Good morning. It's Friday, Aug. 6, and we're covering a devastating fire in California, Spirit Airlines' summer meltdown, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

'We Lost Greenville'

Much of Greenville, California, has been destroyed by the fast-moving Dixie wildfire, according to authorities yesterday. The blaze, currently the state's biggest wildfire, ripped through the middle of the small mountain town roughly 100 miles northeast of Sacramento. No deaths were reported; see photos capturing the intensity of the flames here.

The fire has now consumed more than 320,000 acres and is 35% contained as of this morning, with almost 27,000 people under evacuation orders. Officials said the fire was running parallel to a canyon that acted as a natural chimney, elevating temperatures and creating erratic localized winds that make the fire's spread unpredictable. 

Utility provider Pacific Gas and Electric said yesterday a malfunctioning transmission line may have initially started the fire. 

Iran's New President

Religious conservative Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in as Iran's new president yesterday, extending the control of the country's religious conservatives across each branch of power. The 60-year-old former head of the country's judicial system replaces relative moderate Hassan Rouhani. The new president has close ties with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with some observers suggesting Raisi as a possible successor.

The country's economic crisis continues due to US- and EU-led sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic—it is the worst-hit country in the region. The US also imposed targeted sanctions on Raisi in 2019 for alleged human rights violations in the late 1980s. Separately, tensions are high between Iran and foreign powers who have blamed Iran for a deadly drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker in the Arabian Sea last week, which Iran has denied.

The news comes as the US attempts to restart stalled nuclear agreement talks. Reports say Raisi plans to continue negotiations; however, US officials worry he may present unrealistic demands as he is known for his distrust of the West.

Spirit Airlines Meltdown

Widespread cancellations at Spirit Airlines persisted into a fifth straight day, with the company canceling almost half of its flights yesterday. The disruption is reportedly driven by an outage of the budget airline's IT systems, exacerbated by persistent staff shortages and severe weather in various parts of the country. An estimated 1,800 Spirit flights have been canceled since Sunday.

Lack of skilled staff has hampered the airline industry writ large, which laid off thousands of workers as travel came to a near standstill amid the pandemic last year. Challenges in rehiring have been coupled with a subsequent travel boom, as many seek to make up for lost leisure time. The Transportation Security Administration is counting roughly 2 million passengers screened per day over the past week.   

More cancellations are expected through the weekend. The company said it "sincerely regretted" the inconvenience.

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In partnership with Blendid

A SIP OF FOOD SERVICE

Demand for healthy food is steadily rising, but it's still a pain to find affordable, delicious, and healthy food when you're on the go.

Say hello to Blendid: a compact, autonomous, contactless robotic smoothie kiosk designed to mix up the US food service market. And recently, Blendid and Jamba have signed a commercial agreement that will allow the companies to expand and deploy "Jamba by Blendid" kiosks across the country in various types of commercial locations. Blendid has a strategic investment thrown into the mix from Focus Brands (parent of Jamba) as Blendid looks to scale up its manufacturing and operations to bring Jamba by Blendid kiosks to locations nationwide.

If you’re interested in the market for healthy food and believe in the innovation brought on by advanced robotics, Blendid is at the intersection of these two booming industries. They're already serving customers in several locations: You can check out Blendid's investment opportunity before it closes at midnight PST on 8/13.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by Apollo Neuro

> Lionel Messi to leave FC Barcelona after 21 years with the club (More) | Potential landing spots for the Argentine soccer superstar (More)

> "South Park" creators sign $900M deal to renew series with ViacomCBS through 2027; deal includes 14 new films for Paramount+ (More)

> Olympics: Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman win beach volleyball gold medal (More) | Closing ceremonies set for Sunday (7 am ET, Peacock) (More) | Updated medal count (More)

From our partners: A wearable hug, for your not-so-nervous system. Apollo Neuro is a groundbreaking new wearable device that helps your body recover from stress using silent, soothing vibrations. Developed by neuroscientists and physicians, Apollo Neuro helps users experience—on average—18% more time in deep sleep and up to 25% increases in focus and concentration. Get 10% off Apollo Neuro today

Science & Technology

> Biden administration sets nonbinding national target to have half of new car and truck sales be fully electric vehicles by 2030; also announces updated fuel efficiency standards through 2026 (More)

> Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine is 93% effective against illness out to six months, but recipients would likely need booster shots by the winter to protect against variants (More) | See current US caseload (More)

> Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the major system of currents circulating water around the Atlantic Ocean, is weakening due to increased surface water temperatures, according to a new study; models say current is at its weakest in the past 1,000 years (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets up (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.8%, Nasdaq +0.8%) as continuous job claims fall to lowest level since March 2020 (More)

> Prominent labor leader Richard Trumka, president of AFL-CIO which represents over 12 million active and retired US workers, dies at 72 (More)

> Amazon postpones return to office until 2022 amid recent COVID-19 case surge, company originally planned for September return (More) | Shares of stock trading app Robinhood fall 27% on news that existing shareholders will sell up to 97 million shares; shares surged 50% Wednesday and were up over 100% for the week at market open (More) 

Politics & World Affairs

> State impeachment inquiry of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) nears completion; Cuomo has until Friday to provide evidence defending against sexual harassment allegations (More)

> Congressional Budget Office says the bipartisan infrastructure bill would add $256B to the deficit over 10 years (More)

> Justice Department launches probe into Phoenix police department over alleged culture of discriminatory practices (More) | What are pattern-or-practice probes? (More)

IN-DEPTH

The Fugitive and the Chameleon

Deseret News | Ciara O'Rourke. In 1971, a Denver police officer was shot and left to bleed in the street. He survived, launching a 50-year-long hunt for his attacker. (Read)

Dance Till We Die

New Atlantis | Ari Schulman. (Op-Ed) The pros and cons of the country's patchwork COVID-19 protocols and why we engage in what some call "security theater." (Read)

'This is Going to Change the World'

Slate | Dan Kois. A look back at the much-hyped revelation, and the ensuing crash, of the Segway in 2001. (Read)

BLENDID, SPLENDID

In partnership with Blendid

Blendid’s fully autonomous robotic smoothie kiosk is mixing up the US food service market. It knows what you're most likely to enjoy (based on AI), recognizes ingredients, constantly calibrates inventory, makes delicious healthy food, and never takes a break (or asks for help).

They've already launched smooth, high-profile partnerships with both Jamba and Walmart and are planning on expanding nationwide. Learn more about investing before the round closes Aug. 13.

Please support our sponsors!

ETCETERA

Forbes' list of richest self-made women.

How Olympic divers make the tiniest splash.

Amateur stargazer discovers a new moon of Jupiter.

Visualizing which pop singers have the largest vocabulary.

Tennis star Rafael Nadal can't find the White House.

How squirrels stick their landing.

Man spends two years in psychiatric ward in case of mistaken identity.

When your urn necklace comes with someone else's ashes.

Clickbait: Flight attendants will now beat you up.

Historybook: Actress Lucille Ball born (1911); Pop artist Andy Warhol born (1928); "Little Boy" atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, killing more than 70,000 (1945); Voting Rights Act signed (1965); Curiosity rover lands on Mars (2012).

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line."

- Lucille Ball

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