It’s come this far: President Donald Trump addressed the possibility of his impeachment, predicting Thursday that it would spur economic disaster. That follows the one-two punch of Tuesday’s fraud conviction of ex-campaign chief Paul Manafort and a nearly simultaneous guilty plea by former lawyer Michael Cohen. Trump lionized Manafort, who “refused to break,” but slammed Cohen, who implicated his former boss in the misuse of campaign funds. Then came word that prosecutors granted National Enquirer publisher and ally David Pecker and Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg immunity for their cooperation, portending more troubling days in court.

This snap’s no way to start a season. ESPN host Michelle Beadle says she’s stopped watching college football — and even the NFL — saying neither cares about women or people of color. Her comments followed Ohio State’s slap-on-the-wrist punishment for superstar coach Urban Meyer after revelations he’d ignored reports of spousal abuse by his assistant coach. Then there’s the lack of big games on opening day, so fans will have to content themselves with up-and-comers like New Mexico State, which faces off against Wyoming.

While the dreaded London fog is gone, the city still suffers from a level of air pollution rivaling that of Beijing’s, causing more than 9,000 premature deaths each year. Diesel vehicles spew harmful amounts of nitrogen dioxide, while the summer heat has boosted the ozone. That’s after the city banned a quarter of central London’s vehicles. Proposed measures to hike emissions fines and redesign the city’s medieval road system could help, but some worry that Brexit will strip the U.K. of strict EU pollution limits — along with motivation to clear the air.

What began as a covert Russian cyberattack on Ukraine last summer introduced the world to what an expert calls “the fastest-propagating piece of malware we’ve ever seen.” Within hours, it infected systems from Pennsylvania to Tasmania and crippled major multinational conglomerates. Disguised as ransomware, NotPetya’s aim was total destruction: “It was the equivalent of using a nuclear bomb to achieve a small tactical victory,” says former Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert. It’s a frightening new weapon for a country keen on stoking instability — and there’s nothing to stop future attacks.

The Week Ahead:  On Sunday, Americans will celebrate female enfranchisement on Women’s Equality Day. The U.S. Open tennis tournament begins Monday in New York. And luminaries from Motown great Smokey Robinson to former President Bill Clinton will pay their respects at the Friday funeral of Aretha Franklin in Detroit.

Know This: A U.N. refugee official says the flood of Venezuelans fleeing their troubled nation now rivals 2015’s Mediterranean migrant crisis. President Trump this morning abruptly called off Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s fourth visit to North Korea, planned for next week, citing a lack of denuclearization progress. Hurricane Lane has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it skirts Hawaii. And in spite of a controversial tweet to the contrary, Elon Musk says Tesla will remain a publicly traded company.    

We’re hiring: OZY is looking for a creative and highly motivated senior events director to thrill and delight our audience through OZY Fest and other live gatherings. Could this be you? Check out the job description for more details … and find all our open jobs right here.

There goes the neighborhood. Discount airlines have helped establish a mass tourism industry, allowing countless Europeans to broaden their horizons. While they’ve traditionally flocked to the beaches of Mallorca and Italy’s Adriatic coast, they’re increasingly crowding into places like Porto and Barcelona, lending these centuries-old cities an atmosphere more reminiscent of a theme park than a living, breathing place. That’s driving up the costs for locals by stoking demand for housing, while public infrastructure buckles under the weight of these new visitors.

Once you shop, you can’t stop. Over the past 15 years, Americans have doubled their expenditures on jewelry, books and technology, even though the population’s grown just 14 percent. Now, there’s no place to put all that extra stuff: In about the same time, Americans’ textile trash has increased by two-thirds, while plastic waste has grown by one-third. Charities like Goodwill have also gone online to handle unwanted piles of goods — and are discovering many donations are either new or barely used, pointing toward a vicious cycle of consumption.

The oxygenating properties of the compound have been touted by alternative medicine proponents as a cure-all, sending desperate relatives of the afflicted to online vendors and health food stores. Producers recommend diluting the dangerously concentrated liquid to treat a variety of illnesses, from cancer to West Nile virus. But in recent years it’s led to hundreds of poisonings, causing devastating disabilities and even death. Federal rules prohibit marketing peroxide as a medicine, but regulators rarely act beyond sending letters ordering changes to online sales pitches, leaving vendors free to ply their dangerous trade.

From the Nanking invasion of World War II to Beijing’s modern-day territorial strong-arming, China and Japan share a deep-seated mutual acrimony. But a desire to make and market entertainment has fostered an unlikely partnership between the two nations’ filmmakers. Last year, they spent $170 million co-producing a fantasy epic called Legend of the Demon Cat, while Hong Kong and mainland filmmakers adapted a Japanese mystery novel for the big screen. The two countries are building on that cooperation, especially as China cuts ties with Hollywood and South Korea’s showbiz moguls.

They’re in a league of their own. This weekend Florida will host the eighth Women’s Baseball World Cup, marking the first time the tournament is taking place in the sport’s homeland. But the women of Team USA are the underdogs: Countries like Australia and Japan boast better opportunities for women to play professionally and field solid teams. Aspiring American players must endure a long-ingrained culture of misogyny — along with a college infrastructure geared toward softball — which is why they’re hoping an international victory or two will aid their cause.