Terrifying LA Fires Worst in City's History By Far - The Thursday AM Quickie 1/9/25
I grew up with firefighters in the family. It should really pay better. - Corey
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1/9: It's an EmMajority Report Thursday!
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Today you'll read about Sam Alito's friendly private chat with Donald Trump before the Supreme Court considers his New York criminal case, Europe's gentle warning to the US against taking land from other countries by force, and the return of "big purple" SEIU into the AFL-CIO fold.
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THE BIG NEWS
LA Fires: 130,000 New Climate Refugees in 2nd-Largest US City
The wildfires in the Los Angeles area remain out of control, and the city is blanketed in hazardous smoke. If you're anywhere near the danger zone, you should follow local news sources – including radio! – and government agencies and download the Watch Duty app to keep tabs on the progress of the fires and the latest evacuation orders.
The fires have destroyed more than 2,000 structures, mostly homes, and killed at least five people, according to the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press. More than 3.1 million people are without power. As of last night, more than 130,000 people in the LA area were under evacuation orders, including in Hollywood, after a new fire broke out in the hills. Now some of the country's most famous names are, like the residents of a suburban mobile home park, climate refugees – although obviously the rich have the luxury of evacuating to fancy hotels while others endure crowded public shelters.
This time of year is typically California's rainy season, but the southern part of the state "has been abnormally dry for the past eight months," NBC News reports. "The last time Los Angeles logged more than one-tenth of an inch of rain was in early May."
Evacuation wasn't a simple matter for many in the devastated Pacific Palisades, as the few roads out quickly became jammed with cars, forcing people to flee on foot with their luggage and their pets – but hopefully with their keys still in the ignition, to aid rescue crews. Fire hydrants in that area ran dry, leaving firefighters helpless – a sign, LA City Councilmember Traci Park says, of "chronic under-investment."
LA Mayor Karen Bass was out of the country when the fires broke out. When she returned yesterday, she was peppered with questions about the city's handling of the disaster, including the decision to cut $18 million from the Los Angeles Fire Department budget in order to juice the police budget – and in response to some of those questions, she simply stared, mute.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, after thanking President Joe Biden for his swift disaster declaration and promise of aid, begged the incoming administration to "please don't play any politics." Donald Trump, true to form, blamed Biden and "Newscum" for the fires and claimed that once he becomes president he will "allow beautiful, clean, fresh water" to flow in and quench the flames. God help us.