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☆ At Least 5 Dead in Michigan After Severe Storms
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At least five people died in Michigan after severe storms on Thursday night brought heavy rain, strong wind gusts and possible tornadoes. Three people — a woman, 21, and two girls, 3 and 1 — were killed in a car accident on Thursday night in Kent County in Western Michigan, according to Sgt. Eric Brunner, a spokesman for the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. Two more were killed in Ingham County, in the central part of the state, the county’s emergency management department said in a post on Facebook. Additional injuries occurred in vehicles on the interstate, the post said, adding that people should be careful of the many power lines that are still down.

Persons: —, Eric Brunner Organizations: Kent, Sheriff’s, Facebook Locations: Michigan, Kent County, Western Michigan, Ingham County, Lansing

☆ New England Storms May Bring Flash Floods and Tornadoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Parts of Massachusetts, including Boston, were under flash flood warnings on Friday morning, the National Weather Service said, as thunderstorms swept across the eastern portion of the state. The Weather Service in Providence, R.I., said that a thunderstorm was possible until 1 p.m., and that some of the storms could bring heavy rain. Just after sunrise on Friday, a line of thunderstorms strengthened over parts of New England and probably caused tornadoes. A tornado warning was in effect for parts of Massachusetts until 10:45 a.m., the Weather Service said.

Organizations: National Weather Service, Weather Service Locations: Massachusetts, Boston, Providence, R.I, New England

☆ Two American Tourists Caught Sleeping in the Eiffel Tower
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The opening of the Eiffel Tower was delayed on Monday morning after security officials found two American tourists sleeping in the monument overnight, officials said. “They were detected in the early morning by the Sete security service, during daily rounds of checks carried out before the monument was opened to the public,” according to the Eiffel Tower’s operator, Sociéte d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, also known as Sete. The Paris prosecutor’s office was informed on Monday morning that two American men had been found sleeping on the site of the Eiffel Tower after entering with tickets on Sunday night, according to a spokeswoman for the office, who said that alcohol was involved. She did not know where in the Eiffel Tower the men were discovered. One of the world’s most recognizable landmarks, the Eiffel Tower was built from 1887 to 1889 to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution and stands at 1,083 feet.

Persons: “ Organizations: Eiffel Locations: Sete, Paris

The Russian military’s decision to fire warning shots and board a freighter in the Black Sea this weekend has added a new level of uncertainty to the increasingly intense maritime theater of war, as Moscow, apparently for the first time, made good on its threat to treat Ukraine-bound civilian shipping as potentially hostile. The Russian Ministry of Defense on Sunday announced the action, which was confirmed by Ukrainian officials, and video verified by The New York Times shows a military helicopter hovering above the cargo ship Sukru Okan. A group of people in military gear can be seen walking on the deck and climbing into the helicopter, while eight men in civilian clothes — apparently the ship’s crew — sit nearby. But it reflects the rising tensions on the Black Sea, which Western analysts have warned could escalate into violence involving countries not directly involved in the war. Russia’s warning last month about treating third-country shipping as hostile raised fears of armed clashes, and since then, Ukraine’s increasingly robust naval drone force has launched several attacks on Russian warships.

Persons: —, Ukraine’s Organizations: Russian Ministry of Defense, Sunday, Ukrainian, The New York Times Locations: Russian, Moscow, Ukraine

A utility pole on Friday that had been damaged in the high winds this week in Lahaina, Hawaii. But Hawaiian Electric, the state’s largest utility and the parent company of the power provider on Maui, made wildfire prevention its lowest priority in a state regulatory filing in April. In fact, the utility had no plan to cut power to prevent further ignitions even after flames began consuming the island. The recent devastation on Maui served as a reminder that climate-driven disaster can strike anywhere. “From what we’ve learned, we believe the Lahaina fires could have been prevented had proper safety precautions been taken,” said Gerald Singleton, one lawyer who issued a release about potential lawsuits.

Persons: ”, Jennifer Potter, Potter, Jim Kelly, we’ve, Gerald Singleton, Nicole Lowen, Ms, ” Ms, “ Organizations: Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas &, Hawaiian Electric, Energy, Hawaii State Legislature Locations: Lahaina , Hawaii, Maui, California, Lahaina, “, Hawaii

☆ Satellite Images Show the Scale of Destruction on Maui.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Satellite images showed the extent to which wildfires, fueled by strong winds, devastated Maui’s historic district of Lahaina in several hours on Wednesday. Across the island, hundreds of buildings, including a school, a church, businesses and homes, were damaged. Recovery is expected to take years, authorities said.

