The Trump administration is responding to California's devastating wildfires by blaming environmental regulations, even as evidence shows this isn't a major factor behind the historic fires.
Why it matters: Without an accurate diagnosis of the problem, it's less likely the federal government will respond in a way that would help the state battle fires that have overrun communities, killed 9 people and and burned thousands of homes and businesses.
California's wildfire woes continue to escalate as the Mendocino Fire Complex, which consists of two, gradually merging blazes known as the Ranch Fire and the River Fire, exploded in size over the weekend to become the state's second-largest wildfire on record — behind last year's Thomas Fire.
The big picture: California is enduring another deadly wildfire year with eight large fires burning Monday. The Mendocino Fire Complex stood at 273,664 acres on Monday morning and was only 30% contained. The blaze spread smoke across San Francisco, leading to an eerie sunrise.
"California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire spreading!"
Our thought bubble, via Axios science editor Andrew Freedman: President Trump appears to be referring to endangered species protections, which mandate availability of water for some species. However, firefighters haven’t complained about lack of water for firefighting, but rather, the extreme nature of these fires.
President Trump's personal lawyer Jay Sekulow said Sunday that — should the president decide not sit for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller — his legal team would be prepared to fight any potential subpoena from Mueller's team in court.
The big picture: Sekulow told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week" that Trump has made it clear that he's willing to sit down with the special counsel, though his legal team still has some concerns. The team submitted a proposal to Mueller last month stating that the president would agree to an interview if questions are limited to potential Russian collusion, but Sekulow said the decision ultimately rests with Trump himself.
