Trump eyes an end to new windmill production under second term, says they are ‘driving the whales crazy’
President-elect Donald Trump is envisioning a future without new wind energy projects under his administration, arguing that this power source is economically impractical and is causing harm to marine life. Trump has long criticized using wind farms as a main form of energy production, but his latest remarks suggest that his incoming administration could place major restrictions on the future production of new wind-powered energy projects. “It’s the most expensive energy there is. It’s many, many times more expensive than clean natural gas,” Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday. “So we’re going to try and have a policy where no windmills are being built.” The federal government currently offers several different ways to obtain subsidies for windmill production, which Trump pointed to as one of the main issues with the energy source. TRUMP HITS BIDEN ON LAST-MINUTE ENERGY CRACKDOWN, PROMISES DAY 1 REVERSAL “The only people that want them are the people getting rich off windmills, getting massive subsidies from the U.S. government,” he added. “You don’t want energy that needs subsidy.” The incoming president has also claimed potential interference with sea mammals is an issue, specifically in Massachusetts. ENERGY INDUSTRY INSISTS US IS THE BEST PLACE FOR OIL DRILLING DESPITE BIDEN’S BAN “You see what’s happening up in the Massachusetts area, where they had two whales wash ashore in I think a 17-year period,” Trump said during the news conference. “Now they had 14 this season. The windmills are driving the whales crazy, obviously.” Trump finds consensus with some environmental groups on the issue. “That’s the only thing out there that’s changed, and it’s changed dramatically,” said Constance Gee of Green Oceans, a group that strives to protect ocean life, according to WCVB 5. “There is so much ship traffic out there. It’s so loud. There’s piledriving. There’s sub-bottom profiling with sonar.” The National Marine Fisheries Service, however, says that there is no evidence currently connecting wind turbines and whale deaths. Trump’s latest comments were criticized by a Democratic ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee, who said the incoming president “is completely out of touch.” “Trump is against wind energy because he doesn’t understand our country’s energy needs and dislikes the sight of turbines near his private country clubs,” Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement. Wind energy is currently the largest source of renewable energy in the U.S., according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). However, such energy production has received growing opposition from members of the GOP in recent years, who have expressed concerns over its potential adverse effects. “Like the canary in the coal mine, the recent spate of tragic whale deaths shed new light and increased scrutiny to the fast-tracking of thousands of wind turbines off our coast,” Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said in March 2023. Over the past four years, President Joe Biden has made major investments in the offshore wind industry as part of his green energy push, approving the nation’s first 11 commercial scale offshore wind projects.
FLASHBACK: Trump has long history of warning Newsom over ‘terrible’ wildfire prevention
President-elect Trump, during his first administration, put Gov. Gavin Newsom on notice for his handling of repeated wildfires in the state, years ahead of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires currently raging. “The Governor of California, @GavinNewsom, has done a terrible job of forest management. I told him from the first day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him. Must also do burns and cut fire stoppers,” the former and upcoming president posted to X in 2019. “Every year, as the fire’s rage & California burns, it is the same thing-and then he comes to the Federal Government for $$$ help. No more. Get your act together Governor. You don’t see close to the level of burn in other states,” the thread continued. Trump’s message to Newsom came as the Kincade Fire raged in Sonoma County from Oct. 23 to Nov. 6, 2019. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES RAGE ACROSS LOS ANGELES COUNTY, FORCING THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES “We’re successfully waging war against thousands of fires started across the state in the last few weeks due to extreme weather created by climate change while Trump is conducting a full on assault against the antidotes,” Newsom said in response to Trump’s message, the Washington Post reported at the time. Just roughly two weeks before Trump will be inaugurated as the nation’s 47th president, he again took aim at Newsom’s wildfire prevention leadership in the state, pinning blame for the LA County fires on Newsom and his environmental policies. “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 to Truth Social on Wednesday. “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!” Newsom’s director of communications Izzy Gardon told Fox Digital in response to Trump’s Truth Social: “We’re focused on protecting lives and battling these blazes – not playing politics.” “There is no such document as the water restoration declaration – that is pure fiction. The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need,” Gardon added. PALISADES FIRE: HEIDI MONTAG, SPENCER PRATT LOSE HOME; CELEBRITIES FLEE RITZY NEIGHBORHOOD Trump has a long history of putting Newsom’s handling of wildfires under the microscope across his first four years in the White House, including in January 2019 when he threatened to cut off federal funds to California if reforms were not made to the state’s forest management services. “Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen. Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!” he posted to X that year. PACIFIC PALISADES INFERNO FORCES THOUSANDS TO FLEE CALIFORNIA HOMES; GOV. NEWSOM DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!,”he added in 2018 on X. Newsom and other Democrats have historically pushed back that wildfires in the state are due to climate change and global warming. ACTOR STEVE GUTTENBERG HELPS PALISADES FIRE FIRST RESPONDERS AS FLAMES RAGE, ‘IT’S A GHOST TOWN’ “You don’t believe in climate change. You are excused from this conversation,” Newsom shot back at Trump in 2019, for example, after the president slammed him for his wildfire leadership. California Republicans, however, have echoed Trump that Newsom and other Democrats in the state “failed” in addressing forestry management. “The Democrats who control this state, have been in charge of the legislature, and hold every statewide office have failed to take care of forestry management in California,” Assemblyman James Gallagher said on Fox News in 2020. “We have overgrown forests with brush piles 10 feet high and dead and dying trees and it’s a tinderbox waiting for a spark.” The California governor pledged in 2019 to reform California’s approach to wildfire prevention, but a 2021 NPR investigation reported the governor overstated the efforts. “The investigation found Newsom overstated, by an astounding 690%, the number of acres treated with fuel breaks and prescribed burns in the very forestry projects he said needed to be prioritized to protect the state’s most vulnerable communities,” Scott Rodd wrote of the findings in 2021. “Newsom has claimed that 35 ‘priority projects’ carried out as a result of his executive order resulted in fire prevention work on 90,000 acres. But the state’s own data show the actual number is 11,399.” The state pushed back on the report, saying their efforts on wildfire prevention were hampered by the pandemic, “along with an unprecedented wildfire season which pulled our already strained wildfire crews away from prevention work to firefighting work.” “The notion that the Newsom administration is retreating on wildfire response – in dollars or actions – is wholly inaccurate,” the governor’s office said after the investigation’s findings were released. The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan has since achieved and begun working on 100% of its 99 key actions, with the state also hiring an additional 3,000 new firefighters to CAL FIRE since 2019. At least four wildfires are currently raging in Los Angeles County, tearing through the Pacific
Mexico’s president tries turning tables on Trump with ‘nice’ naming idea of her own
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum chided President-elect Trump for saying he plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico, saying she has a new name for the United States. “Mexican America. That sounds nice,” Sheinbaum quipped Wednesday in Mexico City during a press conference, Reuters reported. Sheinbaum cited a map from 1607 during the press conference and was joined by Mexico’s former culture minister, Jose Alfonso Suarez del Real. “The fact is that Mexican America is recognized since the 17th century … as the name for the whole northern part of the (American) continent,” Suarez del Real said, pointing to the map. ‘BEAUTIFUL NAME’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES GULF OF MEXICO WILL GET NEW, PRO-AMERICA REVAMP Sheinbaum’s remark followed Trump holding his own press conference Tuesday, where he made a series of announcements and further previewed his upcoming second administration, including saying he plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico. ”We have a massive deficit with Mexico, and we help Mexico a lot. They’re essentially run by the cartels, and can’t let that happen, because Mexico is really in trouble, a lot of trouble. Very dangerous place,” Trump said during the press conference. DONALD TRUMP JR. TAKES PERSONAL TRIP TO GREENLAND AFTER PRESIDENT-ELECT FLOATS PURCHASING COUNTRY “We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory,” Trump said Tuesday. “The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate.” The Gulf of Mexico is a partly enclosed sea that borders states such as Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, as well as Mexico and the northwestern portion of Cuba. Trump did not elaborate on how or when he will rename the body of water. Instead, he switched gears to the immigration woes in the U.S. under the Biden White House. MEXICO DISPERSES MIGRANT CARAVANS HEADING TO US AHEAD OF TRUMP INAUGURATION “Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country. They can stop them, and we’re going to put very serious tariffs on Mexico and Canada, because Canada, they come through Canada too. And the drugs that are coming through are at record numbers,” Trump said. Sheinbaum pushed back on Trump’s comment that Mexico is essentially “run by cartels,” responding that the “people are in charge” of the nation. Sheinbaum added during the press conference she expects the U.S. and Mexico will have a “good relationship” during the second Trump administration. “I think there will be a good relationship,” she said. “President Trump has his way of communicating.”
