Good morning. It's Tuesday, June 29, and we're covering blistering heat in the Northwest, the start of the trial in the 2018 Capital Gazette shooting, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Pacific Northwest Heat Wave

Much of the Pacific Northwest continued to experience record-setting temperatures yesterday, with thermometers in Seattle reaching 108 degrees and Portland, Oregon, hitting 116 degrees. The heat extends east to Montana and down into northern California. Canada was not spared, with the village of Lytton, British Columbia, passing 117 degrees Sunday—the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada.

The primary culprit is a weather phenomenon known as a heat dome. The effect occurs when hot air, typically moving in from the Pacific Ocean, gets trapped under a high-pressure system. In this case, scientists say an unusual stretching of the jet stream in the middle of the country is acting to pin the hot air in the Northwest. The high temperatures—which caused roads to buckle in some areas—are expected to persist through midweek. 

Across the country, Tropical Storm Danny—the fourth named storm of the 2021 hurricane season—made landfall in South Carolina late yesterday.

Capital Gazette Trial

Opening statements are scheduled today in the trial of Jarrod Ramos, accused of killing five people and injuring two others in a mass shooting at the Annapolis Capital Gazette in 2018. Ramos previously pleaded guilty but not criminally responsible, claiming an insanity defense. The attack was the deadliest carried out against a newsroom in US history. 

Ramos had a long-standing history with the Capital Gazette before the attack, sparked by a 2011 article by the paper that covered a guilty plea by Ramos in a stalking case. Ramos brought and ultimately lost a defamation lawsuit against the outlet, while reportedly sending a series of threatening letters and calls to staff. Ramos' harassment campaign ultimately led the paper's former editor to contact police as early as 2013. The case is expected to take about a week and a half. 

Honoring the victims of the attack, Annapolis unveiled a new Guardians of the First Amendment memorial yesterday along the city's waterfront. 

Chances of Life on Venus Dim

The atmosphere of Venus has so little water even the most drought-resistant microbes observed on Earth may not be able to survive, according to a new study. The findings dampen the excitement around much-publicized data released last year suggesting there may be bacterial life present in the planet's atmosphere. 

The previous study identified traces of phosphine—one phosphorus atom, with three hydrogen atoms attached—a chemical believed to be a strong indicator of organisms when detected on rocky planets (see previous write-up). While the new results do not refute the earlier findings, the study casts doubt on the claim that the detected phosphine is of biological origin. The findings come just weeks after NASA announced two new missions to Venus, scheduled for between 2028 and 2030. 

Despite throwing cold water on the earlier excitement, the new study had one tantalizing conclusion—the clouds of Jupiter have enough water to hypothetically support life. 

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Tampa Bay cruises to 5-1 victory over Montreal in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final (More) | Los Angeles Clippers top Phoenix Suns to force Game 6 in NBA Western Conference finals (More) | Switzerland eliminates European Championship favorite France in round of 16 (More)

> Kataluna Enriquez crowned Miss Nevada USA, will become first openly transgender woman to compete in Miss USA pageant (More)

> NCAA Division I policy council recommends college athletes be allowed to profit off their name, image, and likeness; board of directors likely to approve recommendation tomorrow (More)

Science & Technology

> Astronomers detect first convincing evidence of a new type of supernova; known as the Goldilocks supernova, the phenomena may explain a recorded event from the 11th century that was visible globally (More)

> First-of-its-kind study finds curious babies develop into curious toddlers; findings shed light on the early stages of cognitive development in infants (More)

> Cancer testing startup Grail demonstrates ability to perform early detection of more than 50 types of cancers via blood test; false-positive rate was reported at 0.5% (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by Alternative Assets

> Tech stocks lead S&P 500 (+0.2%) and Nasdaq (+1.0%) to fresh record highs, while Dow slips (-0.4%) (More)

> Federal judge dismisses Federal Trade Commission antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, company becomes fifth US business—Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet (Google)—to achieve a $1T market capitalization (More)

> E-cigarette maker JUUL Labs will pay North Carolina $40M to settle lawsuit alleging the company marketed products to teens (More)

From our partners: WTF is an NFT? Alternative Assets demystifies and explains the hottest unique investment ideas out there. Collectibles, NFTs, Wine, Websites, even LEGOs. Learn through their free newsletters, or check out their first-of-its-kind Fractional Investment Index. Subscribe to Alternative Assets today.

Politics & World Affairs

> Former police officer Eric Adams has nine-point lead in New York City Democratic primary for mayor, as ranked-choice ballots are recounted; Adams has an estimated 96% chance of winning (More)

> Death toll in Miami Beach building collapse rises to 11, with roughly 150 people unaccounted for (More)

> Daily average of US COVID-19 cases rises slightly to just under 12,000 per day; see data here (More) | More than 63% of Americans over the age of 12 have been vaccinated; see how your state is doing here (More)

IN-DEPTH

'The Apartments Were Gone'

Miami Herald | Staff. Firsthand accounts from those who survived the harrowing collapse of a condo building north of Miami Beach. (Read)

The Prophet of Paranoia

Men's Journal | Stephen Rodrick. (From 2015) A look at computer security software pioneer and supreme conspiracy theorist John McAfee, who died by suicide last week in a Spanish prison. (Read)

YOUR COFFEE WORLD TOUR

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At under $.50 a cup, Atlas is your best bet for an affordable (and tasty!) way to discover what the world of coffee has to offer. Ready to go on a coffee journey and taste the world’s best? Enjoy 50% off today and tour the world of coffee from your kitchen.

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ETCETERA

Spectator who caused massive Tour de France crash flees country. 

Visualizing the degree of greenery in every US county. 

Florida octopus shows off its painting skills.

A man and his dog walk around the world.

Swift cameraman keeps pace with track runners.

When you're looking for whales, but the dolphins won't stop bothering you.

Iowa and Illinois are considering a massive wildlife bridge.

A stolen Picasso is recovered in Athens.

Clickbait: Yes, we wish we could've written this headline. 

Historybook: Original Globe Theatre burns to the ground (1613); HBD Kawhi Leonard (1991); US Space Shuttle docks with Russian space station for first time (1995); RIP Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn (2003); Apple releases first iPhone (2007).

"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get—only with what you are expecting to give—which is everything."

- Katharine Hepburn

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