NOAA: July Was the Hottest Month Ever Documented in the U.S.

New data reveals July was the hottest month ever documented in the United States since records began in 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. So far this summer, intense heat domes swept across the East Coast, the Plains and the Southwest, triggering massive wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Lake Mead has plummeted to historic low water levels as the Colorado River struggles to sustain the West, while in Puerto Rico, hundreds of thousands of people are going without running water for 48 hours at a time as authorities impose rotating water shutoffs to combat severe drought. In France, nearly 70% of the country is under water-use restrictions as successive heat waves intensify the crisis, with two-thirds of groundwater reserves falling below normal levels. Another heat wave is expected this week. Meanwhile, in England, three-quarters of the nation has entered drought status, placing 27 million people under water-use restrictions as a fifth heat wave looms. www.democracynow.org

Bryan Stevenson on the “Enduring Evil of Slavery” and Trump’s Attempt to Rewrite History

https://www.democracynow.org/2026/8/11/bryan_stevenson

Nagasaki Mayor Warns Against Nuclear Weapons as Japan Marks 81 Years Since Atomic Bombing

In Japan, bells rang in Nagasaki Sunday as the city commemorated 81 years since the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb. The attack on August 9, 1945, killed 74,000 people — just three days after the U.S. dropped the first nuclear weapon ever used in war on the city of Hiroshima, killing 140,000 people. This is the mayor of Nagasaki. Mayor Shiro Suzuki: “The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced us to confront the reality that humanity had crossed even the line of using nuclear weapons against human beings. … The theory of nuclear deterrence is extremely risky. Nuclear weapons are not a necessary evil, but an absolute evil, and humanity and nuclear weapons can never coexist.” The anniversary came as the government of Japan’s ultraconservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has shifted defense policies to bolster militarization. Takaichi has been widely ambiguous about her long-term commitment to maintain Japan’s Three Non-Nuclear Principles, endorsed over 50 years ago. www.democracynow.org

Wildfires Force 20,000 People in British Columbia to Evacuate

Wildfires continue to burn across the western U.S. and Canada as firefighting crews struggle to contain the devastating blazes. Some 20,000 people in British Columbia were ordered to evacuate on Saturday as the massive Bald Range wildfire nearly doubled in size overnight near the regions of Summerland and Peachland. British Columbia’s premier said the fire was “like a bomb going off.” There are more than 100 active fires in the region, setting off a state of emergency. Scientists warn worsening heat waves and drought due to climate change has led to more frequent and intense fires worldwide. www.democracynow.org

Rallies Held to Mark One Month Since ICE Killing of Mexican Father Lorenzo Salgado Araujo

In Texas, rallies continued this weekend to mark one month since the July 7 ICE killing of 52-year-old Mexican father Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. The agents involved have not been identified as his family and supporters demand justice. www.democracynow.org

Private Prison Companies CoreCivic and GEO Group Report $1.4B in Revenue

The nation’s two largest private prison companies, CoreCivic and GEO Group, reported a combined $1.4 billion in quarterly revenue between April and June, as immigrant detention skyrockets under Trump’s second term. A record 51,000 immigrants were arrested in July alone. www.democracynow.org

AP: Trump Admin Detains Parents and Spouses of Active-Duty U.S. Military Personnel in Immigration Crackdown

The Trump administration has detained dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. military personnel in its immigration crackdown. That’s according to an investigation by the Associated Press which found more than 50 parents and spouses of U.S. service members have been arrested since Trump returned to office. At least six have been deported. www.democracynow.org