It doesn't really feel like a Wednesday, whatever that means.

Florida's Environmental Regulatory Commission approved new water-quality standards that will allow the dumping of more carcinogens into state waters. The plan "does more good than harm," said a chairperson on the ERC, who also happens to be a lawyer working for developers. They know being rich isn't any fun unless there are still a few poor people alive to be richer than for a bit before dying horribly against the backdrop of a poisoned world, right?

Two progressive groups have rescinded their endorsements of Florida Senatorial candidate (and current Congressman) Alan Grayson in the wake of allegations by his ex-wife of long-running domestic abuse. We're not saying the allegations are true, but we are saying that politics is a world of "optics" (ugh), and that in this case the "optics" aren't helping, because the "optics" are that Grayson has, uh, let's call it "impulse-control issues."

Lightning ignited a wildfire on Egmont Key which may or may not still be burning as you read this. I'm not sure if it's Zeus or Thor or whoever that's the real God of Thunder (it ain't Gene Simmons, that asshole), but some deity with electromagnetic superpowers sure is murderously cranky. Probs the heat.

And finally, two juveniles were arrested for stealing a local musician's truck full of gear after a show at St. Pete's Hollander Hotel. Stealing is the worst, and stealing the things someone uses to A) make a living, B) create art or C) both should be rage-ifying to everyone. If you get the urge to steal from a band — even a shitty band — please, consider a long, relaxing, potentially lethal dip in one of Florida's chemical-riddled waterways instead.

This article appears in Jul 21-28, 2016.