FIRST LOOK: 

St. Louis Rainfall Smashes Records, Flooding Kills Person, Puppies: At least one person, and 10 rescue puppies, are dead after torrential rain set off a flash flooding in St. Louis Monday night into Tuesday. More than eight inches of rain fell before 7:00 a.m. yesterday, obliterating the previous 24-hour precipitation record of 6.85" dumped by remnants of the 1915 Galveston Hurricane. St. Louis' rainfall was greater than the combined July and August averages and totals were even higher elsewhere with some locations getting over a foot of rain. City officials said an unidentified man died when his vehicle was submerged under several feet of water. Climate change makes extreme precipitation events worse and more frequent by essentially turning rain clouds into even bigger buckets — because warm air can hold more moisture, more rain can fall more quickly. The deluge, which is moving east and bringing a multi-day flood threat to the Appalachians, is just the latest in a drumbeat of intensifying extreme weather nationally, and around the world. "I can’t help but think of all the residents of Centreville, IL—one of the poorest cities in the nation—whose homes regularly flood with raw sewage during typical rainfall events," Manda Chasteen, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Mesoscale & Microscale Meteorology Laboratory, tweeted Wednesday. A "crisis," she added, "which is hardly limited to Centreville." (St Louis Post-Dispatch, Washington Post $, Axios, CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, NBC, USA Today, NBC; Records: (New York Times $, USA Today; Trends: Yale Climate Connections; Puppies: St Louis Post-Dispatch, Weather Channel; Climate Signals background: Extreme precipitation increase)

Heat Dangers Exacerbated By Common Medications: Numerous common medications may impair the human body's ability to maintain a safe temperature in extreme heat, Yale Climate Connections reports. Medications used to treat an array of conditions ranging from allergies to Parkinson's disease, as well as antipsychotic medications, can interfere with the body's thermostat. Medications used to treat mental illness can also have significant impacts — a cruel irony, given the mounting mental health toll of the climate crisis. These include antidepressants like SSRIs which can increase sweating and thus the risk for dehydration, and TCAs and antipsychotics which can decrease or impair sweating and thus increase risk for heat stroke. (Yale Climate Connections)

2,000+ Cattle Killed By Kansas Heat Overwhelmed Disposal Procedures: Extreme heat in Kases last month killed so many cattle that carcases were dumped in landfills or buried in unlined graves, Reuters reports. Normally processed as pet food or fertilizer, the 2,117 cows that died from heat exhaustion the weekend of June 11 overwhelmed standard operating procedures. Burying cattle in unlined pits is a risky option and last resort because of the potential for waste to seep into groundwater. According to the Global Methane Initiative, landfills are among the top-5 biggest sources of methane emissions, accounting for 11% of all human-caused annual emissions. The damage is not done. Heat has continued to bake the Plains, and the June heatwave continues to take its toll on animals and farmers (and landfill operators) alike. "Cattle are somewhat still struggling," Kansas veterinarian Tera Barnhardt told Reuters. "We really compromised them." (Reuters)

ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE: In San Antonio, the poor live on their own islands of heat (New York Times $), Heat wave takes a toll on Arizona homeless (Reuters), The Barbados rebellion: an island nation’s fight for climate justice (New York Times $)

BIG OIL PROFIT$: Big Oil set for record profit as world hit by fuel cost pain (Bloomberg $)

FOSSIL FUELED WAR: Eurozone crisis in reverse as southern states scold Germany over gas (The Guardian), US officials say 'biggest fear' has come true as Russia cuts gas supplies to Europe (CNN), 

• RATIONING: Facing ‘Putin’s energy Blackmail,’ Europe agrees to cut Russian gas use (New York Times $, Protocol, Wall Street Journal $), EU gas rationing deal draws cheers but it won’t keep you warm this winter (Politico EU), Europe agrees emergency gas curbs, Kyiv says Russia supply curbs are 'price terror' (Reuters), How does the EU plan to cut gas usage by 15% this winter? (The Guardian), What will gas rationing mean for the EU’s energy future? (Energy Monitor)
• GERMANY: How Europe became so dependent on Putin for its gas (Bloomberg $), Germany counts on chilled gas to keep warm over winter (New York Times $), Russia cuts gas supply to German energy giant Uniper even further (OilPrice), Russian gas? Nein danke, says energy self-sufficient German district (Reuters), Germany to reduce financial incentives to buy electric cars (AP)
• US LNG: US becomes world’s largest LNG exporter amid Ukraine war-driven demand, rising gas and power prices (Utility Dive), US LNG exports to Europe on track to surpass Biden promise (Reuters), Protesters rally against new LNG export terminals in Pa., N.J. (The Gazette), 

