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Thursday, January 9, 2025

California Wildfire Forces Thousands to Evacuate, Kills Five Residents

Wall Street Journal: At least five people were killed and tens of thousands were forced to evacuate as multiple wildfires devastated the Los Angeles area and stretched the region’s firefighting resources to its limits. A wind-fueled fire has raced through the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood and others sparked and quickly spread around Los Angeles County. A powerful windstorm across the area, paired with dry vegetation and low humidity, has created a dangerous scenario that firefighters are struggling to handle. The Palisades fire has so far destroyed 1,000 structures, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said early Wednesday. First responders and a “high number” of residents who didn’t evacuate their homes suffered significant injuries, Marrone said. To the east, a fast-moving fire in the Altadena and Pasadena area left two civilians dead and others injured, Marrone said. By Wednesday morning, more than 100 structures had been destroyed, he said. The uncontrolled fires fueled by strong winds stretched thousands of acres and were 0% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (Wall Street Journal). Donald Trump: 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. 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. 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 (X)! Mario Nawfal: In 2014, voters handed California $2.7 billion under Prop 1 to secure the state’s water future with new storage projects. 10 years later, not a single reservoir is complete. The centerpiece, Sites Reservoir, promised to add 1.5 million acre-feet of storage. But thanks to endless environmental reviews, permitting delays, and skyrocketing costs, construction hasn’t even started (X).

Los Angeles Mayor Cut Fire Department Budget by $17.6 Million This Fiscal Year

New York Post: The Los Angeles Fire Department had its budget cut by a staggering $17.6 million this financial year, records show — as fire crews continue to battle out-of-control blazes ravaging the City of Angels. The drastic decrease in funding for the fire department was the second-largest cut to come out of embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass‘ 2024-25 fiscal year budget, according to city figures. The police budget, meanwhile, increased by $126 million, a graphic shared by LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia shows (New York Post). Breitbart: The deadly infernos have burned through 5,400 acres and left at least two people dead. The devastating fires have forced more than 30,000 people to evacuate (Breitbart).

Bad Decisions Over the Last Few Years Led to Southern California Being Unprepared for a Wildfire

Libs of TikTok: The LA Fire Dept passed a “racial equity plan” to end “systemic, institutional, and structural racism” in LA. Part of it is a chart to map out the race of every employee to make sure they’re racially diverse enough (X). Elon Musk: They prioritized DEI over saving lives and homes (X). Charlie Kirk: No water in the fire hydrants, DEI fire chief, and a communist mayor MIA in Ghana… And LA County Fire Department donating “surplus supplies” to Ukraine. You have got to be kidding me (X). Greg Price: Here is President Trump three months ago on the famous Joe Rogan episode talking about how California refuses to build water reservoirs and manage their forests to prevent wildfires (X). Johnny Maga: Mayor Karen Bass just stands there in silence as reporters ask her if she regrets cutting the fire department budget or being in Africa while the fires destroyed her community. I’ve never seen anything like this (X).

Biden to Send Another $500 Million to Ukraine

This comes as Southern California is literally on fire. Democrats always put America last. This is why they lost the election. Bloomberg: President Joe Biden’s administration is preparing to announce Wednesday the final $500 million dollars in US military assistance it will provide to Ukraine, according to people familiar with the plans. The aid will come through Presidential Drawdown Authority, which pulls military supplies and weapons from US stockpiles… The $500 million will mark the end of about $65 billion in security assistance the Biden administration has funneled to Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 invasion (Bloomberg).

Biden Knows He Set Bad Precedent in Pardoning Hunter

National Review: President Joe Biden acknowledged that his decision to pardon Hunter may set a bad precedent in a new interview before his exit from the White House, but insisted that “two factors” convinced him that his own Justice Department had overstepped in prosecuting his son. Biden, 82, issued a sweeping pardon of Hunter, 54, last month before the latter’s sentencing in two separate cases involving tax misconduct and the illegal purchase of a firearm. Biden and his staff repeatedly insisted throughout his presidency that he would not use his presidential powers to grant his son clemency, a pledge many of his allies held up as evidence of his respect for the judicial system (National Review). USA Today: PAGE: Speaking of pardons, every parent can understand why you would want to protect your son. Do you have any concerns that your pardon of Hunter sets a precedent for future presidents? One that might be open to abuse? BIDEN: I hope not, because I meant what I said when I was asked whether I was going to pardon my son (USA Today).

History Expected to See Biden Largely as Unfavorable

Trump netted a negative 4 rating while Biden netted a negative 35 rating. Gallup: Many more Americans expect history to judge Joe Biden’s presidency unfavorably rather than favorably. Fifty-four percent of U.S. adults believe Biden will be remembered as a “below average” (37%) or “poor” (17%) president, while 19% say he will be evaluated as “outstanding” (6%) or “above average” (13%). Another 26% think he will be regarded as “average” (Gallup). National Review: Those perceptions mirror the consistently poor approval rating Biden has received throughout his presidency beginning around the time the U.S. mismanaged its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 (National Review).

Biden at 82-Years-Old: “I also wasn't looking to be president when I was 85 years old”

Townhall: President Joe Biden sat down for what could be his final interview while in office. During an interview with USA Today’s Susan Page, the president discussed his biggest regrets, potential final actions during his last two weeks, and even a compliment President-elect Donald Trump gave him (Townhall). USA Today: PAGE: Do you think you would’ve had the vigor to serve another four years in office? BIDEN: I don’t know. That’s why I thought when I first announced, talking to Barack about it, I said I thought I was the person. I had no intention of running after Beau died – for real, not a joke. And then when Trump was running again for reelection, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him. But I also wasn’t looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old. And so I did talk about passing the baton. But I don’t know. Who the hell knows? So far, so good. But who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old (USA Today)? Ed Morrissey: Er … shouldn’t this question have been asked by the Protection Racket Media in 2023 rather than 2025? In this instance, the old saw Better late than never clearly does not apply… Democrats should have asked it before they began cooking the rules of their primary to prevent Biden from facing a competitive challenge (HotAir).

IDF Finds Body of Hostage Alongside Bodies of Captors

Wall Street Journal: The Israeli military said that it had retrieved the body of a hostage who had been held in the Gaza Strip, as the Biden administration struggles to secure a deal that would pause the fighting between Israel and Hamas and bring home dozens of hostages before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The remains of the hostage, Yosef AlZayadni, 53, were found alongside the bodies of his captors, Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said. The military said it was investigating the circumstances of his death. AlZayadni, a Bedouin Arab citizen of Israel, was kidnapped by Hamas-led militants during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. He was taken from the southern Israeli kibbutz of Holit, where he worked at a dairy farm. AlZayadni was abducted along with three of his children (Wall Street Journal). IDF: In addition, as part of the operation, findings were located related to Youssef’s son, Hamza Ziyadne, who was also abducted on October 7, which raise serious concerns for his life (X).

Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt (R) Requests Biden Not Continue to Weaken America on His Way Out

Townhall: Townhall covered how the Biden administration announced that 11 Yemeni detainees being held at a U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba will be sent to Oman for resettlement. This included two bodyguards for terrorist Osama bin Laden. All of the men were captured after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. They were held for more than 20 years without being put on trial… In a letter this week, Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt (R) implored to President Joe Biden to not further weaken the United States in his final weeks in office… Schmitt pointed out that instead of focusing on real threats to Americans’ safety, the Biden administration has targeted Catholics and parents concerned about their children’s education (Townhall).

10.

Port Union Strikes Deal to Avoid Strike; Members Set to Vote

New York Post: US longshoremen reached a contract agreement with ports and shippers Wednesday, averting a potential strike that could have damaged the American economy. The International Longshoremen’s Association union and the US Maritime Alliance of ports and shipping companies said they had reached a tentative agreement for a six-year contract, a week ahead of a Jan. 15 deadline. In a joint statement, the two sides said the agreement protects union jobs and allows ports on the East and Gulf coasts to modernize with new technology, ” making them safer and more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong’ (New York Post). Washington Post: The deal must still be voted on by union members but offers workers new protections against automated technology replacing jobs… The parties had resumed negotiations earlier this week after not meeting since November. They had been at odds over the use of automated technology that the union feared would kill jobs — a growing cause of concern among many labor unions (Washington Post).