Reporting from Paris: August 2026 Edition
It's too hot! What to wear in a 'canicule'; French table manners; Paris 2024 Olympics legacy; data center pushback; and what Louis XIV could teach Donald Trump
Dear Subscribers,
We’re pleased to share with you our fifth issue of Reporting from Paris.
Our lead story this August is The Heatwave currently ravaging Europe with devastating fires in the south of France, Spain, and Italy (Sicily). Why is this happening, how can it be stopped or at least controlled, and what to wear in the heat (especially if you have to go to the office)?
You’ll also find articles and videos on:
What Louis XIV (France’s Sun King) could teach Donald Trump about leadership
Olympic investments: what benefit for residents today?
The global data center pushback
La Flâneuse on the secret signals of French manners
Paris in August: what’s on… and what’s not
You’ll notice that we’ve turned on our “pledge” button this month in anticipation of adding paid subscriptions and premium content to our mix beginning in October. Content going forward will include expanded coverage of news and feature stories, VIP interviews, videos (cooking classes, for example), and live participation in journalist roundtables.
We’re open to your ideas as well, so please share your ideas with us via contact@reportingfromparis.fr. And please consider pledging your support.
Thanks and best regards,
Shellie Karabell
Editor-in-Chief
Reporting from Paris
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The News Block
It’s Too Hot! French Experts Tell Us Why – And Warn there’s More To Come
Summer temperatures in France used to max out at 35°C and forest fires were sporadic and confined to the south. Now 40°C is the norm and wildfires are rampant. What's next? asks deputy editor Elaine Cobbe.
What to Wear in a Canicule (Heatwave)?
Wilting in the heat of this year’s shockingly high temperatures, we turned to Giovanni Dario Laudicina, fashion consultant, stylist, and fashion director for U La Repubblica, for advice.
French Scream NIMBY! At New AI Data Centers
Citizens across France are taking up arms – or, at least, placards – to stop AI server farms from being built near their homes.
Journalism Faces a New Landscape
Legacy journalism is dying out. New journalism is taking shape. What form will it take?
What the Sun King Could Teach Donald Trump
All leaders have a healthy dose of ego. The good ones know how to keep it in check while going about their business.
Two Years After the Olympics: Assessing Promised Economic Benefits
Investment in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics came with a pledge of economic benefit for Seine-Saint-Denis, one of the poorest areas of the Greater Paris region. Locals wonder when it will happen.
More Tips on Dressing Well and Comfortably in a Heat Wave
Edie Twells-Eastwood finds out the word on the street in South-West France.
Columns
Mastering the Mysterious Art of French Table Manners
LA FLÂNEUSE While the French are rightly famous for the quality of their cuisine, there’s a whole host of unspoken rules on the etiquette around consuming it...
Nowhere to Hide: Heatwaves, Wildfires Create Perilous Situation for Wildlife
PARIS SAUVAGE This summer’s prolonged heatwaves – and rampaging wildfires – are proving devastating for nature in obvious and unexpected ways. But there are things we can do to help.
Summer in the City
LA VIE PARISIENNE As the summer descends on Paris, residents leave for their vacations and tourists discover the city’s slow side.
