44 Die Before Heat Wave Eases

Cooler temperatures eased a suffocating heat wave in the eastern U.S., but not before at least 44 people died of weather-related causes. In Philadelphia, officials raised the number of heat-related deaths to 22--mainly elderly residents with heart conditions--as more autopsies were completed. The New York medical examiner’s office said 10 people had died of heat-related causes since the grueling weather set in over the July 4 holiday weekend. East Coast utility companies restored power to hundreds of thousands of people who were cut off when equipment failed due to the surge in demand for air conditioning.