Last week, as much of the country experienced a heat wave, New York City’s Central Park had its hottest day since 2013. And New Yorkers got an alert on their cellphones from the city they'd never seen before: help us conserve energy while the grid is strained. It worked.

• And, what’s left behind as the U.S. exits Afghanistan.
• Plus, why the U.S. covid vaccination rate is stuck.

Guests: Axios' Zach Basu, Tina Reed, and Bryan Walsh.

Credits: Axios Today is produced in partnership with Pushkin Industries. The team includes Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Dan Bobkoff, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Sabeena Singhani, Amy Pedulla, Naomi Shavin, and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com.

You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.