will also be under extreme heat risk this week.

• Temperature records were set in the U.K. and France last week as a deadly heat wave gripped much of Europe.

What's next: Temperatures are expected to drop slightly over the weekend, but will remain high as residents celebrate Independence Day.

Most Ohio lawmakers say they'd vote to repeal the state's death penalty and don't want to see the next governor resume executions, per a new Gongwer-Werth Legislative Poll.

Why it matters: Capital punishment is a talking point again after outgoing Gov. Mike DeWine declared his opposition to the death penalty.

What they found: Of 55 polled lawmakers, 56% would vote to repeal the death penalty. The same percentage would not like to see executions resume.

• Democrats are nearly unanimously opposed, while Republicans are split.
• Half of Republicans would not vote to repeal and 58% want to see the next governor resume executions.

Zoom in: Legislators were also asked, "What comes closest to your strongest view of capital punishment?" There is no consensus.

• About a third say it's fitting only for "the most heinous crimes," while 31% believe it's "morally wrong to take another life."
• About a quarter of Democrats say "it is applied unfairly across racial and ethnic groups," a stance no Republicans agreed with.
• A total of 15% say the death penalty risks "executing someone who has been wrongly convicted," an opinion shared by 41% of Democrats and just 3% of Republicans.

🏥 The Cleveland Planning Commission has OK'd the next phase of Cleveland Clinic's main campus expansion, which will include a Level 1 trauma center. (Crain's Cleveland Business 🔐)

🧰 Dave Wondolowski, the leader of Cleveland's Building & Construction Trades Council, sent a letter to County Executive Chris Ronayne opposing data center moratoriums.

• He accused county leaders of leaving construction workers out to dry to "curry favor with wealthy elitist environmental interests." (Signal Cleveland)

🎺 The Conn-Selmer manufacturing plant in Eastlake is closing. It's produced brass instruments for 60 years — including the French horns favored by the Cleveland Orchestra. (Ideastream)

🛒 The city of Cleveland is seeking a new operator for Glenville's Eastside Market. (Cleveland.com)

More than 3 million Ohioans are expected to hit the road for the during the upcoming Fourth of July weekend.

By the numbers: AAA forecasts this to be the busiest July 4 week for travel since at least 2019.

• An estimated 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles for Independence Day.
• That's up from 71.8 million travelers last year, but a smaller jump than in recent years.

Zoom in: Most July 4 travelers (85%) are forecasted to drive this year, despite high gas prices, according to AAA.

• The worst July 4 holiday traffic started hitting most cities last week, per transportation data firm INRIX, which works with AAA to calculate travel times.

Be smart: To avoid the heaviest traffic, leave early in the day or consider driving early in the week rather than later, per INRIX.

Crews began demolishing the former Advanced Medical Systems site on London Road in Collinwood yesterday.

Why it matters: The facility once manufactured and serviced medical radiation equipment containing Cobalt-60 and has been both an eyesore and an environmental hazard since the 1980s.

The latest: The Ohio Department of Health has allocated nearly $12 million to remediate the site and clear it for future development.

What they're saying: "As hard as it may be to believe, I have worked with the City of Cleveland's Department of Public Health and the Ohio Department of Health for the past 38 years in trying to get this site remediated," said Cleveland Councilman Mike Polensek in a statement.

• "I never lost my belief that this contaminated property could someday be removed as a reminder of industrial abandonment in our community."