A Belgian tourist suffered third-degree burns on his feet during a visit to Death Valley National Park over the weekend.

According to the National Park Service, the 42-year-old man was taking a walk on the sand dunes when he lost his flip-flops. The air temperature at the time, officials said, was around 123 degrees and the ground temperature would have been “much hotter.”

A Death Valley National Park ranger told the Los Angeles Times that the ground temperature can reach 170 to 180 degrees and has even been known to get as high as 200 degrees.

“The skin was melted off his foot,” Park Ranger Gia Ponce told the Times.

The man’s family called for help and other park visitors came to his aid to carry him to the nearby parking lot to await paramedics.

Officials said he suffered “full-thickness” burns on his feet and was in significant pain, but due to the extreme heat in the area, a helicopter was unable to fly and safely land in the area.

Instead, a ground ambulance rushed the man to a higher elevation where temperatures were slightly cooler, still around 109 degrees, which allowed for a helicopter to land and fly him to a Las Vegas hospital.

Officials urge visitors to take necessary precautions when exploring Death Valley, which is the driest, lowest and hottest of all the nation’s parks.

Rangers recommend visitors stay within 10 minutes of an air-conditioned vehicle, drink lots of water, eat salty snacks, wear sunscreen and appropriate clothing, and not hike after 10 a.m.

Black Lives Matter demanded that the Democratic National Committee immediately host an informal, virtual snap primary nationwide before the Democratic National Convention in August.

The organization’s call comes after Vice President Kamala Harris secured enough delegates for the nomination on Monday.

In a statement, BLM called on the Democratic party leaders to allow public participation in the nomination process instead of leaving the decision to party delegates.

“The current political landscape is unprecedented, with President Biden stepping aside in a manner never seen before. This moment calls for decisive action to protect the integrity of our democracy and the voices of Black voters,” BLM said in a statement.

“Now, Democratic Party elites and billionaire donors are attempting to manipulate Black voters by anointing Kamala Harris and an unknown vice president as the new Democratic ticket without a primary vote by the public. This blatant disregard for democratic principles is unacceptable. While the potential outcome of a Harris presidency may be historic, the process to achieve it must align with true democratic values. We have no idea where Kamala Harris stands on the issues, now that she has assumed Joe Biden’s place, and we have no idea of the record of her potential vice president because we don’t even know who it is yet.”

BLM leader Shalomyah Bowers told Reuters that the statement represents the views of many stakeholders in BLM’s Global Network but that individual chapters of the group are autonomous and may have a different view

The statement from BLM, a decentralized political and social organization, that helped lead global protest over police violence in 2020, disrupts the steady stream of public support from Democratic leaders for Harris after President Joe Biden announced his support for her on Sunday.

Reuters reported that the Harris campaign has raised over $100 million, with millions coming from the rapid mobilization of Black leaders and advocates since Biden’s endorsement.

Harris would be the first Black woman and Asian American to become the Democratic presidential candidate and the first Black woman and Asian American to be president should she win the election in November.

BLM noted that while the potential outcome of a Harris presidency maybe historic, “the process to achieve it must align with true democratic values.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said the party will deliver a presidential nominee by Aug. 7.

“The process has been fair. It’s been open. It’s been transparent,” Harrison said during a Tuesday morning Today Show interview.

The full statement from BLM can be found here.

PARIS (AP) — Salt Lake City will be an Olympics host again after the IOC formally awarded the 2034 Winter Games to the United States bid on Wednesday.

The capital city of Utah was the only candidate since the International Olympic Committee gave Salt Lake City exclusive negotiating rights last year in the process that was fast-tracked for 2034 and led to U.S. being awarded the games.

The campaign team presenting the bid on stage to IOC members included the Governor of Utah Spencer Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Alpine ski great Lindsey Vonn. Back home, a 3 a.m. public watch party gathered to see a broadcast from Paris.

Salt Lake City’s final approval in a vote by those members will bring back the Winter Games 32 years after first hosting in 2002.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games