Locations: Maui’s, Lahaina

One man was wounded in a stabbing outside the British Museum in central London on Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police said, adding that it was an isolated incident and that a suspect had been arrested. The incident occurred at about 10 a.m. near the front entrance of the museum, one of London’s most popular tourist attractions. By midday, there was a heavy police presence outside the museum, and several nearby restaurants had closed. A line of several hundred people formed around the block as they waited for the museum to reopen. The British Museum, which had more than four million visits last year, said in a statement that it had increased security.

Organizations: British Museum, Metropolitan Police Locations: London

Today, the roughly 230 open-air booksellers, stationed along the Seine for about two miles, make up the largest open-air book market in Europe. About 170 of the stalls will be required to close for at least two weeks during the Paris Games, according to a copy of a document that city officials showed bouquinistes at a meeting last month. After the empty arenas of the Olympics in Tokyo, postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and in Beijing in 2022, organizers in Paris are aiming to bring back grandeur to the Games, which begin July 26. In Paris, with its perfectly preserved mid-19th-century facades, there is more concern about preserving traditions and elements of the city during the Olympic Games than in other cities. The city allows bouquinistes to sell rent-free, but some have had to resort to selling cheap souvenirs rather than books to earn a living.

Persons: Tony Travers Organizations: Paris Games, Eiffel, Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Paris police, Olympic Games, London School of Economics Locations: Europe, Tokyo, Beijing, Paris, Versailles, London, East London, bouquinistes

After going through a breakup last year, Connie Li, a software engineer, rejoined the dating apps, ready to dip her toe in the water again. But many of the men who reached out to her seemed to just want something casual, so she tried something new. Inspired by long, résumé-like dating bios that she had seen others post online, she drafted her own profile. In a Google Docs file longer than this article, Ms. Li, 33, described herself as monogamous, short and prone to wearing colorful outfits. “There is something kinda dorky about ‘date-me docs’ that reminds me of the early days of the internet,” Ms. Li said, referring to the way people used to meet on AIM, AOL’s now-defunct instant messaging service.

Persons: Connie Li, Li, “, Ms, “ I’m, I’ve, ” Organizations: bodega, AIM, AOL’s Locations: “

☆ As Heat Waves Intensify, Europe’s Cities Rely on Age-Old Ways to Stay Cool
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In Mediterranean countries like Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, traditional houses tend to include qualities that allow for breezes to run through them. Narrow passageways in some city centers and tree-lined streets also provide shade for pedestrians. Europe is experiencing heat waves at a rate that is more frequent and more intense than in many other parts of the world, and numerous homes are not equipped with air-conditioning. Annual sales of air-conditioning units around the world have tripled since 1990, according to the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental organization that provides policy recommendations on the global energy sector. In 2022, 89 percent of U.S. households had air-conditioning, compared with 19 percent in Europe, the I.E.A.

Persons: Catalina Spataru Organizations: University College London Energy Institute, Bank, International Energy Agency Locations: Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Europe, U.S

Monday’s attack, which was carried out by drone, threw those options into doubt. An executive whose ocean transportation company operates a ship waiting to load grain at Reni said he was waiting to hear whether Monday’s attack would affect insurance premiums, which were already high. Given Russia’s withdrawal from the deal that guaranteed safe passage for commercial vessels through the Black Sea, insurance premiums are likely to be prohibitively expensive for shipowners, analysts said. But some shipowners may decide to travel to Ukrainian ports even with the elevated risk, if they receive assurances from the Turkish and Ukrainian governments, said Yoruk Isik, an analyst with the consultancy Bosphorus Observer, in Istanbul. In recent days, Russia has launched a series of aerial assaults on Odesa, a Black Sea port in Ukraine.

Persons: Reni, Yoruk Isik, Isik Organizations: Turkish, Bosphorus Observer Locations: Ukrainian, Istanbul, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Wheat prices remain high as concern grows about Black Sea instability and disruption to the grain supply.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As Black Sea-bound vessels clustered in the waters near Istanbul, wheat prices remained elevated on Thursday, up 13 percent since Monday, when Russia pulled out of a wartime agreement that had been considered critical to stabilizing global food prices. The termination of the deal, which had permitted Ukraine to safely export its grain through the Black Sea, could have significant long-term consequences for grain supplies, said Alexis Ellender, a global analyst at Kpler, a commodities analytics firm. Despite robust grain harvests from exporters including Brazil and Australia, prices could become volatile. “By not having Ukraine there as a supplier, we’re increasing the vulnerability of the global grain market to these shocks,” Mr. Ellender said. “In the short term, supplies are good, but longer term, if we get any more supply shocks, we’re more vulnerable in terms of the global market.”Another drought in Brazil, like in 2021, or a disruption to Australia’s barley and wheat crop caused by El Niño, could cause prices to soar, he said.

