Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday. |
 | | Lake Oroville in California is at 23 percent capacity.Ethan Swope/Associated Press |
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1. The hotter-than-normal conditions that have contributed to severe drought across much of the Western U.S. show no signs of stopping. |
Five states had their warmest June through August in 127 years of record-keeping. Two of those states — California and Oregon — experienced some of the largest wildfires in their history. Now, federal scientists have forecast that October will bring above-normal temperatures across the country, with only the Pacific Northwest and the Gulf States likely to have near-average temperatures. |
If that forecast holds, the withering drought will most likely expand eastward into eastern New Mexico, eastern Colorado, and nearly all of Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Much of the East Coast and the Upper Midwest are expected to be wetter than normal as well. |
 | | Australian navy submarines. The Royal Australian Navy |
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2. Beijing and Paris responded with anger after Australia announced a military partnership with the U.S. and Britain that allows it to send submarines to monitor China's actions in the South China Sea. |
Australia bet the house on U.S. power in Asia, our correspondents write in a news analysis. When Prime Minister Scott Morrison came to power, he insisted that his country could maintain close ties with China while working with the U.S. But after years of worsening relations with Beijing, the country is forging a "forever partnership" with Washington, its main security ally. |
 | | Temporary living facilities for Afghan evacuees at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.Gordon Welters for The New York Times |
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3. Thousands of Afghans remain on American military bases across the U.S. and overseas, weeks after their dramatic escape from Kabul. |
Nearly 49,000 are living on eight domestic military bases, according to a document obtained by The Times. Roughly 18,000 are on bases overseas, largely in Germany. Some will leave within weeks; most will stay longer. Many Afghans who left the country in August were waiting for medical and security screenings and for flights that have been halted by a measles outbreak. |
Our reporter visited rural Afghanistan, where the remnants of war are everywhere. But for the first time in years, the shooting has stopped. |
 | | School bus drivers in San Antonio have been forced to drive multiple routes, leaving students waiting.Matthew Busch for The New York Times |
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4. Will the bus driver ever come? |
In other coronavirus news: |
 | | The police this month inspected the scene where Alex Murdaugh told law enforcement officials he had been shot in the head.ABC 7 |
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5. The South Carolina lawyer whose wife and son were mysteriously fatally shot was arrested after he admitted to staging his own murder. |
Alex Murdaugh was charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and with filing a false police report in connection with the suicide scheme, which his lawyers said was meant to ensure a $10 million life insurance policy payout. He continued to deny any role in the deaths of his wife and son in June. |
The series of stunning developments brought intense scrutiny to the prominent Murdaugh family and to three other deaths that took place in proximity to the family in recent years. |
 | | Capt. Carneysha Mendoza of the U.S. Capitol Police.Jason Andrew for The New York Times |
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6. "It's always going to haunt me." |
Capt. Carneysha Mendoza, a commander with the Capitol Police, was at home when she started getting frantic calls about violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6. She raced to the scene and fought a pro-Trump mob for hours, suffering chemical burns to her face. |
The "Justice for J6" rally for suspects involved in the Jan. 6 riot is scheduled for Saturday at the foot of Capitol Hill. Wary of the political fallout, Republican lawmakers are steering clear of the event. |
In other news out of Washington, a Justice Department special counsel scrutinizing the Russia investigation secured an indictment against a lawyer at a firm with Democratic ties. |
 | | Erik Carter |
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7. As internet titans enact privacy changes, a battle is intensifying that will reshape the future of the web. |
At the center is the internet's lifeblood: advertising. The technology behind "cookies," which track people from site to site, is being dismantled. The fallout may hurt brands that rely on targeted ads to get people to buy their goods, and instead, drive money to Big Tech. |
8. A political thriller by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny. A Korean murder mystery. An investigation of lawbreaking animals. |
As readers rushed to buy books about race and racism after last summer's protests, publishers raced to sign deals to publish more. Now, some of those books are starting to come out. Agents, authors and publishers are eager to see how these titles do. |
 | | The fall color of sassafras trees rivals that of sugar maples, ranging from yellow to purple.Rob Cardillo |
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9. Many of the best trees will be showing off their colors soon. But the best aren't always the biggest. |
If you're outside in New York City and the surrounding region, be on the lookout for the beautiful spotted lantern fly — and kill it immediately. This invasive pest from Asia zealously feeds on the sap of more than 70 plant species, leaving them susceptible to disease and destruction. |
 | | Jennifer Devine with her Go-4 Interceptor in San Francisco.Carolyn Fong for The New York Times |
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10. And finally, good vibes on three wheels. |
Parking enforcement vehicles are best known for ferrying dreaded parking police around cities. But a few dozen San Franciscans are reclaiming some of these three-wheelers for transportation and personal expression: decking them out in fanciful colors (blue and pink) as well as disco balls and faux fur. |
The vehicles have a distinct practical advantage. Three-wheelers are legally classified as motorcycles, so they can be parked perpendicular to the curb. Outrageous decorations are a necessity — the cars are an instant magnet for the wrath of disgruntled passers-by — and most owners wisely stay off the highway. But they offer a bit of "creativity in the way we move in the world," Jennifer Devine said. |
| Shelby Knowles compiled photos for this briefing. |
Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. |
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