When Babe's of Caytown opened four decades ago, there were around 200 lesbian bars in the U.S.

• Today, Babe's is one of just 27 left in the country, according to the Lesbian Bar Project, which documents the few remaining spaces focused on queer women and transgender and nonbinary people.

Why it matters: Queer people and businesses in some states face an "unprecedented" spike in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, per the Human Rights Campaign. These physical spaces historically provided connection away from prejudice, Axios' Annalise Frank reports.

State of play: Creating — and fostering — a safe space for patrons has always been a part of Babe's mission and one of the reasons it has survived, owner Vicky Hester tells Axios.

• "We allow people to be themselves," she said. "[At Babe's] you can be whoever you are, whatever you are."

And everyone is welcome at Babe's, including the whole LGBTQ+ community and straight people.

Yes, but: The biggest driver behind Babe's success is very simple: "It's a fun place to go," Hester says.

Babe's isn't just a fantastic lesbian bar — or a fantastic LGBTQ+ bar. It's a fantastic bar and arguably one of the best in the city.

There's food and drink, Jell-O shots, craft beer and cocktails, pool tables, a dance floor, theme nights (like karaoke on Wednesdays, drag shows Thursdays and flashback dance party Fridays), three bars and a patio.

• And the patio is the best part.

There is — behind Babe's of Carytown — a full sand volleyball court, and if you sit on the edge of the patio, you can sink your toes into the sand while sipping a beverage (or taking a Jell-O shot), all at a bar in the middle of the city.

Keep reading for more on the history of Babe's and the national LGBTQ+ barscape

The first three days of this week — Monday, the Fourth and Wednesday — have each broken or tied records as Earth's hottest day since at least 1979 and likely far longer, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.

Why it matters: Daily temperature milestones are largely symbolic — but point to an alarming trend.

Zoom in: Virginia's mild May and June were outliers — making the state one of "the few places in all of North America that were relatively cool over the last 60 days," according to RTD meteorologist Sean Sublette.

For those three days, Richmond's high temperature and heat index per the National Weather Service were:

• Monday: 94, 101.
• Tuesday: 94, 96.
• Wednesday: 92, 97.

Yes, but: Brace yourself, the hottest part of the year in Richmond is usually the second week of July, aka next week, per Sublette.

What's happening: The accessibility of global climate data is fueling interest in — and concern over — signs that the planet is warming faster than anticipated. That is tied in part to El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific, as well as human-caused emissions of greenhouse gas.

• This was the hottest June on record globally due to historic warm air and ocean temperatures.

Go deeper

🐐 Richmond Animal Care and Control is searching for the owner of a stray goat it caught roaming the city on the Fourth of July. (Facebook)

• If you recognize this goat, please contact RACC.

🧨 Underground blasting can continue in Forest Hill after a developer beat back a legal challenge from homeowners who said the work was damaging their homes. (Times-Dispatch)

🏳️‍🌈 Gov. Youngkin’s administration quietly pulled resources for LGBTQ+ youth from state websites following inquiries from a conservative media outlet. (Washington Post)

🏛 The Supreme Court of Virginia ordered the release a state prisoner who challenged Attorney General Jason Miyares' rollback of an early release program. (Virginian-Pilot)

🚴 A cycling club for people who like to ride bikes while smoking weed, "Bike Buds," is growing rapidly, and its creators are now considering launching a combination coffee/bike repair shop. (BizSense)

Virginia leads the nation in Google searches for VPNs after PornHub blocked access in the state.

What's happening: VPN services let users circumvent location-based content restrictions by routing their internet traffic through other states or countries.

• And since strict new age verification rules for porn sites went into effect in Virginia this month, interest in the services has spiked, per WVEC.

Catch up fast: PornHub, one of the biggest brands in online pornography, blocked access in Virginia, calling the state's rules requiring photo ID unworkable.

• It has also blocked access in Utah and Mississippi after similar laws went into effect there.

Of note: Visitors to the site are now greeted by a video of a (fully clothed) adult actress urging people to contact their elected representatives in opposition to the law.

What they're saying: "Is anyone else’s Pornhub not working?" tweeted Sen. Louise Lucas, a top Democrat.

• She accused Gov. Youngkin of botching the new law, which passed with broad bipartisan support, by not creating a state-run age verification system and instead relying on porn sites to process IDs.

The other side: Youngkin's administration stands by the legislation and argues porn sites should have no problems complying.

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The weather is finally right for a nice dip in the James.

What's happening: Which got us thinking — what are the unwritten rules of Richmond's river hangouts?

• How close is too close when it comes to picking a rock near other people?
• Are we cool with speakers?
• What's the right way to tell someone to pick up their f---ing trash?

📣 Hit reply and share your river do's and don'ts, and we'll round up the best ones next week.