BEST OF THE WEB: Highlights from Newspaper Web Sites

By: Kathryn Blaze Carlson Each weekday E&P combs the Internet to bring you some of the most intriguing features that newspaper Web sites have to offer. Here are Monday's picks.

A Map of Olympic Medals
The New York Times
Interactive Feature

Looks like China didn't necessarily need hometown advantage to ensure medal wins at this year's summer Olympics -- but the country's athletes needn't get complacent, with Italy's track record being so impressive. Check out this New York Times interactive feature and navigate through a timeline of past summer games that depicts the big winners, and also lists the not-so-medal-clad countries.


Propane Explosion in Toronto Forces Evacuation
The Miami Herald
Video

Considering you're prohibited from lighting up at a gas station, you can imagine what might happen if an entire propane facility were to go up in flames. No need to imagine, though, because this video caught an explosion last night at a propane facility in Toronto, Canada. With the cause still under investigation, one firefighter was reported dead, thousands of people were forced to evacuate due to concerns of air quality, and major roadways were closed to drivers.


Georgia Conflict
The Denver Post
Photo Gallery

Edwards was busted for his affair. And in much more important news: Russia and Georgia are nearing all-out war -- and this photo gallery (consisting mostly of AP pics), has the images to prove it. South Ossetia is the conflict zone, but the consequences of the crisis will likely reach much further -- potentially affecting ties between the European Union and Moscow. Warning to the faint of heart: the photo gallery features the realities of battle. A tip: scroll over the photos to read the informative captions.


Jay Fights the Beijing Smog
Chicago Sun-Times
Video
By Jay Mariotti

Find it hard enough to breathe just dashing to the subway or scuttling across the street to make a light? You could chalk that up to falling behind on your cardio schedule, but the athletes in Beijing have no such an excuse. Instead, they're probably the most fit they've ever been, and still struggling for air. In this Chicago Sun-Times video, sports columnist Jay Mariotti files a report from Beijing and, in this installment, humorously takes on the poor air quality (finishing his segment by telling viewers it's time for him to go cough). But the smog really is no joke, with athletes sporting masks and some even staying home from the games altogether.

Local Mug Shots
Newsday
Photo Gallery

Curious as to who was recently busted by Long Island law enforcement officials? Check out Newsday's photo gallery, which essentially acts as a catalog of mug shots of those recently arrested or booked. The caption for the gallery reminds viewers to keep in mind that "a criminal charge is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty."