As France celebrates Bastille Day, its soccer team is facing off against Spain in the World Cup and the country is enduring its third intense heatwave this year, with forest fires raging in the south and outside Paris.
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Hannah Bloch is lead digital editor on NPR's international desk, overseeing the work of NPR correspondents and freelance journalists around the world.
Eleanor Beardsley began reporting from France for NPR in 2004 as a freelance journalist, following all aspects of French society, politics, economics, culture and gastronomy. Since then, she has steadily worked her way to becoming an integral part of the NPR Europe reporting team.