Americans’ greater purchasing power compared with many Europeans shows up in an unlikely place: the McDonald’s menu.

A new report finds that the average U.S. worker can afford 10,215 Big Macs a year after taxes, offering a striking snapshot of disposable income.

That total is more than double what workers in France and Germany can buy, and roughly 50% higher than the number affordable for workers in Britain.

The figures are drawn from the Big Mac Index, The Economist’s long-running and unconventional gauge for comparing economic strength across countries.

The latest analysis looks at how much labor is needed to purchase the same widely available product, sold at about 44,000 McDonald’s restaurants worldwide.

Big Macs are priced according to local ingredient and operating costs. A Big Mac in the US averages $6.22, while it’s $7.30 in France and Germany, and just $3.12 in Japan, according to a separate price tracker.

Dividing the cost of a Big Mac by average wages offers an easy-to-understand way to compare the wealth between the working people of different nations.

In America, it’s just 23 minutes of work to afford a Big Mac — or six burgers per hour.

ALSO READ: Ominous Warning Sign That Nepal’s Devastating Flood Was About to Strike

Americans continue to top the Economist McWages rankings on an annual basis, with a US worker earning nearly $60,000 after taxes — enough to buy 10,215 Big Macs.

That figure is almost twice the roughly 5,000 Big Macs that a worker in France can afford annually, and more than double the roughly 4,000 that can be afforded by German workers.

Switzerland and Australia are in second and third place, respectively, with New Zealand fourth and Israel fifth.

But Americans also work longer hours than many of their European counterparts — and one country has the advantage on Big Macs-per-hour.

Switzerland comes out on top — with Swiss earning the equivalent of seven Big Macs an hour.

Australia, with five burgers for every hour worked, comes third.

The index also tracks wealth growth and decline — because it expresses both wages and the cost of a basic food item.

Germans are not lovin’ it — becoming much poorer in the past two years, as wages have stagnated and prices soared.

However, other countries, such as Latvia, are significantly richer in Big Mac terms than they were two years ago, with the average worker now able to afford an additional burger for every two hours’ work.

As the death toll from catastrophic flooding across Nepal and Tibet rises past 900, scientists are pointing to a series of troubling signals that may have foreshadowed the disaster.

The deadly surge struck last Wednesday, when a violent torrent of ice, snow and rock tore through steep valleys along the Tibet-Nepal border.

Researchers now suspect the disaster was set off by a glacier collapse, with a massive section of ice—estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,300 metres wide—breaking free and plunging into the valley below.

According to experts, monitoring sensors had already detected warning signs that the area was becoming dangerously unstable as early as two days before the deadly collapse.

The crisis has renewed concern over climate risks in the Himalayas, where temperatures are rising faster than the global average and putting once-stable ice formations under growing strain.

Dr Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist from the British Antarctic Survey, said he has temperature sensors in and next to a lake lying at 5100 m about 10 km away from the glacier.

He revealed that last Wednesday – the day of the catastrophic flood – had the highest lake temperature of the year, while two days before this recorded the highest ground temperature in the last two years. 

‘These high temperatures would have weakened the snowpack, filled crevasses with water and thawed the bonds between ice and rock that hold these glaciers in place,’ he said.

Scientists initially suspected that the flooding had been triggered by a magnitude 5.2 earthquake that was detected on August 26.

However, it was later discovered that this seismic event was actually the impact of a massive glacier collapse on the Langtang-Lirung mountain.

This sent ice and rock cascading down the mountain, mixing with sediment left by previous floods, and temporarily blocking the Lhende Khola River.

That caused a large lake to temporarily form before it broke through in a devastating flood.

As of today, 903 people are confirmed dead in Nepal, in addition to 16 in Tibet.

More than 4,000 are also reported missing in Nepal, with another 500 in Tibet.

With recovery efforts ongoing, scientists are now starting to understand the conditions that made the flooding more likely.

Dr Pritchard says: ‘This happened in the middle of the monsoon season when heavy snow and rain fall in this region, making this the peak season for avalanches.

‘The heavy rain would have saturated the soil and filled the rivers downstream, setting the scene for such a disaster, and these conditions are made much more likely by climate change that is causing rapid retreat of Himalayan glaciers.’

The terrain in the northern half of Nepal is extremely steep, making it highly susceptible to landslides, rockfalls, and ice cliff collapses.

When glaciers flow over steep slopes, they fracture into features known as seracs, inherently unstable ice cliffs.

However, climate change is now threatening to further destabilise these already perilous conditions.

Glaciers sit on a layer of permafrost, ground that remains frozen all year, which helps maintain their stability.

As temperatures warm, parts of this permafrost are beginning to thaw, loosening rocks and mud that create a serious risk of catastrophic collapse.

In Nepal, this means that similar rockslides, glacial collapses, and floods are becoming increasingly common.

In April 2015, an earthquake released a major avalanche on the south face of the same Langtang-Lirung mountain, which destroyed Langtang village and caused many casualties.

Professor Maria Shahgedanova, a climate scientist from the University of Reading, says: ‘The failed glacier retreated by approximately 450m between 1990 and 2020, potentially reducing the mechanical support provided by the glacier to the underlying rock slope.’

Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the global average temperature has risen by 1.4°C (2.52°F), but this warming is not evenly distributed.

The Himalayas have been warming far faster than the global average, leading to rapidly accelerating glacier melting.

The latest comprehensive assessment of glaciers using satellite data from 1976 to 2024 found that melt rates have increased everywhere on Earth besides Iceland.

In High Mountain Asia, which includes the Himalayas, the rate of melting in the last decade has been 25 per cent faster than the long-term average.

This increased melting makes serac collapses more likely, destabilises the permafrost, and leads to the growth of large lakes at the feet of glaciers.

These glacial lakes are held back by fragile natural dams of sediment from previous floods that can suddenly break, causing destructive glacial lake outburst floods.

Professor Hugh Sinclair, of the University of Edinburgh, adds: ‘No single event can be attributed to climate change, but the trend is worrying. Melting is driving collapse of the high Himalayan glacial valleys, and this is likely to accelerate with global warming.’

GARY, Ind. (WLS) — Tuesday marks three weeks since powerful storms swept across the Chicago area, leaving behind widespread damage and a long recovery for many families.

Now, FEMA has opened an on-site presence in Gary to help residents connect with disaster assistance and begin navigating the recovery process.

Northwest Indiana continues to rebuild after the August 11 storms, but the need remains especially urgent in Gary, where many neighborhoods are still dealing with the aftermath.

The city has seen some of the hardest-hit residents, including people still without electricity, displaced from their homes and, until recently, unsure where to turn for help.

On Tuesday, FEMA teams will be available in person to answer questions, review eligibility and help residents determine whether they qualify for federal storm recovery assistance.

Indiana Governor Mike Braun visited with people at the Red Cross Shelter in Gary. Dozens of people have been at the shelter for three weeks now.

This as FEMA teams fanned out across Northwest Indiana to help people apply for federal aid.

The agency said more than $500,000 is already in the hands of applicants, with that number expected to grow as thousands more apply for help in Northwest Indiana alone.

ALSO READ: Texas Fire Department Pulls Off Dramatic Crane Rescue 22 Stories in the Air

While most people have their power back, many are still in the dark.

The city is now asking for people’s help as they have partnered with a contractor to begin the removal.

This as plenty of those affected by the storms are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

“It’s scary. I’m not gonna lie,” Michelle Taylor, who is displaced by the storms, said. “I’m scared. I’ve never been in been through anything like this before, so it’s it’s very scary. But I think I just think you know, just gotta stay positive and keep everybody positive with you. You know, we help each other, we inspire each other.

A FEMA team will be here in Gary at the United Steelworks Local union Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.. On Friday and Saturday they move to Munster to help people there.

FEMA representatives will be at locations across northwest Indiana throughout the week to help residents determine whether they qualify for federal assistance and to connect them with available aid.

• 
  
• Tuesday, Sept. 1: Gary — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., United Steelworkers Local, 1014 1301 Texas St., Gary, IN, 46402.




• Wednesday, Sept. 2: Gary — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., United Steelworkers Local, 1014 1301 Texas St., Gary, IN, 46402.




• Thursday, Sept. 3: Gary — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., United Steelworkers Local, 1014 1301 Texas St., Gary, IN, 46402.




• Friday, Sept. 4: Munster — 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lions Club Social Center, 8751 Lions Club Dr., Munster, IN, 46321.




• Saturday, Sept. 5: Munster — 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Lions Club Social Center, 8751 Lions Club Dr., Munster, IN, 46321.

A Texas chiropractor remembered as a devoted father of three has died after vanishing during catastrophic flash flooding in the Grand Canyon, his former practice said Monday.

Dr. John Giusti, from Granbury, Texas, was visiting the Grand Canyon when sudden floodwaters surged through Bright Angel Creek on Aug. 29, turning what his wife called a “lifetime dream” into a heartbreaking loss.

“We are heartbroken to make this update. Dr. John was one of the victims of the Grand Canyon flooding,” Whipple City Family Chiropractic, where Giusti worked for eight years, wrote in a Facebook announcement.

In a tribute posted on a fundraiser, his wife, Janet Giusti, described him as “a real-life superhero to everyone blessed enough to know him.”

Photos posted to Giusti’s ChiroHabit business page also show him in the Grand Canyon before the flooding began.

Janet remembered her husband as a dedicated chiropractor who “truly lived to treat and heal,” but said his most cherished role was being a father.

“Beyond his practice, he was a man of electric energy and boundless passion—an avid runner, an enthusiast of fast cars, and a massive fan of comic books and legendary heroes,” she wrote. “Yet out of all the titles he carried, his absolute favorite was being a devoted father to his three beautiful girls.”

Janet said her husband was fulfilling a longtime dream when the deadly flood struck.

“John was living out a lifetime dream exploring the majesty of the Grand Canyon when tragedy struck,” she wrote. “On August 29, 2026, a sudden flash flood swept through Bright Angel Creek, tragically taking him from us while he was immersed in an adventure he had longed for.”

