Currently in Chicago — August 19, 2024: Nothin' but blue skies

The weather, currently.

The next few days will bring sunshine and a bit of a breeze to keep things cooler. Tonight’s clouds will clear by morning, with a low in the high 60s. Monday will be sunny and mostly clear with a high near 73. The daytime temps will gradually increase over the week into the 80s by Friday. Folks with allergies will want to be prepared for the sharp uptick in pollen.

Events like the Olympics and the DNC are responsible for up to 10% of the world’s CO2 emissions. Read how Chicago organizers are making strides towards more sustainable gathering (gift link).

— Katje Sabin

What you can do, currently.

A Media Matters analysis found that last year — the hottest calendar year on record — network coverage of climate actually declined in the US. What’s worse, just 12% of reports about climate change mentioned fossil fuels as the driving cause. The media still reported on extreme weather, but stopped short of making the climate connection.

Independent climate journalism like Currently is needed more than ever. And this year, with all of these weather warnings already underway, we’ll unfortunately have plenty of opportunities to do better.