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Today’s Big Story

States sign deal to save Colorado River

Arizona, California, and Nevada struck deals on Monday to reduce the amount of water they pull from the Colorado River, which is at risk of running dry if overconsumption continues.

Why it matters: The agreement will temporarily keep the river and its reservoirs from running out of water supplies for millions of people and crucial agricultural areas across the southwest.

Important numbers: The three states agreed to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet from the river by the end of 2026.

• An acre foot is roughly 326,000 gallons, and the total cuts amount to a 13% reduction in total water use in the Colorado basin.

• The federal government will compensate cities, tribes, and water districts with $1.2 billion for their conservation efforts.

The big picture: The river provides drinking water for 40 million people across seven states and at least 30 tribal nations. The waterway is also crucial to the region’s power grid as the electricity produced by dams on Lake Mead and Lake Powell powers millions of homes and businesses. Mexican states, Baja and Sonora, also rely on the river for irrigation and drinking water. It’s the lifeblood of the southwest.

What’s next? The agreement must be finalized after it goes through a federal review process, which will begin early next month. However, more cutbacks will need to be made in 2027 in order to address the long term health of the river and the people that rely on it.

Little Stories

Business & Economy

*Meta has been fined a record $1.2 billion euros by European privacy regulators for sending EU user data to the U.S.

*Chevron will increase its U.S. footprint by acquiring shale producer PDC Energy for $7.6 billion.

World

*A school dormitory fire killed 19 children and seriously burned many more in Guyana yesterday. Teams are still investigating how the blaze started.

*The EU asked Greece on Monday to investigate video footage that shows Greek authorities forcing 12 migrants, including a 6-month-old baby, onto a raft and leaving them stranded in International water.

US News, Politics, & Government

*Republican senator Tim Scott announced his 2024 Presidential bid on Monday. He called the U.S. role in the Ukraine war essential, and contrasted himself with Trump and DeSantis.

*E. Jean Carroll filed court papers on Monday seeking an additional $10 million from Trump for defamatory comments he made at a CNN town hall a day after a NYC jury awarded Carroll $5 million for likely being sexually assaulted by Trump.

Sports & Entertainment

*The Denver Nuggets topped the Los Angeles Lakers 113-111 and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

*Paramount + will increase its price from $9 to $11 a month on June 27 as part of its integration with Showtime.

Science, Health, & Tech

*TikTok files a lawsuit to overturn the state-wide ban in Montana on Monday, claiming that the law is a violation of free speech rights and based on false speculation that the Chinese government could access users data.

 *A new nasal spray that combats fentanyl and other opioid overdoses got FDA approval on Monday.

Extras

*These are the highest and lowest paying 4-year college degrees.

*Starbucks is switching to pebble ice.

*Aussie police launch S.A.U.S.A.G.E. Squad Initiative.