Persons: Alexis Ellender, Mr, Ellender, “, El Niño Locations: Istanbul, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Australia

☆ 3 Are Fatally Shot in Fort Worth, Police Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Jenny Gross | Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Three people were killed and eight others were injured on Monday night in a shooting in Fort Worth where a crowd had gathered for a Fourth of July celebration, the police said. The shooting took place just before midnight in the Como neighborhood, southwest of downtown Fort Worth, which has an annual celebration on July 3. The Fort Worth Police Department’s homicide unit is investigating, Officer Daniel Segura, a spokesman, said in an email. No one has been arrested, and the police are asking people to call with any tips, he added. Shawn Murray of the Fort Worth Police Department said at a news conference shortly after the shooting.

Persons: Daniel Segura, Capt, Shawn Murray Organizations: Fort Worth Police Locations: Fort Worth, Como, downtown Fort Worth

The fatal shooting of a French teenager of Algerian and Moroccan descent by a police officer has set off days of violent protests that have rocked France. From Nanterre, the working class Paris suburb where the teenager was shot, to the northern city of Lille and the Mediterranean city of Marseille, demonstrators have burned cars, damaged buildings and bus shelters over three nights of clashes with the authorities. Here is how the events have unfolded. Tuesday morningThe Fatal ShootingOn June 27 after a French police officer shot an unarmed teenager, French news media, citing anonymous police sources, initially reported that the teenager, driving a yellow Mercedes, had plowed into police officers, leading one of them to shoot.

Locations: Algerian, France, Nanterre, Paris, Lille, Marseille

☆ Submersible Expert Raised Safety Concerns After 2019 Trip on Titan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The next day, Mr. Stanley wrote an email in which he detailed his concerns to Stockton Rush, the chief executive of OceanGate Expeditions, who was also on board the Titan for the dive, urging Mr. Rush to cancel the expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic that were planned for that summer. Would you consider taking dozens of other people to the Titanic before you truly knew the source of those sounds? Rush was piloting the Titan and was among the five people on board who were killed. The Titan’s final voyage would have been its 14th expedition to the Titanic’s wreckage.

Persons: Karl Stanley, Stanley, Rush, ” Organizations: Stockton Rush, OceanGate Expeditions, The New York Times, U.S . Coast Guard Locations: Bahamas, submersibles, U.S

This week’s attempt to rescue the five individuals trapped in the submersible, includes both the U.S. Navy and the Coast Guard. But, she said, when the cost of search and rescue efforts “crosses a certain threshold, funds may be diverted from N.P.S. The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to questions about the expense of past extensive search and rescue efforts. Credit... U.S. Coast Guard, via Associated PressMr. Derreumaux said he was thankful to the Coast Guard for saving his life, along with the lives of many others in need of its help. “I would not have called the Coast Guard if it weren’t a life-threatening situation,” he said.

Persons: ”, Chris Boyer, —, Boyer, Cynthia Hernandez, Peter Anderson, Cyril Derreumaux, kayaker, Derreumaux, “, ” Claire Fahy Organizations: U.S . Navy, Coast Guard, National Association for Search, National Park Service, OceanGate Expeditions, Abercrombie, Kent, The Coast Guard, San Francisco Chronicle, Coast Guard helicopter, . U.S . Coast Guard, Associated Press, Guard Locations: United States, New Hampshire, N.P.S, California, Hawaii, Marin County, Calif, . U.S

But Titan, the lost submersible from the company OceanGate, is a technological maverick based on novel concepts that differ from standard designs. “I’ve had three people ask me about making a dive on it,” he said in reference to the lost submersible. Private vessels — those used on superyachts, exploratory craft, tourists jaunts — are not formally regulated by any governmental or intergovernmental agency. Nor do they meet the rigorous standards that are applied to deep-sea craft used by the United States Navy and other government agencies. “We are proud that every submersible delivered remains in active service and certified to its original design depth,” it says on the company’s website.

Persons: ”, Bruce H, Robison, Alfred S, McLaren, Navy submariner, “ I’ve, ‘, OceanGate, submersibles, jaunts, Jennifer, Dr Organizations: Aquarium Research, Explorers Club of New, United States Navy, Lloyd’s, American Bureau of Shipping, ” Triton, Triton Locations: Monterey, California, Navy, Explorers Club of New York City, British, Everett, Wash, Houston, American

☆ OceanGate was warned of potential for ‘catastrophic’ problems with Titanic mission.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jenny Gross | Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Leaders in the submersible craft industry were so worried about what they called the “experimental” approach of OceanGate, the company whose craft has gone missing, that they wrote a letter in 2018 warning of possible “catastrophic” problems with the submersible’s development and its planned mission to tour the Titanic wreckage. The letter, obtained by The New York Times, was sent to OceanGate’s chief executive, Stockton Rush, by the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group that aims to promote ocean technology and educate the public about it. The signatories — more than three dozen people, including oceanographers, submersible company executives and deep-sea explorers — warned that they had “unanimous concern” about OceanGate’s development of the Titan submersible, the same craft that is now missing in the North Atlantic with five people on board. The chairman of the committee, Will Kohnen, said in an interview Tuesday that the letter grew out of fears about what could happen if the company did not stick to established standards.

