United States

Three summer vacationers tragically fell to their death at Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park. According to the associated press, one of the victims ignored signs not to enter the Merced River- the tributary that leads to the infamous waterfall. After the first victim was swept away by the vicious current, the second one entered and tried to save him. After the second was tackled by the strong waters, the third member of the party jumped in and tried to save the former two.

As of now, the bodies of the victims have not been found, but park authorities have presumed all three to be dead since surviving the massive fall at Yosemite Park’s Vernal Falls is near impossible.

As mentioned, Vernal Falls is very popular amongst tourists, meaning many witnessed the horrifying event. Adding to the terror, one eye witness stated, “I saw the man’s eyes as he went over the falls… It was devastating.”

We travel for pleasure, enlightenment and various other reasons. But sometimes the trips end in heartbreak and/or even death. Many question the “xtreme” traveler’s motives for wanting to explore so-called “dangerous” areas off the beaten track since they’re considered unsafe and hazardous. Nonetheless, as seen with the recent Yosemite National Park tragedy and other similar misfortunes at “non-xtreme” vacationer hot-spots, bad luck can strike anyone, anywhere at any time.

When it’s your time to go it’s your time to go and there’s nothing you can do about it. For this reason, there should be no reason not to explore faraway places because the chance of something bad happening from Yerevan to Yosemite (although both slim) is equal. 
Whether a backpacker or tourist or vacationer, it’s always wise to dismiss hubris and obey warning signs because they (believe it or not) are there for a good reason…

The 22,316 people who believed they had won the US State Department's green card lottery – the global lottery that drew 19 million applicants seeking the right to immigrate to the US permanently – on Thursday lost an appeal to have the results of that lottery stand. On May 19, the State Department announced that a computer glitch had made the results from the lottery invalid, and that a second would need to be held. The results of that second lottery, the State Department says, were posted to the website Friday.For those who won the invalidated lottery, the news was devastating. Nearly 2 million applicants had already visited the results website by the time the error was discovered and the website taken down on May 5, and about one-fourth of the selected had learned of their selection.
Thirty-six individuals representing the “22,000 hopefuls” had filed a federal lawsuit urging the State Department to not void the lottery results. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit spoke of sharing the news with their children, quitting their jobs, selling land for money to immigrate, and marrying a loved one to make him or her eligible for immigration.

The results of a recent study reveal the fattest American States. Mississippi, for the seventh year in the row, has proven once again to be the US’s most obese state. Rounding out the top 5 is Alabama, West Virginia, Tennessee and Louisiana, respectively.Twelve of the fifty US states have an obesity rate of over 30%, an astonishing number. What’s even more surprising is the fact that five years ago Mississippi was the only American state with an obesity rate of over 30%. The statistics also point to the fact that the majority of America’s most obese states lay in the South.

This July 4^th marks the 235^th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Independence Day (also known as the “Fourth of July,” the “Glorious Fourth” of simply “the Fourth”) is a public holiday across the US and is characterized by fireworks, barbeques, drinking and partying.