Arizona city at the edge of the Colorado Plateau, seated in Coconino County
A mix of stories shows how rising costs, housing options, and family dynamics are shaping decisions—from Australians delaying parenthood to Dutch divorcees seeking affordable tiny homes, and East Jerusalem eviction cases.
The National Park Service has issued an extreme heat watch for the Grand Canyon’s inner canyon, predicting 105–110+ degree conditions at the bottom. Officials are urging hikers to avoid mid-day trails as several heat-related incidents have already occurred, with fatalities reported on Kaibab trails. Fire danger is rising nearby amid dry conditions.
NASA and partners are pursuing a high‑risk salvage to boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory into a higher, stable orbit. A Katalyst Space Technologies robot will capture Swift and lift it from 224 miles to about 373 miles, extending its life as solar activity threatens its destruction in October.
Three federally deployed wildland firefighters have died while battling fast-moving wildfires in Colorado and Utah. Two others were injured after shelter injuries as the Knowles, Gore, and Snyder Mesa fires merge, highlighting questions around a new U.S. Wildland Fire Service and the push for full suppression.
NASA has hired Katalyst Space Technologies to send Link, a three-armed drone, to grab the Swift Observatory and lift it to a higher orbit. The mission, launched from the Marshall Islands, aims to prevent Swift from burning up in Earth’s atmosphere and keep it scanning gamma-ray bursts and exploding stars.
The LAPD has let its three-year contract with Flock Safety expire amid civil-liberties and privacy concerns. An external audit recommends pausing new ALPR deployments, tightening data-control rules, and boosting public input before any new agreements. City officials and civil-rights groups are pressuring for stronger safeguards and clearer ownership of data.