What's Happening

Politics

A Litmus Test for November?

What's going on: New York, Colorado, and Utah held key congressional primaries yesterday to determine the nominees for November. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) lost the Democratic primary in NY’s 16th District to Westchester County Executive George Latimer (D), making Bowman the first “Squad” member to be ousted from the House. Meanwhile, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) defeated a crowd of candidates in the GOP primary for Colorado’s 4th District. Rep. John Curtis (R) — a moderate conservative — won Utah’s Republican primary to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), beating a Trump-backed challenger.

What it means: Yesterday’s primaries come less than five months until the presidential election. NY’s 16th District race, which will go down as the most expensive House primary in history, put Democrats’ divided views on the Israel-Hamas war on display. Bowman has been openly critical of the war, while Latimer has backed the US’ support of Israel. Though Bowman’s loss isn’t expected to cost Democrats a seat in November, it signals that other progressives could face opposition. Meanwhile, Boebert and Curtis’ wins mark victories for the GOP, as both are expected to come out on top in their respective races this fall.

Related: Biden or Trump? Who Is Leading In the Polls Ahead of Their Debate (Reuters)

Climate

Large Outdoor Event Organizers Aren't Prepared for Extreme Heat

What's going on: In the face of triple-digit temperatures, event organizers around the world are saying the show must go on. The recent aftermath has been deadly. In Saudi Arabia, at least 1,300 people died during this year’s hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. During India's general election, extreme heat killed at least 77 people, including dozens of poll workers. At live music events around the world, there have been reports of attendees fainting as a result of extreme temps and, in at least one case, dying.

What it means: These incidents highlight that many major event organizers are not doing enough to protect mass crowds during high temperatures — even though in recent years, heat has become the deadliest of any previous extreme weather event. The World Meteorological Organization projected last year that global temperatures will reach record highs through 2028. So what can be done? Some easy fixes to keep attendees safe could come in the form of more shaded areas, water stations, and emergency shelters to treat heat stroke. And knowledge is power — educating people about the symptoms of heat-related illness, especially those with pre-existing conditions, like kidney disease or hypertension, could help save lives.

Related: Look at What the Heat Did to Abe Lincoln’s Wax Sculpture(BBC)

Space

Boeing Is Struggling To Bring Its Astronauts Home

What's going on: Two astronauts are currently stuck at the International Space Station (ISS), as NASA and Boeing continue to delay their return amid technical problems. Earlier this month, Boeing’s Starliner finally managed to lift off after two aborted attempts. But the problems didn’t end there, which seems to be a bit of a trend for Boeing. The astronauts were only supposed to be in space for eight days, but are now going on day 20. Houston, we have a problem. Still, NASA and Boeing have repeatedly made statements that the spacecraft is fine and could be brought back in case of an emergency at any time. Starliner can stay docked for up to 45 days as they work out the kinks.

What it means: Nearly a decade ago, NASA tapped Boeing and SpaceX to build commercial spacecraft so that the agency can routinely send astronauts to the ISS. However, Boeing has been struggling to keep up with SpaceX, which has been sending astronauts to space since 2020. NASA needs Boeing to get it together so that it’s not reliant on just one company’s system to complete its missions. There’s still hope that Boeing can pull this off, but the company needs to prove it can safely take astronauts to space and back if it wants to continue doing business with NASA.

Related: How Does a Short Trip to Space Affect the Human Body? (AP)