Editor’s Note: This listicle is part of a weekly series by The Ball State Daily News summarizing five stories from across the United States. All summaries are based on stories published by The Associated Press.
Evictions begin as moratoriums end, the Southern California wildfire started by vehicle malfunction, 2020 census schedule cut causes worry over accuracy, weather caused by Tropical Storm Isaias hits I-95 and school spending is reshaped by virus concerns make up this week’s five national stories.
Natasha Blunt poses for a portrait in New Orleans, Friday, July 31, 2020. Blunt owes thousands of dollars in back rent after she lost her banquet porter job. She has yet to receive her stimulus check and has not been approved for unemployment benefits. Her family is getting by with food stamps and the charity of neighbors. (AP Photo/Dorthy Ray)
Wave of evictions expected as moratoriums end in many states
Some are low-income families who have endured evictions before, but there are also plenty of wealthier families facing homelessness for the first time — and now being forced to navigate overcrowded and sometimes dangerous shelter systems amid the pandemic. Experts predict the problem will only get worse in the coming weeks, with 30 million unemployed and uncertainty whether Congress will extend the extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits that expired Friday.
Firefighters work against the Apple Fire near Banning, Calif., Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Vehicle malfunction sparked Southern California wildfire
A wildfire in mountains east of Los Angeles that has forced thousands of people from their homes was sparked by a malfunctioning diesel vehicle, fire officials said Monday. The vehicle spewed burning carbon from its exhaust system, igniting several fires Friday on Oak Glen Road in Cherry Valley, and authorities were asking anyone who may have seen such a vehicle at the time to contact investigators, according to a statement from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Amid concerns of the spread of COVID-19, census worker Ken Leonard wears a mask as he mans a U.S. Census walk-up counting site set up for Hunt County in Greenville, Texas, Friday, July 31, 2020. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Worries about 2020 census’ accuracy grow with cut schedule
The Census Bureau said late Monday that the door-knocking and ability for households to respond either online, by phone or by mail to the questionnaire will stop at the end of September instead of the end of October so that it can meet an end-of-the-year deadline to turn in numbers used for redrawing congressional districts. Census experts and civil rights activists worry the sped-up count could hurt its thoroughness and produce inaccurate data that will have lasting effects through the next decade since it determines how $1.5 trillion in federal spending is distributed and how many congressional districts each state gets.
Boats are piled on each other at the Southport Marina following the effects of Hurricane Isaias in Southport, N.C., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Tropical Storm Isaias drives wild weather up Interstate 95
Tropical Storm Isaias spawned tornadoes and dumped rain along the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday after making landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina, where it smashed boats together and caused floods and fires that displaced dozens of people.More than 12 hours after coming ashore, Isaias still had sustained top winds of 65 mph (105 kph). At 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday, the storm’s center was about 65 miles (105 km) west of New York City, where winds forced the Staten Island ferry and outdoor subway lines to shut down.
Read More: Tropical Storm Isaias
Back-to-school supplies await shoppers at a store on Saturday, July 11, 2020, in Marlborough, Mass. The pandemic has dragged into the new school year and wreaked havoc on reopening plans. That has extended to the back-to-school shopping season, the second most important period for retailers behind the holidays. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes, File)
COVID-19 reshapes and reduces back-to-school spending
As the pandemic drags into the new school year, it is wreaking havoc on reopening plans and the back-to-school shopping season, the second most important period for retailers behind the holidays. Parents spending less on school items because of uncertainty over what the school year will look like focusing on buying protective equipment and electronics over clothing items.
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Self-immolation outside Manhattan courthouse where Trump trial is adjourned
By Staff Reports / 6 minutes agoA person, who was later identified as Max Azzarello, self-immolated outside of the Manhattan courthouse where former president Donald Trump is on trial. Azzarello was extinguished and rushed away by emergency services. He is in critical condition at Weill Cornell Medicine - Burn Center, according to a press conference held by the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The closure of the historic Mark III Tap Room impacts Muncie’s LGBTQ+ community.
By Meghan Holt / 5 hours agoPatrons of the oldest gay bar in Indiana reflect on how it affected their lives.
A 40-year alliance: Brian Dudley is a staple with Wapahani baseball
By Zach Carter / 6 hours agoBrian Dudley spent 40 years as the Wapahani varsity baseball coach and finished his career with an 828-320 record.