Persons: —, Will Kohnen Organizations: The New York Times, Stockton Rush, Manned, Vehicles, Marine Technology Society, Titan

“The submersible industry had significant concerns over the strategy of building a deep sea expedition submersible without following existing classification safety guidelines,” Mr. Kohnen said. OceanGate said in the post that because its Titan craft was so innovative, it could take years to get it certified by leading assessment agencies. “Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation,” the company wrote. The submersible sustained modest damage to its exterior, he wrote, leading OceanGate to cancel the mission so it could make repairs. Still, Mr. Concannon wrote in the filing, 28 individuals had been able to visit the Titanic wreckage on the craft in 2022.

Persons: —, Will Kohnen, Mr, Kohnen, Rush, OceanGate, Bart Kemper, ”, Kemper, Charles Kohnen, Will Kohnen’s, “, David Concannon, Concannon, Rebecca Beach Smith, Kitty Bennett Organizations: The New York Times, Stockton Rush, Manned, Vehicles, Marine Technology Society, Titan, Atlantis, Eastern, of, Court Locations: Canadian, U.S, of Virginia

The submersible vessel carrying five people slipped into the dark waters of the North Atlantic, heading to what remained of the Titanic, 12,500 feet under the sea. The expedition, like many before it, was a testament to the enduring fascination with the storied ship that struck an iceberg and sank off Newfoundland more than a century ago. But one hour and 45 minutes into the dive on Sunday morning, the craft went missing, setting off a search by rescue crews from two countries and adding another layer of mystery and intrigue to the Titanic wreck. In social media posts, Mr. Harding, 58, had written excitedly about the upcoming trip. “I am proud to finally announce that I joined @oceangateexped for their RMS TITANIC mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic,” he said on Instagram, adding, “More expedition updates to follow, IF the weather holds.”

Persons: Hamish Harding, Harding, ” Organizations: World Records Locations: Newfoundland, British, “

Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:04 - 0:00 transcript Coast Guard Searching for Lost Submersible Near Site of Titanic The U.S. Coast Guard launched a search and rescue mission after a submersible disappeared during a dive to the site of the Titanic. We are doing everything that we can do to make sure that we can locate and rescue those on board. So after receiving the call, we launched, well, reached out to the vessel Polar Prince and began a surface search looking for the submersible. We’ve subsequently coordinated with the Canadian Coast Guard and Canadian Armed Forces to deploy additional assets to the scene. The U.S. Coast Guard launched a search and rescue mission after a submersible disappeared during a dive to the site of the Titanic.

Persons: John Mauger, We’ve, Steven Senne, Admiral Mauger, “, ”, we’re Organizations: U.S . Coast Guard, . Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Armed Forces, Associated, Coast Guard, OceanGate Expeditions, United, New York National Guard, Fox Locations: Cape Cod, Boston, U.S, United States, Canada

A team of scientists working to map the Titanic in 2010 as part of a project to create a high-definition 3D image of the ship. For decades after the Titanic sank, searchers scanned the dark waters of the North Atlantic for the ship’s final resting place. Since the wreck was found, in 1985, it has drawn hundreds of filmmakers, salvagers, explorers and tourists, using robots and submersibles. Mr. Cameron, who has repeatedly visited the wreck, was among those calling for care around the site. By the time it began offering tours to paying customers, researchers said that the Titanic had little scientific value compared to other sites.

Persons: James Cameron, Cameron’s, Cameron Organizations: Titanic, Atlantic, Expeditions

Persons: James Cameron, Cameron’s, Cameron Organizations: Titanic, Atlantic, Expeditions

☆ Submersible Disappears in Area of Titanic Wreck
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Jenny Gross | Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A submersible went missing in the area of the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic on Monday, setting off a search-and-rescue operation by the U.S. Coast Guard, according to the agency and the tourism company operating the craft. Petty Officer Lourdes Putnam confirmed that Coast Guard officials were searching for the submersible, which is operated by OceanGate Expeditions. It was not clear how many people were on board the vessel, and Officer Putnam offered no further details. The company’s website said its submersibles carry five people. OceanGate, a company that takes paying tourists in submersibles to shipwrecks and underwater canyons, said on its website on Monday that an expedition was “currently underway.”In a statement after the submersible went missing, the company said that it was exploring all options to bring the crew back safely.

Persons: Lourdes Putnam, Putnam, “ Organizations: U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard, OceanGate Expeditions Locations: submersibles

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