July was the hottest month on record for the contiguous U.S., Alex Fitzpatrick reports from new federal data dating back to 1895.

• Last month's average temperature was 76.89°F, topping the 76.77°F mark set in July 1936.
• That's 3.3°F warmer than the 1901-2000 average.

🌡️ NOAA said in its monthly report: "Above-average temperatures covered the entire [contiguous U.S.], with all states ranking in the warmest third of their July temperature records and none ranking near or below average."

• July brought a series of "heat domes" across the country that trapped warm air beneath them, fueling several extreme heat events.
• Researchers have found that climate change is making extreme heat events more common and more intense — but they're also linked to phenomena and patterns like El Niño. Go deeper.

📉 Meanwhile: Water levels along Europe's Danube River are at record lows after prolonged heat and drought.

• The phenomenon has exposed the remains of an ancient Roman-era bridge and dozens of German World War II warships.

🥵 What's next: Europe is bracing for yet another heat wave after a summer already marked by record-setting highs.

• Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, tells AP: "This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another." Read more.

Three of soccer's top governing bodies said today that FIFA president Gianni Infantino's recent plan to sell an interest in the World Cup was a "fundamental breach of trust."

📝 In an "open letter to the football family," UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC wrote: "When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned."

• UEFA runs soccer in Europe, CONCACAF does so in North and Central America and the Caribbean, and the AFC governs the sport in Asia.

The plan was abandoned following immediate and intense pushback.

• FIFA apologized last week for the way it was handled, and some senior staff reaffirmed support for Infantino's leadership.

Go deeper ... Read the letter.

1. 🌊 Hurricane-watchers are eyeing several disturbances amid what's been a sleepy Atlantic storm season — but it's too early to tell if any major storms will develop soon. Latest forecast.
2. 🦠 The fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record started in February, months before it was officially declared in mid-May, the WHO said today. The WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, told reporters: "So we are chasing the virus; the virus is ahead of us." Go deeper.
3. 🇨🇴 A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed over 100 people and collapsed dozens of buildings in cities across western Colombia. Get the latest.

At a new library just outside Denver, you can get a book, a pair of snowshoes and a trail to use them on, Axios' Alayna Alvarez reports.

• The Anythink Nature Library includes a 33,000-square-foot library, nature center and community gathering space.
• The local public library system calls it "the nation's first nature library."

🏕️ The $43.4 million project sits on 15 acres, with a collection that includes wildlife cameras and camping gear alongside books and other nature-focused materials.

• Inside, visitors will find a nature lab, a sunroom, and a darkened space for quiet reflection and sensory learning.

🥾 Outside, the property features gardens, a trail loop, and a café with indoor and outdoor seating.

• A trailhead connects the library to the 140-acre Aylor Open Lands trail system.

Take a look.