News Wrap: Wildfires force thousands of tourists to evacuate Greek islands

Geoff Bennett:

In the day's other headlines: A heat dome that's been hovering over the Southwestern U.S. for weeks is now expanding eastward.

More than 80 million people from coast to coast were under heat alerts today, and temperatures in Phoenix topped 110 degrees for the 25th straight day. Wildfires blazing through the Greek islands have forced tourists to evacuate by the thousands. The flames reached popular vacation spots in Corfu off the northwest coast and Rhodes farther southeast.

A bright orange glow coated hillsides in Corfu last night. And in Rhodes today, emergency crews faced the inferno as beachgoers abandoned smoky resort towns. Evacuees slept on the airport floor desperate to return home.

Mario Wiese, Austrian Tourist (through translator):

We have been lying here for two days. There are no blankets, nothing. There are children lying here who need milk. There is nothing. We don't receive any information whether we will be flown home, nothing.

Geoff Bennett:

The flames were fueled by intense winds and high weekend temperatures, which soared to 113 degrees on Greece's mainland.

Meantime, forest fires in Algeria have killed at least 34 people, including 10 soldiers. Nearly 100 blazes are burning in mountainous regions of the North African country, forcing many people to evacuate. Some 7,500 firefighters are working to get the flames under control amid a stifling heat wave.

In Ukraine, Russian drone struck grain facilities in Odesa along a critical route for Ukrainian exports. Social media video showed extensive damage to grain silos along the Danube River. Russia has expanded its air campaign after backing out the Black Sea grain deal one week ago. That deal had kept the trade routes safe from the war. Meantime, Russia accused Ukraine of striking two buildings in Moscow today, including one near the Defense Ministry's headquarters.

Spain is in political limbo tonight after Sunday's elections failed to yield an outright winner. The conservative Popular Party won 136 seats, while the incumbent Socialist Party banked 122. Meantime, support for the far right Vox Party fell sharply.

The two leading parties claimed victory last night in Madrid, even though both fell short of the seats needed to secure an absolute majority

Pedro Sánchez, Spanish Prime Minister (through translator):

The backward looking block of the People's Party with Vox has been defeated. There are many more of us who want Spain to continue moving forward, rather than pursuing the regression path of the people's party with Vox.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, Conservative People’s Party Leader (through translator):

Our obligation now is to avoid a period of uncertainty. Spaniards today have put their trust in the Popular Party. They have also said that all the political parties across the Parliament must have dialogue.

Geoff Bennett:

Spain now feces weeks, if not months of negotiations between the parties and the possibility of a new election later in the year.

The U.S. Justice Department has sued the Texas governor over a floating barrier the state is using to stop migrant crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border. They say Governor Greg Abbott built the 1,000-foot line of buoys on the Rio Grande without authorization. Hours before, Governor Abbott set President Biden a letter refusing to remove the barrier.

And stocks climbed higher on Wall Street today. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 183 points to close at 35411. The Nasdaq rose 26 points. The S&P 500 added 18.

And still to come on the "NewsHour": former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan makes the case for a third-party bid in the upcoming presidential election; what the end of affirmative action in college admissions means for long-term wealth disparities, and a look at Barbie, the good, the bad and the ugly behind the famous doll.