As seasonal rains temporarily subsided, North Korean state media pivoted this week to the latest environmental threat in the country — a heat wave that sent temperatures soaring to near 100 F.

Propaganda authorities also fed the population a steady stream of reports on successful flood prevention efforts after storms last week and government measures to avoid major problems posed by the heat, while turning the focus of their ire toward the “enemy” the U.S.

Meanwhile, official media claimed that the COVID-19 situation in the country is stable, reporting that suspected cases fell to just 1,950 new