National
More than six million people remain under critical fire threats as Los Angeles braces for higher winds and two major fires that are barely contained.
The critical threats are not just relegated to Los Angeles County, however, as millions residing in Anaheim, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Oxnard are possibly within the wildfires’ crosshairs.
While an exact cause of the fires is unknown, the blazes have been attributed to extended drought, low humidity, and the Santa Ana winds. Also called the “devil winds,” the Santa Ana winds are strong, extremely dry winds that originate inland from the Great Basin and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California. While the winds are experienced on an annual basis, they usually appear in the autumn.
The winds usually occur about ten to twenty-fives times annually, with one wind capable of blowing for up to a week. The average duration for one wind event is three days; however, the powerful winds – which are currently blowing at speeds as fast as one hundred miles per hour – can fan fires into devastating machines of destruction.
The fires, perpetuated by the hurricane-force gales, have claimed at least twenty-five lives, forced over 200,000 to evacuate, and has destroyed or significantly damaged at nearly 12,500 structures as of press time. Communities such as Pacific Palisades and Altadena have been completely leveled, while historic landmarks such as the Will Rogers Estate, parts of Sunset Boulevard, and the Topanga Valley Motel have essentially been erased. The current pace and position of the fires now threaten other landmarks, such as the Santa Monica Pier, the Griffith Observatory, and even the famed Hollywood Sign, in addition to the rest of downtown Los Angeles.
On January 2, the National Interagency Fire Center warned that conditions in Southern California were believed to be “above normal significant fire potential,” with the National Weather Service issuing a Fire Weather Watch that same day. On January 3, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) forecasted a critical risk of fires to start on January 8.
Blame is now being cast between different agencies within the state. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) had their budget reduced by $17.5 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, with LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley saying in December that the budget cuts had “adversely affected the Department’s ability to maintain core operations,” and that the $7 million cut in overtime “severely limited the Department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies.” After the budget’s passage, another $111 million was allocated for pay raises and equipment.
However, Chief Crowley has now come out against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) and Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), saying that her partners in government “failed” her and her department’s ability to respond to these fires.
The Santa Ynez Reservoir had been completely emptied just prior to the wildfires to repair a tear in its cover, which prevents debris and natural waste from landing in the water. The 117 million-gallon reservoir was not full during the fires, with its reopening scheduled for February. Former Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) General Manager Martin Adams has said that the repairs were being conducted “for a while, adding that some levels of water are usually maintained to prevent stagnation and contamination that could impact its drinkability.
Despite warnings from multiple agencies that the region was a critical fire risk, Mayor Bass flew to Ghana, West Africa, to witness the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Mahama.
Bass has a storied political career, starting with her election to the California Assembly in 2004, where served as Majority Leader from 2006 until 2008. She became Speaker of the Assembly in 2008 and served until she was elected to Congress in 2011. She represented CA-33 – and later CA-37 due to redistricting – from 2011 until her mayoral victory in 2022. Although mayoral races are nonpartisan, Bass was elected by a single-digit margin in the deep-blue City of Angels in a runoff against Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso. Caruso was previously president of the Los Angeles Police Commission and was a member of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.
Bass’ congressional bona fides allowed her to chair the Congressional Black Caucus, which resulted in even more international trips. Upon her election as Mayor of L.A., Bass had pledged she would not travel abroad.
While Bass was in Ghana as the fires broke out, L.A. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson (D) served as acting mayor.
Bass has also come under heavy fire for committing a major gaffe during her first press conference upon returning from Africa, after the fires had already caused severe destruction.
“Right now, if you need help, emergency information, resources, and shelter, all of this can be found at URL,” said Bass. The actual URL of the website containing said resources was not stated at that press conference, either by her or a colleague behind her.
Governor Newsom has also come under fire for contradictions made in a live NBC interview while surveying a destroyed, charred neighborhood. When questioned on President-elect Donald Trump’s (R-FL) “politicization” of the fires, Newsom accused Trump of being dishonest about the state’s infrastructure.
“I don’t know what he’s referring to…the reservoirs are completely full, the state reservoirs here in Southern California,” Newsom told NBC. When the NBC reporter hit back with the claim that the Santa Ynez Reservoir is empty, Newsom says that it “was not a state system reservoir,” and that independent investigations would be conducted as to why the state lacked water during some of the worst wildfires in the state’s history.
