Tag: wildfires

HELL FREEZES OVER: CBS News ‘Fact Checks’ Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass From Debate, Says Spencer Pratt Was Right 

Something has shifted in the race for mayor of Los Angeles after Spencer Pratt’s amazing performance in the debate earlier this week.

Even CBS News has done a ‘fact check’ on incumbent Democrat candidate Karen Bass, something that is usually reserved for Republican candidates. It’s extremely rare for the media to call out a Democrat candidate in this way.

The fact check had mostly to do with claims made about the wildfires, which are clearly going to play a much larger role in this race than Democrats were hoping.

John Nolte writes at Breitbart News:

Here is a partially edited transcript from the debate that’s relevant to the first CBS News fact check about the mayor’s epic mishandling of the 2025 Palisades Fire that destroyed nearly 7,000 structures and killed 12 people:

SPENCER PRATT: A lot of people talk about climate change and hurricane-force winds. The winds in the Pacific Palisades never reached higher than 40 mph. For those first six hours, they didn’t go above 27 miles per hour.

The whole point of this exchange is that Bass is running around blaming the fire on Climate Change.

KAREN BASS: He talked about the winds — that is just completely inaccurate. If that were accurate, then the planes would have been able to fly. And so if the winds reached close to 100 miles an hour and the planes were unable to fly.

PRATT: Yes, she mentioned me. So this is — she’s an incredible liar. Everyone on their phones, Google it. 40 weather stations in the Pacific Palisades. It never went above 40 miles per hour. She is referencing the Altadena fire.

BIASED LEFTIST MODERATOR: I have to interrupt you. No name-calling, please.

PRATT: Yeah, but no name calling? She just lied though… No more lying. We need the truth.

Here’s the CBS News fact check:

Weather modeling reviewed for my reporting shows winds in the Palisades during those first several hours of the fire were, in fact under 40 miles per hour. Planes could and did fly. Stronger winds intensified later in the evening. And that distinction matters because the earliest hours of a wildfire are often the most critical for containment.

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Man Accused of Starting Palisades Fire Had Become Obsessed With Leftist Ideas According to Prosecutors

New court filings show that the alleged arsonist who started the January 2025 Pacific Palisades fire in California is a deranged leftist who hated capitalism, resented the rich, and was angry at the world.

As a reminder, these are the hallmarks of today’s unhinged, anti-American, anti-social left.

These findings were presented in a memorandum filed last week in the case United States vs. Jonathan Rinderknecht, ahead of his June 8 trial.

Rinderknecht has been charged with three federal felony counts for starting the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people, destroyed 7,000 homes and businesses, and caused $150 billion in damages.

In the weeks preceding the arson, Rinderknecht’s online searches included phrases such as “lets kill all the billionaires,” “let’s take down all the billionaires,” and “free Luigi Mangione,” according to WESH-TV.

Mangione is currently in jail awaiting trial for the December 2024 assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Mangione’s personal journal entries suggested he targeted the insurance executive because of his intense hatred for the American for-profit health insurance industry, which he called a “greed-fueled cartel.”

According to the memo in Rinderknecht’s case, the leftist lunatic — who worked as an Uber driver in the weeks preceding the Palisades fire — ranted against capitalism and whined about Mangione’s arrest.

“Many of defendant’s Uber passengers on December 31, 2024 and January 1, 2025, described defendant as angry, intense, driving erratically, and ranting about being ‘pissed off at the world’ and Luigi Mangione, capitalism, and vigilantism,” prosecutors wrote, per the New York Post.

“When asked why someone would ultimately set the blaze, Rinderknecht allegedly responded that it ‘would be out of resentment of the rich enjoying their money as ‘we’re basically being enslaved by them,’ and compared such an act of ‘desperation’ to the murder for which Mangione was charged,” according to the pretrial memo.

In a nutshell, Rinderknecht is the poster boy for today’s deranged left, whose primary characteristics are emotional incontinence, violence, and fetishization of criminality.

It’s not surprising that Rinderknecht romanticized accused assassin Luigi Mangione, since liberals constantly lionize criminals while undermining the safety of law-abiding Americans.

In the months preceding the Palisades fire, Democrats and their media puppets beclowned themselves by falsely blaming “climate change” for the massive blaze that, in reality, seems to have been caused by a left-wing arsonist.

