At least 6 dead in massive Northern California wildfire
A 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren died in a mobile home leveled by the wind-driven wildfire ravishing Northern California near Redding, raising the death toll now at six. More than 3,000 firefighters were battling the blaze, which grew over the weekend to 140 square miles and was just 5 percent contained Sunday. More than 30,000 people were under evacuation orders, with 5,000 homes threatened. Redding Police Chief Roger Moore said Saturday there had been "a lot" of looting throughout the area after people evacuated. The fire is among more than a dozen wildfires in California requiring more than 10,000 firefighters. Read more about the victims.
Shootings under investigation in New Orleans, Texas and Florida
Police were looking for two suspects who opened fire in New Orleans, killing three people and injuring seven others, a city police spokesman said. Police Chief Michael Harrison said two suspects in hooded sweatshirts approached people standing outside of a business and opened fire "indiscriminately into the crowd" with a rifle and a handgun, striking 10 people. In the farming town of Robstown, Texas, police are quiet about the motive for a string of shootings that left five people dead, including a 13-year-old boy. In Florida, a Fort Myers police officer died on Saturday a week after he was shot in the head while trying to apprehend a fleeing suspect.
Trump threatens shutdown over wall
President Donald Trump threatened Sunday to shut down the federal government unless Democrats in Congress support his immigration initiatives, including funding for a wall on the border with Mexico. "I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!" Trump tweeted. "Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!" The president's tweet comes days after he met with Republican congressional leaders to discuss a plan that would avoid a shutdown in the fall. The government has already twice gone unfunded this year.
Pope Francis accepts cardinal's resignation amid sex scandal
Pope Francis accepted the resignation of retired Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former Washington, D.C., archbishop who faces allegations of sexual abuse, including one involving an 11-year-old boy from years ago. The Vatican said in a statement Saturday that Francis received the U.S. prelate's offer to resign from the College of Cardinals a day earlier. The pope ordered McCarrick's suspension from the exercise of any public ministry and directed him to "a life of prayer and penance" until the accusations of sexual misconduct are examined in a regular canonical trial.
Koch officials sharpen criticism of Trump over tariffs
Leaders of the influential political network associated with conservative billionaire Charles Koch on Saturday slammed President Donald Trump's trade tariffs as "protectionism" that hurts American businesses and consumers. "The divisiveness of this White House is causing long-term damage," Brian Hooks, one of Koch's top deputies told reporters. "When in order to win on an issue, somebody else has to lose, it makes it very difficult to unite people to solve the problems of this country." Hooks' remarks came as Koch and more than 500 donors in his network kicked off a three-day retreat, where they are expected to plot the network's course.
Pete Rose sounds off on MLB (again): 'I’m not real happy when I watch baseball'
Maybe his words would carry more weight if he was in baseball's Hall of Fame and not just signing autographs in the back room of a collector's store on Main Street. But still this is Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hit king. "I'm going to argue with baseball until the day I die," Rose said, "that baseball is juiced. I don't care what anybody says. They'll say it's not, which they have to. I saw a ball bounce behind the dugout the other day in Anaheim and it bounced into the second deck. Now, there's something going on there." Rose believes he belongs in the Hall of Fame and continues to be on the outside looking in, but he'll never stop sharing his views on the game.
More from this weekend:
- Rep. John Lewis, civil rights icon, hospitalized: Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., was hospitalized Saturday for an undisclosed illness. According to a spokesperson from his office, the 78-year-old civil rights icon was in a hospital for routine observation. He might be released Sunday.
- Simone Biles is back: In her first gymnastics competition in nearly two years, Simone Biles made mistakes and showed some rust after a year away from the sport. But she's still Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles. She won the U.S. Classic at the Schottenstein Center on Saturday, scoring 58.700 in a testament to how much more difficult her routines are than her competition.
- Air Force football player comes out, a first: Following a standing ovation from his teammates, Air Force sophomore defensive back Bradley Kim became the first openly gay athlete at a service academy when he publicly announced his sexual orientation.
This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.
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