The world can be a dangerous place. Natural forms of destruction have blighted the Earth since the dawn of time. But thanks to human intervention, the planet may seem closer than ever to a tipping point. This reality makes the failure of leaders to agree on a deal to address the climate crisis all the more worrisome. From catastrophic floods in Europe and China to massive wildfires in North America that reddened the skies over New York City, a key culprit appears to be a misbehaving jet stream. In Iran, there’s a water crisis that should surprise nobody. Meanwhile, the big polluters still need to figure out how to navigate the transition to clean energy.

The Tokyo Olympics finally kicked off in the shadow of Covid-19 and yet another public relations disaster. Compare these Games with those of 1964 and see the long arc of Japan’s technological decline.

The Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, on July 23.

Photographer: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images AsiaPac

In the latest U.S.-China skirmish, the White House blamed the Microsoft Exchange hack on actors affiliated with the Chinese government. It then assailed Beijing’s opposition to an investigation of the possibility that the coronavirus leaked from a Wuhan lab. Nevertheless, the two countries are enjoying a boom in commerce so big it’s as if Trump’s trade war never happened.

New York City now has better Indian food than London. And plant-based bacon is all the rage. Maybe all this good food will take your mind off just what a nightmare your summer vacation will be. At least you can kick back and read the secrets of a deckhand on a wild superyacht.

Elon Musk’s love affair with Bitcoin runs deeper than anyone knew. At “The B Word” conference, the billionaire said his space exploration company also owns the digital token, and that Tesla will probably resume accepting Bitcoin as payment.

The financial cost of being the victim of sexual harassment can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Bloomberg Businessweek reports how Airbnb sought to handle the death of a high school teacher who stayed at one of its rentals in Mexico.

Eli Kassirer holds a picture of his daughter Lauren’s memorial card. 

Photographer: Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg

• Robinhood Markets is expected to launch its IPO.
• The Federal Reserve sets interest rates, with inflation  lurking.
• Another slew of earnings is coming, including Apple and Tesla.
• Congress holds a public hearing into the Jan. 6 insurrection.
• There’s a huge agenda-setting Pride march in eastern Europe.

Who Hollywood Calls to Build a New Universe

Before Joe and Anthony Russo were dreaming up film and TV franchises, they were part of the biggest one. The brothers directed two Captain America movies and two Avengers films, installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which together took in almost $7 billion in ticket sales. Now they’re the guys industry executives turn to when they want to create a cinematic universe of their own.

Directors Joseph Russo (left) and Anthony Russo (right)

Photographer: Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images

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