He chose to situate his company, Granite Tactical Vehicles, amid the fallow tobacco farms and abandoned textile mills of Surry County, North Carolina.

NEWYORKER: Coming Apart

The heat has already claimed at least one victim, a 51-year-old man in Granite City, Illinois, who died Sunday because of the excessive heat, according to the Madison County coroner.

CNN: Heat advisories issued to states dwindles to 15