newsThursday, July 23, 2026

Europe's drought crisis deepens

The climate crisis is no longer a future threat in Europe, it's actively sucking soils dry. A new analysis shows heatwaves made 80 times more likely by global heating are intensifying drought across the continent, with western Europe hit hardest. Meanwhile, Ukraine keeps striking Russian infrastructure, and the Libertarian Party of Russia shuts down under pressure.

Sources

Europe's drought

The numbers are stark: extreme heat is making Europe's drought crisis dramatically worse.

#01www.theguardian.comJul 23

Climate crisis-driven heat ‘sucking soils dry’ as extreme drought hits Europe

A scientific analysis finds that climate crisis-driven heat is 'sucking soils dry' across Europe, with western European heatwaves made 80 times more likely by global heating. Soil dryness in the west was made five times more likely by fossil fuel emissions.

8 min readRead original

War and politics

From drone strikes to party suspensions, the Russia-Ukraine war continues to reshape political landscapes.

#02kyivindependent.comJul 23

Ukrainian drones strike oil refinery, explosions seen near 'Russia's Amazon' logistics hub, locals say

Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Russia's Ulyanovsk Oblast, about 650 km from the border, and hit logistics infrastructure near a key hub. Two sources are covering the still-developing story.

#03meduza.ioJul 23

Libertarian Party of Russia suspends all activity after ‘foreign agent’ listing

The Libertarian Party of Russia suspended all political activity after being added to the 'foreign agents' registry, citing exhaustion and inability to guarantee supporter safety.

Also today17

Rapids’ Lucas Herrington, the youngest MLS player to start a World Cup match, is just getting startedwww.denverpost.com
Lucas Herrington, an 18-year-old center back for the Colorado Rapids, made history as the youngest MLS player and youngest Australian to start a World Cup match. After representing the Socceroos on the global stage, he returns to Colorado to help the Rapids finish the MLS season
María Corina Machado’s Opposition in Exilewww.newyorker.com
A profile of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who spent six months in Washington fighting for her country's political future after Nicolás Maduro's abduction. The article follows her decision to return to Venezuela following catastrophic earthquakes, and her str
D4vd murder case: Prosecutors focus on singer's relationship with Celeste Rivas Hernandez | AP Newsapnews.com
Prosecutors are presenting forensic evidence in a preliminary hearing to persuade a judge that singer D4vd (David Burke) should stand trial for the murder, sexual abuse, and mutilation of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Los Angeles police criminalists testified about collect
Rick and Morty Movie: Dan Harmon Offers Promising Writing Updatebleedingcool.com
Dan Harmon has provided a promising update on the Rick and Morty animated movie, two months after its announcement. The project was revealed in May by Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder, with series veteran Jacob Hair set to direct. The film is progressing well, though specific d
Trump lawyers risk fraud claim with 'wildly suspect' admission: expertwww.rawstory.com
The article reports on a federal case involving independent journalist Georgia Fort, who was arrested in Minneapolis. Prosecutors from the Justice Department's voter roll seizure team admitted to Fort's lawyers that they refuse to put anything in writing because their own words c
Scientists finally have an explanation for this weird whale behaviorwww.nationalgeographic.com
Scientists have proposed a theory explaining why female southern right whales float upside down, based on rare video footage. Published in Mammalian Biology, the theory suggests this unusual behavior — not documented in other large whale species — may be an energy-saving strategy
Tiny Footprints, a Blue Blanket: What I Can’t Forget About the Babies Who Died of Vitamin K Deficiencywww.propublica.org
An investigative report examining infant deaths caused by vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), a rare but fatal and entirely preventable condition. The author analyzed hundreds of data points, contacted over 50 hospitals, and reviewed autopsy reports to highlight how babies have
Tennessee gubernatorial candidates take on eclectic legislation, pass few bills with gravity | News From The Stateswww.newsfromthestates.com
This article examines the legislative records of Tennessee's Republican gubernatorial candidates, highlighting that they have passed relatively few significant bills. It focuses on State Rep. Monty Fritts, whose most notable achievement is the passage of the "chemtrails" bill in
2 more Marylanders contract measles from out-of-state travelwww.thebanner.com
Two people in Southern Maryland tested positive for measles after traveling domestically to a region experiencing an outbreak, the Maryland Department of Health announced. This follows five other measles cases detected in the state the previous week. Health officials did not disc
Marylanders likely hit by Chick-fil-A data breach, company sayswww.thebanner.com
Chick-fil-A announced a data breach affecting Chick-fil-A One members in Maryland and eight other states. The cyberattack occurred from June 17-19, potentially exposing personal information including home addresses and credit/debit card details. The Georgia-based restaurant chain
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt's daughter Vivienne seeks to drop Pitt - Los Angeles Timeswww.latimes.com
Vivienne, the 18-year-old youngest daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, has filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court to drop "Pitt" from her legal name, requesting to be known as Vivienne Marcheline Jolie instead. The reason listed for the name change request wa