Nathan Rott

A wildfire in Southern California has forced the closure of a stretch of freeway and prompted officials to declare mandatory evacuation areas affecting an estimated 80,000 people.

Torrential rains in Louisiana and Southern Mississippi have flooded homes and caused hundreds of evacuations. Much of the rest of the country is experiencing extreme heat.

How did gun owners view the comments Tuesday by Donald Trump? The Republican presidential nominee suggested supporters of the Second Amendment could oppose Hillary Clinton, which some viewed as an incitement to violence.

For many National Park Service employees, the pay is seasonal and not great. The hours can be long and tedious. But for many, there's a big payoff in dedicating their days to nature.

If Rio goes well for her, Olympic shooter Kim Rhode could become the first person to medal in six consecutive Summer Games. But Rhode is looking beyond the personal accolades.

The former Chicago Bulls star rarely gets involved in current events, but he is making million-dollar donations to an NAACP fund and a community policing institute seeking solutions to violence.

People drove from across the country to Cleveland to hawk their wares to the throngs who've come to the Republican National Convention.

The streets of Cleveland are full of vendors selling Trump hats and t-shirts. NPR looks into whether the vendors are committed fans of the presumptive GOP nominee or just trying to make a buck.

Thousands of demonstrators and thousands of law enforcement officers are in Cleveland for this week's Republican National Convention, and there's a palpable tension hanging over the city.

Over 20,400 pieces of gun-related legislation have been proposed in the past 25 years after mass shootings. Whether they tighten or loosen gun laws depends on the state's dominant political party.

Orlando is one of the most popular U.S. destinations, with more than 66 million visitors last year. Tourism officials hope the shooting attack won't deter people from coming to its theme parks.

Boxing gyms around the country are remembering the champion, who died Friday. NPR's Nathan Rott talked to boxers in Los Angeles who said Ali inspired them.

The forests at Great Smoky Mountains National Park are sick, infected by invasive bugs and plants. The park's vegetation crew is like the nursing staff, protecting native plants and treating trees.

Bernie Sanders is making a strong push in California as the Democratic primary race nears its end. Polls show him in a dead heat with frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the Golden State.

These descendants of wild boars were brought over from Europe decades ago. They're highly invasive and hugely destructive — threatening native bears and deer in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

There's an aggressive hunting program going on in the back country of Great Smoky Mountains National Park targeting wild hogs. Hogs are invasive and hugely destructive to the natural environment.

Two incidents at Yellowstone National Park went viral this week, when visitors traipsed off of the boardwalk at the nation's largest hot spring and, in a separate incident, loaded a bison calf into the back of a car. Park officials are hoping the incidents are not indicative of what's in store for them this summer.

There are about 250 toilets on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a small number of people to clean them. With decreasing budgets, employees are doing more with less.

There are about 1,600 black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and nearly 11 million annual visitors. The park's wildlife biologists have the challenging job of managing the interactions between them.

Put on your waders and foam-soled boots — we're about to adventure into a shallow creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park which straddles the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.