DENIAL: Climate disinformation leaves lasting mark as world heats (AP)

GAS LEAKS: Persistent natural gas leaks draw scrutiny, inspire calls for action (Texas Climate News)

CHINA: Blackouts in China as heatwave pushes electricity usage to record levels (The Guardian)

BIG NEWS FOR GRID & TRANSMISSION NERDS EXPERTS: MISO approves large grid expansion, paving way for renewables (E&E News), MISO board approves $10.3B transmission plan to support 53 GW of renewables (Utility Dive), Midwest grid greenlights huge US transmission investment to unlock renewables (Politico Pro $)

PHILANTHROPY: Foundations put 'relatively small dollars' into climate (E&E $)

AGENCIES: Judges set ‘regulatory point of no return’ for midnight rules (E&E News), Forest service announces emergency plan to save giant sequoias (Grist)

EPA: 3 issues activists will highlight on Regan's Puerto Rico trip (E&E $)

DOE: DOE announces $2.5B loan to GM, LG Energy JV to support EV growth as US battery manufacturing heats up (Utility Dive), DOE offers $2.5B loan to boost GM’s battery plans (E&E News), DOE sets SPR release as White House hails falling gasoline prices (Politico Pro $), Granholm bemoans loss of tax credits for Manchin energy priorities (Politico Pro $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden continues to tout ‘fund the police’ amid community safety concerns in Black neighborhoods (The Grio)

• HEAT.GOV: Feds hope new website can prevent deaths from worsening heat (AP, Axios, The Hill, Politico Pro $, Protocol, New York Times $)
• GULF WIND: Wind energy in the Gulf gets an unlikely fan: the oil industry (Washington Post $)

THE HILL: Police prep for climate protest at congressional ballgame (E&E News)

HOUSE: Khanna slams Regan for 'refusal' to appear at lead hearing (E&E $), GOP maneuvers to get Biden admin drilling, mining documents (E&E $)

SENATE: Republicans introduce bill to nix social cost of carbon (E&E $), US senators call for sanctions on Russian oil sales to China (Bloomberg $)

ELECTIONS: J.D. Vance compares slavery to abortion (The Root, Ohio Capital Journal), John Fetterman’s evolution on climate change, fracking and the environment (Inside Climate News), Mich. primary fight pits centrist against progressive (E&E News), How can Democrats persuade voters they’re not a party of rich elites? (New York Times $), Pa. Democrat [Josh Shapiro] makes case for natural gas in climate fight (E&E $), Trump officials hold summit to plan Republican takeover (E&E News)

TRIBES: A call for Native bodily autonomy (Atmos), Pope: Church must take institutional blame for harm done to indigenous Canadians (Reuters)

CITIES AND STATES: Behind a billion-dollar bid to save Lower Manhattan (Bloomberg $)

• CALIFORNIA: California too slow to help Valley communities with tainted drinking water, auditor says (Sacramento Bee $, AP), Nearly 1 million Californians drink tainted water, state finds (Bloomberg $), California scorns fossil fuel but can’t keep the lights on without it (Politico Pro $)

IMPACTS: Droughts and more wildfires may be next for Britain after record heat wave (Washington Post $), Europe’s record summer of heat and fires – visualised (The Guardian), For climate migrants in Bangladesh, town offers new life (AP), Rising seas and housing demand threaten Maine’s biggest marsh (Bangor Daily News), Climate change and vanishing islands threaten brown pelicans (AP), Extreme weather is soaking New York City. Community gardens can help. (New York Times $)

HEAT: How likely would Britain’s 40°C heatwave have been without climate change? (The Conversation),  A heat wave is not a holiday in the sun (Bloomberg $), The UK's hottest day destroyed their homes. They fear it's a sign of worse ahead (CNN), UK cities need to prepare for future wildfires, say fire chiefs (The Guardian), Zoe' becomes the world’s first named heat wave (E&E $)

• PNW: Seattle and Portland are sizzling in hottest weather of the summer (Washington Post $), ‘Pretty hot’ - Northwest swelters under multiday heat wave (AP), A heat wave is going to pummel the Pacific Northwest this week (Gizmodo), Northwest swelters under ‘uncomfortable’ multiday heat wave (AP)
• GREENLAND ICE: A striking satellite image shows a major Greenland meltdown (Gizmodo)

