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As of late Sunday, more than 2 million Californians are without power as energy companies attempt to reduce the chances of sparking additional fires with preventative blackouts, and around 180,000 people were under evacuation orders statewide. [NPR / Laurel Wamsley and Emma Bowman]
The power cuts led hospitals and clinics to make tough choices: What do you do when there isn’t enough power to refrigerate your vaccines and keep electronic medical records online? [The Verge / Nicole Wetsman]
Counting the Getty Fire, the Saddleridge Fire nearby, the Kincade wildfire in Sonoma County, and the Tick Fire in Santa Clarita, fire has engulfed at least 80,400 acres of California. [Vox / Umair Irfan]
Here’s a map from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection of current major fires ravaging the state. [State of California]
On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, emphasizing the danger to the Californian people posed by these fires. “To see them on cots in temporary shelter, it really hits home the human side of this and the enormity of the task,” said Newsom. [LA Times / Anita Chabria, Melody Gutierrez, Maura Dolan, and Joe Mozingo]
Former Gov. Jerry Brown warns that these fires are “only the beginning” of the climate crises America will soon be facing. [Politico / Carla Marinucci]
Argentines bring the center-left back to power
Argentina elected Alberto Fernández to the presidency with 48 percent of the vote. The center-left career politician is set to meet with his predecessor and opponent, right-wing businessman Mauricio Macri, to talk about the transition of power. [Bloomberg / Patrick Gillespie and Jorgelina Do Rosario]
Fernández’s victory was credited to Argentine voters’ preoccupation with the economy. Macri attempted to take up a “zero poverty” initiative during his term, but over the last four years Argentina’s poverty level has risen to 35 percent as he cut subsidies. Now 15 million live in poverty. [BBC]
Former president turned vice president-elect Cristina Fernández de Kirchner helped pull out a victory for Fernández. The pair was seen as the best chance of avoiding a recession despite Kirchner being haunted by corruption allegations. [Miami Herald / Jim Wyss]
Fernández and Kirchner are set to take office on December 10, but the country’s stock market is already on the rise. [CNBC / Sam Meredith]