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Karen Bass: Palisades Fire Victim Spencer Pratt ‘Exploiting the Grief’ of Palisades Fire Victims

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accused reality television star Spencer Pratt of “exploiting the grief” of Palisades fire victims as he seeks to oust her from office, completely ignoring that he was a victim of those fires.

Pratt, known for the TV series The Hills, received a helpful boost to his mayoral campaign last week when billionaire Jeanie Buss, governor of the Los Angeles Lakers, donated the maximum amount to his campaign, elevating his potential chances. His popularity with aggrieved voters also accelerated when his first campaign ad — in which he criticizes Bass for living in a multimillion-dollar home while Angelenos suffer — went viral with over 12 million views.

Part of the reason why Pratt’s message has resonated so strongly with voters mainly stems from the fact that his home, which he shared with reality television star Heidi Montag, burned to ash in the Palisades Fire of 2025, prompting his entry into public activism.

During an appearance on MSNOW with Katie Phang, Bass called Pratt “reprehensible,” accusing him of exploiting others’ grief, seemingly unaware of the very grief he personally experienced when his home burned down along with thousands of others in his neighborhood.

“Honestly, before this, I had never even heard of Spencer Pratt,” the mayor said.

“But the thing I am concerned about is that I feel like he’s exploiting the grief of people in the Palisades. And I think that’s reprehensible. That’s the main thing. And I think that he is about his own celebrity, he’s famous now again,” she added.

Bass even recommended that Pratt take a “basics civics course,” blaming the wildfires on “climate change.”

“He could benefit by a basic civics course, because I don’t think he understands the basics of how any government works,” she said. “For me, these fires, it was the worst natural disaster that we experienced in our city. At the root of it, we have to get adjusted to, just like everybody else in the nation, to different weather experiences because of climate change.”

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Recording of Phone Call Reveals Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Was Warned About Danger of Wildfires Before Her Trip to Ghana

A newly resurfaced recording of a damning phone call has revealed that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was warned about the potential for the dangerous and destructive wildfires that swept through southern California more than a year ago.

She had all of this information before she left the country for a trip to Ghana. She went anyway.

It’s just another reminder of how incompetent Bass is as a mayor. The people of Los Angles were doomed before the fires even began.

PJ Media reports:

In the leaked audio, Bass was reportedly talking to John Alle, a local resident and property manager in the Santa Monica and Westlake areas. Alle himself confirmed this here.

Reports are that Elle called Bass on Jan. 4, 2025, warning her about the risks tied to the weather, the wind, and dry conditions. In the call, Alle said he tried to convince Bass not to leave for Africa, but in the secretly recorded audio, she told Elle she had no intention of canceling her trip in spite of all his warnings.

To be sure, we have not been able to verify with 100% certainty the validity of this leaked audio, but it is worth noting that neither Bass nor her office has disputed the call’s authenticity and the content of the audio.

This is the transcript of the call:

Bass says, “The situation is very dangerous, and I would never do… I will take the criticism before I do a publicity stunt, and frankly a press conference at this point in time would just be publicity.”

Elle interrupts with, “I think my neighbors, property owners, and the residents – 41,000 people live within a square mile here. Two families share a one-bedroom apartment…”

Bass then says, “But they wanna hear that something is gonna be done.”

Elle replies, “They want to know it’s recognized.”

Bass then gets creepily cryptic, “Exactly, but if I have a choice between that and compromising something, I just have to go along with it. It’s not my area of expertise. I wanna make sure that you are safe. And hopefully you can read in between the lines. But I would just appreciate… and it’s hard for me to tell you this, but um, hold tight. You will understand soon.”

The two then indicate they now understand each other, and Bass then adds, “And when I am able to talk, I will be happy to go into great detail.”

Elle reminds Bass, “You’ve got me on the street, and you’re welcome to call me at any time, I’ll call you right back.”

On the matter of her plans to travel to Ghana in the midst of this crisis, Bass tells Elle, “Just in terms of my trip, just so you know I’m missing two work days. That’s it. And if President Biden extends an invitation, I took it.”

