Dharna Noor

A Court Accountability analysis found that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito earned between roughly $390,000 and $2.9m from oil and gas interests between 2005 and 2024. Much of the gain came from mineral rights in Oklahoma held by his wife and inherited ExxonMobil stock. The findings have prompted watchdog groups to call for a Senate investigation and for Alito to recuse himself from an upcoming case involving Suncor Energy and Exxon’s claims that federal law bars local climate lawsuits against fossil fuel producers. The Supreme Court and Alito rejected or disputed the calls, while the court has said recusal is not required because Alito no longer holds stock in the companies directly named in the case. The article also details Alito’s record of rulings favoring fossil fuel interests and notes that he has not yet filed his 2025 financial disclosure.

Progressive climate organizer William Lawrence won the Democratic primary in Michigan’s competitive 7th Congressional District, defeating former ambassador Bridget Brink and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam. He will face Republican incumbent Tom Barrett in November. Lawrence’s campaign centered on pausing AI datacenter construction, alongside universal healthcare, higher taxes on billionaires, ending the war in Iran and stopping arms sales to Israel. Backed by Bernie Sanders, Rashida Tlaib and Abdul El-Sayed, Lawrence portrayed the result as a rejection of Silicon Valley billionaires and Washington insiders; the district is rated a toss-up.

Climate activists are organizing demonstrations and meetings in at least 20 US states to pressure Democrats to discuss the climate crisis more prominently during the congressional recess. The campaign challenges “climate hushing,” the strategy of emphasizing affordability while avoiding climate policy for fear of alienating voters. Recent polling and academic research cited in the report suggest that climate messaging is neutral or beneficial for Democratic candidates, while most Americans remain concerned about global warming and increasingly severe extreme weather. Activists argue that avoiding the issue abandons a major public concern and weakens political pressure for action.

Donald Trump delivered more than an hour of remarks at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, shifting from light jokes to partisan attacks on Democrats, journalists and media organizations. He singled out CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey, repeated familiar political claims, defended his planned White House ballroom and mocked opponents, with much of the room responding silently. The live coverage also reported on new US tariffs, lawsuits challenging the administration’s policies, tensions involving Iran, the DNC’s choice of South Carolina to lead its 2028 primary calendar, and a temporary halt to the proposed Warner Bros–Paramount merger.

Twenty-five Democratic attorneys general, led by California’s Rob Bonta, sued the Trump administration in federal court in Rhode Island over conditions attached to more than $740 million in FEMA and homeland-security grants. The lawsuit alleges that requirements involving voter citizenship verification, post-election audits, and cooperation with immigration raids unlawfully use disaster funding to impose the administration’s election and immigration policies. FEMA characterized the suit as partisan opposition to commonsense election-security measures. The attorneys general have previously won related challenges, and a Trump-appointed judge ruled that withholding program funding for political reasons was unlawful.

Donald Trump announced that nearly 200 companies, utilities, data-center developers and other entities have signed his non-binding Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which the White House says will prevent consumers from bearing the cost of expanding AI infrastructure. The initiative now reportedly covers 80% of US electricity distribution and has the backing of 23 Republican governors. The pledge comes as utility prices rise and opposition to data centers grows over costs, environmental effects and community impacts, including calls for moratoria from New York, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Texas governor Greg Abbott. Environmental organizations Sierra Club and Evergreen Action dismissed the pledge as voluntary, unenforceable and unlikely to lower household electricity bills.

Most Americans, including nearly half of Republicans, believe extreme weather has increased and link events such as wildfires, droughts, flooding, hurricanes and especially heatwaves to climate change. Polling by Data for Progress indicates wide bipartisan support for workplace heat protections, with 88% of likely voters favoring requirements such as access to water, shade and breaks. Experts from Yale note the findings align with earlier research but highlight persistent misconceptions about the causes of climate change. Advocates argue the data shows strong public backing for climate and worker‑safety policies, even as federal action on heat standards has stalled.

The United States is facing simultaneous election-security, public-health and environmental crises that the article attributes largely to Trump administration policies. Workforce reductions and funding cuts have weakened election cybersecurity, disease surveillance and scientific research, while regulatory rollbacks and support for fossil fuels have increased climate and pollution risks. The piece also highlights outbreaks of cyclospora, measles and new world screwworm, arguing that delayed federal action and reduced public-health resources are worsening their impact.

