Monday Sunrise Edition: Is US heat wave a harbinger?

A heat wave covered about half the U.S. this past weekend and was blamed for at least one death and canceling many outdoor events. But a cold front swept east Sunday, bringing Midwest temperatures down. The East Coast should get relief Monday. Still this may be a window on the future, according to a recent climate report by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Without faster progress on reducing carbon emissions, most of the country could see 20 to 30 more days with maximum temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit annually.

Meanwhile, police in Braintree, Massachusetts, responded to the heat with humor. They asked crooks, in a Facebook post, to take a break. “Stay home, blast the AC, binge ‘Stranger Things’ Season 3, play with the face app, practice karate in your basement. We will all meet again on Monday when it’s cooler.”

Distrust in leadership

Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said Sunday evening he won’t seek reelection and will quit leading his party. But he won’t resign. So another massive protest march is planned for Monday. The protests were ignited by leaked online chats among the governor and his male colleagues that demeaned women, Hurricane Maria survivors, and political opponents. But that was just the fuse. Frustration over years of corruption and elite indifference has exploded into the streets. “We are not here because of a chat,” one protester told The Washington Post. “If we succeed in deposing a governor, it would be the first time in our history. If that is possible, everything is possible.”

In pursuit of security

Iran kept pressure on the British government this weekend by releasing dramatic video on Saturday and audio on Sunday of its seizure of a British oil tanker. Iran says it’s “reciprocity” for an Iranian tanker seized by the U.K. Iran now has a bargaining chip and is effectively warning other European leaders that it’s willing to raise the stakes in an effort to get U.S.-led sanctions lifted. At some point, back-channel negotiations are going to be needed to restore stability to the region, the Monitor reports.

What’s the buzz?

A determined 2-year old: Showing initiative and, ah, drive, a missing Minnesota toddler was found at the local fair, about a block from his house. He drove his toy John Deere tractor down the sidewalk to his favorite ride, the Tilt-a-Whirl. “He was reunited with Dad,” the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post, “who promptly suspended his son’s license by removing the battery from it.”

AP Photo/Peter Morrison

Northern Ireland united by an Irish winner: Shane Lowry celebrates with his wife Wendy Honner and his daughter Iris after winning the British Open Golf Championships in Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 21, 2019. It was the first time the Open had been hosted there in 68 years.

Look ahead

Tuesday, July 23

New leadership: We’re likely to learn on Tuesday who will be the new Conservative leader (and prime minister) of the U.K.: Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt. Top of their to-do list: getting a British oil tanker back and Brexit.

Wednesday, July 24

The Robert Mueller Show: Former special counsel Robert Mueller is due to testify before the U.S. Congress. It will likely be a big TV moment with little news: Mr. Mueller probably won’t go beyond what’s already in the 448-page report. Don’t want to read the full report? Check out this condensed narrative, an “Archer” comic illustrated version by Insider.

Hidden gem

Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor editors and readers:

How to save politically ‘mixed marriages’ in Trump era

Sneak preview

In tonight’s Daily Edition, watch for our story on why the U.S. high school drop-out rate has made huge improvements. 

Finally, the Monitor’s five best stories in Friday’s subscription-only Daily Edition:

1. Missing from US-Iran clash, a back-channel safety valve
2. In rise of brain implants, blurring lines between man, machine?
3. When getting the story means years of threats, even bullets
4. ‘It smells like gunpowder’: Astronauts tell of their time on the moon
5. Remembering Johnny Clegg, the voice of South Africa

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