Thousands flee wildfires in Washington
Shell-shocked neighborhoods in and around Spokane, Washington, struggled to recover as wildfires raged for days with 0% containment, destroying homes and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee. Firefighters said they were making progress as cooler temperatures arrived, but authorities also warned that drier and warmer conditions were coming. At least one person has been arrested and charged with starting one of the fires. The blazes have devastated hundreds of homes in middle- and working-class communities; after learning her home was lost to the flames, Claire Shover, 27, told USA TODAY: “It feels like a bad dream.”
Weed snuffs out cigarettes
Cigarettes are out, weed is in. More Americans (43.8
million, ages 12 and up) used marijuana regularly in 2025 than those who said they smoked cigarettes (36.1 million), according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Smoking was the most common way to use marijuana, followed by edibles and vaping, the survey said; vaping was also popular for nicotine users (29.3 million). The findings come as more states are legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use. But smoking marijuana and cigarettes paled in comparison with drinking alcohol: More than 129 million Americans ages 12 and up said they drank.
Americans swimming in debt
Debt is dogging Americans, and they’re increasingly seeking help to deal with it. A record number of people sought debt consolidation services in the first half of 2026, according to data from the nonprofit Money Management International, and, on average, they were in the red about $40,000. The trend is grim: Household debt nationwide has hit a record $18.8 trillion, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says; meanwhile, debt collection lawsuits have spiked, and personal bankruptcies are on the rise. And deepening the hole: Americans’ saving rate is just 2.7%, federal data shows, the lowest since inflation first spiked in 2022.
'Spider-Man’ takes off, and so does box office
The Hollywood box office is on a tear. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the latest outing for the Marvel web-swinger, raked in a stunning $360 million in North American theaters for its debut weekend, studio estimates show. Not adjusting for inflation, that’s the largest domestic movie debut in history, and globally, Spidey’s $932 million was the second-biggest payday on record. With those boffo numbers on top of all other movies, including blockbusters “The Odyssey” and “Toy Story 5,” domestic theaters collected $429 million for the weekend, the biggest haul ever.
Women have a new league of their own
In a golden era for women’s sports, the next step is the diamond. The Women’s Pro Baseball League launched its inaugural season at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois, where the Los Angeles Queens faced the New York Heights. It’s the first such league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League of “A League of Their Own’’ fame more than 70 years ago. “Now a girl doesn’t have to say there’s no path for me to play baseball,” Kelsie Whitmore of the San Francisco Firebells told USA TODAY Sports. “We are here, and we are staying here.” − Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Raging wildfires, crushing debt, surfing dogs: Week in review
