mike valerio is in valencia, california, examining how people plan to beat the heat across the southwest. hadas gold joins us live from jerusalem with a look at the israeli prime minister's dehydration due to the heat. and barbie nadeau is live in rome with how europe is handling their own heat wave. but first, raphael romeo is in las vegas with a look at the temperatures across the u.s. >> reporter: people here in las vegas have going to have to wait a few more dates for a respite. the national weather service has issued an excessive heat warning for the city, expected to last until tuesday evening. and meteorologists here are taking a close look at the climbing temperatures, because there's a possibility that the city's official all-time record of 117 degrees could be tied some teem bime between sunday a monday. a good portion of the country is experiencing extreme heat. more than 85 million people are under heat alerts from the national weather service and at least 15 states from florida to california. phoenix has topped 110 degrees for 14 consecutive days and is forecast to make that

cnn's mike valerio joins us from los angeles.what do we know about the circumstances surrounding her release? it is good news she's coming home. >> reporter: oh, it's fantastic news. the question about how this release came about, jim, is so important. it was the result of 227 days of the fbi, dhs, and state department working together. but in terms of who made an agreement with whom, what the fbi did to find monica, that is still something that we don't know the answer to. but we're working on it here in the l.a. bureau as is our fantastic colleague and fbi veteran josh campbell. so watch this space in terms of us finding out how exactly monica came home to us here in california. but in terms of the human dimension, the face behind the missing photograph and flyer you're seeing right there, monica, you should know, is a talented photographer. she takes a job over the summer last year in mexico to lend her talents to a couple projects down there. and then a couple days after thanksgiving last year, she is walking her dog in the m

cnn's mike valerio joins us from los angeles with more. mike, what do we know about the circumstances surrounding her release? it is good news that she's getting back to the u.s., back to this country. >> reporter: absolutely, jim. we know at this hour that this isn't just the culmination of a week, two weeks of work between the fbi, department of state, and homeland security. this was a 227-day effort to bring monica home, back here to california, and it has paid off immeasurably to her friends and family, who are astounded and elated that she's coming back home. so to talk about the person who is behind the missing flyers you're seeing right here sent out by the fbi, monica is a profoundly talented photographer, her family tells our partners up in san francisco, and decides to take a summer job sharing her photographic talents back down in jalisco where she was born. she's an american citizen, makes her home in the san francisco bay area, but decides to go back to jalisco and ends up in the idyllic, beautiful town just after thanksgiving

mike valerio has the latest on this medical development. reporter: the first drug shown in trials to slow alzheimer's now has full fda approval. infusion centers are gearing up for an anticipated surge in new patients. >> i anticipate we will receive at least 15 to 20% more patient referrals for this drug. reporter: the drug is administered through iv infusion once every two weeks. the drug is coverage by medicare. it has been available under accelerated fda approval since january. at a cost of more than $26,000 per year before insurance, many patients couldn't access or afford it. >> you had this treatment at your fingertips. suddenly, you had medicare saying, yeah but you can't quite get access to that at this point. reporter: a large trial funded by the drugmakers found it slowed the progression of the disease by 27%. it targets a specific protein that forms plaques in the brains of all timers patients. the drug because -- does carry risk. 13% of patients had brain swelling. 17% had brain bleeding. while experts agree the drug is a major

mike valerio has the latest on this medical development. reporter: the first drug shown in trials to slow alzheimer's now has full fda approval. infusion centers are gearing up for an anticipated surge in new patients. >> i anticipate we will receive at least 15 to 20% more patient referrals for this drug. reporter: the drug is administered through iv infusion once every two weeks. the drug is coverage by medicare. it has been available under accelerated fda approval since january. at a cost of more than $26,000 per year before insurance, many patients couldn't access or afford it. >> you had this treatment at your fingertips. suddenly, you had medicare saying, yeah but you can't quite get access to that at this point. reporter: a large trial funded by the drugmakers found it slowed the progression of the disease by 27%. it targets a specific protein that forms plaques in the brains of all timers patients. the drug because -- does carry risk. 13% of patients had brain swelling. 17% had brain bleeding. while experts agree the drug is a major

cnn's raphael romo is in las vegas and mike valerio is in valencia, california. mike to you first in southern california. you're at a water park. when do the people arrive? >> reporter: a half hour from now. they are already at the front gates waiting to get in, because we are awaiting our high temperature of 106 degrees today. we have about 20 more degrees to go, a half hour ago. after that half hour, these patp pa paths, these water slides will be packed. down this path where we're going to have a profusion of families running around, walking, not running, no running. this is down the path of one of two first aid stations where first aid personnel will congregate. we talked to six flags before the broadcast about how they're preparing for a day like this. more than 20 lifeguards will be within the water park making sure everybody is okay. this is a massive effort on the part of one of southern california's largest theme parks to make sure everybody will stay okay as temperatures approach and then exceed 100 degrees. listen to what we heard earlier this morning.

cnn's mike valerio is in silence y valencia, california. mike romo is in california. >> reporter: we started out at about 5:00 in the morning, it was 86 degrees, and the last hour we crossed the 100 degree threshold. as soon as that happened, we started seeing a lot of people coming this direction, from the street and into the shops. we're here in front of the fashion show las vegas, the largest mall in the state of nevada, and that's the option that people are taking right now. because, honestly, the heat right now is feeling very oppressive. and let me tell you, the national weather service says that they expect -- it's a possibility, not for sure, but a possibility that in the next three days or so, they may tie the all-time record at 117 degrees. let me tell you, being here, i feel like that's already happened. but we've been talking to people here, somebody told us that they don't mind because as soon as they get a little hot, they go inside like a lot of these people are doing. then we gentlemen a gentleman who, believe it or not, he w

mike valerio is in valencia, california, about a half-hour north of l.a. you're at a water park there which is good for those folks. but a lot of folks who can't get to the water are just baking this weekend. what can you tell us? >> reporter: i can tell that you because we are 30 miles from the coastline where it is right now a cool 70 degrees, if you can believe that. we just hit 103 now. and look at that. we're down to 102. so maybe we have hit the peak. that is why we have so many families who have come here to six flags, magic mountain, and hurricane harbor. as we push in to show you what's happening, six flags cannot just open as if this is a normal day. they have to have under the mushrooms there, people are being watched, being cared for by no fewer than two dozen life guards. a dozen first responders and medical professionals who are spread between the roller coaster section of the theme park outside of our field of view and the water park hear. they have an ambulance on standby. a heat emergency plan to keep people safe. and i thought it was so f

mike valerio, cnn, los angeles. >> very good news. >>> a top investigators on the long unsolved casef the gilgo beach murders says it's possible there may be more victims. new york architect rex heuermann was charged with deaths over years ago ago. heuermann has pleaded not guilty. he's also the prime suspect in a fourth murder. the case is tied to at least ten sets of human remains found in that area. one official gave cnn a rare insight into that ongoing investigation. >> based on his searches, and his conduct online, we felt that, you know, we need to find out more and there's still an active investigation as to his whereabouts and his conduct from the time that the bodies were discovered, right up in thursday. >> the d.a. had mentioned that he was -- this whole time he was patronizing still sex workers? >> that's correct. i knew this person was a demon. and the fact that we are able to bring some closure and some peace to the families. as well as take a violent person off the streets is rewarding. and we're going to continue the investigation. the task force is going to continue

. >> here's cnn's mike valerio. >> reporter: temperatures throughout the southwest are soaring into the triple digits. in death valley, california, the high could top 130 degrees. the national parks service warning hikers not to hiker after 10:00 a.m. and, quote, travel prepared to survive. >> it can be a little painful and i personally sometimes, when i feel that sun, i think about it, if it feels like it's going right through straight my skin and deep inside to my bones. >> reporter: in austin, texas, misting tents are being deployed to try to keep people cool. >> this is, in fact, a dangerous time, and that's why we want to get these warnings out. >> reporter: in pasadena, the head coach at the high school checks the turf to make sure it's not too hot for players to practice. >> this is our heat stress tracker. this helps us out daily. >> reporter: it's hit at least 110 degrees in phoenix, arizona, every day this month and the heat streak is expected to continue through at least wednesday. >> it's the hottest time of the year in the hottest places of the country, but even with that,

cnn's mike valerio is in valencia, california. unbearable but how are people enduring these temperatures? >> reporter: you know, fredricka, in southern california. >>> so you can always go to the beach. say you're not going to the beach. say that is out of reach for you. this is always an option for you here. hurricane harbor, six flags magic mountain where we're expected to see a high of 106 degrees today. so six flags tells us they have been preparing for a day like this, when temperatures are going to reach triple digits. and thousands of people are expected to descend on the water park here. just over my left-hand shoulder, a couple of yards into the background, it is one of two first aid stations, nerve centers, where about a dozen medical personnel huddle and get ready for a day like this. if you are here, either at one of the rides or in the water park, and you feel as though you might be succumbing to a heat-related illness, you can wave down a park official, and then they will radio to one of the medical personnel members