Today at 11am ET/5pm CEST, join the World Resources Institute for a press briefing that will distill the major takeaways of the Inflation Reduction Act, what it means for the US ambitions to achieve its 2030 emissions reduction target, and how it may affect the global climate policy debate in the months ahead. Register here!

Climate bill passes Senate, heads to House: After nearly 18 months of negotiations and an all-night vote-a-rama, cheers and “dancing” in the streets broke out Sunday after Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote and the US Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill invests around $370 billion in climate and energy programs, which three independent analyses suggest could enable the US to cut climate pollution by about 40% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. Though less than Biden’s original vision and the $2.2 trillion measure the House passed in November, it still represents the largest investment in climate change in the country’s history. Republicans, who upped Biden's defense budget to $810 billion, attacked the bill as “a reckless tax and spending spree” during the negotiations, but analysis finds the legislation would reduce the federal deficit and have a limited impact on federal spending. The House could approve the bill as early as Friday, when representatives plan to return to Washington. (Reuters, NBC News, PBS NewsHour, CNBC, MSNBC, AP, CNN,  Vox, Grist, Sky News,  Politico $, The Atlantic $, New York Times(1) $, New York Times(2) $, Wall Street Journal $, LA Times $, Bloomberg $, CNBC, The Hill(1), The Hill (2), Explainers: New York Times $, Wall Street Journal $, Bloomberg(1) $, Bloomberg(2) $, Vox, Reuters, Washington Examiner) 

China cuts off climate talks as part of response to Pelosi’s Taiwan trip: China declared it was stopping all dialogue with the US on major issues, including climate, as it looks to retaliate for the diplomatic sleight of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. The move threatens to derail cooperation between the world’s two largest climate polluters, collectively responsible for about 40% of the world’s climate pollution. “[Y]ou can freeze talks, [but] you cannot freeze climate impacts,” Laurence Tubiana, chief executive of the European Climate Foundation and architect of the Paris climate agreement told the Guardian. While the US is now poised to pass the most significant climate legislation ever, China’s leader Xi Jinping has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. (NPR, Reuters, South China Morning Post, Gizmodo, AP, The Guardian, Bloomberg $, Politico $) 

Record rainfall strands at least 1,000 in Death Valley National Park: Typically dry Death Valley National Park was hit with a record amount of rain over the weekend, which triggered flash floods, stranding park employees and visitors as all roads were forced to close and vehicles were washed away. The inch and a half of rain that fell in the 3.4 million acre park this weekend represents about 75% of the park's typical total of 2 inches per year. The flood is the latest in a series of abnormally heavy rain events in the US. Over the week spanning the end of July and beginning of August, three 1-in-1,000 year rain events occurred — in St. Louis, Kentucky, and Illinois. The number of record-breaking extreme precipitation events globally has significantly increased in recent decades, and scientists have documented the fingerprint of global warming in this pattern. (AP, CNN, Axios, LA Times $, Washington Post $, Climate Signals: Extreme precipitation)

KENTUCKY: More storms forecasted for flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky (AP), Electric F-150 Lightnings save the day with power in Kentucky flood response (Electrek)

CITIES AND STATES: Farm owner and Indiana rural electric cooperative celebrate massive new solar array (Energy News Network)

IMPACTS: Climate change causing poorer fitness in children: study (The Hill), Climate change leading to more childhood obesity with less physical activity, study finds (WWBT)

FLOODS: How floods become human catastrophes (New York Times $)

HEAT: I felt like I was going to pass out': UPS drivers are furious over dangerous heat inside trucks (Gizmodo), Climate change is turning air conditioning into a matter of life and death. But government help is lacking. (Chicago Tribune), Chaos after heat crashes computers at leading London hospitals (The Guardian)

WILDFIRES: Firefighters keep wildfire out of evacuated Washington town (AP)

WATER: Due to climate change, Nevada says goodbye to grass (CBS)

RENEWABLES: ‘Clean energy’ hiring expands in red and blue states. Enter your zip code to see if jobs are near you. (MarketWatch)

CONSUMERS: Here's how the Inflation Reduction Act's rebates and tax credits for heat pumps and solar can lower your energy bill (Marketwatch), How the climate bill could save you money on electricity, cars and appliances (CNN)

SOLAR: The US climate bill could make now the best time to go solar (Bloomberg $), ‘Community Lighthouses’ powered by the sun and volunteers (AP)

ETHANOL: Ethanol industry wants to bury its carbon, but some farmers stand in the way (Wall Street Journal $)

PHILANTHROPY: How US Jewish philanthropies sprung from oil fortunes are handling climate change (Times of Israel)

OIL & GAS: Manchin’s donors include pipeline giants that win in his climate deal (New York Times $)

INSURANCE: As climate change threatens more homes, some properties are getting too costly to insure (CNBC)

BICYCLES: The other electric vehicle: e-bikes gain ground for Americans avoiding gas cars (Wall Street Journal $)

EVs: Electrifying transportation reduces emissions AND saves massive amounts of energy (Yale Climate Connections), Ford expands EV battery sourcing pool as supply concerns mount (Utility Dive)

CELEBRITIES: Celebrities criticized for private jet CO2 emissions (NBC News)

INTERNATIONAL: Iraq broils in dangerous 120-degree heat as power grid shuts down (Washington Post $), Cuban oil-storage terminal rocked by explosions, injuring dozens (Wall Street Journal $), ‘Most severe’ drought grips France as extreme heat persists in Europe (New York Times $)

• It’s time to end the climate change debate (San Diego Union-Tribune, Steven P. Dinkin op-ed)

• Senate Democrats strike a blow against cynicism — and hopelessness (Washington Post, E.J. Dionne Jr. column $)

• Bill Gates: we’re on the verge of a remarkable moment for congress and the country (New York Times, Bill Gates op-ed $)

• Joe Manchin’s legacy now depends on permitting reform (Wall Street Journal, C. Boyden Gray and Michael Buschbacher op-ed $)

• Climate change makes Appalachian life even harder. So why do we stay? (Washington Post, Silas House op-ed $)

• Climate change is an emergency. Biden should use his executive powers to do more (LA Times, Editorial Board editorial $)

• We will all end up paying for someone else’s beach house (New York Times, Francis Wilkinson op-ed $)

• Offshore wind key to combating climate change (Long Island Press, Karl Grossman op-ed)

• Natural gas is better than many environmentalists admit (Bloomberg, Matthew Yglesias column $)

[Editor's Note: The Denier Roundup will return tomorrow!]

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