THE BIG STORY

The fires burning in California right now are already among the worst in history and the season is just starting

It’s only August, and two of the three largest fires in California’s history are ripping through dry brush, forests, and homes.

Because of unusually dry and hot weather, California’s fire season has arrived early, creating a worrying situation for residents across the state. Five people have died due to the fires so far, including four civilians and one helicopter pilot, who crashed while battling a wildfire in Fresno county.

The size of the fires is daunting. Two major groups of wildfires — the LNU Complex fire in Napa Valley and the SCU Complex fire, which spans the Central Valley and Bay Area — have already become the second and third-largest in the state’s history respectively, and are barely contained.

In total, more than 560 wildfires are currently burning across California. They have consumed over 1 million acres — larger than the size of Rhode Island — and destroyed thousands of homes.

The larger context: California’s fire season has been becoming longer and increasingly aggressive due to climate change. The state’s resources are scarce — firefighters are continuously deployed to massive, concurrent incidents across California.

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump’s closest advisors, is leaving the White House

Conway, a longtime political aide of President Donald Trump, said she will depart the White House at the end of the month to take care of family issues.

Her exit came as Conway’s husband, lawyer George Conway, also announced he would withdraw from The Lincoln Project, a Republican PAC dedicated to opposing Trump. Both cited their intent to focus on their family. George said he would also step back from Twitter, a platform that has helped make him famous in anti-Trump social media.

Kellyanne and George Conway’s divergent politics have been a public fascination for most of Trump’s tenure. Just earlier Sunday, George Conway questioned how anyone could work for Trump.

SNAPSHOTS

Storms Marco and Laura are poised to give the Gulf Coast a deadly one-two punch. The Coast is bracing for two major storms, Marco and Laura, which are forecast to make landfall at hurricane strength in the coming days. It is very unusual for two major storms to hit the same coastal area in rapid succession.

Protests broke out in Wisconsin after police shot a Black man as he walked to his car. In an incident filmed and shared on social media, 29-year-old Jacob Blake is seen walking away from police officers. When he opens the car door, an officer starts shooting him from behind. Blake is in serious condition at a hospital in Milwaukee.

A coronavirus outbreak linked to a wedding has led to one dead and dozens more infected. About 65 people attended a wedding reception in Maine, flouting the state's 50-person limit on indoor gatherings. Officials initially identified 24 people who tested positive for COVID-19 after the wedding — 18 attendees, and six who had come into contact with guests.

Lori Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison for her role in the college admissions scam. The Full House star and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, admitted to paying bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.

Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli outside court, August 2019. Joseph Prezioso / Getty Images.

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

These countries have the highest rates of COVID-19. This is what the US has in common with them.

The US was, for a long time, a symbol of government competence. Its example in managing public health and economic success was one that many other nations looked to. The coronavirus pandemic may have changed that.

The US has fumbled its virus response even more than countries known for widespread corruption, poor healthcare, and ubiquitous poverty — to the shock of many around the world. By many measures, the US is now faring worse than Mexico, Brazil, India, and Russia.

In all these countries — and others that have emerged as hot spots — top officials initially downplayed the severity of the crisis, fumbled lock downs, and sometimes even seemed to embrace magical thinking to ward it off.

Here’s an excellent report on how the US came to keep unexpected company in terms of its mishandling of the pandemic.

THE REALITY IS

Mary and Romain from Selling Sunset got married four months before the show even began filming

On this, the mind boggles. Listen, first it must be acknowledged that Selling Sunset is a certified hit. There is a lot of chatter about the Netflix’s show’s latest season.

A great deal of that chatter has to do with just how real the show is — just last week, Chrissy Teigen raised doubts about whether the stars of the show are actual real estate agents.

But now comes a significant turn: After the show spent a significant time of season 1 on a plot about the uncertain future of the relationship between Mary and Romain, it has emerged that they got married before the show even started.

Wishing you an easy time summoning your courage today,

Elamin