Washington Wildfires: Arson Suspect Accused Of Starting Massive Fire Previously Killed His Father
Plus: Mo News Talks To Michigan Voters & Zac Brown Fans Score Big
Good evening,
It’s Mo News Senior Producer Lauren Janes. I’m on the ground in Michigan today, talking to voters about the state’s closely watched Democratic Senate primary: progressive Abdul El-Sayed vs. moderate Rep. Haley Stevens.
Here in Traverse City, which is in Northern Michigan, El-Sayed supporters were eager to talk about their candidate, while Stevens backers were noticeably more reluctant to speak on the record.
That enthusiasm mirrors recent polling, which showed El-Sayed with a double-digit lead over the congresswoman heading into Election Day.
Why it matters: The race has become a proxy fight over the Democratic Party’s future – and a test of whether a progressive can win a Senate seat in a battleground state.
Today’s winner will face former Rep. Mike Rogers in November. While polls suggest Stevens may have a slight edge in the general election, El-Sayed supporters told me they aren’t concerned.
“I think that he will pick up momentum as it goes, so I’m not concerned about him winning in November,” student Madeleine George said.
At the same time, some Stevens supporters expressed concern about the general election should El-Sayed win.
Michigan isn’t the only state holding a primary today. Voters in Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington are also selecting who will run in November’s general election.
The big question tonight: Can progressives continue to gain ground in Democratic congressional primaries?
In Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, former Rep. Cori Bush – once a member of the progressive “Squad” – is attempting to win back her seat from Democratic Rep. Wesley Bell.
Back here in Michigan, Rep. Shri Thanedar and progressive challenger Donavan McKinney, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, are competing in a competitive race to represent Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.
We’ll have results, analysis, and updates on Mo News Instagram tonight, followed by full coverage in tomorrow morning’s Mo News podcast.
🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING
‘Unprecedented’: Washington Wildfires Force 67,000 To Evacuate, Destroy Hundreds of Homes
Three fast-moving wildfires are growing in eastern Washington State, destroying hundreds of homes, and drawing comparisons to last year’s deadly Los Angeles firestorm.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Autumn Lane, Old Trails, and Fairview fires have burned more than 10,000 acres in Spokane since Saturday, destroyed an estimated 700 homes and other buildings, and forced more than 67,000 people to evacuate.
Investigators say the largest of the three fires appears to have been intentionally set.
ARSON ARREST: 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci was arrested and charged with arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire.
A witness reported seeing him kneeling in dry grass shortly before the fire began. Investigators say he had matches and a lighter on him when he was arrested. Farinacci denied the allegations to sheriff’s deputies during questioning.
Previous conviction: Farinacci was previously charged with murder in 2010 when the then-21-year-old shot and killed his father in Arizona. He pled guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault, and served about a decade in prison, before his release in 2020.
Investigators are still looking into what sparked the Fairview and Autumn Lane Fires. More than 2,000 firefighters are expected in the Spokane area in the coming days, many from out of state, as rising temperatures threaten worse conditions.
“It’s a nightmare situation…This is likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane history.” — Washington Governor Bob Ferguson.
The Pacific Northwest is facing its worst fire season in more than 30 years. In Oregon, more than 1,300 wildfires have burned nearly 2 million acres this year – breaking the state’s previous record.
The largest active wildfire in the U.S. is the Big Grass Fire along the Oregon-Idaho border which has burned nearly 350,000 acres.
PAINFUL REMINDER:
Similar to the Palisades and Eaton fires that ravaged Los Angeles County in early 2025, the Spokane wildfires exploded near residential areas – making them especially destructive. Officials say powerful winds, low humidity, and extremely dry vegetation created perfect conditions for wildfires to spread rapidly in both cases.
LOS ANGELES FIRES: The 2025 fires killed at least 31 people and destroyed nearly 16,000 homes. The evacuation efforts faced heavy criticism over delayed alerts and a lack of resources.
An investigation determined the Eaton fire was caused by an out-of-service Southern California Edison electrical tower that ignited dry brush nearby.
SPOKANE FIRES: Officials say tens of thousands of people were in the path of the flames, but no deaths have been reported. Rapid evacuations helped move roughly 60,000 people out of danger, while resources were brought in quickly.
FEMA ASSISTANCE:
President Trump on Tuesday authorized federal disaster assistance to support the firefight in Washington State. FEMA will help coordinate federal resources and relief efforts.
It remains unclear when the people from evacuated areas will be able to return home. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said it could be weeks before some residents are allowed back. Others have already returned to burn areas to find their homes and belongings reduced to ashes.
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⏳ THE SPEED READ
🚨NATION
25 Democrat-led states sue Trump over new tariffs, calling them illegal end run around Supreme Court (FOX BUSINESS)
Federal judge rules against New York State’s mask ban for ICE agents (ABC)
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro brought box of evidence to show Trump what caused Reflecting Pool damage (CBS)
Lindsay Clancy’s diary chronicled desperation and ‘brain fog’ before she killed her 3 kids (NBC)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
Iran faces ‘last chance’ to make deal, Trump says (FOX NEWS)
Runaway online rumors sparked frantic rush by migrants to the Spanish territory of Ceuta (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Three lions in Japanese zoo die of suspected heat stroke as East Asia bakes in ‘cruelly hot’ summer (JAPAN TIMES/NBC)
Towns evacuated in Guatemala as Fuego volcano erupts (DW)
Heavy rains trigger deadly landslide at Ethiopian monastery, killing 14 worshippers (AFRICA NEWS)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
Job openings dipped while hiring rose in June (AXIOS)
U.S. families expect to spend nearly $1,000 on average on back-to-school shopping this year (AXIOS)
McDonald’s sales in the U.S. are slowing after deal fatigue (CNN)
David Ellison says control of CNN is root cause of merger challenges, vows to play it “down the middle” (DEADLINE)
Apple says more ex-employees may have taken confidential data to OpenAI (TECH CRUNCH)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Falcons sign Bijan Robinson to historic three-year extension, making him NFL’s highest-paid running back (CBS)
Cleanup begins at a muddy Grant Park in Chicago as Lollapalooza wraps up (ABC)
‘Heated Rivalry’ creator asks fans not to crash sets as Season 2 filming begins (VARIETY)
Bowen Yang to make Broadway debut in Oh, Mary! (DEADLINE)
ICYMI FROM THE 📲
In case you missed it… What’s it called when you out-Oprah Oprah?
Zac Brown Band gave away free cruise tickets to all 37,000 fans who attended the country group’s 15th consecutive sold-out concert in Boston’s Fenway Park on Sunday.
Everyone at the concert got two tickets to the Florida-based cruise line Margaritaville at Sea, which presented the band’s tour, in a giveaway valued at $40 million.
It was part of the celebration as the band broke the record for the most consecutive sold-out shows at Fenway Park and the most tickets sold in the venue’s history.