Mortgage rates jump, and NPR has a news quiz
Thousands of residents have been evacuated as the Behchoko/Yellowknife Wildfire burns out of control
Some 20,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes in Yellowknife, the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories, and the surrounding areas as the Behchoko/Yellowknife wildfire burns out of control less than 10 miles outside the city. There are more than 200 fires threatening other cities and towns.
The department of environment and climate change stated that airtankers flew missions throughout Wednesday night to fight the fire. Firefighting crews have been doing their best to put out hot spots, while others tried to protect cabins and other structures around Highway 3, the main road west out of Yellowknife. In the city itself, officials are taking protective measures including turning on sprinklers and creating fuel breaks.
Images of the blaze are heartbreaking. Photos and videos appearing across social media platforms show bumper-to-bumper traffic as residents try to flee the area. Others show vehicles traveling along the highway engulfed in smoke, with smoldering trees lining the roads as they drive toward safety.
The First White House Meeting of the Municipal Affairs Minister in Yellowknife, South Korea, April 14 – 11 p.m. EDT
“Hoping for the best but prepared for the worst,” Kimberly Benito posted to her Instagram story Wednesday. In an earlier post, she stated that it took her an hour and a half to get out of Yellowknife.
Those who can’t leave by car can register for the flights, as well as people with high-risk health conditions. Those flights will start taking off at 1 p.m. today, the order reads, and passengers can only take one carry-on item.
The territory was put under a state of emergency on Tuesday by the Municipal Affairs Minister.
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President Biden will host Japan and South Korea’s leaders today at Camp David. For 80 years presidents have used the mountain retreat to host foreign leaders, but this is the first year that anyone has been invited. Camp David has a long history of diplomacy.
The Rise and Fall of Maui’s Emergency Management Agency: Biden at Camp David, Mortgage Rates Jump, NPR News Quiz
The Administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigned due to health issues. During the wildfires, Andaya has been criticized for not using Hawaii’s sirens. He said at the press conference that he didn’t regret his decision as he was worried that residents would head to the mountains to escape the fires if they heard the sirens.
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 has led to a shortage of homes for sale, because homeowners with smaller loans will not upgrade their houses.
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. The classes will look different this year.
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.
Source: Up First briefing: Biden at Camp David; mortgage rates jump; NPR news quiz
How to become a Trump Indictment Expert by the Time of the NPR News Quiz: Predictions for Dec. 2 at 5 PM ET
If you’ve paid attention to the newsletters this week, you should be a Trump indictment expert by the time you take the NPR news quiz. Test yourself here.
