Swelter weather. Chicago’s in for “the hottest air of the season”—so far …
■ … with a possible break—if you can call it that—for severe storms Wednesday.
■ The city’s cooling centers are open for business.
■ This summer is Exhibit A in the case that our world is warming.
■ This month’s storms set a Chicago record for 311 calls about flooded basements …
■ … and yet, WTTW reports, “Chicago’s neighbors southwest of the city could soon be facing a water shortage.”
■ Glimmers of hope: Approaching its first birthday, the Biden administration’s new climate law is, in The Associated Press’ words, “turbocharging clean energy technology” …
■ … and, so far, U.S. and European power grids haven’t collapsed under the heat wave’s strain.
‘If and when that pipeline ruptures, it would suffocate all of us.’ The Tribune takes a deep dive into the existing and planned vast underground carbon dioxide storage areas and pipelines that have already caused at least one Illinois disaster.
■ A lawsuit accuses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of ignoring ethanol production’s harm to endangered species.
‘Damning new details.’ Correction, July 25: Civil rights superlawyer Ben Crump filed Another lawsuit was filed today against Northwestern University over hazing—this one on behalf of a female athlete.
■ Ouch: A proposed California law to protect college athletes is getting hailed as a way to prevent “another Northwestern.”
‘The power of the nation’s highest court is marketed by third parties.’ Insider exposes the guest list for a 2017 event on “Billionaire Mountain”—where top donors got access to Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan and Justice-to-be Brett Kavanaugh.
■ The Lever turns a spotlight on the Catholic church bought by “dark-money operative” Leonard Leo, former President Trump’s judicial adviser, who helped select and confirm three of the court’s six justices.
■ Public Notice explains how Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon can do Trump’s bidding during his documents trial.
‘Biden needs an operative like Emanuel.’ The Trib’s Laura Washington says the president’s reelection campaign lacks oomph, and Chicago’s ex-mayor “might be just the ticket.”
■ Biden’s designated Chicago as one of the sites in a tripartite national monument to Emmett Till, the Chicago kid lynched in Mississippi in 1955.
■ Chicagoans celebrated Till’s birthday outside his childhood home yesterday.
‘Your grandchild could be next.’ The shooting death of his 16-year-old grandson has prompted a Chicago pastor to recommit to fighting gun violence.
■ Ten years ago this week, as guest host on WBEZ’s gone-but-not-forgotten Afternoon Shift, your Chicago Public Square columnist explored Illinois’ then-new conceal-carry law.
‘Bye, bye birdie.’ Media watchdog Tom Jones assesses Twitter overlord Elon Musk’s signal of an end to that name and the company’s avian branding. 
■ The A.V. Club: “Musk apparently thinks a domain name with ‘sentimental value’ to him is better than a domain with actual value.”
‘His campaign strategy … is stupid.’ The Sun-Times’ Neil Steinberg takes an ax to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential aspirations.
■ Columnist Matthew Yglesias: “DeSantis is to Trump’s right on everything.”
■ The Conversation: “DeSantis’ ‘war on woke’ looks a lot like attempts by other countries to deny and rewrite history.”
■ Author and ex-Trib and Sun-Times editor Mark Jacob: “Aggressive measures are necessary if journalists are going to hold their own against lying politicians.”
■ Australian humor site The Shovel: “Retailers across the country have removed best-selling book The Bible from shelves after parents were shocked to discover it is filled with graphic sex, rape and murder scenes.”
‘I’m not a Trump supporter in any way.’ That’s Joe Rogan, on whose Spotify podcast The Daily Beast says Donald Trump is desperate to appear.
■ With wording that Variety calls “oddly apologetic,” Spotify’s raising prices.
Ride the CTA cheap. To ease the pain of limited service during Blue Line reconstruction, the CTA’s offering half-price rides to those using Ventra Cards along the Green Line between Harlem and Ashland; the Pink Line between Cicero and Ashland; and the Blue Line itself between Forest Park and the Illinois Medical District.
■ Also: Free bus rides to get to those stations.
■ Transit activists approve (June link).
‘Millennial cartoonists: What will become of them?’ Gemma Correll bids farewell to The Nib …
■ … the daily comics feature that has brightened (or darkened) many an edition of Chicago Public Square …
■ … and that comes to an end next month.
See your name here tomorrow—if you choose. Chicago Public Square supporters don’t have to have their names listed publicly. But those who’ve chosen to do so include John Robinson, Linda Paul, Werner Huget, Bridget Hatch, David Jones, Andrea Agrimonti, Rick Baert, Linda Baltikas, William Bork, Ann James, Mario Greco, Heather Foote, Jack Bizot, Nancy Hess, Anne Rooney, Paul Wedeen, Lucy Smith, Meghan Strubel, Lawrence Perlman, Susan Beach, Ron Magers, Rick Hutt, Linnea Crowther, Ken Trainor, Mark Miller, Carolyn Hosticka, Stephen Schlesinger, John Ayers, Heather Alger, Rupa Datta, Timothy Cunningham, Mark Mueller, Charles Pratt, Neela Marnell, Carmie Callobre, Judy Hoffman, Nina Ovryn, Martha Intrieri, Keith Huizinga, Dave Tan and Jason Sherman.
■ Join their ranks for any amount—even just a dime a day—and you can, if you so choose, see your name here tomorrow.
