The Guardian

• Crews building Trump border wall in drought-hit New Mexico ordered to stop drilling wells

  Residents and farmers say contractors have tapped border aquifers that threaten water supply for those nearby

  Construction crews building a border wall in New Mexico were ordered to stop drilling new wells after ranchers said that pumping groundwater to produce concrete could threaten their livestock amid a severe drought.

  The order comes as crews across the southern border race to complete one of Donald Trump’s highest domestic priorities – barriers that span four states and received over $46bn in federal funding. Controversies have sprouted up in Texas and California, and border-town residents and environmentalists have reported a wide variety of issues with construction.

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• From living roofs to rainwater harvesting: the future of sustainable homes

  A new book, Homes for Our Time, by Philip Jodidio, showcases the quiet revolution in green residential architecture

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• Eastern Washington fires destroy 600 structures and force 60,000 to evacuate

  Wildfires in and around Spokane have stretched ability of federal and local agencies to fight blazes

  Wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area while destroying at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures, authorities said on Sunday.

  The fires in and around Spokane, the state’s second largest city, burned about 8.2 sq miles (about 21 sq km), but they were among dozens across the western US that stretched the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them. A total of about 390 sq miles have burned across the state, and some of the fires, including those in the Spokane area, have not been contained.

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• Heatwave scorching western US ups risk of hazardous fire conditions

  In Oregon and Washington, low humidity and powerful winds have put officials on alert for wildfire spread

  A heatwave scorching the western US region has elevated the risk of hazardous fire conditions particularly in parts of Oregon and Washington, where low humidity and powerful winds have put officials on alert for wildfire spread.

  The National Weather Service has forecast blistering temperatures through early next week that could climb from 110F to 120F across the south-west. In the Pacific north-west, highs reaching into the 90s are expected in the days to come.

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• Democrats’ ‘climate hushing’ prompts activists to turn up the volume

  Nationwide actions seek to counter view that talking about climate crisis distracts from affordability messaging

  This summer, torrential rains have washed away Texas neighborhoods, dangerous heat has blanketed swaths of the country, and smoke from Canadian wildfires has choked communities as far south as Florida.

  Research makes clear that global warming is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe. Yet the climate crisis has largely disappeared from the political agenda, with many Democrats who once described it as an existential threat now shying away from talking about it.

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