12th heat-related death reported in Cook County tied to summer temperatures

A 12th person has died from heat-related causes tied to this summer's extreme heat, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Jesus Rodriguez, 33, died July 17 due to hyperthermia and environmental heat exposure, in addition to cocaine toxicity, according to the medical examiner's office. He’s the youngest of the dozen deaths tied to the heat this year. Cook County has had more deaths related to the heat in 2026 than any other year in the last decade, according to a WBEZ and…