(CNN) — C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S, Faizan Zaki! The 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday night. Zaki, who has competed in the annual contest four times, came in second last year.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
1. Wildfires
The Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared states of emergency due to a series of wildfires. The blazes, which began on Monday in Saskatchewan, have rapidly expanded in size, prompting the evacuation of more than 18,000 people. The intensifying fires are also beginning to send hazardous smoke toward the US. As of Thursday, just over 160 wildfires were burning across Canada, and about half were uncontrolled. Collectively, they have burned more than 1.56 million acres — 40% above the 10-year average for this point in the year. According to National Resources Canada, above-average fire weather severity is forecast for almost all of Western Canada in June and July.