***DUPLICATION ALERT: Brazil protests. Check sports lineups.***
NEVADA
Fall kills Cirque du Soleil artist
A Paris-born performer in Cirque du Soleil’s “Ka” died after a fall during a show in Las Vegas. Sarah Guyard-Guillot was pronounced dead late Saturday night at a hospital after falling about 50 feet from the show’s stage. Witnesses said the accident occurred near the end of the production Saturday night at the MGM Grand. Witnesses said the performer was being hoisted up the side of the stage when she slipped free of her safety wire and plummeted into an open pit. Cirque officials issued a statement saying they were “deeply saddened” by the death and that performances of “Ka” were canceled until further notice.
BRAZIL
Protests target cup match in Rio
More than 5,000 anti-government protesters marched Sunday near the Maracana football stadium before a major international match, venting their anger about the billions of dollars the Brazilian government is spending on major sporting events rather than public services. About a half hour before the match started, small clashes broke out between police and some of the protesters who massed at security blockades. The march was the latest in a wave of protests that has spread across the country.
ARIZONA
Fire prompts evacuation of homes
A one square-mile wildfire burning in a central Arizona community led to the evacuation of 50 homes threatened by the blaze. Fire information officer Mike Reichling said no homes have been damaged in the fire northwest of the Yavapai County community of Yarnell. Reichling said the blaze was within a mile of some homes but was burning away from them. The fire started on Friday and picked up momentum Sunday.
OREGON
Charity law affects tax breaks
State officials and nonprofit leaders believe Oregon is the first state in the nation to pass a charity law that punishes nonprofits that spend too little of their money on their missions. The law will eliminate state and local tax subsidies for charities that spend more than 70 percent of donations on management and fundraising over three years. The measure, House Bill 2060, was signed by the governor in June.
POLAND
Visitors hurt at rare car show
A luxury sports car skidded into the crowd during a car show over the weekend in Poland, injuring 17 people. The Provincial Governor’s Office in Poznan said in a statement Sunday that four people were in serious condition but their injuries were not life-threatening. Two children were among the injured. The accident took place during the ninth Gran Turismo Polonia show, in which drivers show off their rare sports cars.
MICHIGAN
Ford to fix throttles on sedans
Ford has agreed to fix sticky throttles on nearly 468,000 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable sedans. Last fall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating cars from the 2000 through 2003 model years. The safety agency and Ford received 100 complaints about throttles on cars with 3-Liter, four-valve Duratec V-6 engines. The agency said Ford will fix problems for free.
ALABAMA
County files bankruptcy plan
Attorneys for Alabama’s Jefferson County have filed a plan that would allow it to exit the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. The plan filed Sunday calls for cutting the county’s $4.2 billion debt by more than $1.2 billion and raising sewer rates annually by 7.41 percent for four years. Rates would rise by 3.49 percent annually for an undetermined amount of years after that. Most of the $4.2 billion debt stems from bonds that funded sewer system repairs. The plan must be approved by creditors and a U.S. bankruptcy judge. A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6.
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