July sets heat records: This July was the hottest on record in the Northern Hemisphere, topping the mark set last year, said the National Centers for Environmental Information. It was also the second-hottest July on record for the planet overall. (NOAA)
Central Valley is coronavirus hot spot: California’s agricultural Central Valley is “one of the worst coronavirus hot spots in the country.” The Covid-19 death toll in eight counties has soared to 200 a week, compared to 20 a week in April. (Los Angeles Times)
Derecho menaced Illinois crops: An estimated 6.95 million acres of corn and 5.82 million acres of soybeans in Illinois were in the path of the derecho that raked the Midwest this week. In neighboring Iowa, an estimated 10 million acres were affected. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Port takes measures against coronavirus threat: Authorities in the Chinese city of Zhoushan shut down part of the port after crew members of a freighter loaded with Brazilian soybeans tested positive for the coronavirus. Infections have been found on up to three other ships carrying soybeans to Chinese ports. (Agricensus)
An Alpine danger: aggressive cows: In the Alps, summer hikers are increasingly having dangerous encounters with cows protecting their calves. (Washington Post)