News Wrap: Sinead O’Connor, singer of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U,’ dies at 56

William Brangham:

In the day's other headlines: Interest rates are headed higher again, as the Federal Reserve resumes its fight with inflation.

After a one-month pause, the Central Bank raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point today. The Fed's inflation target is 2 percent a year, but it's still running a point above that range.

The heat stayed on high today across the American Southwest. Phoenix has now hit at least 110 degrees for 27 straight days. The strain has broken air conditioning units and even left desert cacti drying up. Forecasters say next week may finally bring a bit of relief with daytime highs below 110.

Meanwhile, wildfires kept spreading across Southern Europe, claiming more lives, including two in hard-hit Greece. On the island of Rhodes, firefighters joined with homeowners to help put out flames. But locals said the devastation is immense.

Philippos Karageorgiou, Rhodes Resident (through interpreter):

More than 200,000 acres have been burned. I believe it is more than one third of the island. It is not only forest areas with virgin forest of several years that was destroyed, biodiversity and life, from herbs to anything you can imagine. And Rhodes is famous for all of these.

William Brangham:

In Italy, fire crews have battled some 1,400 blazes since Sunday. News accounts today said at least two people died when their home burned near the Palermo Airport.

A jury in London has acquitted actor Kevin Spacey on multiple charges of sexual assault. Several men had accused him of groping them in incidents dating back over a decade. One accused him of a nonconsensual sex act. After the verdict was announced today, Spacey spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.

Kevin Spacey, Actor:

I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached their decision, and I am humbled by the outcome today.

William Brangham:

Spacey's career came to a halt in 2017 when these accusations against him emerged at the height of the MeToo movement.

Back in this country, the Senate's top Republican, 81-year-old Mitch McConnell, appeared to freeze up today at a briefing. The Kentucky senator began speaking, then stopped mid-sentence, staring straight ahead.

Colleagues finally helped him move aside, and he returned to his office. Minutes later, he came back, said he was fine and took questions. Aides said he'd felt lightheaded. McConnell suffered a concussion earlier this year.

Seven major car companies have announced they will build electric vehicle charging stations throughout the U.S. and Canada. General Motors, Stellantis, and five others pledged today to install 30,000 high-power stations along highways and in cities. That's nearly double the existing number of outlets in North America.

On Wall Street, in the face of the latest interest rate hike, stocks showed little movement. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 82 points to close at 35520. The Nasdaq fell 17 points. The S&P 500 was nearly unchanged.

And Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor has died. Her family announced her passing today, but gave no details. O'Connor was known for her sensational voice and provocative actions, including tearing up a picture of Pope John Paul II on "Saturday Night Live."

She shot to global fame in 1990, with a cover of the Prince ballad "Nothing Compares to You."

(Music)

William Brangham:

Sinead O'Connor was 56 years old.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": Waters off the coast of Florida reach hot-tub-like temperatures, bleaching coral reefs; the Biden administration's efforts to get insurance companies to cover mental health care; upheaval in Israel prompts calls for the U.S. to cut off billions in annual aid; author Wes Lowery addresses increasing racial violence in his new book; plus much more.