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Trump to Probe Banks Regarding Los Angeles Wildfire Response

U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 23 that his administration will look into banks’ handling of payments and debts in the aftermath of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Two Los Angeles-area communities were devastated by wildfires in January 2025. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that the Palisades fire caused 12 deaths, destroyed 6,845 structures, and damaged 975 more. The nearby Eaton fire, which ignited in Altadena on Jan. 7, 2025, claimed 19 lives. Combined, the fires have claimed 31 lives and destroyed more than 16,000 structures.

Last month, Trump said State Farm and other insurers should “get their act together,” following a meeting with California politicians.

Trump met with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Thursday and said he is now turning his attention to banks.

“Since my strong action and statements with respect to Insurance Companies, and the way they were treating the Home Owners, that aspect of this Disaster has proceeded well — Big progress has been made, and those Companies are ’stepping up to the plate,’ as they should be,” Trump ​said in a 23 April post on Truth Social.

“The Banks, however, have a long way to go, and we will be looking into their actions, effective immediately. Wells Fargo, in particular, has been very difficult to deal with. The Banks must treat those people, who so horribly lost their Homes in this tragic fire, very fairly and well. I will be working with the Mayor, Supervisor, and everyone else to help this tragic situation go smoothly.”

A Wells Fargo spokeswoman told The Epoch Times via email that the company did not have a comment to share.

In an April 23 joint statement, Bass and Barger said they had “a very positive discussion about FEMA and other rebuilding funds, as well as the support of the President to continue joining us in pressuring the insurance companies to pay what they owe – and for the big banks to step up to ease the financial pressure on LA families.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in January ​2025 that five major lenders, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, and Citigroup, would grant 90-day mortgage forbearance ​to homeowners in Los Angeles and Ventura fire zones. The relief included a pause in credit reporting and the potential for extended aid.

“After so much trauma, we hope this deal will provide thousands of survivors a measure of relief,” Newsom said at the time. “These financial protections will enable residents to concentrate on taking care of their immediate needs rather than worrying about paying their mortgage bills. I thank each of the financial institutions that are offering this help for Californians recovering from this catastrophic firestorm.”

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REPORT: Thousands of People in California Are Finally Getting Permits to Rebuild After the Wildfires – Now That Trump Has Gotten Involved

Now that Trump has decided to intervene in the California rebuild process, thousands of wildfire victims in the Pacific Palisades and other areas are finally getting permits to rebuild.

Trump should not have had to do even do this but these people are probably very happy that he did.

Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass should be ashamed of themselves. These fires happened well over a year ago and these poor people in California are STILL waiting for permission to rebuild their homes.

What an embarrassing display of incompetence.

They should have allowed Trump to oversee this from day one.

The New York Post reports:

Thousands of Palisades and Eaton fire rebuilding permits approved after Trump’s executive order

President Trump’s executive order to fast-track the rebuilding of Los Angeles after the wildfires has resulted in almost 2,000 permits approved since it was signed in January, The Post can exclusively reveal.

Trump’s order let state and local rules be preempted when it came to obtaining permits and allowed builders to “self-certify” that they have complied with “substantive health, safety and building standards.”

The result of the administration’s take over was the approval of thousands of permits for people to begin the rebuilding process of homes and businesses ravaged by the January 2025 Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires, two of the most destructive blazes in LA history.

“President Trump’s January Executive Order was a bold move to break through the non-federal logjams that had held up lives, homes, and entire neighborhoods from being rebuilt. Since that EO, we’ve helped drive nearly 2,000 permit approvals,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told The Post.

Los Angeles County has issued 971 permits since executive order was signed – which is a 72% increase – and Los Angeles City has issued 961 permits since then – a 58% increase, the EPA revealed to The Post.

Trump tasked EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin with carrying out the order as it was the Environmental Protection Agency that cleaned up all the hazardous materials left in the wake of the deadly blaze.

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Palisades Fire victims ‘insulted’ by new brush clearance bill

Fire victims in Pacific Palisades say they are frustrated and confused after receiving brush clearance bills from the City of Los Angeles for properties where their homes once stood.

What we know:

Nearly 14 months after last year’s deadly fire destroyed thousands of homes across the community, some residents say they were mailed $31 notices citing alleged noncompliance with brush clearance rules — even though their lots remain empty and covered mostly in dirt.

