CHARITY | Fueled by rapid wind and extreme heat, fire broke out near Wenatchee on Sunday, taking out dozens of homes and city structures in its orange-and-black wake. Hundreds of people have already evacuated the area, and with temperatures set to rise this weekend, the future is uncertain. Organizations like the Red Cross and Salvation Army have stepped in to support the people who've lost so much; you can help too. The Community Foundation of North Central Washington has opened a fund for donations called SLEEPY HOLLOW HEIGHTS FIRE SUPPORT. This will provide food and basic necessities to the families, fire crews and animals — all who have been affected by this tragedy. Go to cfncw.org to donate.
SPORTS | The U.S. women's national soccer team wins plenty of gold medals, including in the previous three Olympics, yet hasn't won the FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP since 1999. While Americans aren't completely in love with professional soccer (crazed Sounders fans aside), watching this year's World Cup in Canada is less about supporting soccer and more about supporting our world-class athletes on an international stage — especially one that's partly happening right here in the Northwest, in Vancouver, B.C. At this point (the U.S. played Germany on Tuesday after this issue went to print, the winner qualifying for the finals), with only three other teams left, the worst outcome would be fourth. But let's hope for something better than that. The third-place and final matches are played Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
DOCUMENTARY | Not all films can delve into the inner workings of the brain the way that Pixar's new Inside Out does, but WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?, a new, in-depth documentary available on Netflix, does its best to figure out what made the classically trained pianist and civil rights activist Nina Simone tick. As her daughter Lisa Stroud explains, the brilliant High Priestess of Soul was always Nina Simone, never just some stage persona. On stage, that persona was entirely magnetic and liberating, but off stage it stifled her. Prone to violent outbursts, she later was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But for all her troubles, no one sounds like this woman. ♦
