National

Branson duck boat salvage, Ferguson Fire, deportations: 5 things you need to know Monday

Salvaging of Branson duck boat begins

The Coast Guard announced that efforts will begin Monday to salvage the duck boat that capsized on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo.. The boat sank Thursday evening as a thunderstorm brought near-hurricane-strength winds to Missouri's Table Rock Lake. Officials later determined that 17 of the 31 passengers on the duck boat perished, and divers had found the vessel at the bottom of the lake.The Coast Guard on Sunday said salvage operations are tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. The Coast Guard said it will oversee the salvage operations, which will be coordinated by the Ride the Ducks company.

Forest fires near Sequoia, Yosemite national parks grow

A memorial service will be held Monday in Modesto, Calif., for a man killed while fighting the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park. Braden Varney died while operating a bulldozer for Cal Fire the day after the blaze broke out July 13.  The Ferguson Fire was steadily growing near the park over the weekend, and two more firefighters were injured while battling the flames in blazing summer heat to protect mountain communities. In Sequoia National Park, the Horse Creek Fire spread Sunday to more than 30 acres in a high-terrain area dense with dead trees.

Judge halts deportations of separated parents ahead of briefing

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw last week ordered a stay on all deportations of parents who have been reunited with their children until Monday. That's when the judge asked the government for a full briefing on an accusation that administration had prepared a fast-track deportation process for parents shortly after they're reunited with their children. The accusation comes from American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt, who led a lawsuit against the family separations. Sabraw said he was "exasperated" by the Trump administration's slow work to reunify more than 2,600 children separated from their parents.

Rutgers football coach to speak amid fraudulent card scandal

Rutgers football coach Chris Ash is slated to address reporters at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago on Monday in the wake of several players being investigated for fraudulent use of credit cards. Criminal charges or suspensions could be a blow to Rutgers on the field, but they would also deal the program a black eye in terms of perception. Ash, the third-year head coach, has worked to clean up the program's image after the final season under Kyle Flood in 2015 was marred by multiple arrests, suspensions and a grade-fixing scandal, all of which ultimately led to Flood's firing.

'The Equalizer 2' blasts past 'Mamma Mia 2' at the box office

Final figures are expected Monday after the battle of two very different sequels at the box office this weekend. Denzel Washington's action movie "The Equalizer 2" had narrowly won out over the ABBA jukebox musical "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" on Sunday, with the R-rated film about a retired CIA officer turned vigilante grossing an estimated $35.8 million from North American theaters for the weekend. "Mamma Mia 2" took in $34.4 million, a sum that was driven by an audience that was 83 percent female and 64 percent over the age of 25.

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Contributing: The Associated Press