California utility admits it may have ignited fire

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s biggest utility admitted its electrical equipment may have ignited a ruinous wildfire spreading across the state’s wine country Friday, despite blackouts imposed across the region to prevent blazes.

New Orleans floods as Gulf Coast braces for torrential rains

A storm swamped streets in New Orleans and prompted a tornado warning near the city Wednesday as concerns grew that even worse weather, including a possible hurricane, could strike Louisiana and other states along the Gulf of Mexico within days.