Stories from August 21, 2021

In this strong sequel, taking the throne is easy — keeping it, not so much
Jordan Ifueko follows up her meteoric debut “Raybearer” with “Redemptor,” which continues the story of Tarisai, now an Empress, but racked with grief and guilt over what she did to gain the throne.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closed to visitors
Superior National Forest officials have closed the entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to visitors for at least the next week, amid increasingly volatile wildfire conditions and concerns about limited resources to keep people safe.
IS threat forces U.S. changes to evacuations at Kabul airport
Potential Islamic State threats against Americans in Afghanistan are forcing the U.S. military to develop new ways to get evacuees to the airport in Kabul, a senior U.S. official said Saturday, adding a new complication to the already chaotic efforts to get people out of the country.
Liz Shuler becomes first woman to lead the AFL-CIO
Shuler will serve as president of the AFL-CIO until June 2022. The union's No. 2 official replaces longtime labor leader Richard Trumka, who died earlier this month.
Cool today; thunderstorm chance late Sunday; Henri heads toward Northeastern U.S.
It’ll feel like September today. Temps rebound slightly on Sunday, then summery weather returns to start the week. We have details on that plus an update on the potential for hurricane-force winds in the Northeastern U.S. on Sunday.
Henri strengthens to hurricane as it bears down on Northeast
Forecasters said Henri was expected to remain at or near hurricane strength when it makes landfall midafternoon Sunday, which the hurricane center said could be on New York’s Long Island or in southern New England — most likely Connecticut.
'I'm walking out with you alone': A StoryCorps love story
Brooklynites Danny, a horse-betting clerk, and Annie, a nurse, began chronicling their life together in the early days of StoryCorps — from their first date to Danny's final days with terminal cancer.