bringin' the heat

-- In Ecuador, flower-growers are on edge about an implied threat by the U.S.: If Ecuador offers document-leaker Edward Snowden asylum, Ecuador's $250 million dollars in flower exports to the U.S. may see existing tariffs held in place and not, as hinted, eliminated. Snowden is unreliably reported to be holed up in the transit area of a Moscow airport. The U.S. would dearly love to capture him, put him on trial, and put its own warming embarrassments to bed.

-- In a similar, but somewhat different vein, "The head of the European Parliament has demanded "full clarification" from the US over a report that key EU premises in America have been bugged." If the Spiegel reporting of such bugging is true, it would have a "severe impact" on ties between the EU and the United States, according to Martin Schulz.

-- And in a less amorphous and confounding expression of heat, the Southwestern United States is looking forward to more truly sweltering conditions. Las Vegas was touched with 115 (46C) and in Death Valley, known as the hottest place on earth, temperatures reached 125 (51.7C) Death Valley recorded the highest measured temperature on Earth on July 10, 1913 --  134 (56.7C). The heat may break by Tuesday ... or it may not.

Sorta like Edward Snowden.