Geoff Bennett:
We start the day’s other headlines with a wildfire emergency in the West, a blaze that’s raging just outside of Reno. That’s Nevada’s largest city outside the Las Vegas area.
Tens of thousands of people have been urged to evacuate, and firefighters are still trying to bring the fire under control.
Stephanie Sy reports.
Stephanie Sy:
Tonight, above the glow of Reno’s lights, a far more ominous glow, hillsides IN flames. A massive and menacing wildfire is burning just miles outside the major city. The fast-moving Hawk Fire ignited northwest of Reno on Saturday and has already scorched about 25 square miles.
Man:
The smoke is bad.
Woman:
Oh.
Man:
Look at the visibility.
Stephanie Sy:
The fire was 27 percent contained as of today. At least seven people have been injured in the fire, including three first responders.
Darin Balaam, Washoe County, Nevada, Sheriff:
with This wind, listening to the fire, watching them as they have done this fire and many others, it just takes that little breeze and that one ember.
Stephanie Sy:
Firefighters are battling 90-degree heat, strong winds, and dry tinder brush as they try to get a handle on the fire from the ground and the air. Nevada’s governor has declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard to assist some 800 fire personnel.
Woman:
Tons and tons of children.
Stephanie Sy:
Shelters have filled up, as tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes. Schools were closed to keep evacuation routes clear.
Man:
Yes, they’re going all the way out.
Stephanie Sy:
Many were urged to stay away for several days because shifting winds are making the fire unpredictable.
Teresa Lenshyn, Reno Fire Evacuee:
Oh, my gosh, I’m still scared to death. It’s like you don’t know if the winds are going to shift and it’s going to get worse. So you’re just kind of — I got all my stuff in my car and in his car.
Stephanie Sy:
Fire officials say an investigation into the cause of the Hawk Fire is ongoing. They say it is the third human-caused wildfire in the area in just the past two weeks. Many residents say they’re devastated and concerned that the fire could spread to more neighborhoods on the edge of the city.
Jayson Davis, Reno Fire Evacuee:
To a lot of people around here, this is their entire livelihood. This is their entire life they built for years and years. And we have never seen a fire like this.
Stephanie Sy:
Dozens of homes have been lost, but the full scale of the damage is not yet known.
For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Stephanie Sy.
Geoff Bennett:
Meantime, roughly 45 million Americans are under extreme heat alerts today as parts of the South are facing a prolonged and dangerous heat wave. The most intense conditions are expected across the Southwest and Southern Plains states.
Forecasters are expecting triple-digit temperatures with records likely to fall in the coming days, while, in Hawaii, the National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Moke is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds as it passes to the south. Hawaii is still recovering from Hurricane Lala, which battered the Big Island just over a week ago.
The U.S. Supreme Court today cleared the way for President Trump to move ahead with his executive order restricting mail-in voting, though it’s unclear how much of the plan can be put in place before the November midterms. The order directs the administration to create lists of U.S. citizens and requires the Postal Service to obtain lists of eligible voters from states to deliver mail-in ballots only to those people.
The ruling could still face additional legal challenges, and with some states set to begin sending out mail ballots within weeks, the administration has little time to put major changes in place. President Trump has long criticized mail-in voting, repeatedly claiming it leads to widespread fraud, despite evidence to the contrary.
He has also voted by mail himself, including in this month’s Florida Republican primary.
Turning now to the war in Ukraine, the U.K. and France pledged increased support today as the country marked its 35th Independence Day. In a video released for the occasion, Ukrainian authorities showcased the country’s drone technology and other military hardware. European leaders were also on hand.
On his first overseas trip since taking office, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to help Ukraine produce long-range missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also delivered remarks, calling for continued support from abroad and unity at home.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President (through interpreter):
We are not asking you to fight for us. Give Ukraine everything it needs to stop this war, to stop it faster than Putin can start the next one. To prevent that, we must act together.
Geoff Bennett:
Meantime, both Russia and Ukraine continued their attacks today. Russian officials say three teenagers were killed when a Ukrainian drone hit this building in the Southern Russian city of Krasnodar. And authorities in the Odesa region say a Russian attack on warehouse facilities there injured at least five people.
The Pentagon says it struck a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people it accused of trafficking drugs. The strike on what officials called a low-profile vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes was the first to be announced in about two months.
And it comes as the Trump administration has said it wants to extend military operations to land targets in Latin America as well. At least 210 people have died in dozens of such attacks since U.S. forces started their offensive nearly a year ago. Critics have questioned the legality of the strikes.
In Illinois, former Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson has died six months into a 20-year prison sentence for killing Sonya Massey, a Black woman who had called 911 for help. His lawyer confirmed his death, but provided no additional details. The 32-year-old had been diagnosed with colon cancer, and last month his application for an early medical release was denied.
It’s not clear whether the cancer contributed to his death. Body camera footage showed Grayson shooting Massey in her home in July of 2024. Her killing sparked nationwide protests and led to changes in how Illinois law enforcement hires officers.
The Trump administration is moving to codify a new fee for H-1B worker visas that costs more than $103,000. In a filing today, the Department of Homeland Security said some of the revenue would be used to help fund the nation’s immigration courts and ICE.
Earlier this summer, a judge in Massachusetts struck down a similar temporary fee. The H-1B program allows U.S. companies to hire tens of thousands of foreign workers each year. President Trump has argued it takes jobs away from Americans, but many companies say it’s needed to recruit top talent, especially in tech and research.
Well, stocks on Wall Street started the week mixed. The Dow Jones industrial average managed a gain of about 140 points, but the Nasdaq fell 200 points on the day. The S&P 500 fell further back from its recent records.
And longtime television actor and singer Shelley Fabares has died. She found fame as a teenager in the late 1950s playing Donna Reed’s daughter on “The Donna Reed Show,” seen here on the far left. Fabares also appeared in three movies with Elvis Presley and had a music career of her own. Her 1962 single “Johnny Angel” was her biggest hit, rising to number one on the Billboard charts.
Fabares found success later on the sitcom “Coach,” where she earned two Emmy nominations. In a statement, her family said she will be remembered as a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort. Shelley Fabares was 82 years old.
