LA Fires Death Toll Hits 24 - The Monday AM Quickie 1/13/25

By Jacob Silverman — Jan 13, 2025

I did not know that the development of Ozempic owes something to lizard venom. -Jacob

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THE BIG NEWS

LA Fires Death Toll Hits 24

Propelled by high winds (which may surge again in the coming days), several wildfires continue to ravage parts of Los Angeles and surrounding areas. The Palisades Fire, which annihilated much of the bucolic neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, has burned almost 24,000 acres and, as of Sunday night, was 13% contained. The Eaton fire, which has burned 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena, was 27% contained.

Firefighters had success containing some smaller fires in the Hollywood Hills and elsewhere, thanks in part to some epic helicopter water drops and the availability of nearby reservoirs. (There are also firefighter crews made up of prisoners, some of them children.) Still, a broad swath of the northern part of west LA has been evacuated, as the Palisades fire continues to burn east toward the 405 Freeway and to potentially creep north into the valley. Rising winds tonight and in the next couple days may bring "explosive fire growth," one meteorologist warned.

Twenty-four people have died, 16 in the Eaton fire and 8 in the Palisades fire. Rescuers are looking for more bodies in the ash and debris of burned-out homes and neighborhoods. Fortunately the casualties have been comparatively low, but it is by any other measure one of the most devastating natural disasters in US history – Los Angeles' Hurricane Katrina.

Investigators are still examining a range of possible causes, but there's no doubt that periods of drought, lots of fuel, the legendary Santa Ana winds, and climate change that has soared past the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold have played massive roles. Just don't expect Republicans to acknowledge that.

QUICKEST QUICKIES

Mexican President Sheinbaum Marks 100 Days in Office Popular Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum gave a speech to a massive crowd in Mexico City on the occasion of her 100th day in office. Sheinbaum emphasized Mexico's ability to cooperate with the US and its independence: “Mexico is a free, independent and sovereign country. As I have said, we coordinate and we collaborate, but we don’t become subordinated.” via Bloomberg.
Steve Bannon Declares War on Elon Musk Former Trump advisor and occasional prison resident Steve Bannon aired his disgust with Elon Musk, saying that the billionaire "should go back to South Africa." Bannon repeatedly denounced Musk and said that "the most racist people on earth, White South Africans," should not be involved in White House policy. Bannon gone woke? via WaPo.
Ukraine Says It Captured North Korean Soldiers Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country's military captured two alleged North Korean soldiers who were fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk, a Russian region that Ukraine counter-invaded last year. Months-old reports of North Korean soldiers joining their Russian allies in combat have been difficult to corroborate, although Zelensky said that North Korean forces had already suffered 4,000 casualties. via WaPo and AP News.
Dependent On US Weapons, Israel Will Start Manufacturing Heavy Bombs Israel is pouring more resources into building its own heavy weapons, including signing $275 million worth of agreements to domestically produce bombs and bomb-related materials. Israeli officials have long acknowledged being entirely dependent on the US for military hardware and weaponry, which hasn't been a problem for Israel during its current year-long, Biden-supported genocide. via WaPo.

SOME NUMBER

$700 million

That's the minimum estimated value of the assets owned by potential future Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager who cut his teeth with George Soros. Bessent has said that he would close his investment firm, leave his family foundation, and unburden himself of his many investments.

ON THE SHOW TODAY

1/13: Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Richard Seymour, writer & commentator based in London, to discuss his recent book Disaster Nationalism: The Downfall of Liberal Civilization.

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PARTING WORDS

“The quintessential historic preservation threat of the 20th century was symbolized by the bulldozer demolishing individual historic structures or communities for urban renewal. Today, it’s the extreme climate event. Wildfire, sea-level rise and extreme winds pose not incremental threat but constant threat of widespread destruction of our most cherished historical and architectural landmarks.”

-- Los Angeles City Planning official Ken Bernstein speaking to the Los Angeles Times about historic structures and sites destroyed by the ongoing southern California wildfires.

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