So far, of the twenty-three fires, eighteen have been controlled. However, the Palisades Fire, currently affecting areas northwest of Santa Monica, is the largest in size at almost 24,000 acres at just 18% contained. The fire enters its second week of its continued scourge, likely to add to the 5,300 structures it has claimed.
The Eaton Fire, while smaller at 14,000 acres, has claimed almost 7,100 structures as of press time. The fire is only 35% contained and is affecting Altadena and Pasadena.
The Hurst Fire remains active at just 800 acres and 97% containment. The fire is not yet confirmed to have destroyed homes in Sylmar, a suburb in the San Fernando Valley.
The Auto Fire, affecting Ventura County, clocks in at sixty-one acres in size and is 47% contained.
Finally, the Creek and Scout fires, two of the more recent wildfires to join the fray, are burning at about three acres each. The Creek Fire is 90% contained and is affecting Big Tujunga Creek, while the Scout Fire is 25% contained west of Riverside.
State
“Worries about crime and struggles to make ends meet are too common,” said Governor Kathy Hochul (D) in her State of the State address Tuesday afternoon. “Our state has to be livable and people have to be able to afford to live in it.”
Hochul unveiled an ambitious tax plan, which includes a tax-cut across five of New York’s nine tax brackets. The cuts, if approved by the legislature, would affect an estimated 8.3 million taxpayers, including rate slashes for joint filers earning up to $323,000 annually. Hochul’s briefing material on the plan would “deliver over $1 billion in tax relief.”
Hochul has also floated tax cuts for parents, free school lunches, rebates of up to $500 based on income, a monthly $100 “benefit during pregnancy” for expectant mothers, and an additional $1200 for mothers on public assistance when their children are born.
The plans come off the heels of Hochul’s “inflation refund” program, wherein $3 billion in excess sales tax revenue could be directly delivered to New Yorkers, along with her plan to expand the child tax credit, which would more than double what some families already receive from the State. The tax credit currently disperses $330 per child for eligible families. Under her proposition, such families could receive up to $1000 per child under the age of 4. Families with children ages 4 to 16 could receive credits of up to $500 per child.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz (D) has said that despite her ambitious announcements, voters want to “know more than you’re just investing in affordability issues, but that you understand their issues in their communities.”
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) said that Democrats must improve their messaging.
“In this last election, it was all just abortion and ‘Trump stinks,’” said Heastie. “Democrats just have to do a better job of messaging all of the great things we have done.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, warns of lofty promises without a payment plan.
“While proposals like an expanded child tax credit and middle-class tax cuts can improve New Yorkers’ lives, the state cannot afford them in the long run unless it restrains spending elsewhere,” said Rein in a statement.
The moves come as the Siena College’s December poll found that only 33% of New Yorkers would re-elect Hochul, while 39% said they view her favorably.
Accordingly, the gubernatorial race in 2026 is already drawing high-profile potential challengers, with rumors swirling of Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado’s (D) increased visibility in the PR world as a sign he might be considering primarying his current boss.
Congressman Ritchie Torres (D, NY-15) took a hard swipe at Hochul based on her post on an X post that was widely panned by both sides of the aisle.
“Governor Hochul might have been too busy taking self-congratulatory subway selfies to notice,” said Torres, referring to Debrina Kawam, a New Jersey who was burned alive on an F Train subway by an illegal migrant from Guatemala. Hochul made a post on X showing herself taking photos with National Guardsmen patrolling the subways, insisting that crime is decreasing due to the Guard’s presence.
“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she is not governor in 2026,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17), who is still mulling a run for the Republican nomination himself.
Local
The State and Local Tax (SALT) Caucus released a joint statement after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump (R-FL) on the subject.
“Our constituents are burdened by the SALT cap, and President Trump committed to addressing this issue for our districts. We had a productive meeting tonight and will keep fighting to resolve this critical issue so our constituents can keep more of their hard-earned money,” said SALT Caucus Co-Chairs Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) and Young Kim (R, CA-40).
Congressmen Tom Suozzi (D, NY-03) and Josh Gottheimer (D, NJ-05) make up the Democratic wing of the bipartisan caucus.
