California Speaker Lost For Words After He’s Asked if Dems Care More About Trump-Proofing State Than Deadly Wildfires– americanactionnews.com Source Link
Plane scooping water from ocean to fight wildfires grounded after hitting drone illegally flying over Pacific Palisades– www.theblaze.com Source Link Excerpt:
A drone that was being illegally flown damaged and grounded a Super Scooper plane that was leased to help fight the damaging wildfires in Los Angeles.
Officials said the drone collided with the plane and left a fist-sized hole in its wing, which needed repair. Drones are not allowed to fly during firefighting efforts, and the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
‘If you fly a drone at one of these brush fires, all aerial operations will be shut down.’
Two Super Scoopers were leased from Canada to help fight the tremendously damaging wildfires in Pacific Palisades and elsewhere in Southern California.
Breaking down Trump and Newsom water war and its effect on LA wildfires– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
President-elect Donald Trump is blaming Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) for the mass destruction caused by fires tearing through Los Angeles — an escalation in the pair’s water wars.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This is all his fault!!!”
As of Friday afternoon, at least 10 people are dead, and more than 30,000 acres of land have burned since the start of the wildfires on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Trump blasted Newsom for refusing to sign the water restoration declaration — a reference to a 2020 memorandum the president-elect signed while on the campaign trail. Trump made the memorandum as an appeal to ensure that Southern Californian farmers would have greater access to water for farm use by diverting water from Northern California. The memorandum was not made to ensure water supplies to combat wildfires.
“There is no such document as the water restoration declaration — that is pure fiction,” Newsom’s press office posted on X.
Even ‘Morning Joe’ Scarborough Knows Leftist Leadership Is Responsible For Los Angeles ‘Hellscape’– wltreport.com Source Link Excerpt:
Headlines across the nation are focused on the uncontrolled wildfires decimating swaths of California, particularly Los Angeles and surrounding areas.
As first responders struggle to obtain the resources needed to battle the blaze, state and local leaders have faced mounting criticism. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass have been pilloried by prominent figures from across the ideological spectrum.
“We don’t know the exact causes for the complete failure of government to be able to protect these homes,” the lefty anchor told viewers Friday morning.
“I don’t think we can say it’s the smelt alone. We don’t know what it is. But I do think it is going to be like Hurricane Katrina,” he continued. “I mean, the infrastructure has been slashed.”
Both California Gov. Gavin Newsom and local government officials, like Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, have been lambasted repeatedly this week for alleged mismanagement that may have worsened the devastation currently wreaking havoc on the region.
“You can’t just say it is Karen Bass. You can’t just say it is Gavin Newsom. This has been a trend for 30 years,” Scarborough argued.
Over the past three decades, three out of five governors in the Golden State have been Democrats. Four of the five mayors who have overseen Los Angeles County in that time were Democrats, too.
Man Seen Starting Fires With Blow Torch in LA County Not Charged With Arson › American Greatness– amgreatness.com Source Link Excerpt:
A suspect seen starting fires with a blow torch in a Los Angeles neighborhood Thursday afternoon is not being charged with arson because a police investigation found “no probable cause.” The man is still being detained on a felony probation violation amid the ongoing investigation, Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said in a press conference Friday.
The arrest comes amid growing speculation that at least some of the LA fires were started by arsonists.
The suspect was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of arson near the Kenneth fire, a wildfire that started at about 2:30, Thursday afternoon. The suspect, believed to be a homeless man, had reportedly been seen riding around on a bicycle in Woodland Hills Thursday afternoon, attempting to set numerous old Christmas trees and garbage cans on fire with a blow torch.
A resident saw the man wielding a yellow blow torch and called on his neighbors to help him apprehend the suspected arsonist. The neighbors banded together, using zip ties and rope to detain the man.
BREAKING: Pacific Palisades reservoir was offline, empty, under repair when LA wildfires broke out | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com Source Link Excerpt:
The Santa Ynez Reservoir holds up to 117 million gallons in the water storage complex.
As the Los Angeles area deals with ongoing wildfires threatening lives and homes, it has been revealed that a large reservoir in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of LA was out of service for repairs.
The Santa Ynez Reservoir, which holds up to 117 million gallons in the water storage complex, has been closed for ongoing repairs, officials told the Los Angeles Times. The Palisades fire was the first to begin burning Tuesday morning, and as of Friday has burned over 20,000 acres and is just 8 percent contained. It has forced thousands of people to evacuate from their homes. Firefighters battling the largest fire of multiple wildfires burning in the area have faced dry hydrants at higher-elevation streets in the neighborhood and low water pressure.
Officials with the Department of Water and Power (DWP) said that demand for water during the fire has made it impossible to maintain pressure to hydrants at higher elevations. If the reservoir was operable at the time the fires began, former DWP general manager Martin Adams said that it would have extended water pressure in the Palisades on Tuesday night, but only for a period of time.
Mel Gibson Reveals $14.5M Malibu Mansion Burned to Ashes While Filming Joe Rogan’s Podcast: ‘It Was Like Someone Did It on Purpose’ | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com Source Link Excerpt:
Legendary actor, director, and Oscar-winning producer Mel Gibson has revealed that his $14.5 million Malibu mansion was reduced to ashes during the raging wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles County.
LA area’s 2 biggest blazes burn at least 10,000 structures, while new fire leads to more evacuations– abcnews.go.com Source Link Excerpt:
LOS ANGELES — The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have burned at least 10,000 homes, buildings and other structures, officials said Thursday as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.
The fast-moving Kenneth Fire started in the late afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from a school serving as a shelter for fire evacuees and then moved into neighboring Ventura County by the evening.
Only hours earlier officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s devastating wildfires that have killed 10 people so far.
Here’s How DEI-Crazed Officials Made The LA Fire More Deadly– thefederalist.com Source Link Excerpt:
As relentless fires burn in Los Angeles, thousands of residents who fled their homes are just learning how poorly public officials prepared for such an event. Emergency response leaders following bad public policy have been too focused on sending firefighting equipment to Ukraine, keeping the homeless safe, protecting fish, and adopting green policies to focus on things like making sure there is enough water to feed fire hydrants and guaranteeing that the strongest, best-trained, most-skilled firefighters are leading operations.
Officials seem to believe that when fire forces you to flee your home, there is just one thing on your mind: the skin color and cultural experience of the firefighters who will bring you to safety. Will they be diverse enough to rescue you? Never mind if they are the best for the job, are they anything but straight white men?
That has been a major priority of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), which, in 2022, launched its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Bureau (DEI), purportedly “focused on ensuring a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace for all.”
In January 2022, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti checked multiple DEI boxes by appointing Kristin Crowley as fire chief, the first female, LGBT chief in Los Angeles. That year, according to LAFD data, “of the more than 6,500 applicants to LAFD, 70% were people of color and nearly 8% … were female,” which was “double the … percentage of female firefighters within the Department” at the time.
The LAFD Girls Camp is one avenue for recruitment for female firefighters, hosting girls between 14 and 18 to explore career opportunities in the department.
This story is all too familiar:
Adam Carolla applied to be an LA firefighter, and was told he had to wait 7 years because he wasn’t black, hispanic, or female.
Capitol Police Stop Potential Trump Attacker Hours Before Senate Visit– trendingpoliticsnews.com Source Link Excerpt:
A man attempting to enter the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) on Wednesday was stopped and arrested after security officers discovered a machete and multiple knives in his bag. The incident unfolded just hours before President-elect Donald Trump’s scheduled appearance on Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Republicans, marking a dramatic moment in the otherwise routine proceedings of the day. According to a statement from the U.S. Capitol Police, the man was apprehended around 2 p.m. at the north doors of the CVC during standard security screening.
Officers monitoring the X-ray machine noticed the machete in his bag, prompting an immediate halt to the screening process. A subsequent search of the bag uncovered three additional knives, all of which were secured by police before the suspect was taken into custody. The individual, whose name has not yet been released, was charged with multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon.
Bill Gates Calls for ‘Death Panels’ to Euthanize Citizens Not ‘Worthy of Healthcare’– slaynews.com Source Link Excerpt:
As nations around the world push to introduce and expand liberal euthanasia laws, the plans are sounding eerily similar to the “assisted suicide” agenda billionaire Bill Gates has been promoting for several years.
The Microsoft co-founder argues that it is not cost-effective to provide individuals with long-term healthcare.
Instead, Gates believes his fellow human beings should be euthanized to reduce healthcare costs so that the money that would have been used for treatments can be spent elsewhere.
In 2010, Gates weighed up the cost of keeping “terminally ill” Americans alive versus paying for teachers’ salaries.
Gates lamented that Americans are unwilling to question if spending money on people in “the last three months” of their lives was cost-effective.
He suggested there wasn’t a benefit in end-of-life care and a decision should be made to end people’s lives instead of providing costly palliative care.
He argued that a panel of bureaucrats should decide whether a person deserves to receive treatment, with those who are not “worthy of healthcare” being euthanized by the government to save money.
“That’s called the ‘death panel’,” he said of the group who would decide whether people get to live or die.
Trump Says Gavin Newsom’s Attempt to Protect an ‘Essentially Worthless Fish’ Caused Fire Disaster– www.westernjournal.com Source Link Excerpt:
President-elect Donald Trump accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of being partly to blame for Los Angeles firefighters not having the water they needed to fight wildfires that erupted on Tuesday.
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid,” the president-elect continued.
“I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!” Trump wrote.
Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 8, 2025
Gavin Newsom Whining About Trump As Homes Burn Behind Him Perfectly Captures Dem Incompetence– townhall.com Source Link Excerpt:
Did California Gov. Gavin Newsom understand that the optics when making this statement were atrocious? The state’s political leadership is at fault for the fiasco in Los Angeles County, where wildfires are raging. Over 30,000 acres have been torched, 1,000 buildings destroyed, at least five lives lost, and none of these blazes are contained. A fire erupted on Hollywood Hills last night, placing the heart of Los Angeles in harm’s way.
President-elect Donald J. Trump has blamed California for not taking the necessary measures to prepare for wildfires. The state’s obsession with saving some minnow led to hydrants having no water. Mayor Karen Bass wasn’t even in the country when the blaze started.
DESPERATION: Firefighter uses traffic cone to retrieve water from a puddle as LA is running out of water
• Fire Dept sent supplies to Ukraine.
• Cut their budget by $17.5M
• Mayor was in Africa as the city burned
• Refused to fill reservoirs, to save minnows
• They’re short on firefighters after pushing DEI.
Biden mocked for tone-deaf ‘good news’ while Californians flee wildfires– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
Outgoing President Joe Biden shared ill-timed personal “good news” amid a briefing about the fast-spreading catastrophic wildfires consuming homes, businesses, and historic sites in California.
“The good news is I’m a great-grandfather as of today. Ten-pound baby girl — baby boy — so I’ll remember this day,” Biden said on Wednesday while in Santa Monica, California.
Some reporters responded lightly with a “yay” and a clap for Biden as he spoke about his granddaughter Naomi, 31, giving birth to a baby boy. Naomi is the daughter of Hunter Biden.
The baby announcement collided with the raw reality of devastation for so many Californians suffering destruction and homelessness due to the fires in the Los Angeles area.
🚨Joe Biden while receiving a briefing on the devastating Los Angeles fires:
Victor Davis Hanson Condemns California’s DEI Hiring In Fire Departments, ‘Not Muscularity, Not Experience,’ Just DEI– dailycaller.com Source Link Excerpt:
Victor Davis Hanson, Wednesday on Newsmax, slammed the implementation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) criteria in fire department hiring practices in California.
During an appearance on “Finnerty,” Hanson said these policies prioritize DEI above essential firefighting qualifications like experience and physical readiness. Hanson said that hiring workers based on DEI led to an ill-equipped workforce in the state.
“The DEI fire chief, 70% of her hires have been based on DEI. Not muscularity, not experience, not size, not competence. The primary criterion was DEI. And so the only… thing that is different about this is that this was not the inner city. This was, as Donald Trump mentioned, and I’ve taught at Pepperdine, I just got back from there. This is the most elite area of California,” Hanson told Rob Finnerty.
Hanson also said that there’s a broader failure in California’s management of natural resources and emergency preparedness.
LA Mayor Karen Bass Was MIA in Africa While Her City Burned– www.breitbart.com Source Link Excerpt:
On Wednesday’s “Alex Marlow Show,” host and Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow discussed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ response to the fires in the area and her being in Africa during the fires.
Marlow stated, “[T]he Mayor of Los Angeles, … she is in Africa. She went to attend the inauguration of the president of Ghana…what does the Mayor of Los Angeles have to do with Ghana?”
Mayor Karen Bass Silent When Confronted At Airport About Wildfires After Returning From Africa– dailycaller.com Source Link Excerpt:
Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was caught off guard Wednesday when Sky News reporter David Blevins confronted her with questions regarding the deadly wildfires sweeping through Southern California.
Bass, who just returned from a high-profile trip to Africa for the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, remained silent while Blevins asked questions that challenged her leadership and her decisions.
“Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning? Do you regret cutting the fire department budget by millions of dollars madame mayor?” Blevins asked Bass as she stared at the reporter. “Have you nothing to say today? Have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?”
‘Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent whilst their homes were burning? Do you regret cutting the fire department’s budget? @skydavidblevins questions the mayor of LA, Karen Bass, as she faces backlash regarding the California wildfires.https://t.co/Nkz8onjC7Vpic.twitter.com/WwRwp6Imqz
Celebs were OUTRAGED over Ted Cruz leaving Texas during blackouts but silent over Mayor Bass’ Africa trip amid wildfires | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com Source Link Excerpt:
Mayor Bass was in Ghana attending the presidential inauguration of new President John Dramani Mahama while areas around LA burned.
Mayor to the stars Karen Bass was on blast Wednesday for taking a trip to Africa while Los Angeles went up in flames. But while many in the press noted her absence, Hollywood celebrities, often quick to critique conservative politicians for their failings, remained mum as they evacuated their homes in advance of the rapidly approaching flames. This was a far cry from their treatment of Ted Cruz in 2021 when the Senator was out of the US while Texans suffered a major power outage.
Mayor Bass was in Ghana attending the presidential inauguration of new President John Dramani Mahama while areas around LA burned. Senator Cruz, who represents the people of Texas in the US Senate but has no authority over the state’s power grid, went to Cancun during a storm-caused power outage. He was slammed in the press and by celebrities on social media.
Joy Reid, Adam Schiff Politicize L.A. Fires to Bash Trump– www.newsbusters.org Source Link Excerpt:
Leave it to MSNBC’s Joy Reid to indulge her Trump derangement with no restraint, even in the middle of an ongoing disaster. Such was the case when she and Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) disgustingly politicized the horrific Los Angeles fires in order to score cheap dunks on President-Elect Donald Trump.
WATCH the exchange between Reid and Schiff (click “expand” to view transcript):
Horse owners flee with animals amid LA wildfire chaos | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com Source Link Excerpt:
“We have a couple we let loose over there. We’re trying to get as many as we can out.”
As wildfires ravage Los Angeles, horse owners are being forced to flee with their animals to protect them from the encroaching flames, adding to the overwhelming chaos as authorities respond to the crisis.
Footage from Fox 11 Los Angeles captured the scene in the Eaton Canyon area, showing two people leading their horses down the street as fires surrounded the area. Fox correspondent Gina Silva reported on the woman working to rescue her horses from the flames, as both she and the man were seen saving their animals in the smoke and falling embers.
“We have a couple we let loose over there. We’re trying to get as many as we can out,” the man explained. The woman added, “There’s a bunch in there still,” while wearing a mask with flames visible in the background. When asked if she had ever faced a situation like this, the woman replied, “Yeah, I’ve rescued before.”
LA sheriff condemns looters exploiting California wildfires, at least 2 arrested | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com Source Link Excerpt:
“You’re going to be caught, you’re going to be arrested, and you’re going to be prosecuted,” Sheriff Luna said at a news conference.
The sheriff of Los Angeles County has issued a stern warning to looters who are exploiting the unprecedented California wildfires to commit crimes, vowing to make arrests and pursue prosecutions. Authorities have reported at least two arrests have been made thus far. Sheriff Robert Luna condemned the looters taking advantage of abandoned homes during a Wednesday press briefing.
“It’s always sad when I have to say this, but part of our responsibility is to make sure nobody loots or steals from our community members who are already being impacted,” Luna said at a news conference. “I’m sad to report, we’ve made two arrests this morning for looting already. So if you are thinking about coming into any of these areas to steal from our residents, I’m going to tell you something. You’re going to be caught, you’re going to be arrested, and you’re going to be prosecuted.”
Sheriff Luna demanded people “stay out of [impacted] areas,” explaining “it’s only for emergency workers and people who live here.”
“Have you absolutely nothing to say?”: Mayor Karen Bass goes silent when grilled over her policies causing LA to burn down– www.louderwithcrowder.com Source Link Excerpt:
When Karen Bass was elected Mayor of Los Angeles in 2022, voter turnout was around 46%. As a side note, here is her opponent, Rick Caruso, in 2022. Caruso was a former Republican who switched parties because, well… it’s Los Angeles.
Instead, Los Angelinos (or a majority of 46% of them) voted for Karen Bass, a Democrat Congresswoman who was on Joe Biden’s shortlist for vice president. Bass rushed home from a trip to Ghana (which she took knowing LA was experiencing record-breaking winds) to deal with the wildfire crisis. Here, she is addressing reporters.
