California's secretary of state's office said Tuesday that a ballot measure to split the Golden State into three — California, Northern California, and Southern California — had gotten more than enough valid signatures to make it onto the November ballot. The initiative was spearheaded by Silicon Valley venture capitalist and cryptocurrency enthusiast Tim Draper, whose previous efforts to split California into six states failed due to insufficient valid signatures. If successful, the plan would potentially create the first division of a state since West Virginia was hewn off of Virginia in 1863.

Northern California would stretch from just north of Monterey across to Nevada and up to Oregon, encompassing the Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and Napa Valley wine country. New California would be a coastal stretch from Monterey down through Los Angeles, while Southern California would encompass the rest of Southern California, including Death Valley, San Diego, and Orange County.

California, the most populous U.S. state, is no stranger to attempts at geopolitical reinvention — in its 168 years as a state, more than 200 attempts have been made to split it apart, change its boundaries, or withdraw it from the U.S., the Los Angeles Times reports, with the most recent three-state split shot down in the state legislature in 1993.

But even if Draper's plan passes — a poll in April pegged it at 17 percent support, 72 percent opposition — it would face legal challenges, and California's legislature would almost certainly have to approve it, as would Congress. Both approvals are seen as unlikely. The plan would create four new U.S. senators and dilute California's Electoral College power. "Initial analyses suggest that Northern California and California would remain reliably Democratic, while Southern California would be a swing state," The Mercury News reports. Peter Weber

Omarosa Manigault Newman's Unhinged book tour has really "gotten under the president's, I want to say, skin," Stephen Colbert said on Thursday's Late Show, wondering if President Trump regrets having fired her (again). Trump has reportedly told advisers he wants Manigault Newman arrested, though it's unclear what the charge would be. "What law did she break?" Colbert asked, in Trump voice. "Is my heart a law?"

He turned to Omarosa's new secret recording, this one involving Lara Trump offering Manigault Newman "$15,000 a month to hush, to work for the campaign in a job as assistant secretary of keeping your trap shut." Omarosa has made it clear she has a lot more recordings, she's not going away, and her tapes are better than their tapes. "Maybe, but I bet Russia has you both beat," Colbert said. In her maudlin response, Lara Trump tried to shame Omarosa, saying there are some things, like friendship, "you just can't put a price on." Colbert agreed, "but silence is about $15,000 a month."

"You think you can arrest Omarosa?" Seth Meyers asked on Late Night. "This is person you tried to fire four times, and you still can't get rid of her." Still, his first attempt to silence her was hiring her for a fifth time, with that $15,000-a-month job offer, he noted. "So first they hired Omarosa, then they fired her, then they tried to hire her agin to buy her off. This is how Trumpism works: Everyone is conning everyone else, and in the process, they're conning the rest of us, too," Meyers said. Even Fox & Friends, Trump's favorite feel-good TV show, is "telling you that it's all just a giant grift."

At The Daily Show, Trevor Noah and Michael Kosta looked at the booming, sometimes grifty business of hating on Trump. Watch below. Peter Weber

A state of emergency has been declared in British Columbia, as thousands of firefighters battle at least 566 wildfires burning across the Canadian province.

More than 3,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes, and 18,000 have been told to prepare to leave at a moment's notice. So far this year, there have been more than 1,800 fires in the province, scorching 939,000 acres. Firefighters have come from as far away as Mexico and New Zealand to help battle the blazes.

"We're going to throw everything we've got at these fires, but in a lot of cases, Mother Nature is going to be in the driver's seat," Kevin Skrepnek, British Columbia's chief fire information officer, told reporters Thursday. There isn't any rain in the forecast, and the smoke is causing a layer of haze across British Columbia and into Seattle. British Columbia's public safety minister, Mike Farnworth, told reporters the fire season is starting earlier, and "the bulk of the fires, what we have seen this year, have been lightning-caused." Catherine Garcia

