National Stories

• The Park Fire in Northern California is now the state’s largest this year

  A rapidly growing wind-driven wildfire that started Wednesday evening near Chico, Calif., has exploded in size, forcing thousands to evacuate.

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  Lightning and a burning car pushed into a gully are blamed for wildfires in the West

  As evacuations continued in California, some Oregon residents were cleared to return home after a storm dropped welcome rain but also potentially dangerous lightning on the biggest blaze in the U.S.

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  Video game performers call strike against gaming companies

  The union SAG-AFTRA is pushing for additional A.I. protections for its members.

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  Trump gunman’s hometown of Bethel Park reels after assassination attempt

  The working-class town of about 30,000 just outside of Pittsburgh was rattled after learning the gunman came from their community, but most are hoping to put the violent episode behind them.

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  ‘Boneless’ chicken wings can have bones, the Ohio Supreme Court says

  In a 4-3 verdict against a patron who sued a restaurant after swallowing a bone from a “boneless wing,” the court ruled that “boneless” doesn’t guarantee that there will be no bones in a chicken wing.

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  Octopus farming in the U.S. would be banned under a new bill in Congress

  The OCTOPUS Act would ban farming the animal, and imports of farmed meat. It was introduced by a senator whose office says he learned about the plan through a story on NPR.

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  Southwest Airlines says ‘assigned and premium seating’ will replace open seating plan

  Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan says research shows passengers “overwhelmingly prefer” an assigned-seat system. He also pledged to improve the airline's financial performance.

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  Cardboard beds have returned to the Olympics. What do they do?

  Cardboard beds are one of the Olympics' latest green innovations. But not all the athletes are fans.

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  FAA and union agree to give air traffic control workers more rest between shifts

  The agreement, which will give controllers 10 hours off between shifts and 12 hours off before and after a midnight shift, comes after close calls between planes that were following orders from controllers.

• If packing is stressing you out, maybe you need a spread sheet

  Do you use a spreadsheet to pack for travel? Maybe you should.

• Part of Yellowstone Stone is closed after a hydrothermal explosion

  Tourists at Yellowstone National Park were shocked when a hydrothermal eruption happened right before their eyes. The explosion pushed hot water and rocks about 200 feet into the air.

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  Winds and lightning strikes stoke Oregon fire, now the largest in the U.S.

  Smoke from the Durkee Fire in Oregon was choking the air in Boise, Idaho, and beyond. An air quality warning was in effect for the entire region on Wednesday.