Coming from a tap near you: PFAS

Plus, Earth's three hottest days ever recorded. PFAS “forever chemicals” contaminate nearly half of US tap water; Earth unofficially records its three hottest days ever. Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.   TOP NEWS PFAS is in 45 percent of US drinking water Justin Sullivan/Getty Images - Roughly half of US tap water contains PFAS, “forever chemicals” linked to health problems, according to [research]( from the US Geological Survey. [[Associated Press / John Flesher](] - Thousands of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, help consumer products resist heat, water, and grease. They are known as “forever chemicals” because they remain in the environment and the human body for long periods. [[USA Today / Kayla Jimenez](] - Researchers took samples from 716 locations and estimated that roughly 45 percent of them contained at least one PFAS chemical. Urban areas, the Great Lakes and Great Plains, the East Coast, and Central and Southern California faced the highest exposure. [[The Hill / Rachel Frazin](] - The Environmental Protection Agency has issued health advisories about PFAS — which are linked to cancer and obesity — and proposed putting limits on the allowable drinkable amounts of six forever chemicals. [[CNN / Jen Christensen](] - Concerned consumers can call their water utility to find out about local PFAS levels and use filters that remove some of the chemicals. [ [NPR / Rachel Treisman](] - Chemical companies responsible for the contamination have agreed to pay billions to detect and clean up PFAS, but the scale of the pollution means it will likely take decades and lots more investment. [[Truthout / Mike Ludwig](] 📍 If you read just one story A chemist explains what PFAS are, why the chemicals are everywhere, and how they affect human bodies and the environment. [[Vox / Benji Jones](]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( The hottest week ever - Earth reached its hottest-ever global average temperature for three days in a row this week, based on comparisons to data stretching back decades. [[CNN / Laura Paddison](] - After setting a record Monday, the average global temperature hit 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday and Wednesday, fueled by an unusually warm Antarctic winter. [[AP / Seth Borenstein and Isabella O’Malley](] - Much of the world — including the US, UK, China, and North Africa — faced above-average temperatures in recent weeks, increasing the risk of heat-related deaths. [[Guardian / Damien Gayle](] - Scientists predict greenhouse gas emissions and the return of the Pacific Ocean warming phenomenon El Niño could push temperatures to further extremes this year. [[Axios / Andrew Freedman](]   MISCELLANEOUS Meta released its Threads app, widely considered to be an alternative plaform for Twitter users frustrated with Elon Musk’s leadership. [[Vox / Shirin Ghaffary](] - Police are investigating after a suspected toxic gas leak linked to an illegal gold mine killed at least 17 people, including three children, near Johannesburg, South Africa. [[BBC / Nomsa Maseko](] - On Thursday, Walt Nauta, an aide to Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty to six charges related to allegedly helping the former president mishandle classified documents. [[CNBC / Kevin Breuninger](] - The far-right Freedom Caucus reportedly voted to oust Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) after she fought with fellow Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) on the House floor. [[Politico](] VERBATIM “We should be treating this problem where it begins, instead of putting up a stoplight after the accident. We should be requiring polluters to treat their own wastes.” [[Scott Faber, Environmental Working Group senior vice president, on PFAS pollution / AP](]   LISTEN TO THIS Excuseflation Inflation happens for a lot of reasons that can be hard for even economists to fully grasp. But — as we learned this spring in an episode we’re rerunning today — there’s also a more straightforward reason prices keep going up: Greedy corporations are using inflation as an excuse to jack up prices. [Listen now ▶](   Read more from Vox [Why pedestrian deaths in the US are at a 40-year high]( [What the siege of Jenin signals about the future of Israel and Palestine]( [Bus stops and playgrounds are too damn hot]( [The troubling court decision roiling Guatemala’s elections, explained]( [What a landmark new study on homelessness tells us](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=sentences). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.