President Trump has a list of current and former intelligence and law enforcement officials he's apparently excited to strip of their security clearances, all of them critics of his actions and all of them, not coincidentally, involved in the investigation of Russian election tampering and possible collusion by the Trump campaign. Not on the list is his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who has pleaded guilty to federal charges of lying to investigators and is cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Trump-Russia investigation. Yes, Flynn, it appears, still has his security clearance.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is among those who doesn't think that's a great idea. "I've always liked Gen. Flynn but he's now pleaded guilty to a federal offense," he told reporters on Thursday. "I think he should lose his security clearance." At the same time, Graham appeared unconcerned with Trump's actions against Brennan, who led the CIA for four years — "I can't imagine sharing anything with Brennan given his hatred toward President Trump — I don't think he'd have any constructive input" — and said he's concerned about two former FBI agents, Lisa Page and Peter Strzok, still having security clearances.

The reaction to Trump's use of security clearance access against critics has fallen largely along party lines, with former intelligence officials agreeing with Democrats that this is an authoritarian-style effort to stifle dissent and Republicans shrugging or cheering. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), for example, called Brennan "a butthead" and said he doesn't "see why he would need a security clearance, I really don't." When Trump was floating the idea in July, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) was incredulous the idea was even explored, telling MSNBC that "when you're going to start taking retribution against people who are your political enemies in this manner, that's the kind of thing that happens in Venezuela. ... I mean, it's a banana republic kind of thing." Peter Weber

Just like you can't eat only one potato chip, President Trump can't revoke just one security clearance.

Trump decided several weeks ago to strip former CIA Director John Brennan of his security clearance, two White House officials told The Washington Post on Thursday, though White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the announcement on Wednesday. The officials said he's told advisers he wants to revoke more security clearances from people linked to the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, and he came up with the list that Sanders read on Wednesday.

That list included some people who lost their security clearances when they were fired, like former FBI Director James Comey, but Trump still wanted them named, the Post reports. He thinks by taking on Brennan, it makes him look strong, the officials said, and he could act soon to revoke additional security clearances. This is a new obsession, with Trump becoming focused on the matter this summer. On Wednesday, Sanders said Brennan's "erratic conduct" led Trump to revoke his security clearance, but Trump later told a Wall Street Journal reporter that Brennan and the others "led" the "sham" Russia investigation, "so I think it's something that had to be done." Catherine Garcia

Put away your star-spangled pom-poms and Uncle Sam masks — the military parade extravaganza ordered by President Trump has been delayed until 2019.

The Pentagon made the announcement on Thursday night, but did not say why it is being postponed. Trump was so impressed by a military parade he saw in France on Bastille Day that he wanted the same thing in the United States, and it was scheduled to take place on Veterans Day to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. In March, the Pentagon said the parade would feature modern and historic war planes, but nothing heavy like a tank, in order to avoid damage to the roads in Washington, D.C.

Reuters reported earlier on Thursday that the parade could cost $92 million — an enormous leap from the preliminary estimate of $12 million. This new budget has not yet been approved by Defense Secretary James Mattis. Catherine Garcia

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is often referred to as the Mormon Church and its members Mormons, but the church's president is asking people — members of his church included — to stop using that nickname.

Church leader Russell M. Nelson said Thursday the "Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name he has revealed for his church." In a news release, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it is requesting people stop using the term "Mormon" and instead say "members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" or "Latter Day Saints," and to also refrain from using the abbreviation "LDS." The term "Mormonism" is also inaccurate, the church said, and should not be used. The only time "Mormon" should be used is in proper names like the Book of Mormon.

There are 16 million members of the church, and people around the world have heard of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, seen the "I'm a Mormon" ads, and visited mormon.org. The news release stated that over the next few months, websites and materials will be updated to reflect Nelson's directive. Catherine Garcia

On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic version of the EpiPen, used to treat severe allergic reactions to everything from food to insect bites.

Teva Pharmaceuticals is now authorized to sell the generic versions of EpiPen and Epi Pen Jr., made by Mylan. "This approval means patients living with severe allergies who require constant access to life-saving epinephrine should have a lower-cost option, as well as another approved product to help protect against potential shortages," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement.

EpiPen is the most widely prescribed epinephrine auto-injector in the U.S. Mylan has come under fire for charging as much as $600 for a package of two pens. Teva has not said how much its generic version will cost. Catherine Garcia