DROUGHT: Third set of human remains found at Lake Mead amid drought, National Park Service says (CNN, New York Times $, Washington Post $, ABC), England faces hosepipe ban if hot and dry weather continues (FT $), Mexico declares state of emergency over worsening drought (NBC)

WILDFIRES: Wildfires once led to mass extinction, scientists say. Can it happen again? (LA Times $), Wildfires breaking out across the world (Reuters factbox), ‘Parks are wild by nature’: Yosemite visitors undeterred by raging forest fires (The Guardian), Stopping wildfires before they start (New York Times $), At Yosemite, a preservation plan that calls for chain saws (New York Times $)

• OAK FIRE: 'Extreme behavior': First major wildfire devours dry forests (E&E $), California man escapes wildfire with his life but loses home (Reuters), California's Oak Fire destroys at least 41 structures as it burns more than 18,000 acres near Yosemite National Park (CNN), Crews make progress against destructive fire near Yosemite (AP)

DEFORESTATION: How deforestation is pushing the Amazon toward a tipping point (Washington Post $)

RENEWABLES: US clean energy installations down 55% on climate bill fail, trade issues -report (Reuters, Politico Pro $, Reuters), Community solar appeal: An expensive delay tactic or customer protection? (New Mexico Political Report), Europe needs faster renewables growth rate to reach climate goals (Reuters), Japan and South Korea hit solar generation records in may (Bloomberg $), New perovskite solar cell lasts a record-breaking 30 years (E&E $), Newsom pushes for 20 GW offshore wind goal by 2045, says California must ‘up our game’ on climate (Utility Dive), Storm-ravaged Bahamas rebuilding its power grid with emphasis on solar energy (CBS), US solar company plans panel factory in Panama to challenge Asia (Reuters), US solar industry jobs rose 9% in 2021, mainly in installation (Reuters), Unexploded bomb discovery flags growing challenge for offshore wind (E&E News)

BUILDINGS: Germany earmarks up to $14 billion to make buildings more energy-efficient (Reuters)

STORAGE: Grid energy storage is still pulling in big bucks, recession be damned (Canary Media), New Bloom Energy fuel cell factory expected to produce over 1 GW a year amid rising reliability threats (Utility Dive)

OIL & GAS: Congo peat swamps store three years of global carbon emissions – imminent oil drilling could release it (The Conversation), Countries agree on mandatory gas cut regulation: Document (Politico Pro $), Guyana moves ahead with Q3 oil block auction, hopes to attract new explorers (Reuters), Oil slips as investors weigh demand outlook ahead of Fed meet (Bloomberg $), US natgas up 3% after hitting 14-yr high ahead of contract rollover (Reuters)

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND SUVS: Why expensive gasoline is here to stay (Politico)

PIPELINES: East African governments clash with environmentalists over new oil pipeline (OilPrice), How new pipeline rules aim to overhaul cybersecurity (E&E $)

COAL: 3 reasons US coal power is disappearing – and a Supreme Court ruling won’t save it (The Conversation), Court tosses greens' challenge to Oklahoma coal ash program (Politico Pro $), Mining firms blow cold on India's plan to dig deep for coal (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

LNG: China going quiet on LNG hides risk that may upend global market (Bloomberg $)

HYDROGEN: Global nuclear hydrogen group forms (Axios)

UTILITIES: Renewables giant NextEra could double portfolio by 2025 (E&E $)

GRID: Anschutz’s TransWest project applies to join CAISO in bid to send wind power from Wyoming to California (Utility Dive)

EVs: EV battery plants in US anticipate boost from $2.5B federal loan (Canary Media), Got questions about EV ownership? These GM tutors have answers (Axios), Race to secure battery metals heats up as GM, Ford ink deals (Bloomberg $), Solar-powered electric vehicles move one step closer to market (Protocol)

SPORT: Meet the athletes going to bat against climate change (CNN)

AVIATION: The mustard seed that can fuel airplanes (Yale Climate Connections)

WORKERS: Why tech workers are quitting great jobs at companies like Google to fight climate change (CNBC)

RELIGION: ‘A moral imperative’: how Southern ministers are trying to change minds about the climate crisis (The Guardian)

FINANCE: BlackRock pulls back support for climate and social resolutions (FT $), Interlinked climate risks could ripple through euro zone, ECB study says (Reuters), Return of coal a threat to European companies' ESG ratings (Reuters), They helped create ESG. Two decades later, some see a mess. (E&E News)

WILDLIFE: US could require steps for dams to save last Atlantic salmon (AP)

INTERNATIONAL: Anthony Albanese rules out banning fossil fuel projects, citing risk to Australian economy (The Guardian)

• Congress fiddles as the world (literally) burns (Bangor Daily News, Editorial Board)
• It's hot as hell, and this meteorologist isn't taking it anymore (CNN, Judson Jones op-ed)
• We’re occupying schools across the world to protest climate inaction (The Guardian, Youth activists involved in End Fossil: Occupy! op-ed)
• Where there's muck there's brass ... and critical minerals (Reuters, Andy Home column)
• Who says China has locked in the EV supply chain? (Bloomberg, Anjani Trivedi op-ed $)
• Labour is being too cautious on public ownership - it’s pragmatic policy (The Guardian, Cat Hobbs op-ed)
• Global central banking goes on trial. in Australia (Bloomberg, Daniel Moss op-ed $)
• Climate and industrial innovation: Thermal energy solutions needed (The Hill, Marty Spitzer op-ed)
• Where should the climate movement go next? (The Nation, Thea Riofrancos op-ed)
• Biden’s big, bold, surprising plan for a green transition (I hope) (New York Times, Thomas Friedman op-ed $)
• How historic redlining led to extreme heat in the Watts community (LA Times, Bharat Venkat op-ed $)
• With crisis everywhere, do democracies have an edge? (New York Times, Max Fisher commentary $)

Freespoke: Latest Rightwing Propaganda Effort Disguised As Free Speech Opposition to Big Tech

The only thing rich people who spread disinformation seem to like more than not paying taxes and polluting the planet and perpetuating the patriarchy and reinforcing systemic racism, is funding projects to serve as conservative copy-cats of the respected institutions they attack. 

PragerU pretends to be a university, Fox pretends to be news, Gab pretends to be Twitter, and the latest? Freespoke, which says it's "showing what Google won't," which means it brings you all the subpar, low-quality conservative content you might want. 

Freespoke CEO Todd Ricketts spoke about his desire to inject propaganda into search results in a podcast with the Koch-funded Daily Signal, though of course Ricketts, Tax-dodging finance chair of the RNC, couched it in terms of just giving people information in an unbiased manner. Ricketts, for those who don't know, explains early on that he owes his wealth and success to the "deregulation of brokerage commissions" that allowed his father to amass billions of dollars. You know, The American Dream.

In between the lavishing of praise of Ricketts for his "great success" of co-owning the Chicago Cubs and for "currently serving as a member of the board of directors for Charles Schwab and previously [as] a member of the board at TD Ameritrade, a company that your father founded, as you said, in 1975…", host Rob Bluey does manage to ask a question or two of the man who he says has "obviously seen success in the business world" that, we'll remind you, was because he saw his dad run TD Ameritrade. 

On COVID and climate misinformation, Bluey says "Big Tech platforms are promising" to combat it (though they're not, really) but "why is it important to provide people with the facts and let them think for themselves?" (What a hardball question!) 

Ricketts says that "It goes back to that old saying: One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter." Oh, cool, so Ricketts sees himself as an information terrorist! 

"When you get into this world of what you consider misinformation," he continued, "it’s a little scary to think that there’s some 25-year-old kid in Silicon Valley that gets to decide that." 

Except obviously it's not some 25 year old kid, it's a global consensus of scientists! But apparently he thinks being scientifically accurate is akin to "thought police," and often says "I'm not a denier, but I like to have an honest conversation."

Just like every sentence that ever began with "I'm not racist, but…" this one debunks itself. 

So we'll just move on to the website itself, which is explicit in marking outlets as "left" (with a donkey" center, or rightwing, and for example takes stands on important issues like workers calling out in protest of Dave Chappelle's hatespeech-as-comedy by making it a "freespoke story" because "Freespoke doesn't cancel people, including comedians." 

Like how RealClear is designed to launder conservative propaganda into news streams, FreeSpoke includes information and disinformation side by side, debasing the former while elevating the latter. 

Which means that if you're looking for a search engine specifically for disinformation, to see what liars are saying about wind power or ESG or whatever, you can just use google with a long string of " OR site: " queries, or a bespoke top 10 climate disinfo outlet searcher we just made.  

All that said, we will end this by pointing out that there are plenty of good reasons to be skeptical of Google's monopolistic control of search and advertising! But that they're not making life easier for conservative propagandists spreading disinformation is not one of them. 

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