Axios

Drought conditions are affecting about 60% of the EU and the U.K., exacerbated by climate-change driven record heat across Europe this summer, according to new research from the European Drought Observatory.

Why it matters: France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands are facing water shortages and riverbeds are drying out across Europe. Dry conditions are severely affecting energy production, agriculture and river transportation.

Unparalleled heat waves, drought, wildfires and deadly deluges made this July one of the three hottest on record worldwide, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Why it matters: The report is the first indication of where July stands in the annals of modern climate records, and it shows that the influence of human-caused global warming is having a profound impact on summer temperatures.

As close calls between satellites and debris in orbit become more frequent, the U.S. government is signaling that it's time to take the threats posed by space junk seriously.

Why it matters: There are thousands of pieces of space junk circling the Earth at more than 17,000 miles per hour, threatening operational satellites and even people in orbit.