Men’s Olympic triathlon postponed in Paris over Seine water quality concerns

Men’s Olympic triathlon postponed in Paris over Seine water quality concerns

PARIS — Concerns about water quality in the Seine River led Paris Olympics organizers to postpone the men’s triathlon Tuesday, with officials hoping the swimming portion of the race will be able to go forward in the long-polluted waterway in the coming days following an expensive cleanup effort. Organizers said they will try to hold … Read more

Olympic triathletes hope the Seine River is clean enough for swimming after recent rains

Olympic triathletes hope the Seine River is clean enough for swimming after recent rains

PARIS — Days before they’re set to plunge into the Seine River during the Paris Olympics, triathletes held out hope Saturday that the famous waterway’s bacteria levels would be safe enough for swimming. The swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming event are both expected to be held in the river that flows … Read more

Prisoners fight against working in heat on former slave plantation, raising hope for change in South

Prisoners fight against working in heat on former slave plantation, raising hope for change in South

Beneath the blazing summer sun on a former slave plantation, Lamont Gross and fellow prisoners stooped in long rows, picking vegetables by hand under the watchful eyes of armed guards on horseback. He said breaks were short and infrequent, with nothing to protect workers from the heat. “I saw guys collapse,” Gross said of his … Read more

Booties. Indoor dog parks. And following the vet’s orders. How to keep pets cool this summer

Booties. Indoor dog parks. And following the vet’s orders. How to keep pets cool this summer

PHOENIX — As much of the world swelters, it’s not just people who need help with the dog days of summer. Pet owners have to consider how to both shield and cool down furry family members as intense — at times deadly — heat waves become more common. “It’s really important to remember that if … Read more

No prison for a nursing home owner who sent 800 residents to ride out a hurricane in squalor

No prison for a nursing home owner who sent 800 residents to ride out a hurricane in squalor

NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana businessman who sent more than 800 elderly residents from his seven nursing homes to ride out Hurricane Ida in a crowded, ill-equipped warehouse pleaded no contest to 15 criminal counts Monday and was sentenced to three years of probation. Bob Dean Jr. also must pay more than $358,000 in restitution … Read more

Heat-related Texas deaths climb after Beryl left millions without power for days or longer

Heat-related Texas deaths climb after Beryl left millions without power for days or longer

SPRING, Texas — As the temperature soared in the Houston-area home Janet Jarrett shared with her sister after losing electricity in Hurricane Beryl, she did everything she could to keep her 64-year-old sibling cool. But on their fourth day without power, she awoke to hear Pamela Jarrett, who used a wheelchair and relied on a … Read more

Heavy rain collapses part of ancient Michigan cave where ‘The Great Train Robbery’ was filmed

Heavy rain collapses part of ancient Michigan cave where ‘The Great Train Robbery’ was filmed

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. — Part of an ancient Michigan cave where “The Great Train Robbery” was filmed has collapsed under heavy rain. A wall of Bear Cave in Buchanan collapsed this week, Adam Morris, the property manager at a campground that operates near the cave, told MLive.com. The wall collapsed at night and was already … Read more

EPA watchdog investigating delays in how the agency used sensor plane after fiery Ohio derailment

EPA watchdog investigating delays in how the agency used sensor plane after fiery Ohio derailment

The EPA’s Inspector General is investigating why the agency didn’t get its specialized plane loaded with advanced sensors into the air over East Palestine until four days after the disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment last year. The Associated Press reported on a whistleblower’s concerns this spring about the delays and discrepancies in the way the Environmental … Read more

3 hikers die in Utah parks as temperatures hit triple digits

3 hikers die in Utah parks as temperatures hit triple digits

SALT LAKE CITY — Three hikers died over the weekend in suspected heat-related cases at state and national parks in Utah, including a father and daughter who got lost on a strenuous hike in Canyonlands National Park in triple-digit temperatures. The daughter, 23, and her father, 52, sent a 911 text alerting dispatchers that they … Read more

In beachy Galveston, locals buckle down without power after Beryl’s blow during peak tourist season

In beachy Galveston, locals buckle down without power after Beryl’s blow during peak tourist season

GALVESTON, Texas — Vacuums sucked the water out of the seaside inn run by Nick Gaido’s family in Galveston since 1911 as power was still spotty nearly one week after a resurgent Hurricane Beryl swept into Texas. Blue tarp covered much of the torn off roof. Gaido scheduled cleanup shifts for the hotel and restaurant … Read more