Fires Devastate Historic Hawaiian Town: Rampaging wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed at least 36 people and devastated Lahaina, the former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom and a popular tourism destination. The fires, supercharged as though with a bellows by winds from Hurricane Dora hundreds of miles away, are incinerating fuel desiccated by months of drought. Lahaina was an important political and cultural center even before the foundation of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1795, and was a central point of resistance against American occupation and annexation, as well as the displacement of subsistence fishing by the whaling industry, in the late 19th century. “Our home is on fire right now. There needs to be more action and more investment,” Kaniela Ing, co-founder of the Native Hawaiian-focused organization Our Hawaii and a seventh-generation Kānaka Maoli, or indigenous Hawaiian, told NBC. “People hit first and worse by the climate crisis tend to be Black, indigenous and low income. Yet we’re the keepers of the knowledge of how to build a society that wouldn’t cause ecological collapse and societal doom.” (Lahaina devastation: NBC, Hawaii News Now, KHON; Drought and climate change: New York Times $, Washington Post $; Additional coverage: The Conversation, AP, USA Today, Reuters, Washington Post $, The Independent, CNN; Climate Signals background: Wildfires, Drought)

Persian Gulf Region Suffers Under Brutal Heat: Extremely warm waters in the Persian Gulf are pushing temperatures in the region to superlative-defying heights. Temperatures hit 122°F in Iraq, where drought and "oil industry excess" have set off a water crisis, killing off livestock and destroying crop harvests. Heat indices in the region have regularly topped 140°F in recent weeks and coastal Iran hit 158°F on Tuesday. In Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City, night time "low" heat indices have remained above 100°F. (Iraq heat: Reuters; Iraq water crisis: AP; Gulf region: Washington Post $; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves)

Extreme Heat Threatens Reproductive Care: Extreme heat is making it harder to control when and whether to become pregnant by potentially limiting access to effective contraception, The 19th* reports. Condoms and emergency contraception pills (as well as pregnancy tests) can be damaged and rendered ineffective by extreme heat, and the already-high stakes involved are raised even higher in states that have cracked down on abortion care in the wake of the Supreme Court conservative supermajority's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health last year. Condoms can be damaged by 122°F heat, or if stored above 104°F for an extended period of time and emergency contraception should be transported at temperatures no higher than 86°F. That's especially dangerous in Texas with its six-week abortion ban. “One thing we’ve always stressed is do not keep [reproductive health] kits in your car, especially in Texas heat,” Graci D’Amore, of the Texas group Jane’s Due Process, told The 19th*. “It’s 120 degrees in the car, and Plan B needs to be kept at below 80 degrees for it to maintain efficacy.” Texas' electrical grid, strained by this summer's extreme heat, is also complicating matters. “The fear and threat of the [power] grid failing — I think it’s on everyone’s mind,” D’Amore added. (The 19th*, Texas heat: Washington Post $; Texas grid: CBS, Houston Chronicle; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves)

ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE: These Louisiana sisters took their fight against big industry in ‘Cancer Alley’ to court — and won (The 19th* News), Heat sparking concerns for Texas inmates in prisons without air conditioning (CBS), Millions struggle to pay AC bills in heat waves. Federal aid reaches only a fraction (AP), This community will get $5M due to Shell’s petrochemical pollution — just don’t call it charity (Environmental Health News)

LNG: Driftwood LNG’s last export contract craters, leaving $25 billion project’s future in doubt (The Advocate)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Rainforest countries form pact to demand conservation cash from rich nations (Reuters), Summit to save the Amazon from ‘the point of no return’ yields mixed results (Grist), Amazon leaders fail to commit to end deforestation by 2030 (The Guardian, Climate Home), Amazon nations sign rainforest protection agreement, but don’t agree on deforestation deadline (EcoWatch)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: New tax rules can save you thousands on home renovations (Wall Street Journal $)

AGENCIES: DOJ: Toss states’ lawsuit over flood insurance rates (E&E $), OSHA, Norfolk Southern broker safety deal at East Palestine cleanup site (E&E $, The Hill)

EPA: Biden's EPA makes power moves to curb carbon emissions (Axios), Environmentalists urge EPA to tweak power plant rule (E&E $), States that toppled Obama carbon rule say Biden made same mistakes (E&E $), Utilities say EPA power plant rule isn’t ready (E&E News)

DOE: Biden-backed bus maker got millions in US aid before bankruptcy (Bloomberg $)

WHITE HOUSE: White House announces new national system to track heat-related illness (Axios, NBC), White House unveils wage rule for federal projects, in win for unions (Washington Post $), Joe Biden’s new monument near the Grand Canyon stops some — but not all — uranium mining (The Verge, HuffPost), Biden highlights economic transformation at New Mexico wind tower plant (Reuters, New York Times $), Biden picks on Boebert in clean energy manufacturing speech (The Hill)

• PRACTICALLY SPEAKING: Biden claims his economic policies are reviving manufacturing, making his case at a wind farm plant (AP, The Guardian, Washington Post $, E&E News, CNN, Bloomberg $, The Hill, Politico, Truthout, The Grio, Common Dreams)

