Heat & El Niño Watch: Colorado logged its hottest summer on record, with a long run of above-average temperatures and almost no cold-front breaks, while forecasters warn the “super, mega” El Niño of 2026-27 could amplify flooding and drought worldwide. Climate Risk & Health: A UN climate update says the 1.5°C Paris threshold is effectively slipping away, and new reporting links rising heat and climate shifts to health threats like Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks tied to contaminated cooling towers. Water & Ecosystems: Wisconsin’s Line 5 fight escalates as regulators accuse Enbridge of unauthorized work; North Dakota added four waterbodies to harmful algal bloom advisories; and Canada fined Algoma Steel $1.2M over gear oil pollution in the St. Marys River. Policy & Accountability: California’s CARB issued guidance for SB 253 greenhouse-gas reporting, while the UN climate chief warned political division is undermining action and economic stability. Energy Transition Reality Check: Switzerland’s biggest battery-storage plant is now on the grid, but Oracle’s Project Jupiter renewables plan still relies on large natural-gas fuel cells—raising questions about true emissions cuts. Community & Climate Solutions: Dane County won a Sierra Club award for returning 165 acres to the Ho-Chunk Nation, and six African newsrooms were selected for a climate solutions journalism push.