Midday Roundup: Youths attacked by sharks at N.C. beaches

Horrific. A 12-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy both lost limbs in two shark attacks within about 90 minutes Sunday at a North Carolina beach. The attacks happened about two miles from each other, and both victims were in shallow water about 20 yards from the shore. Investigators don’t know whether the same shark attacked the youths, who are both in fair condition in a Wilmington, N.C., hospital. The Oak Island, N.C., beaches were closed after the attacks, but reopened today.

Court appearance. Clinton Correctional Facility worker Joyce Mitchell appeared in court this morning on charges of helping two convicted felons escape. David Sweat and Richard Matt are still at large 10 days after breaking out of maximum security. Prosecutors say Mitchell gave the convicts tools to use in their escape. She also allegedly agreed to be a getaway driver but backed out at the last minute.

Resigned. Pope Francis has accepted the resignations of the archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis and one of his deputies over their roles in covering up abuse in the church. Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Anthony Piche have been accused of doing nothing about reports of sexual abuse by a pedophile priest. Earlier this month, prosecutors charged the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis of having “turned a blind eye” to the abuse. Including Nienstedt, 18 bishops have resigned after being publicly criticized for covering up for abusers, according to Anne Barrett Doyle of the online resource BishopAccountability.org.

Public appearance. Hillary Clinton relaunched her presidential campaign Saturday with a rally on Roosevelt Island in New York. It marked her first major public event since announcing her White House bid in April. Clinton sought to beat back attacks from presidential rivals, who have framed her as the favorite candidate of Wall Street instead of a champion of the working class. She said little about foreign policy or her experience as secretary of state. And she made clear she’s prepared to move left with the Democratic party, hitting Republicans on issues like gay rights, climate change, and abortion.

Fight to the finish. The Chicago Blackhawks edged one step closer Saturday to drinking from the National Hockey League’s coveted Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 to lead the final series 3-2. Chicago could win it all tonight as Game 6 returns to Chicago’s United Center. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-2 in the National Basketball Association Finals. The Warriors won 104-91 Sunday night and will play Game 6 of the best-of-seven championship Tuesday night.

War on terror. The U.S. military carried out an airstrike in Libya on Sunday in an attempt to kill an al-Qaeda leader charged in an attack on an Algerian gas plant in 2013. Thirty-five hostages, including three Americans, died in the gas plant attack. U.S. officials claim the attack hit the intended target, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, but Islamists on the ground say the airstrike missed. More forensic investigation is needed to confirm Belmokhtar’s death.

Resigned. Rachel Dolezal, president of the Spokane, Wash., chapter of the NAACP, stepped down today after her parents revealed she’s not African-American. Dolezal did not address her race or the controversy surrounding her parents’ revelation in her resignation announcement, posted on Facebook. “Please know I will never stop fighting for human rights and will do everything in my power to help and assist, whether it means stepping up or stepping down, because this is not about me,” she wrote. “It is about justice.”

WORLD Radio’s Kent Covington and Jim Henry and The Associated Press contributed to this report.