THE HILL: Congress let a '‘vital' chemical security program die. What now? (E&E $)

ELECTIONS: Split screen: Biden addresses heat; Trump vows to expand oil (E&E $)

CITIES AND STATES: A billion-dollar coastal project begins in Louisiana. Will it work as sea levels rise? (AP), Closure of 3 Southern California power plants likely to be postponed, state energy officials decide (AP)

FERC: FERC approves ITC Midwest transmission incentive despite uncertainty over Iowa’s ROFR law (Utility Dive)

IMPACTS: Glacial flooding, wildfires and hailstorms cause havoc across the world  – video (The Guardian), EU leader promises aid and support to flood-ravaged Slovenia during visit (AP), No quick fix to reverse Antarctic sea ice loss as warming intensifies - scientists (Reuters), Severe thunderstorms in first half of 2023 caused record amount in damages: research (The Hill), High ocean temperatures are harming the Florida coral reef. Rescue crews are racing to help (AP), Mega storms threaten to flood wastewater plants (AP), Norwegians prepare for more flooding and destruction after days of heavy rain (AP)

• INSURANCE: US insurers invested in fossil fuels as climate risks to underwriting mount -report (Reuters), Unprecedented levels of damage from storms this year is upending US towns and the insurance industry (AP), Swiss Re says natural catastrophe insured losses hit $50 bln in H1 (Reuters)
• VECTOR-BORNE DISEASE: Zika, dengue transmission expected to rise with climate change (Mongabay), Climate change may worsen spread of West Nile Virus: What to know (Washington Post $)

(MENTAL) HEALTH: The effect of climate change on mental health (ABC), Study warns of link between air pollution, antibiotic-resistant pathogens (Washington Post $)

HEAT: As US swelters under extreme heat, how will the temperatures affect students? (CBS), How is climate change driving dangerous 'wet-bulb' temperatures? (Reuters explainer), Cuba records hottest month since 1951, straining electric grid (Reuters), Dam in Norway partially bursts after days of heavy rain, flooding and evacuations (AP), Earth just had its hottest month ever. How six cities are coping. (Wall Street Journal $), The heroic effort to save Florida’s coral reef from devastating ocean heat (The Conversation), Heat, war and trade protections raise uncertainty for food prices (New York Times $)

• BODY AND MIND: What extreme heat does to your body (New York Times $), Heat singes the mind, not just the body (New York Times $)

WILDFIRES: Drone video shows Russia's coldest city choking on smog from wildfires – video (The Guardian), Yellow jerseys of the fireline: A day fighting wildfires can require as much endurance as riding the Tour de France (The Conversation)

HURRICANES: What new data reveal about how hurricanes kill (Yale Climate Connections)

(DE)FORESTATION: A tree grows in Birmingham (Inside Climate News), Pledges to save Amazon rainforest threatened by railways and roads (Context)

RENEWABLES: Bird-friendly offshore wind is possible, National Wildlife Federation advocate says (Yale Climate Connections), Morocco tenders for 400 MW solar plant in Atlas Mountains (Reuters), Wind executive: 'We were really struggling' before climate law (E&E $)

• WORKERS: They got jobs in the growing solar industry – but the reality was less sunny than they expected (The Guardian)

BATTERIES: Computer science can help farmers explore alternative crops and sustainable farming methods (The Conversation)

STORAGE: Energy Vault signs gravity energy storage license agreement with US renewable developer (Utility Dive)

OIL & GAS: EIA hikes forecast for record US oil production (E&E $), European gas jumps most since March 2022 on LNG strike vote (Bloomberg $)

PLASTICS: The toughest plastic bag ban is failing: A tale of smugglers, dumps and dying goats (NPR)

PIPELINES: Canada to sell pipeline stake to Indigenous groups through special vehicle (Bloomberg $)

KELP: The kelp business is booming. Can regulators keep up? (Grist)

UTILITIES: Northeast utility exits gas group to pursue ‘decarbonization’ (E&E $), Duke looks to climate law as it preps gas, renewable plans (E&E $), Minnesota electric co-ops seek $970M in federal clean energy funds (Energy News Network), Consumers Energy exploring possible sale of 13 hydroelectric dams across Michigan (AP)

GRID: You and your neighbors, a virtual power plant? Growing effort is money-saving and climate friendly (PolitiFact)

EVs: Ford delaying production goals for electric vehicles (CBS), General Motors equips EVs to supply power to homes (E&E $), GM throws down luxury SUV gauntlet with $130,000 Escalade IQ EV (Bloomberg $), If you’re seeing more Rivians, here’s why (Heatmap $), Next roadblock for electric cars: Early adopter era is over (Axios), Next stop for rural EV charging: Dairy farms (E&E $), Tesla bets $76M on wireless EV charging. Can the tech go mainstream? (Canary Media)

ACTIVISM: The activists risking jail to raise the alarm on climate change (The Guardian), Biden's first climate czar, Gina McCarthy, is getting a big new gig (Washington Post $)

