Extreme heat batters the United States and other nations, while Democratic Senators in DC are in a frenzy to pass anything. / Punchbowl News 

The head meteorologist for the UK's national weather service says heatwaves caused by the climate crisis are likely to be regular things. / The Guardian 

People in Mexico who experience PTSD from earthquakes are said to be "tocado," or touched. / Noema

Officials in China are anxious to avoid the widespread blackouts of 2021. / The Economist

Related: Coal merchants were everywhere in the late 19th century—"and everybody hated them." / Smithsonian Magazine

Central banks in the US, Europe, and Asia are lifting interest rates rapidly to wrestle inflation. / The New York Times

A state department adviser says gas prices in the US should fall soon to $4 per gallon. Meanwhile, fewer new emojis are making the cut. / Axios, Quartz

One way to reduce the federal deficit? Prevent the military services from sending their "wish lists" to members of Congress. / Lawfare

The CEOs of approximately 300 health care companies took home more than $4.5 billion in 2021. / STAT

Steve Bannon goes on trial for defying Jan. 6 panel subpoena. It's expected to be quick. / NPR, The Week

Conservators in Scotland discover "what is almost certainly a previously unknown self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh." / Futility Closet

Do goats enjoy "goat yoga?" A researcher says some goats love it, but the emphasis is on "some."  / Slate

"Numbers did not initially provoke wonder or reverence." Alec Wilkinson teaches himself calculus at 65. / The New Yorker

Stephen Fry voices an argument for a four-day work week. / Vimeo

See also: A list of things you're allowed to do that you thought you couldn't. / Milan Cvitkovic