Floods and fire

Historic flooding across eastern Kentucky continues, with more storms expected this week. The McKinney Fire became California's largest wildfire this year. Keep reading for a look at Indiana's state abortion ban, Nancy Pelosi's trip abroad and Shakira's pending tax fraud case.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Happy August. Here's today's news.

🌅 Up first: Why do our dogs tilt their heads? Even without speaking, dogs have a lot to say. Experts think head tilting is a normal way pups orient sounds, whether they're familiar or new. Read more

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🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear the latest on flooding in Kentucky, where at least 28 people have been killed. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.

Devastated Kentucky communities brace for more rain

People in ravaged portions of eastern Kentucky continue to dig out as the state's death toll from historic flooding rose to 28, according to the governor's office. As of Sunday, dozens of people remained unaccounted for, and some areas were inaccessible to search-and-rescue teams. Here are stories from Kentucky of heroism and survival.

Takeaway: The flooding harkens previous disasters, but the destruction isn't over.

• Excessive runoff from showers and thunderstorms Sunday and Monday could result in additional flooding, according to the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms are possible Tuesday, as well as Thursday through Saturday.
• The flooding overwhelmed neighborhoods where people already have few resources, Gov. Andy Beshear said, and a heat wave forecast this week will deepen the suffering.

Read more: Jessica Willett and her neighbors in the remote Appalachian region of Kentucky were already vulnerable and struggling. Then came historic floodwaters.

McKinney Fire becomes California's largest blaze this year

A wildfire just south of Oregon's state line exploded to over 50,000 acres on Sunday, becoming California's largest fire this year just one week after the previous record was broken. The McKinney Fire erupted Friday in the Klamath National Forest and quickly burned out of control. It remained 0% contained as of Sunday afternoon, according to CalFire. "Abundant" lightning, gusty winds, high temperatures and low relative humidity all pose threats to firefighters and could further intensify the fire's behavior, the U.S. Forest Service said. Read more

• Gallery: The McKinney Fire grows to over 50,0000 acres in Northern California.

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Pelosi potential Taiwan visit in murky middle ground 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leading a congressional delegation on a visit to the Indo-Pacific region, but a controversial visit to Taiwan has so far not been announced. Pelosi's office on Sunday said the delegation will visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. A potential stop in Taiwan has risen as a tension point between Washington and Beijing. China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has warned of "consequences" should the speaker visit. Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign country, and the U.S. has long embraced a murky middle ground that seeks to support Taiwan without antagonizing China. Read more

Indiana Senate narrowly passes near-total abortion ban

Republicans in the Indiana Senate narrowly voted Saturday to ban nearly all abortions in the state in a rare weekend session after a contentious week of arguments over whether to allow exceptions for rape and incest. The vote puts Indiana on track to be one of the first states in the nation to pass new abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. The measure led to protests by thousands of people who descended on the Statehouse this week and outrage among doctors and major medical associations. Read more

ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday

• 🧴 Banana Boat sunscreens were recalled after benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, was detected.
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• 👔Our product experts at Reviewed have crafted the ultimate moving checklist.
• 🏀 Celtics great and NBA pioneer Bill Russell died at 88. Here are reactions from the basketball world.

Here's why Shakira could face a prison sentence

Colombian pop singer Shakira could face up to eight years in prison in a case where Spanish prosecutors have accused her of tax fraud. Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is facing six charges alleging she failed to pay the Spanish government nearly $15 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014. The prosecutors said they would also seek a fine of $24.5 million. Shakira's tax fraud case is expected to go to trial after the 45-year-old singer rejected a settlement deal offered by prosecutors. A trial date has not been set yet. Here's everything you need to know about the case.

📷 Photo of the day: Lollapalooza 2022 📷

Lollapalooza transformed Grant Park in Chicago into a music lover's dream July 28-31, with artists of all stripes bringing their melodic magic to the Windy City for the festival. Some of the weekend's biggest acts included Dua Lipa, Machine Gun Kelly and Chicago native Lil Durk. 

Click here to see more photos from the Windy City's star-studded music festival.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN. Send her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to Paste BN here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.