Flash floods Thursday in a Northern California county scorched by a wildfire earlier this month added to the misery of residents who still have not been able to return to their homes. Rain carried a sticky mess of ash and debris through neighborhoods in Chico, Calif., where emergency workers conducted three swift water rescues Thursday, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Department.

Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, pleaded guilty Thursday to lying to Congress in 2017 about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 presidential election. Cohen admitted to misleading the Senate Intelligence Committee to believe that work on the project ended before the Iowa caucuses and first Republican presidential primary in 2016. It actually continued until the end of June that year, well into the campaign season.

The Senate voted 63-37 Wednesday to move forward with a resolution demanding the United States withdraw support for the Saudi-led war on rebels in Yemen. The move signals the Senate’s opposition to President Donald Trump’s policy of keeping relations with the kingdom on an even keel after the murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October.

The Arizona Supreme Court announced last week it will hear the case of two Christian artists who fear for their livelihoods under a Phoenix law that could require them to violate their religious beliefs. The lawsuit is one in a wave of pre-emptive moves to protect religious liberty across the country.

The overall abortion rate in the United States continues to sink lower than ever, according to a report released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But data also show a growing, sinister threat to babies from abortion-inducing drugs.

General Motors announced Monday plans to lay off up to 14,000 factory and white-collar workers in North America and possibly close five plants. The reduction includes about 15 percent of the company’s North American white-collar workers, some of whom will take buyouts and others who will be laid off. Some U.S. factory workers could transfer to truck or SUV factories that are increasing production. GM CEO Mary Barra told reporters the move was a response to shifts in the auto industry, which is moving toward electric propulsion, autonomous vehicles, and ride-sharing.

A government report on climate change released Friday said global warming is contributing to extreme weather in the United States. Outside scientists and officials from 13 federal agencies wrote the report, which is mandated by law every four years. This year’s analysis said extreme weather events “have already become more frequent, intense, widespread or of long duration.” The report warned that the negative effects of climate change could cost the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars.