California wildfire season should be over. So why is L.A. burning?– www.sciencenews.org Source LinkExcerpt:
Unusually dry conditions and hurricane-force seasonal winds are fueling multiple fast-moving and destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County. Gusts that reached over 145 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour) quickly drove the blazes into urban areas, forcing more than 100,000 people to evacuate from their homes and killing at least two people as of January 8.
The largest of the blazes, known as the Palisades fire, erupted the morning of January 7 on the west side of Los Angeles and has since burned more than 6,400 hectares (15,800 acres) and destroyed around 1,000 structures. The second largest, called the Eaton fire, ignited near Pasadena that night and had burned more than 4,290 hectares by the next morning. A third blaze, the Hurst fire near Sylmar, has burned more than 200 hectares.
BREAKING: NEW fire breaks out near Hollywood sign, mandatory evacuations ordered | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com Source Link Excerpt:
The new brush fire sparked near 2350 North Solar Drive, between Nichols and Runyon Canyon.
As if the fires burning in and around Los Angeles, California weren’t enough, a new fire has broken out in the Hollywood Hills near the iconic Hollywood sign. Over 10,000 acres have aleady been burned and five lives have been lost. The fire is moving toward West Hollywood. Tens of thousands have been evacuated, thousands of homes have burned to the ground.
The new brush fire sparked near 2350 North Solar Drive, between Nichols and Runyon Canyon. The fire is being fueled by the brush and dry ground in the area. The Los Angeles Fire Department is working to get near the fire to attempt to put it out. Severe winds are keeping those fires active and moving. The fire is “very dangerous and explosive,” said Margaret Stewart with the LAFD. Speaking to KCAL, she urged residents to heed the evacuation orders. These orders are for “immediate evacation” as the winds are over 20 mph.
Karen Bass’ Old Post About Ted Cruz Cooks Her, As Democrats Desperately Reach for a Deflection – RedState– redstate.com Source Link Excerpt:
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass finally returned from her taxpayer-funded escapade to Africa on Wednesday, and she’s been feeling the heat ever since. She left for the inexplicable photo-op even as fires were already kicking up near her city, leaving a void of leadership during a crucial time.
Since touching down back in America, Bass has faced numerous questions about why she was even in Ghana in the first place. Remember, this was an “official” trip paid for by taxpayers. Why does the mayor of California’s largest city need to be part of a delegation to a third-world African nation? Are we supposed to believe there’s some great economic interest at play? And if it was just a photo-op, which is almost assuredly the real reason, doesn’t that make it even worse?
While pondering those questions, I came across an old social media post from Bass, first reported by RedState in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
“This is the Kind of Thing They Have Tribunals For” — Actor James Woods Blasts Political Leaders After His City is Destroyed by Fire and Reckless Democrats (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com Source Link Excerpt:
Actor James Woods joined Laura Ingraham to talk about the devastating fire near his home that is pictured to the right.
Actor James Woods joined Laura Ingraham after the heartbreaking 24 hours he lived through last night as fires swept through his neighborhood in Pacific Palisades and firemen ran out of water in the hydrants.
The incompetence of the lunatic left was on display again this week in California. If only they had real, fair elections, then some of these wackos might be removed from office.
Woods, a rare vocal Republican Hollywood actor, is not yet certain if his home was lost in the fires. He praised his neighbors and community for coming together during the catastrophe.
Palisades Fire Incinerates Future Career of Mayor Karen Bass, Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Aspirations– legalinsurrection.com Source Link Excerpt:
I have been following the progress of the Palisades fire and several others in the Los Angeles area since my initial post last night.
According to Watch Duty, the blaze charring Pacific Palisades now covers over 15,000 acres and is ZERO percent contained…just as the Santa Ana winds are about to begin peaking.
However, other significant wildfires are burning through the region as well. The Eaton Fire in the Altadena/Pasadena area has already destroyed 10,000 acres and claimed five lives. The Hurst Fire around Sylmar has already hit 700 acres. There is also ZERO percent containment for both of these blazes.
Of course, it is hard for understaffed firefighters to suppress wildfires when there is no water to quench them.
LADWP CEO Janisse Quinones confirms that firefighters battling the Pacific Palisades fire – which is still 0% contained and growing – had NO ACCESS to water.
“The consumption of water was faster than we can provide…at 3 am all of the water went dry in the Palisades.” pic.twitter.com/H0OYp3uKtY
NEW CALIFORNIA FIRE ERUPTS! Studio City Now on Fire, Several Structures Engulfed (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com Source Link Excerpt:
Structure fire in Studio City
Eco-terrorism?
A new fire in Los Angeles erupted late Wednesday night shortly after a fire exploded in the Hollywood Hills.
Several structures are on fire in Studio City.
A spox for the LAFD told KTLA the Hollywood Hills fire and Studio City fire are not connected.
A four-story structure fire in Studio City erupted and quickly spread to nearby hillside homes on Wednesday night.
The Los Angeles Fire Department reported the fire on the 3000 block of North Sunswept Drive at 8:52 p.m., saying the residence was “well involved in fire with exposures and vegetation.”
The four-story home collapsed from the flames and the wind picked up the embers to nearby brush, according to officials.
“We did just have the winds pick up again so we are seeing some ember casting from that four-story structure,” Adam Vangerpen, a spokesperson with LAFD, told KTLA around 9:30 p.m. “Our hope is to hit it hard, and we’re trying to keep it out of the brush right now.”
Vangerpen said this fire was not connected to the Sunset Fire currently burning in the Hollywood Hills.
Wildfires raging in LA are being fueled by Santa Ana winds. What are they?– www.livescience.com Source Link Excerpt:
Firefighters in Los Angeles County are battling four life-threatening wildfires almost 24 hours after the first flames broke out in the Palisades area, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports. The fires were whipped up in a flash thanks to a combination of unusually dry weather and hurricane-force gusts that reached speeds of up to 99 mph (160 km/h).
Tens of thousands of LA residents have been evacuated from their homes and the four fires have spread across over 13,000 acres (5,260 hectares) have been burned by the four fires as of Wednesday morning (Jan. 8.) The fires have destroyed more than 1,000 structures so far and two confirmed fatalities have been reported, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The fires are flourishing due to dry conditions, while firefighters have reported that some hydrants in the Pacific Palisades are coming up dry, potentially hindering fire-extinguishing efforts, according to the Los Angeles Times. The blaze is expected to continue until Thursday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS.) Strong winds also grounded fire-fighting planes overnight, further hindering efforts to contain blazes, according to the LA Times.
The flames are being fanned by a dangerous windstorm, which could also threaten lives and cause damage to properties.
“A life-threatening, destructive, widespread windstorm is expected Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning,” NWS said in a warning early on Jan. 8. “Please stay indoors and away from windows during this time, and expect power outages.”
BREAKING: President Trump calls on Gavin Newsom to resign as governor of California | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com Source Link Excerpt:
“One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”
On Wednesday night, President-elect Donald Trump called on California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom to resign following the failed response to the deadly Los Angeles wildfires.
Trump posted on Truth Social, “One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”
Hurricane force winds are fanning the flames of the Southern California wildfires. What are Santa Ana winds?– www.cbsnews.com Source Link Excerpt:
At least five wildfires are ravaging Southern California, and the three largest have already killed at least five people, burned tens of thousands of acres and prompted the evacuation of an estimated 179,000 residents. Santa Ana winds coupled with dry conditions have created the perfect storm for the fires to spread.
Hurricane-force winds have fanned the flames of the Palisades Fire, currently burning on the west side of Los Angeles County in coastal communities including Pacific Palisades and Malibu. The winds are also blowing the embers of the Eaton Fire, which is impacting the cities of Pasadena and Altadena in northeast L.A. County.
The EU will be without cheap Russian gas following a decision by Ukraine to no longer allow Russia’s gas transferal to occur on Ukraine soil. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision “one of Moscow’s biggest defeats.” The “Brotherhood pipeline” shutdown will allegedly cause Russian gas giant Gazprom more than $6 billion yearly.
EU on brink of gas war after Ukraine cuts off Russia’s £5bn supply | World | News– www.express.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
Ukraine will no longer allow Russian gas to pass through en route to European neighbours in a move that will hurt both the Kremlin and EU states dependent on Putin’s energy supply.
On January 1, the 2019 deal, which saw gas transit through Ukraine to states like Slovakia and Austria, expired.
President Zelensky heralded the move as “one of Moscow’s biggest defeats”, while his energy minister branded it “historic”.
The closure of the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod, which is also known as the Brotherhood pipeline, will cost Russian gas company Gazprom around £5bn a year – a bitter blow for Putin’s creaking war economy.
However, it’s not just Russia that is reeling following the expiration of the gas deal. Several European states are heavily dependent on Russian gas transported through Ukraine.
Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, as well as Moldova, are reliant on the steady flow of energy through Ukraine. Now that that is no longer possible, the only route remaining into Europe from Russia is via the TurkStream pipeline and the BlueSteam pipeline, under the Black Sea.
Federal Court Blocks Biden Administration’s ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules – The Daily Wire Source Link Excerpt:
A federal appeals court on Thursday struck down the Biden administration-backed “net neutrality” regulations implemented last year by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 against the FCC’s recent order that said Broadband Internet Service Providers must follow net neutrality rules because they are a “telecommunications service.” Net neutrality rules block broadband providers from varying speeds or blocking connections to third-party websites
In a 26-page decision, Judge Richard Griffin wrote that the FCC “lacks the statutory authority to impose its desired net-neutrality policies” because broadband providers offer an “information service” and are not a telecommunications service under federal law.
Griffin said that because broadband providers are an information service they are not “not subject to common-carrier regulations.”
Standoff in Seoul ends as officers suspend attempt to arrest President Yoon– www.euronews.com Source Link Excerpt:
It’s the latest confrontation in a political crisis that has paralysed South Korean politics and seen two heads of state impeached in under a month.
South Korean authorities have suspended an attempt to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and left his residence in Seoul after an almost six-hour standoff with security forces.
The country’s anti-corruption agency said it withdrew its investigators after the presidential security service blocked them from entering Yoon’s residence due to concerns about their safety.
The agency expressed “serious regret about the attitude of the suspect, who did not respond to a process by law.”
Biden blocks U.S. Steel takeover by Japan’s Nippon Steel, citing national security– www.cnbc.com Source Link Excerpt:
President Joe Biden on Friday officially blocked the takeover of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel, making good on his promise to keep an industrial name that is more than a century old under domestic ownership.
Biden said the proposed $14.9 billion acquisition by Nippon would place one of the largest steel producers in the U.S. under foreign control, creating a risk for the nation’s critical supply chains.
“Today’s action reflects my unflinching commitment to utilize all authorities available to me as President to defend U.S. national security, including by ensuring that American companies continue to play a central role in sectors that are critical for our national security,” Biden said in a statement.
U.S. Steel’s stock dropped by nearly 8% in premarket trading Friday following the president’s announcement.
Biden Beefing up U.S. Military Presence in Kurdish Syria– www.breitbart.com Source Link Excerpt:
Multiple reports from northern Syria on Thursday indicated the U.S. military is reinforcing its presence in Syrian Kurdistan, or Rojava, potentially building a new base in the city of Kobani.
The regional outlet Kurdistan 24 reported on Thursday that “a convoy of 50 trucks carrying Bremer walls entered Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-controlled areas in northeastern Syria (Rojava) on Thursday.” Citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a non-governmental organization (NGO), Kurdistan 24 reported that the convoy was headed to the Kurdish city of Kobani, on the Turkish border.
“Sources from the observatory indicated that the delivery is part of ongoing efforts by US forces to reinforce existing bases and establish a new military facility in Kobani,” Kurdistan 24 reported. “Reliable SOHR sources have confirmed that excavation and construction work is expected to begin on Friday, with additional reinforcements anticipated.”
The independent news outlet Iran International separately reported on Thursday, citing news sources tied to the SDF, that the U.S. “coalition” against the Islamic State was “constructing a military base in Kobani.” The SDF-linked news outlets also confirmed sightings of the construction materials convoy heading to the city.
Another Middle East news outlet, Shafaq, also reported on Thursday that the convoy was carrying reinforcements to SDF-controlled areas, describing it as a convoy associated with “US forces.”
“The reinforcements reportedly included 14 cargo planes carrying military equipment and soldiers, along with 233 military vehicles comprising trucks, armored vehicles, and troop carriers,” Shafaq reported.
The U.S. military maintains operations in Syria intended to contain the resurgence of the Islamic State terrorist organization, which once boasted a “caliphate” headquartered in northern Raqqa. The “caliphate” was destroyed largely by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of militias led by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ). The U.S. government collaborates closely with the SDF to contain ISIS activity and helps it maintain prisons in which thousands of suspected Islamic State jihadis and their families remain, often rejected for repatriation by their home countries.
The situation in Syria remains chaotic following the collapse of the over 50-year-old Assad family regime in December. The al-Qaeda offshoot militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) conquered Damascus on December 7, prompting Iran-friendly dictator Bashar Assad to flee to Russia. HTS currently controls the Islamist “interim” government of Syria and has begun negotiations with the Kurdish north to address the existence of an essentially autonomous Kurdish zone in the country. While the SDF did not maintain especially friendly relations with Assad, many members of the YPG and all-female YPJ are fighting to establish a sovereign Kurdistan carved partially out of Syria, placing them at odds with HTS. At press time, HTS leaders have insisted that they will give Kurds some power in their government as an indigenous Syrian group.
While the civil war that began in 2011 to overthrow Assad has concluded, the SDF remains embroiled in a conflict with another militia, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). Following the surprise attack on Aleppo by HTS in late November, which resulted in the rapid collapse of Assad’s military presence there, the SNA announced a campaign called “Operation Dawn of Freedom” to destroy the SDF. The Turkish government considers the SDF a terrorist organization indistinguishable from the U.S.-designated terror group the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkey’s years-long onslaught against the U.S.-allied SDF has caused longstanding tensions between the two NATO allies.
HTS taking over Syria has not stopped “Operation Dawn of Freedom,” nor has the SDF announcing it seeks to work with HTS to establish peace in the country. HTS is not directly associated with the SNA but maintains friendly ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who for years called for the overthrow of Assad and openly cheered for his demise in December.
As a result of “Operation Dawn of Freedom,” the SDF has said it has almost completely stopped all anti-ISIS operations. The commander of the SDF, Gen. Mazloum Abdi, told the British Sky News agency days after Assad fled the country that anti-ISIS activities had “halted” – not because he had chosen to stop them, but because the onslaught by Turkish-backed forces made them impossible.
“ISIS is now stronger in the Syrian desert,” Abdi said. “Previously, they were in remote areas and hiding, but now they have greater freedom of movement since they face no issues with other groups and are not engaged in conflict with them.”
“In the areas under our control, their activities have also increased. Just a few days ago, three members of the Internal Security Forces were killed near al Hassakah in an ISIS operation,” he observed.
Abdi warned that SDF-run prisons containing Islamic State terrorists were in significant jeopardy as a result of the Turkish attack.
The SDF prisons are believed to house around 10,000 Islamic State terrorists. Another 40,000 people, families of the terrorists, remain in camps in Syrian Kurdistan. Efforts to repatriate them have had minimal success.
The Turkish government urged the world on Thursday to take control of the prisons away from the SDF.
“The Syrian government should urgently take over the security of the camps and prisons, and if this is not possible, Turkey is ready to provide any support it can on this matter,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan asserted. Like the Islamic State, the current Syrian government is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
Fidan demanded the prisoners return home.
“These detainees in camps and prisons must be repatriated by their respective countries,” the foreign minister said. “Keeping them here indefinitely without subjecting them to any judicial process and without any plan or agenda for their future has turned into a significant crisis in the region.”
Biden to award Presidential Citizens Medal to Jan. 6 committee heads– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
President Joe Biden is awarding the Presidential Citizens Medal to the heads of the Jan. 6 committee.
On Thursday, Biden announced a slew of awardees, including We Were Soldiers Once … and Young author Joseph Galloway, attorney Mary Bonauto of Obergefell v. Hodges fame, and former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd. The two sure to turn the most heads, however, are Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, who served as the heads of the Jan. 6 committee.
“Throughout two decades in public service, including as a Congresswoman for Wyoming and Vice Chair of the Committee on the January 6 attack, Liz Cheney has raised her voice — and reached across the aisle — to defend our Nation and the ideals we stand for: Freedom. Dignity. And decency. Her integrity and intrepidness remind us all what is possible if we work together,” Cheney’s nomination read.
“Born and raised in a segregated Mississippi, as a college student inspired by the Civil Rights movement, Bennie Thompson volunteered on campaigns and registered southern Black voters. That call to serve eventually led him to Congress, where he chaired the House January 6th Committee — at the forefront of defending the rule of law with unwavering integrity and a steadfast commitment to truth,” Thompson’s nomination read.
Biden’s move serves as a final salvo against President-elect Donald Trump. Cheney, in particular, has made a career after her landslide primary loss as a Republican opponent of Trump, even campaigning alongside outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris to prevent him from retaking the presidency.
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Jack Smith’s Last-Ditch Attempt to Damage Trump– www.westernjournal.com Source Link Excerpt:
Federal District Court Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday temporarily blocked special counsel Jack Smith from releasing his final report regarding his criminal investigations into President-elect Donald Trump.
“Trump co-defendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira filed an emergency motion to block the reported imminent release of Smith’s final report,” Fox News reported.
The report is expected to cover Smith’s prosecutions of Trump concerning his alleged mishandling of classified documents, which the special counsel’s office brought in Florida, and Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 election, which Smith filed in Washington, D.C.
Cannon — who dismissed the classified documents case in July — said in her Tuesday order she was blocking the report from being released “to prevent irreparable harm arising from the circumstances as described in the current record in this emergency posture, and to permit an orderly and deliberative sequence of events.”
Judge Aileen Cannon has just entered an order TEMPORARILY BLOCKING Special Counsel, Jack Smith, from releasing his Final Report. She says she wants to wait to see what the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals does with Nauta and De Oliveira’s emergency motion they filed this morning. pic.twitter.com/IYNtaxjFTX
Trump Promises ‘Major Pardons’ When Reporter Asks About Jan. 6 Prisoners– www.westernjournal.com Source Link Excerpt:
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will be “making major pardons” on behalf of the individuals who entered the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The incoming commander-in-chief revealed during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida that his administration will examine the incident and pardon many who were convicted.
“You said on your first day of office, you’re going to pardon Jan. 6 defendants. Are you planning to pardon those who were charged with violent offences,” a reported asked.
“We’re looking at it, and we have other people in there,” Trump began.
President-Elect Trump pardoning January 6th defendants: “We’re be looking at the whole thing, but yes I’ll be making major pardons, yes.” pic.twitter.com/arHvANly7j
Bird Flu Could Be ‘More Catastrophic Than COVID’– www.dailysignal.com Source Link Excerpt:
Health officials in Louisiana announced Monday the first bird flu death in the United States. The elderly individual, who had underlying medical conditions, was exposed to the virus from a backyard flock and wild birds.
There have been 66 reported cases of bird flu in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the risk remains law, the CDC’s former director has urged Americans to take the virus seriously.
Robert Redfield, who led the CDC during the first Trump administration, spoke with The Daily Signal last year about bird flu. He predicted bird flu, also known as H5N1, would be “much more catastrophic than the COVID pandemic.”
Couple that threw firebombs at Michael Knowles event sentenced to prison, $50,000 in fines– www.thecollegefix.com Source Link Excerpt:
The DiPippas face prison, fines, after violent protests against transgenderism debate left Pitt officer with spinal injury
The couple that threw firebombs at a Michael Knowles event at the University of Pittsburgh was sentenced to prison and $50,000 in fines Monday.
Brian and Krystal DiPippa “entered a packaged plea deal with federal courts after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and obstruction of law enforcement,” The Pitt News reported.
Brian DiPippa will spend five years in prison, followed by three years of supervision. Krystal DiPippa “was sentenced to three years of probation and 240 hours of community service to ‘restorative justice’ causes,” the outlet reported.
Further, the couple is required to pay $47,284 to a Pitt police officer who suffered a spinal injury during the incident, along with $1,400 to the Pitt Police Department to cover damages to equipment and uniforms.
