The Full Belmonte, 7/5/2023
“Monday was the Earth’s hottest day on record, highlighting the extremity of this year’s summer in the northern hemisphere and the dangers of ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions generated from burning fossil fuels. And as Will Mathis and Aaron Clark write, El Niño conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years and will trigger a surge in temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization.” [Bloomberg]
A man cools himself with water in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 12. Photographer: Ulises Ruiz/AFP/Getty Images
Judge limits Biden contact with Big Tech
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
“A federal judge yesterday restricted Biden administration officials and agencies from communicating with social media companies on content moderation, Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes.
Why it matters: The preliminary injunction, in an ongoing lawsuit by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, could have major First Amendment implications.
The plaintiffs allege the Biden administration's efforts to encourage social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter — to crack down on COVID misinformation and other matters constitute a ‘sprawling federal 'Censorship Enterprise.'
U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana said in the injunction the attorneys general ‘have produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content.’
The Trump-appointed judge blocked certain officials from meeting with, calling, emailing, sending letters, texting or meeting with social media firms ‘for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech posted’ online.
Officials affected by the ruling include HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, along with Justice Department and FBI employees.
A White House official said the Justice Department is reviewing the injunction ‘and will evaluate its options in this case.’” [Axios]
Police officers on Tuesday investigate the scene of Monday night's mass shooting in southwest Philadelphia.
Weekend violence
“Independence Day celebrations were marred by violence over the holiday weekend after several mass shootings took place across the US. At least nine people were injured in a shooting early this morning in Washington, DC, as the victims were celebrating the Fourth of July in the nation's capital. In Philadelphia, a shooting Monday left five people dead and two others wounded. On the same night in Fort Worth, Texas, a shooting killed three people and wounded eight others. Separately, block parties recently turned deadly in Indianapolis and Baltimore, leaving investigators scouring the crime scenes for answers. Data shows the Fourth of July has accounted for the most mass shootings of any other day of the year in nearly a decade, according to a CNN analysis.” [CNN]
Middle East
A Palestinian man argues with an Israeli soldier in the center of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on July 4, 2023.
AFP Contributor#AFP, AFP via Getty Images
“Israeli forces launched what a military source said is the largest military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin in more than 20 years, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 100 others, according to Palestinian officials. The Israeli military said today all forces have left Jenin and ‘its goals have been achieved’ after previously saying it was targeting Palestinian terrorists. This comes after a car ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday left eight people injured. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement and said it was a response to Israel's ongoing military operation in Jenin.” [CNN]
Radioactive water
“Japan will soon begin releasing radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean following approval from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. The controversial plan to release the treated wastewater comes 12 years after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami caused a nuclear meltdown. In 2019, the environmental minister declared there were ‘no other options’ as space runs out to contain the contaminated material. Japan's government said the contaminated water will be highly diluted and safely released slowly over decades. But some experts and residents are concerned that diluting the water might not be enough to reduce its impact on marine life and local communities.” [CNN]
Minimum wage
“Low-wage workers across the US will see a boost in their pay this month as more than a dozen states and localities increased their minimum wages. Oregon increased its minimum wage by 70 cents to $14.20 an hour as of July 1, while Nevada increased its minimum wage by 75 cents to $11.25 an hour. Washington, DC, raised its minimum wage by 90 cents to $17 an hour. Additionally, 15 cities and counties, mostly in California, increased their minimum wages on July 1. This includes Los Angeles, where the minimum wage jumped 74 cents to $16.78 an hour and San Francisco and Berkeley, where it rose $1.08 to $18.07 an hour. Many of the pay boosts are automatic adjustments linked to inflation and follow other pay hikes that took effect in several states earlier this year.” [CNN]
SPORTS NEWS
“Rehab: The Yankees star Aaron Judge opted against in-season surgery, which leaves the door open to a return, The Athletic reports.
C.T.E.: For the first time, the degenerative brain disease has been diagnosed in a female professional athlete, The Times reports.
Mustard Belt: Reigning champions Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo each defended their Nathan’s hot dog eating contest crowns yesterday. The Athletic shares the videos.” [New York Times]
”Lives Lived: Susan Love was a surgeon and one of the world’s most visible public faces in the war on breast cancer. She died at 75.” [New York Times]