Nation and world briefs

Cooler temperatures and lighter winds are forecast to descend on wildfire-stricken Washington state, helping firefighters battle flames that have been growing unfettered for a week and have covered hundreds of square miles. While Sunday's weather has slight improvements on the hot temperatures and gusty winds that have fueled the wildfires, the forecast for Monday and Tuesday calls for lighter winds and lower temperatures.

Campfires are no longer permitted in wilderness areas below 6,000 feet at Yosemite National Park, officials announced. The restrictions were ordered because of several years of "exceptional drought conditions and high fire danger," the National Park Service said in a statement. Rainfall during the last three winters has been below normal. Campfires in picnic areas and designated campgrounds are still permitted.

Americans consider insurance and a good bedside manner in choosing a doctor, but will that doctor provide high-quality care? A new poll shows that people don't know how to determine that. Being licensed and likable doesn't necessarily mean a doctor is up to date on best practices. But consumers aren't sure how to uncover much more. Just 22 percent of those questioned are confident they can find information to compare the quality of local doctors, according to a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Police investigating the theft of clothing and jewelry from a southern Illinois boutique say they arrested a woman after she posted Facebook photos of herself wearing one of the stolen items. Police arrested Danielle Saxton, of West Frankfort, earlier this month on misdemeanor retail theft charges. Authorities say a distinctive leopard-print dress was among the items stolen July 11 from Mortie's Boutique in West Frankfort.

Police have arrested one of Colombia's most-wanted criminals, a 40-year-old man nicknamed the Rat who is a leader of a ruthless drug cartel linked to 400 murders and the shipment of large amounts of cocaine to Europe and the United States. Hernan Alonso Villa was arrested Friday while driving on a Spanish highway on the outskirts of Alicante.

Iraq's prime minister has condemned the Islamic State extremist group's targeting of Christians in territory it controls, saying it reveals the threat the jihadists pose to the minority community's "centuries-old heritage." The comments from Nouri al-Maliki came a day after the expiration of a deadline imposed by ISIL, calling on Christians in the militant-held city of Mosul to convert to Islam, pay a tax or face death. Most Christians opted to flee to the nearby self-rule Kurdish region or other areas protected by Kurdish security forces. At the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed his concern for Mosul's Christians, offering prayers for Iraqi Christians who "are persecuted, chased away, forced to leave their houses without the possibility of taking anything." Residents in Mosul also say the Islamic State fighters recently have begun to occupy churches and seize the homes of Christians who have fled the city.