AI & Privacy Clash: China warned that some Anthropic Claude Code versions may secretly transmit users’ location and identifiers via a “built-in monitoring mechanism,” urging uninstalling or upgrading. Heat & Health: A dangerous mid-July heat wave is pushing heat alerts across much of the U.S., with forecasts topping 110°F in spots and record highs possible. Wildfire Watch: California’s Elephant Fire has burned about 6,436 acres with evacuations in place and only 5% containment. Public Health Alerts: West Nile virus is showing an unusually early start, with mosquitoes carrying it detected in at least 23 states. Clean Transport Reality Check: New Jersey’s electric school bus grants add $18M for 53 buses, but critics say the scale won’t meaningfully cut diesel pollution for years. Water Pollution Fallout: After a Potomac Interceptor sewage pipe rupture, cleanup and lawsuits continue as litigation and leadership shakeups drag on. Climate Finance: Multilateral development banks hit a record $162.5B in climate funding in 2025, but World Bank climate targets are now in doubt. Data Center Costs: Virginia became the first state to tax data-center electricity use, reflecting rising concern over AI-driven power bills. Environmental Enforcement: EPA settled with Denka’s Laplace neoprene plant over hazardous waste violations, including chloroprene emissions. Conservation & Access: National parks’ foreign visitor fee changes are still causing confusion and removing some history-related displays.