MAGAfest Destiny? Trump flexes his muscles with repeated talk of American expansionism
President-elect Donald Trump not only wants to make America great again, he appears to be angling to make America bigger. Trump has turned up the volume in recent days on his calls to acquire Greenland, regain control of the Panama Canal and make Canada the nation’s 51st state. The president-elect on Tuesday night once again trolled America’s neighbor to the north, posting on social media two doctored maps that showed Canada as part of the United States. “Canada and the United States. That would really be something,” Trump said hours earlier at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. “They should be a state.” WOULD CANADA BECOME A ‘BLUE-STATE BEHEMOTH’ IF IT JOINED THE U.S.? A day earlier, the president-elect argued in a social media post that “many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State.” While he said he would only use “economic force” to convince Canadians to join the U.S., he would not rule out military force when it comes to Greenland, the massive ice-capped island in the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans that for centuries has been controlled by Denmark, and the Panama Canal, which the U.S. ceeded control of to Panama over 40 years ago. TRUMP POSTS MAPS OF A GREATER U.S. “They should give it up because we need it for national security. That’s for the free world. I’m talking about protecting the free world,” Trump said of his longtime ambitions to acquire Greenland. His comments came as Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s eldest son, made a day trip to Greenland, flying aboard Trump’s campaign airliner. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded, saying Greenland had made it clear that it is not for sale. “There is a lot of support among the people of Greenland that Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either,” Frederiksen said. Pierre Poilievre, leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, also shot back at Trump’s musings. “Canada will never be the 51st state. Period. We are a great and independent country,” he emphasized in a social media post. Additionally, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also returned fire at Trump’s threat to use “economic force” to absorb Canada, saying there is not “a snowball’s chance in hell” of Canada becoming the 51st state. Trump’s recent mocking of the longtime Canadian prime minister, repeatedly referring to him as “governor” along with his threat to impose massive tariffs on Canada, was likely a contributing factor in Trudeau’s resignation announcement earlier this week. It was not just Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal. Trump even pledged during his press conference to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” While Trump’s efforts at American expansion – which has a prominent place in the nation’s history – may never come to fruition, they are immediately forcing world leaders to react and respond, and likely will foreshadow the blunt effect his second administration will have on the globe. “I think what he’s doing is setting the tone for the next four years, which is that America is the dominant superpower in the world. We’re the protector of freedom and democracy across the world. We’re the only country capable of pushing back against China, and it’s time we started acting like we’re that country,” veteran Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News. Matt Mowers, a veteran GOP national public affairs strategist and former diplomat at the State Department during Trump’s first administration, emphasized that “Donald Trump has adapted Teddy Roosevelt’s mantra for the 21st century and ‘speaks loudly and carries a big stick’. He recognizes that to change the paradigm and repel Chinese and Russian economic expansion in our own hemisphere, he needs to speak boldly about exerting American influence in the region.” “Already, you have seen just how his mastery of the bully pulpit has expedited a political earthquake in Canada. This ensures that America remains dominant in our own backyard, which puts America’s interests first, expanding our trade and security cooperation,” Mowers argued. Not everyone obviously agrees with Trump’s muscular approach. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, America’s top diplomat in President Biden’s administration, appeared to take aim at the president-elect. “I think one of the basic propositions we brought to our work over the last four years is that we’re stronger, we’re more effective, we get better results when we’re working closely with our allies. Not saying or doing things that may alienate them,” Blinken said Wednesday at a news conference. Blinken predicted that “the idea expressed about Greenland is obviously not a good one. But maybe more important, it’s obviously one that’s not going to happen. So we probably shouldn’t waste a lot of time talking about it.”
Matt Gaetz mulls Florida gubernatorial bid
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that he is “reviewing the opportunity” of possibly mounting a gubernatorial bid. The former House lawmaker noted that if he ultimately decides to throw his hat into the ring, he would need to engage in “active steps toward a run” toward the end of 2025. Gaetz, who recently started hosting a One America News Network program, said that many Floridians have encouraged him to run, and while he believes it is a bit early to decide, he will pray about the prospect and discuss it with his wife. He noted that he is “deeply concerned” about increasing prices for people in Florida, including property and casualty insurance. “I know how to fight the special interests who’ve increased prices in my home state,” he said, noting that if he believes he could “make a positive change,” then he will “significantly” contemplate the move. TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE AIMING TO REPLACE MATT GAETZ WANTS FLORIDA TO ADOPT GOLD AND SILVER AS LEGAL TENDER Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who took office in early 2019 and was resoundingly re-elected in 2022, cannot seek re-election in 2026, which means the field will be wide open for candidates interested in vying for the job. Responding to the Tampa Bay Times’ report when Gaetz said he was “starting to think about running for governor,” Florida state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat, responded by declaring, “And I will kick his ass.” On the heels of a 2024 re-election victory in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, Gaetz swiftly resigned from Congress after President-elect Donald Trump announced the lawmaker as his nominee for U.S. attorney general. Later that same month, however, Gaetz withdrew himself from consideration for the role. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” he said in a post on X. HOUSE REPORT ACCUSES MATT GAETZ OF PAYING WOMEN FOR SEX, USING ILLEGAL DRUGS, ACCEPTING IMPROPER GIFTS Trump has endorsed Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis to fill Gaetz’s former House seat — the GOP primary is later this month. A House Ethics Committee report alleged that “the Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.” Gaetz declared in a post on X, “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” TRUMP HAILS FLORIDA DEM’S DECISION TO DITCH PARTY, JOIN GOP: ‘THANK YOU HILLARY!’ Gaetz instigated the ouster of then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from the speakership in 2023.
FEMA to pay for more firefighters as California blazes burn beyond capacity
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will reimburse California for costs associated with hiring more firefighters and controlling the raging wildfires that have ripped through Southern California. News of the Fire Management Assistance Grants trickled in Tuesday, and by the evening the White House put out a statement from President Biden confirming the move. FEMA confirmed the measures on Wednesday, in an announcement laying out some details about the grants. The funding will provide federal reimbursements for up to 75% of “eligible firefighting costs” incurred by the state, as California seeks to shore up its firefighting force and put out the wildfires that have killed at least two people and driven thousands from their homes. Eligible costs include expenses for field camps, equipment, materials, supplies and mobilization or demobilization efforts attributed to fighting the fires. HUNDREDS OF LA HOMES EXPECTED TO BURN IN WILDFIRES “My Administration will do everything it can to support the response,” Biden said Tuesday, announcing news of the grant. “I am being frequently briefed on the wildfires in west Los Angeles. My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire.” EX-NFL QUARTERBACK SHOWS MASSIVE SCOPE OF CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: ‘MUCH WORSE THAN PEOPLE THINK’ Firefighter shortages in California have been an ongoing problem for several years in California. In advance of the news about FEMA’s grant, the Los Angeles Fire Department was compelled to request that all off-duty firefighters in the area volunteer to help. The U.S. Forest Service this summer boosted its staffing levels in California for the first time in five years, but the total number of federal wildland firefighters remains greatly diminished from what it used to be despite the state seeing an uptick in the number and severity of wildfires in recent years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Meanwhile, in October, the U.S. Forest Service announced an end to prescribed burning to control wildfires as a result of staffing shortages. California’s decision to end prescribed burns came after Biden’s opposition to a bipartisan bill aimed at streamlining the process for implementing forest management projects, like prescribed burns, in California. In a September statement explaining the opposition to the bill, the Biden administration said that certain provisions served to undermine crucial environmental protections. PLANE PASSENGER REACTS TO LA WILDFIRES: ‘THIS IS PURE DEVASTATION’ FEMA’s grants aimed at bolstering the state’s firefighting force amid the raging wildfires were initiated following requests from California. FEMA indicated that at the time of the requests the wildfires had burned an excess of 700 acres of private and public lands around the Pacific Palisades, San Fernando Valley and Santa Calrita Valley areas. FEMA added that more than 45,000 homes in the area were being threatened by the fire. A spokesperson for the agency told Fox News Digital that its regional office is in constant contact with local authorities in California, and that the agency has also deployed a FEMA liaison officer to the area to help monitor the evolving situation. The spokesperson added the agency is urging residents to listen to local officials and has provided a phone number for them to text if people are in need of safe shelter.
Trump says Newsom is to ‘blame’ for ‘apocalyptic’ wildfires
President-elect Donald Trump pinned blame for the “apocalyptic” wildfires tearing through Los Angeles County on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. “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 late Wednesday morning. “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!” At least four wildfires are currently raging in Los Angeles County, tearing through the Pacific Palisades and Sylmar neighborhoods of Los Angeles, as well as near Pasadena. At least 30,000 residents have evacuated the area, as swanky mansions and homes are threatened by the devastation or have already been incinerated. Newsom’s director of communications Izzy Gardon told Fox Digital in response to Trump’s Truth Social: “We’re focused on protecting lives and battling these blazes—not playing politics.” CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES RAGE ACROSS LOS ANGELES COUNTY, FORCING THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES Newsom declared a state of emergency after the Palisades Fire grew large on Tuesday. “This is a highly dangerous windstorm that’s creating extreme fire risk – and we’re not out of the woods. We’re already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes,” Newsom said in a statement. “Our deepest thanks go to our expert firefighters and first responders who jumped quickly into fighting this dangerous fire. If you’re in Southern California, please pay attention to weather reports and follow any guidance from emergency officials.” Trump, while on the campaign trail last year, vowed to send more water to California if re-elected, saying he would tap a “large faucet” in the northern parts of the U.S., that would deliver water to the state. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, one of the Golden State’s top water supply systems, has been fiercely protected by environmentalists over its dwindling smelt and Chinook salmon populations. “You have millions of gallons of water pouring down from the north with the snow caps and Canada, and all pouring down and they have essentially a very large faucet,” Trump said in September. “You turn the faucet and it takes one day to turn it, and it’s massive, it’s as big as the wall of that building right there behind you. You turn that, and all of that water aimlessly goes into the Pacific (Ocean), and if they turned it back, all of that water would come right down here and right into Los Angeles,” he said. PALISADES FIRE: HEIDI MONTAG, SPENCER PRATT LOSE HOME; CELEBRITIES FLEE RITZY NEIGHBORHOOD During Trump’s first administration, the former and upcoming president frequently put Newsom’s leadership over wildfire prevention under the microscope, including threatening to withhold federal funds over the yearly fires. PACIFIC PALISADES INFERNO FORCES THOUSANDS TO FLEE CALIFORNIA HOMES; GOV. NEWSOM DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!,” Trump posted to X in 2018. Newsom and other Democrats have historically pushed back that wildfires in the state are due to climate change and global warming. “You don’t believe in climate change. You are excused from this conversation,” Newsom shot back at Trump in 2019, after the president slammed him for his wildfire leadership again that year.
Andhra Pradesh: 4 killed, several injured in stampede at Tirupati during distribution of tokens
CM N Chandrababu Naidu spoke to officials over the phone about the treatment being provided to the injured in the incident.
DeSantis halts rivalry with Newsom, offers aid to besieged blue state governor
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has offered to assist California as Gov. Gavin Newsom is grappling with multiple fires ripping through Los Angeles County this week. “Our prayers are with everyone affected by the horrific fires in Southern California. When disaster strikes, we must come together to help our fellow Americans in any way we can,” DeSantis posted to X on Wednesday morning. “The state of Florida has offered help to assist the people of California in responding to these fires and in rebuilding communities that have been devastated,” he added. DeSantis’ offer of support to California comes after he recently led his state through Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene last year. The two governors have frequently traded barbs with one another in recent years, most notably when Florida was open for business during the pandemic, and California implemented strict lockdown orders and mandates. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES RAGE ACROSS LOS ANGELES COUNTY, FORCING THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES At least four fires are raging in Los Angeles County this week, tearing through the Pacific Palisades and Sylmar neighborhoods of Los Angeles, as well as near the city of Pasadena. Newsom declared a state of emergency after the Pacific Palisades fire quickly grew on Tuesday. PALISADES FIRE: HEIDI MONTAG, SPENCER PRATT LOSE HOME; CELEBRITIES FLEE RITZY NEIGHBORHOOD “This is a highly dangerous windstorm that’s creating extreme fire risk – and we’re not out of the woods. We’re already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes,” Newsom said in a statement. “Our deepest thanks go to our expert firefighters and first responders who jumped quickly into fighting this dangerous fire. If you’re in Southern California, please pay attention to weather reports and follow any guidance from emergency officials.” PACIFIC PALISADES INFERNO FORCES THOUSANDS TO FLEE CALIFORNIA HOMES; GOV. NEWSOM DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY At least 30,000 residents have evacuated the area as the devastating fires have burned mansions and homes to the ground, including those belonging to Hollywood stars such as James Woods. “All the smoke detectors are going off in our house and transmitting to our iPhones. I couldn’t believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long. It feels like losing a loved one,” Woods shared on X of the devastation to his home. ACTOR STEVE GUTTENBERG HELPS PALISADES FIRE FIRST RESPONDERS AS FLAMES RAGE, ‘IT’S A GHOST TOWN’ President Biden reported to the public that he has been in frequent communication with California leaders as the fires rages and that FEMA aid was approved to assist efforts. “I am being frequently briefed on the wildfires in west Los Angeles. My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire. Earlier tonight, FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support areas that are impacted and help reimburse the state of California for the immediate firefighting costs. My Administration will do everything it can to support the response,” Biden posted to X on Tuesday evening.
