Former Vice President Al Gore said that to solve the climate crisis, the U.S. needs to first pay attention to the democracy crisis.
The big picture: Gore, in an interview with "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd that will air Sunday, said that public sentiment is changing in regards to climate change, but that "democracy is broken," likening the inaction on climate legislation to the inaction on gun control legislation.
A wildfire that ignited Friday rapidly grew to 6,555 acres through Saturday morning in the Midpines area of Mariposa County, California, on the outskirts of Yosemite National Park.
Why it matters: The wildfire is burning amid hot and dry conditions during a long-running, extreme drought in the area, and it has already destroyed 10 structures, damaged five more and threatens 2,000 more, per Cal Fire.
Two heat waves an ocean apart are inextricably linked.
Why it matters: These kinds of interconnected heat waves could become even more extreme in the future, as human-caused climate change affects the jet stream winds responsible for them.
Falling gasoline prices may be a political relief for President Biden and Democrats, but there's no guarantee they won't spike again ahead of the midterm elections.
Driving the news: The national average has plummeted by nearly 60 cents since breaching $5-per-gallon in mid-June, per AAA, though costs remain high.
Lake Mead's water levels have sunk to the lowest since 1937, when the reservoir was being filled for the first time, according to newly released satellite pictures from NASA.
Why it matters: The images show the dramatic change in the lake's water levels in the past 22 years, a trend that continues to accelerate amid the effects of climate change. Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S., was at 27% of capacity as of Monday, per NASA. The dwindling water supply has led to multiple wildfires.
