Hottest Day Ever

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Big Stories

Delta Investigation

U.S. regulators are investigating how Delta Air Lines is treating passengers affected by numerous canceled and delayed flights.

• Delta has been struggling to recover from a global technology outage caused by a faulty software upgrade from CrowdStrike. As a result, Delta canceled over 6,600 flights, far more than any other airline.

• Delta is cooperating with the investigation and is focused on restoring its operations. The company has been known for its reliable and on-time service, but this incident has significantly tarnished its reputation. The Transportation Department is looking into whether Delta is following federal rules and providing proper refunds to passengers.

• The situation is being compared to a similar meltdown by Southwest Airlines in December 2022, which led to a $140 million settlement. Advocates stress that the real test for an airline is how it recovers from such problems, and Delta is currently under scrutiny for its recovery efforts.

Hottest Day Ever

On Sunday, Earth experienced its hottest day ever recorded.

• European climate service Copernicus recorded an average temperature of 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit). This surpassed the previous record set on July 6, 2023, by a small margin.

• The unprecedented heat on Sunday was largely due to an unusually warm Antarctic winter. Additionally, places like interior California and Europe also experienced extreme heat, contributing to the global average. Climate scientists are concerned about the continuous rise in temperatures, with some estimating a high chance that 2024 will become the warmest year on record.

• Since El Niño is likely to be soon replaced by a cooling La Niña, 2024 probably won’t see any more monthly records. However, the year’s hot start is still likely enough to make it warmer than last year.

Secret Service Director Resigns.

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned a day after testifying in Congress.

• Her resignation comes after the Secret Service failed to prevent an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Ronald Rowe will temporarily take over as acting director.

• Cheatle faced harsh criticism and calls to step down from lawmakers during a House Oversight Committee meeting on Monday. The decision to leave the rooftop outside the security perimeter has been particularly criticized.

• The Secret Service is under multiple investigations for its handling of the incident, including scrutiny from congressional committees and the Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog.

• Cheatle, who led the agency since 2022, admitted responsibility for the failure, calling it the worst since President Reagan was shot in 1981. The Secret Service has faced past scandals, including agents bringing women to hotel rooms in 2012 and erasing texts from the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Little Stories

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a cease-fire deal to free hostages in Gaza might be close. Netanyahu is in Washington to speak to Congress. Meanwhile, 150,00 people left a crowded part of Gaza considered to be a safe zone after another Israeli offensive. (More)

• Sales of used homes fell by 5.4% in June compared to May, down to 3.89 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. These numbers are from deals made mostly in April and May when the average 30-year mortgage rate went above 7%. Rates have since slightly dropped to the high 6% range. (More)

• People are using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic more for obesity than for their original purpose of treating Type 2 diabetes, a new study shows. Prescriptions for these drugs have doubled for people with obesity but not diabetes. This has led to drug shortages and fewer new prescriptions for people with Type 2 diabetes. (More)

• Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez will resign next month after being found guilty of bribery and corruption. He informed Gov. Phil Murphy of his decision in a letter, stating he will leave office on August 20, 2024. Menendez chose this date to help his staff transition, handle pending files, and allow time to choose a replacement. (More)

• Two landslides in southern Ethiopia have killed 229 people, and the number might go up as rescuers continue looking for survivors and victims. The first landslide happened on Sunday night after heavy rain, and the second one buried people who came to help on Monday morning. (More)

Extra Credit

Small towns to visit in all 50 states.

Sharks off Brazil’s coast test positive for cocaine.

Netflix is bringing back “Pimp My Ride.”

This Turkish ice cream is eaten with a knife and fork.