Good afternoon,

These <a href="[link removed]">hot summer nights, mid-July</a> are breaking records. Not long after states from the Great Lakes to the East Coast were shrouded in <a href="[link removed]">toxic smoke</a> from <a href="[link removed]">raging Canadian wildfires</a>, nearly <a href="[link removed]">100 million people</a> across the South are sweltering under extreme heat warnings amidst a life-threatening <a href="[link removed]">heat wave</a>.

The wildfires and heat are bad enough, but as we know with climate-intensified weather disasters...

WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS

<a href="[link removed]">Two months of rain fell in just two days</a> as storms raged across the Northeast last week. The flooding, which was the <a href="[link removed]">worst seen since Hurricane Irene</a> in 2011 (a so-called "50-year storm"), wiped out roads, destroyed homes, and devastated communities.
Thanks to climate change, extreme weather events from <a href="[link removed]">flooding</a> to droughts and <a href="[link removed]">heat waves</a> to hurricanes are becoming <a href="[link removed]">more frequent and more severe</a>. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has already logged <a href="[link removed]">35 major disaster declarations</a> this year, but we're not acclimating fast enough: climate-fueled crises keep piling on, threatening to overwhelm the agency.
Disaster aid must help communities, particularly historically underserved rural communities and communities of color, build resilience that will mitigate future extreme weather events. <a href="[link removed]">See how you can help</a>.

ENERGY GRID ON THE GRIND

It's hot: Texas' power grid has been in unprecedented demand as people and businesses increase air conditioning usage to combat the state's <a href="[link removed]">dangerous triple-digit heat</a>. Energy demand surpassed the record 80,828 megawatts (MW), exceeding <a href="[link removed]">84,000 MW</a> on Thursday.

The nation's energy infrastructure has come under scrutiny as <a href="[link removed]">extreme temperatures</a> have upped the need for air conditioning and heating – and increased the risk of Americans' deaths if the system fails.

Yet so far, Texas' grid has stayed strong: thanks in no small part <a href="[link removed]">to solar and wind</a> energy and battery additions, expanding capacity to help cover outages when several coal and natural gas plants were <a href="[link removed]">forced offline</a>.

Renewable energy isn't just building out energy grids – it's also <a href="[link removed]">building America's workforce</a>. Nearly 300,000 new energy jobs were created across the country in 2022, <a href="[link removed]">114,000 of which</a> were in clean energy technologies – growth that <a href="[link removed]">outpaced</a> the nationwide average.

As the United States transitions to a more diversified energy portfolio, it's essential to ensure that communities relying on fossil fuels aren't <a href="[link removed]">left behind</a> in the quest for climate resilience.

Each week, this newsletter highlights what's going on in rural states, counties, communities, and what One Country Project is up to around the country. If you value this content, please consider donating to One Country Project. Your contribution supports our efforts to connect with rural voters and to promote greater opportunities for rural communities.

Donate Now: [link removed],,,,

THE YOUNG VOTERS ARE OUR FUTURE

Climate policy is a <a href="[link removed]">major priority</a> for young voters, whose entire lives will be shaped by a worsening climate crisis.

Young voters are a significant bloc that has already proven their power and <a href="[link removed]">turned out in force</a> to influence elections – often in favor of Democrats. Rural voters are a similar such bloc, except they lean red instead. <i>Young rural</i> voters are split: in 2020, <a href="[link removed]">47 percent</a> of rural voters under 30 voted for President Biden, while 50 percent voted for Donald Trump.

If Democrats want to win them over in 2024, they must address young rural voters' <a href="[link removed]">main concerns</a>. A strong rural economy, job availability, access to quality health care, education, and community safety are at the top of voters' minds.

SUMMER IS HEATING UP, INFLATION IS COOLING DOWN

June marked the 12th consecutive month of cooling inflation, with the Consumer Price Index down to <a href="[link removed]">3 percent</a> from nearly 9 percent one year ago. Americans are feeling some much-needed relief as the Biden administration's policies take effect, lowering gas and grocery prices.

APPROPRIATIONS AHEAD

On the butcher block – or rather, at the forefront of the House's consideration are upcoming appropriations bills.

The Appropriations Committee advanced the bill to fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which includes significant cuts to Inflation Reduction Act programs.

The bill that funds the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set for markup this week. It would slash funding by more than a third.

ONE COUNTRY IN THE NEWS

OCP founder and former Senator Heidi Heitkamp appeared on <a href="[link removed]">CNBC's Last Call</a> to discuss the national deficit.

Tomorrow, Senator Heitkamp will be joining a panel at The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence at the <a href="[link removed]">2023 Aspen Security Forum Agenda</a> later this week about. <a href="[link removed]">Register here to tune in</a>.

OCP board member and J.D. Scholten <a href="[link removed]">authored a column</a> on how Republicans in control of Iowa's House, Senate, and Governor's office have made Iowa a pawn in the national Republican narrative.

ICYMI

Des Moines Register: <a href="[link removed]">Abortion providers, ACLU sue to block Iowa's new 6-week 'fetal heartbeat' abortion ban</a>

CNN: <a href="[link removed]">House passes defense bill after adopting controversial amendments targeting abortion policy and other issues</a>

Wisconsin Public Radio: <a href="[link removed]">The FDA has approved an over-the-counter birth control pill. Here's what it could mean for Wisconsin.</a>

Axios: <a href="[link removed]">Life is about to get much more expensive for millions of families</a>

The Journal: <a href="[link removed]">Teacher Shortage Affecting Rural America Hits Close to Home</a>

The New York Times: <a href="[link removed]">New York Is Ordered by Appeals Court to Redraw House Map</a>

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