Dems accused of ‘stonewalling’ Tulsi Gabbard confirmation after GOP demands quick hearing
The Trump transition team is accusing Democrats in the Senate of “stonewalling” Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation to the position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI). A hearing has yet to be set for President-elect Trump’s DNI pick, despite Republicans pushing for Gabbard’s nomination to be one of the first considered due to national security concerns. The potential delay in her hearing was first reported by Axios. Committee rules dictate that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence can’t hold a hearing unless all necessary paperwork is received at least a week beforehand, the office of Intel Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., told Fox News Digital. BORDER STATE DEMOCRAT RUBEN GALLEGO BACKS GOP’S LAKEN RILEY ACT AHEAD OF SENATE VOTE Per Warner’s office, the committee has yet to receive pre-hearing questions from Gabbard or an ethics disclosure. They also haven’t gotten a copy of her FBI background check. However, a spokesperson for Gabbard and the Trump transition team pushed back on this. According to the transition, the paperwork that was due on Dec. 18 was submitted, the FBI background check has been done, and an additional round of paperwork is due on Thursday and will be finished by then. The FBI did not respond immediately to Fox News Digital’s question about whether the background check had been provided to the Intel Committee. RFK JR. TO MEET WITH SLEW OF DEMS INCLUDING ELIZABETH WARREN, BERNIE SANDERS The transition team also noted that Gabbard has a top-secret security clearance from her Army service, meaning her background check was expedited. The spokesperson for Gabbard asserted that Warner was directing Democratic members of the committee not to set up meetings with her until he had done so, drawing out her meeting process. According to them, Warner’s office was emailed on Nov. 27 but did not reply until Dec 29. “After the terrorist attacks on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, it’s sad to see Sen. Warner and Democrats playing politics with Americans’ safety and our national security by stonewalling Lt. Col. Gabbard’s nomination, who is willing to meet with every member who will meet with her as this process continues,” said transition spokesperson Alexa Henning. “It is vital the Senate confirms President-elect Trump’s national security nominees swiftly, which in the past has been a bipartisan effort. We are working in lockstep with Chairman Cotton and look forward to Lt. Col. Gabbard’s hearing before Inauguration Day.” TRUMP, GOP SENATORS TO HUDDLE AT CAPITOL, WEIGH STRATEGY ON BUDGET, TAXES AND BORDER The only Democrat to bypass this supposed directive was Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., the transition team said. The two met last month at the Capitol. Gabbard’s team added that Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Angus King, I-Maine, only responded after Warner’s team finally confirmed their meeting. Warner’s office denied issuing any such directive to Democratic members. “That is flat-out untrue. Vice Chairman Warner has encouraged every senator on the Committee to meet with the nominee (as he has), carefully evaluate her experience, record and statements for themselves, and reach their own conclusions about whether she has the qualifications and background for this critical role,” spokesperson Rachel Cohen told Fox News Digital in a statement. The intel vice chairman met in person with Gabbard on Tuesday. “I had a session with Ms. Gabbard, I went in with a lot of questions. I’ve still got a lot of questions,” Warner said afterward. MIDWESTERN STATE SENATOR REVIVES DOGE-ALIGNED BILLS AS GOP PREPARES FOR DC TAKEOVER “This is an extraordinarily serious job that requires maintaining the independence of the intelligence community. It also means maintaining the cooperation of our allies. We’ve got a lot of our intelligence from our allies on a sharing basis, and if those – that information is not kept secure, it raises huge concern. So I’ve got, you know, we’ve got a number of questions out for her. This is the beginning of a process.” A spokesperson for the new Intel chairman, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Chairman Cotton intends to hold these hearings before Inauguration Day. The Intelligence Committee, the nominees, and the transition are diligently working toward that goal.” A source familiar told Fox News Digital that the committee has yet to prompt Gabbard for her written responses to the advance policy questions, and emphasized that she can’t respond to something not yet received.