Torrential rainfall caused widespread flooding today in the river valleys and mountain towns of New York State and western New England. One woman died, and dozens more were rescued from rising waters. The Northeast is expected to receive several more days of rain, especially in Vermont, where officials have warned of “life-threatening flash flooding” throughout the day. Follow our live updates.
“My friends, this is the new normal,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, referring to the effects of climate change on flooding. People should “be prepared for the worst,” she said, “because the worst keeps happening.” This year, a powerful El Niño developing in the Pacific Ocean is poised to release additional heat, prompting even more severe weather around the globe.
A “heat dome” of high pressure is causing dangerous temperatures in the Southwest. Arizona has already recorded nine consecutive days above 110 degrees, with no relief expected for at least a week. More broadly, 50 million people across the United States live in areas expected to experience dangerous levels of heat.
Near you: Check out our trackers to see if your hometown is likely to get dangerous heat or excessive rain over the next few days.
Turkey clears the way for Sweden to join NATO
In a surprise reversal, Turkey has agreed to back Sweden’s bid to join NATO – clearing the last remaining major barrier to expanding the alliance. The entry of Sweden would be a major blow for Vladimir Putin, who tried to stop the expansion of NATO.
It was not clear why Turkey decided to change its stance. The move, announced on the eve of a NATO summit, came just hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded that the EU advance Turkey’s bid to join the bloc as a condition for him to support Sweden’s NATO bid.
Just days ago, Turkey appeared dug in, demanding that Sweden crack down on dissidents that Turkey considers terrorists.
The Kremlin described a meeting between Putin and Prigozhin
Over the past two weeks, the Kremlin has spread confusion about Yevgeny Prigozhin’s fate. First, when he called off his armed rebellion, the government said he would live in exile in Belarus and not face charges. Then, when it became clear that Prigozhin had not left Russia for good, the Kremlin said it had neither the ability nor interest in tracking his whereabouts.
Today, after a report in a French newspaper, the Kremlin changed its story again. A spokesman said that on June 29 – just days after the uprising – Prigozhin met with Vladimir Putin for three hours and discussed “further employment options” for his troops. The meeting is the first known contact between the two men since the June 23-24 uprising.
But the Kremlin’s story about the meeting left a lot of unanswered questions. Even Prigozhin’s current location remains a mystery.
Larry Nassar was stabbed in prison
Larry Nassar, the doctor convicted of sexually abusing young female gymnasts, is in stable condition after being stabbed multiple times by another inmate at the federal prison in Florida where he is serving a 60-year sentence. The attack is the latest in a series of suicides and violent attacks in the chronically understaffed Federal Bureau of Prisons, including the deaths of Theodore Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber; Jeffrey Epstein and Whitey Bulger.
More top news
Hollywood writers are turning their anger on Ryan Murphy
A screenwriters’ strike is now in its 11th week, and the vast majority of American film and television projects have gone on hiatus. One notable outlier is the “American Horror Story” franchise, produced by noted showrunner Ryan Murphy. Last week, striking writers and their allies picketed one of Murphy’s shooting locations for a so-called Horror/Fantasy Theme Day, with many dressed in costumes while carrying signs that decry “horror wages.”
Actors could soon find themselves on the picket lines as well. Their union, known as SAG-AFTRA, extended its contract negotiations with studios and streaming services until Wednesday. A strike by both the actors’ and writers’ unions at the same time would essentially shut down Hollywood.
Get ready for some homers
Baseball’s most prolific power hitters will be swinging for the fences tonight in MLB’s Home Run Derby. The contest — which is widely considered the most exciting of baseball’s All-Star events — will be broadcast at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The derby will feature eight hitters trying to see who can hit the most balls out of the park. This year’s contest includes big sluggers like Mookie Betts and Pete Alonso, who has won two of the last three derbies. The Athletic will cover it live.
Just a little late
Last month, the New Bedford Free Public Library in Massachusetts received a book that was long overdue — a common occurrence at libraries. But this book, “An Elementary Treatise on Electricity” by James Clerk Maxwell, was different. It was supposed to be returned almost 120 years ago.
When the book was checked out, the library charged a one-cent late fee per day, a fine that could have added up to about $430. But fortunately for the anonymous borrower or the heirs, those fees were capped at $2 to encourage people to return overdue books.
Have a timely evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. – Matthew
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