Nearly one‑fifth of World Cup 2026 matches took place in heat conditions that the global players’ union considers unsafe, with several additional games played in cities experiencing extreme temperatures despite stadium cooling systems. Data analysis shows wet bulb globe temperatures in many venues reaching thresholds associated with health risks for players, spectators and staff. Experts warn that worsening climate conditions challenge the safety and feasibility of major tournaments, with recent heatwaves across the United States intensifying concerns. Fifa implemented hydration breaks and meteorological monitoring, but analysts stress the need for greater protection measures, especially for those outside cooled stadiums. Rising global temperatures may further complicate future World Cups hosted in already heat‑prone regions.

The Trump administration’s Justice Department sent letters to election officials in all 50 states threatening potential criminal charges unless they provide voter-registration lists, despite courts rejecting efforts to compel states such as Maryland to hand over the data. State officials and election-law experts condemned the move as intimidation and an effort to promote unsupported claims about noncitizen voting. The live coverage also reported Graham Platner’s formal withdrawal from Maine’s Senate race, congressional scrutiny of an ICE shooting in Texas, allegations that FEMA resources were diverted to immigration enforcement, the dismissal of the Proud Boys’ seditious-conspiracy case, new Iran sanctions, and a bipartisan Senate agreement with the White House on Russia sanctions legislation. Other developments included a joint fundraising committee formed by Pennsylvania senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick, new White House security construction, and a political attack ad targeting progressive candidate Will Lawrence.

Matthew Wielicki, a climate science skeptic and former geochemist, has been appointed to lead the US Global Change Research Program and oversee the National Climate Assessment, a key federal climate report. His selection follows widespread cuts to climate research under the Trump administration, including shutting down access to prior assessments and dismissing contributors. Scientists and advocacy groups warn that placing a climate science denier in this role threatens the integrity of the nation’s most important climate assessments, while scientific organizations move to fill research gaps created by federal rollbacks.

The Trump administration has directed billions of dollars toward canceling offshore wind projects, extending coal plants and supporting fossil-fuel infrastructure. Critics argue that the policy benefits fossil-fuel companies and political donors while imposing costs on taxpayers and raising electricity bills by preserving coal generation, which is generally more expensive than renewable power. Administration officials defend the spending as necessary for reliable energy and say offshore wind projects depended on subsidies, while critics point to evidence that coal is costlier, more polluting and economically unviable without government support.

A 40-minute Fourth of July fireworks display in Washington, DC, involving more than 850,000 fireworks launched from 10 sites, caused particulate matter levels to rise to 6.7 times pre-display levels. All 26 monitored sensors reached air-quality levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, with pollution peaking about five hours after the show and remaining elevated for several more hours. Southwest DC was most affected, while thunderstorms later helped prevent an even worse outcome. The event occurred during an extreme heatwave and amid the Trump administration’s rollback of pollution controls, prompting concerns about public health and the need for broader real-time monitoring.

A heat dome is producing unusually dangerous heat and humidity across the central and eastern United States and parts of southern Canada. World Weather Attribution researchers say the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change, though such events remain rare even in today’s warmer climate. Extreme conditions disrupted 250th-anniversary events in Washington, DC, caused numerous heat-related illnesses, led to a mass-casualty response in Pennsylvania, and prompted Amtrak to cancel trains. World Cup matches in Philadelphia and Miami may also face unsafe conditions, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on public celebrations, transport and sport.

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani plans a major address for the United States’ 250th anniversary, delivered before Donald Trump’s Mount Rushmore speech and framed around New York’s history and recently naturalized citizens. The live coverage also reports that a federal judge blocked Trump’s proposed restrictions on mail-in voting; the administration is pursuing action against alleged birth-tourism schemes despite the Supreme Court’s defense of birthright citizenship; and Colorado Governor Jared Polis reportedly dismissed clemency-board members who criticized his commutation of Tina Peters’s sentence. Trump was criticized for using a Theodore Roosevelt event to promote himself and for misrepresenting an exchange with an AI Roosevelt exhibit and the history of the Panama Canal. His administration also declined to renew the USMCA in its current form, opting for annual reviews, while Trump defended substantial cryptocurrency earnings and Democratic primary results showed continued progressive and anti-establishment momentum.

Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, even as his administration faces criticism for reversing conservation protections associated with Roosevelt’s legacy. The administration has moved to remove safeguards from more than 86 million acres of public land, including areas vulnerable to development, oil drilling and contamination, while Trump’s cumulative actions have affected more than 100 million acres. Conservation advocates argue that the policies threaten wildlife, parks and public lands, and note that Theodore Roosevelt protected nearly 230 million acres. The nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park is also facing staffing cuts.

Nine group-stage matches at the 2026 World Cup were played in severe heat conditions that could warrant delays or postponements under standards cited by the global players’ union, Fifpro. Additional games exceeded dangerous temperature thresholds but were held in air‑conditioned stadiums. Experts and climate officials warn that rising global temperatures are increasingly shaping scheduling decisions and creating risks for players, fans and workers. While Fifa defends its heat‑mitigation efforts, including hydration breaks and coordination with meteorologists, critics say these measures remain insufficient as a major US heatwave threatens further disruptions. Extreme weather has already forced a match postponement due to storms, and projections suggest that up to a quarter of tournament matches may occur in hazardous heat conditions.

The Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump may remove leaders of independent agencies, overturning longstanding limits on presidential control and prompting strong criticism from liberal justices, regulators and advocacy groups. The court separately blocked Trump’s immediate removal of Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, upheld the counting of late-arriving mail ballots in states that permit them, and declined to overturn E Jean Carroll’s $5m civil verdict against Trump. The live coverage also reports Trump’s nomination of acting labor secretary Keith Sonderling, his pressure on gasoline retailers, a temporary fertilizer-duty suspension, claims of possible Iran talks, disputes over a bipartisan housing bill and voting legislation, and House passage of an online child-safety measure.

The Trump administration proposes major rollbacks of public input and environmental oversight for fossil fuel drilling on federal lands, including eliminating key comment periods, reducing cleanup financial requirements, and allowing greater methane emissions. Environmental groups warn these changes shift financial risk to taxpayers, undermine democratic participation, and favor fossil fuel companies. Multiple federal agencies have concurrently moved to reduce public comment requirements under NEPA, while selectively invoking environmental reviews to challenge renewable energy policies. Critics argue the administration is prioritizing industry interests and weakening environmental protections, while officials contend the reforms will streamline development and boost domestic energy production.

A study by the International Council on Clean Transportation estimates that road-vehicle pollution caused more than 41,800 premature deaths in the US in 2024, or roughly five deaths per hour. The US also recorded more new pediatric asthma cases linked to vehicle pollution than any other country. Researchers say that achieving a 100% electric market share for cars, trucks and buses by 2040 could avert more than 100,000 premature deaths and prevent over 42,000 childhood asthma cases by 2050. The findings come as the Trump administration rolls back environmental measures and abandons policies intended to speed the adoption of clean vehicles.

The US Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that federal pesticide law preempts state failure-to-warn claims against Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, over glyphosate-based Roundup products. The decision is expected to block thousands of lawsuits alleging that glyphosate caused cancer and may also affect similar claims against Syngenta involving paraquat and Parkinson’s disease. The Court relied on the EPA’s position that glyphosate is unlikely to be carcinogenic and has not required a cancer warning, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argued that federal law does not eliminate state authority and leaves injured claimants without a remedy. Bayer welcomed the ruling, whereas environmental, public-health and farmer advocacy groups condemned it and called for stronger pesticide regulation.

A First Street study of 97 global datacenter markets found that nearly 80% are exposed to acute hazards such as flooding, extreme winds and wildfires, while 54% face chronic risks including heat and drought. The Americas have the greatest exposure to acute hazards, whereas the Asia-Pacific region is most vulnerable to heat and drought. Rapid expansion is occurring in several high-risk markets, including northern Virginia, the Carolinas, Atlanta, Johor and Marseille. The findings highlight the risk of operational disruption, higher insurance and repair costs, and intensified competition for water and power as datacenters both contribute to greenhouse-gas emissions and become more vulnerable to climate change.