AVIATION: What was once a weed could fuel jet engines (Wall Street Journal $)

FILM: ‘King Coal’ review: Heavy is the crown (New York Times $)

SHIPPING: Shipping company ordered to pay $2.25M after discharging oily bilge off Rhode Island (AP)

REPOST, RETWEET, RECYCLE: How the ‘circular economy’ went from environmentalist dream to marketing buzzword (Grist)

GETTING DIRTY: Don’t overthink gardening (The Atlantic)

EDUCATION: Climate education that builds hope and agency, not fear (Eos)

WILDLIFE: World’s oldest moss could go extinct as a result of climate crisis (The Guardian)

INTERNATIONAL: Fury as Alberta cuts renewables during Canada’s worst fire season ever (The Guardian), How floods and extreme heat could test China’s one-party system (Washington Post $), House of Lords launches inquiry into UK's electric car transition (Reuters), India succeeds in reducing emissions rate by 33% over 14 years - sources (Reuters), Tory peer Zac Goldmith says he could be tempted to back Labour on climate (The Guardian)

• Deadly Texas blackouts during 2021 freeze were caused by greed, not the cold, lawsuits allege (Houston Chronicle, Chris Tomlinson column)
• The Australian government admits its funding is supporting the gas industry. That’s politically risky (The Guardian, Adam Morton analysis)
• Affordable energy in West Virginia starts with economic dispatch (Utility Dive, Ashtin Massie, Maria Castillo, and Joe Daniel op-ed)
• Coal country voters demand nothing from the GOP. that’s what they get. (Washington Post, Paul Waldman column $)
• Right-wing 'herd immunity' logic has infiltrated US politics and public health (Truthout, Danny Katch op-ed)
• Another Biden speech in need of clarification (Wall Street Journal, James Freeman op-ed $)
• Ohio’s vote shows Republicans are still losing on abortion (Bloomberg, Jonathan Bernstein column $)
• Our planet in hot water (WBUR, Our planet in hot water)
• Reflecting on Ferguson and the death of Mike Brown 9 years later (NewsOne, Tory Russell op-ed)
• China’s unwavering commitment to coal is a bucket of cold water over green global visions (The Hill, Vijay Jayaraj op-ed)
• Geopolitical climate denialism (Wall Street Journal, Walter Russell Mead op-ed $)

Deniers Bug Out Over Pres. Biden's Weather Channel Interview Calling Climate Change An 'Existential Threat'

The Weather Channel broadcast an interview with the President of The United States of America yesterday from the Grand Canyon, during which the Commander and Chief said he'd "practically" declared a National Climate Emergency, and called climate "the existential threat to humanity." 

Now obviously fossil-fuel funded, partisan media isn't going to just uncritically carry that message, and nor should they, because "practically" declaring and actually declaring a national emergency are two very different things! 

But we never could've guessed what caught their attention instead.  

“Biden Brushes Bug Off Meteorologist's Chest,” blared the Daily Caller headline for Brianna Lyman's story, complete with a picture of the apparently newsworthy moment. They even added a red circle to the image, apparently worried their readers wouldn't otherwise know where to look. 

Fox followed suit, with both a video snippet and "story" on its website about this unremarkable incident. It apparently took three Fox staffers to write out what happened in the 42-second clip, with Hanna Panreck getting the main byline and both Lindsey Kornick and Danielle Wallace receiving credit for contributing to the report. 

The Washington Examiner confirmed the trend, with social media producer Asher Notheis also going with the bug angle and even choosing "You have a bug on you" as the headline quote about this interview in which the President addressed an "existential threat" to humanity. 

Now maybe it's just a coincidence that all these outlets just so happened to seize on this moment. 

Or maybe it's that all three of these outlets are conservative propaganda machines, not real media organizations! 

The Daily Caller just about gave away the game: while the Examiner describes the bug as being "near her shoulder," which it was, the Daily Caller headline (and text) describe it as being on her "chest." Lyman closes her write-up of the 2023 presidential interview on climate change after the hottest month in recorded history by linking back to a 2019 story noting that "Biden has also been accused by several women of inappropriately touching them." 

But it was Murdoch's New York Post that, perhaps predictably, was least subtle about it. Snejana Farberov's story, published before the others, seems to have set the narrative: “Handsy President Biden brushes bug off Stephanie Abrams' chest during Weather Channel interview.” Unlike the follow-ups, Farberov laid it on thick, making the third sentence of the story "Biden — who has long been accused of being overly touchy — was dodging a question about why he has not declared the climate a national emergency when he spotted the errant insect crawling on Abrams’ suit jacket." 

So maybe four different outlets all took the same editorial decision to highlight a bug brush-off because that's what they felt was most journalistically relevant, or maybe they're trying to make it seem like President Biden groped a reporter during an interview under the guise of brushing off a bug, knowing their audiences will take the bait.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to receive Hot News every morning!

Send updates or feedback to nkauffman@climatenexus.org
Submit events and other items for consideration for a First Look using this form
Some articles require logins or subscriptions ($)