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Today's top stories
President Biden will host Japan and South Korea's leaders today at Camp David. Presidents have used the mountain retreat for 80 years to host foreign leaders, but this is the first time since 2015 that any have been invited. Here's a look at Camp David's long legacy of diplomacy.
About 20,000 residents in Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories, are rushing to evacuate as a wildfire burns out of control near the city. Canada is seeing its worst wildfire season ever recorded, with more than 230 active fires threatening the northwest region and more than 1,000 burning nationwide.
Maui's Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya has resigned, citing health issues. Andaya has been criticized for not activating Hawaii's siren system during the wildfires. At a press conference, he said he didn't regret his decision because he was concerned residents would head toward the mountains into the fires if they heard the sirens, which are primarily used to warn of tsunamis.
The average cost of a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped to 7.09% this week— the highest in 21 years. Rising rates have increased the price of a typical home loan, pricing out first-time buyers. It's also discouraged homeowners with smaller mortgages from upgrading their houses, leading to a shortage of homes for sale.
Deep dive
Many of Florida's students go back to school this month. The state's school system has been in the headlines recently after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in public colleges, and the state's board of education approved a new social studies curriculum. Here's how classes will look different this year:
Weekend picks
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
Movies: A royal wedding and a catastrophic cake smash puts the queer, enemies-to-lovers romance in motion in Red, White & Royal Blue.
TV: Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are back in another season of Max's animated series. But this time, Harley's one of the good guys.
Books: Jump into a noir style mystery that explores the realities of the Japanese American post-WWII experience with Mike Davis' Evergreen.
Music: In the 2000s, Be Your Own Pet's frenetic punk sneered at adulthood. The band returns from a 15-year hiatus with Mommy, an album that builds on its oppositional beginnings.
Quiz: If you've been paying attention to this week's newsletters, you should be a Trump indictment expert by now and get at least a 10/11 on the NPR news quiz. Test yourself here.
3 things to know before you go
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
