Smoke from Canadian wildfires causes New York to become the world's most polluted city. / Quartz

An investigation finds Texas companies releasing 1.1 billion pounds of pollution beyond their permit limits since 2002. / Grist

See also: "Mussel poop may help clear oceans of microplastics." / Science

A climate scientist maps a year-long road trip around the United States where the temperature is always 70 degrees Fahrenheit. / Brian B.'s Climate Blog

Deep within the planet are vast "mountain" ranges with peaks up to four times the height of Everest. / BBC Future

Unrelated: What it's like to be chased by a sloth. / The Kid Should See This

YouTube is blocked in China, but rural content creators have amassed thousands of fans on the platform, thanks to companies that export Chinese content. / rest of world

A URL on the license plates of 800,000 Maryland cars points to an online casino based in the Philippines. / VICE

A long history of the rise, fall, and rebirth of the fact-checking site Snopes. / Fast Company

The PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf agree to create a "new, collectively owned, for-profit entity." / The Associated Press

Michael Rosenberg: "In one move, Monahan brought in billions and killed LIV Golf." / Sports Illustrated

Some recent attractive book covers. Odd animations from old footage. Some examples of bands standing in fields of flowers. / Casual Optimist, Flashbak, Twitter

"if you are willing to live somewhat like a troll," you can purchase a house in Los Angeles for $250,000. / The Los Angeles Times