While describing the family’s grief as “as vast and profound as the canyon itself,” Janet said they were finding some solace in how John spent his final moments.

“We find a small comfort in knowing he spent his final moments surrounded by breathtaking beauty, living life to the fullest,” she wrote.

Her tribute ended with a heartbreaking description of the different roles Giusti played in the lives of those around him.

“To the community, he was a gifted healer. To his friends, a powerhouse of life. To his daughters, he was their ultimate hero. To me, he was my whole world,” Janet wrote.

The National Park Service has not publicly identified the approximately 15 people it is working to locate or account for, and officials have not confirmed Giusti’s name.

The agency is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on Aug. 29 or who had a campground reservation there to contact investigators.

Whipple City Family Chiropractic separately announced it was collecting donations at its Greenwich and Cambridge offices and would match the contributions to provide immediate support to the Giusti family.

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Giusti practiced chiropractic care for 19 years and was a partner at Whipple City Family Chiropractic in New York for eight years before moving to Granbury in 2020, according to his business biography. He and Janet were raising their three
daughters in Texas.

Giusti was not alone in the canyon when the flooding struck.

Loved ones identified the other two members of his hiking group as Brent Rosenkranz and Tim Smith, saying both men remained missing Monday as search-and-rescue efforts continued.

Rosenkranz had posted selfies from the Grand Canyon before the flooding, tagging Giusti and sharing his excitement about the grueling adventure ahead.

“Just arrived at the Grand Canyon. Will be hiking over 31 miles next four days with vertical change of over a mile,” Rosenkranz wrote. “Carrying a 40 lb backpack. This should be an adventure!”

Rosenkranz joked that his fear of heights would likely make the trip even more memorable.

“Most of you know don’t handle heights,” he wrote. “So I should have lots of funny stories when I get back.”

The post offered a glimpse of the group’s trip before flash flooding tore through Bright Angel Creek.

Tina Newberry, whose daughter co-owns the ATA Glen Rose martial arts location, said Giusti had been exploring the canyon with fellow “ATA fathers” Rosenkranz and Smith when disaster struck.

“At this time, Brent and Tim remain missing, and search and rescue teams continue working to locate them,” Newberry wrote in a public Facebook post.

Newberry said Rosenkranz is the husband of Elisha Rosenkranz and that the couple is deeply connected to ATA martial arts schools in Granbury, Cleburne and Glen Rose, Texas. She described Smith as a husband and father of three children who attend the schools.

“This tragedy is touching four ATA school communities—students, parents, instructors, and team members who know and love these families,” Newberry wrote. “Please keep all of them, along with the search and rescue teams, in your thoughts and prayers.”

“We continue to hold onto hope and pray in faith for Brent and Tim to be found,” she added.

The flash flood began at about 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 29, according to the National Park Service. As of Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, and no injuries had been reported.

Nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, cutting off hiker access across the waterway. The flooding also forced the closure of Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the North Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch, Black Bridge, Silver Bridge and the Colorado River to river traffic.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said her “heart is with the families and loved ones of every person unaccounted for after the flash flooding at the Grand Canyon.”

Hobbs said the Arizona Division of Emergency Management is coordinating with the National Park Service and Coconino County Emergency Management to support search and recovery efforts.

Anyone with information about people who may have been in the affected corridor is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009 or nps_isb@nps.gov.

Tropical Storm Edouard developed Monday over the Gulf of Mexico, setting the stage for a period of strengthening before it pushes bands of heavy rain toward Texas and Louisiana, where forecasters warned of possible flooding.

The system was elevated from a tropical depression to a named tropical storm Monday night. The National Hurricane Center said Edouard was expected to come ashore in Texas on Tuesday.

As of early Tuesday, Edouard was positioned roughly 85 miles southeast of Cameron, Louisiana, and about 115 miles southeast of Port Arthur, Texas. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was tracking west-northwest at 7 mph.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said flooding remained the chief concern as the storm approached the coast.

Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches were forecast across the greater Houston area, while parts of the upper Texas coast could see as much as 9 inches, according to forecasters.

More than 4 inches per hour could fall and will likely cause flash flooding in low-lying and urban areas, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“This is our first big storm of the season, and I’ll tell you, Texas is prepared,” Orlando Alanis of the Texas Division of Emergency Management said during a news conference.

Crews worked Monday to clear dry vegetation that could ignite from a lightning strike and cause fast-spreading fires, Abbott said.

Meanwhile, the remnants of Hurricane Dolly brought rain and thunderstorms to parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the Turks & Caicos, and the Bahamas, the hurricane center said.

In the Pacific Ocean on Monday evening, Tropical Storm Lowell was about 690 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and moving west with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph while moving west at 10 mph.

Forecasters said Lowell could rapidly intensify and become a major hurricane by Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, Hurricane Karina became a hurricane Sunday, fueled by warm waters far from any shore, and strengthened Monday into a powerful Category 4 storm.

But it did not threaten land, forecasters said.

On Monday evening, Karina remained a Category 4 hurricane and was centered 1,135 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph while moving west-northwest at 9 mph, the center said.