Las Vegas eyes record of 5th consecutive day over 115 degrees as heat wave continues

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Used to shrugging off the heat, Las Vegas residents are eyeing the thermometer. The desert city is on track Wednesday to set a record for the fifth consecutive day over 115 degrees amid a lingering hot spell that will continue scorching much of the U.S. into the weekend. A meteorologist says Nevada’s largest city is experiencing the most extreme heat wave in the history of record-keeping since 1937. More than 142 million people around the U.S. are under heat alerts Wednesday, especially in Western states. The heat is suspected to have caused eight deaths in Oregon.

Hurricane Beryl’s remnants drop tornadoes and heavy rain

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The remnants of Hurricane Beryl have dropped tornadoes and are threatening flooding as the system churns into Canada and the northeastern U.S. after leaving millions in the Houston area without power. Beryl was a post-tropical cyclone around midday Wednesday and centered over southeastern Michigan with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph. A threat of heavy rain and flooding stretched from the Great Lakes to New England and included southern Canada. The storm dumped 3 to 6 inches of rain in northern Indiana. Damaging tornadoes touched down Wednesday in upstate New York and Tuesday evening in southwestern Indiana.

Gunman who was killed by Yellowstone rangers had planned a July 4 mass shooting, park reveals

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park officials say a gunman killed by park rangers as he fired a semiautomatic rifle at the entrance of a dining facility with 200 people inside had told a woman he planned to carry out a mass shooting. Park officials identified the shooter Tuesday as 28-year-old Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner, of Milton, Florida. Park rangers shot and killed him as he fired on a service entrance to the dining facility. Law enforcement rangers say Fussner had held a woman at gunpoint earlier, telling her he planned to carry out a mass shooting at a July Fourth event outside Yellowstone.

Astronauts confident Boeing space capsule can safely return them to Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two astronauts who should have been back on Earth weeks ago say they’re confident that Boeing’s space capsule can return them safely. NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule early last month. Leaks and thruster failures almost derailed their arrival at the International Space Station, and has kept them there much longer than planned. In their first news conference from orbit Wednesday, the pair said they expect to return once thruster testing is complete here on Earth. They say they’re not complaining about getting extra time in orbit, and are enjoying helping the station crew.