“This is one final blow. After everything that happened, they’re still trying to take money,” said resident Christine Martinez, whose home was destroyed in the fire.

Others echoed the same disbelief.

“I was a little astonished because there’s no house and no brush,” said Carol Sanborn, who lost the home she lived in for more than 40 years.

Sanborn says several neighbors have also received the notices, adding to the frustration among fire survivors still working to rebuild.

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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Accused of Altering LAFD Report on Wildfires to Lessen City’s Liability

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is accused of making changes to a report by the LAFD following last year’s wildfires because she allegedly wanted to lessen the city’s liability over their response to the disaster.

Bass and Governor Newsom have been widely criticized for how they handled the fires and for the lack of rebuilding a year after the blaze.

Naturally, Bass denies that she altered the LAFD report in any way.

FOX News reports:

Mayor Bass facing blowback over explosive report that she altered wildfire report to downplay city’s role

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is under fire this week after a Los Angeles Times report claiming she successfully altered in her favor a critical after-action report on the devastating southern California wildfires that killed 31 people.

While Bass has repeatedly denied that she interfered with the report, the Los Angeles Times reports, citing two sources, that Bass was concerned that the city could be exposed to legal liability for its lack of preparedness and removed or softened language implicating the city.

One of the key changes, according to the Los Angeles Times, was altering details about failures to fully staff and deploy resources leading up to the fire, an issue that has drawn intense scrutiny over the past year.

The report cites a “Bass confidant” who said “the mayor didn’t tell the truth when she said she had nothing to do with changing the report.”

Bass, who has also drawn criticism for flying to Africa for an event days before the fire broke out despite hazardous conditions in the forecast and warnings about fire risks, has denied the accuracy of the reporting.

In the video below, Bass claims this is all made up.

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House Republicans Release Damning Report After Investigation of ‘FireAid’ Scandal in California

It has been a year since the wildfires in southern California and the almost total lack of rebuilding is not the only related scandal.

Back in July, an independent journalist looked into the celebrity-filled ‘FireAid’ concert and found that none of the victims of the fire had received any funds, despite claims from participants in the event that aid would go directly to the victims.

What she found was that the money had gone to a number of non-profit organizations, some of which have absolutely nothing to do with disaster recovery.

Republicans who control the House Judiciary Committee investigated and have just released their findings. It’s not good.

CBS News reports:

House Republicans release report on FireAid fund distribution

Organizers of last January’s FireAid benefit concert are once again facing accusations that the $100 million in donations did not directly help victims of the Los Angeles fires, after House Republicans published findings from their investigation on Tuesday.

Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin), who helped launch the investigation, claimed the “report highlights where the funds were not used in the way that the donors would likely have wanted them to be used.”

In its report, the House Judiciary Committee stated money went to “left-leaning pet projects, illegal aliens, and the administrative costs related to running non-profit organizations.”

“You had examples of funds used for voter outreach efforts, towards political advocacy groups, towards podcasters, fungus planting, those examples are pretty troubling,” Kiley said. “I do want to be clear, there were many organizations that got funds, nonprofits that are certainly very worthy nonprofits.”

FireAid organizers denied the claims made in the report. They stood by their original promise that all money raised during the concert would go to well-known, vetted nonprofits serving residents of Altadena, Pasadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu.

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Investors Scoop Up 40% Of Vacant Lots Sold After Los Angeles Fires: Report

Almost a year after January’s devastating California wildfires, real estate investors have been buying up nearly 40 percent of the land sold in the areas impacted by the fires.

A Dec. 30 report from Redfin stated that many of these now-empty lots once retained some of the nation’s most expensive homes, before they were reduced to rubble when the fire ripped through over 40,000 acres and destroyed more than 11,000 single-family homes in the Los Angeles suburbs.

A Zillow analysis—also released on Dec. 30—indicates the total residential housing value of the 19,605 homes in the affected regions was $46 billion prior to the fires.

More than 11,000 of those homes were destroyed.

The median home value in Los Angeles suburbs was listed at $1.95 million as of December 2024, prior to the fires.

Zillow’s report shows that for-sale housing supply near the fire zones escalated soon after the fires ended. In addition, new listings within five miles of the fire regions continued to grow from December 2024 to January 2025.

“While home values nearby have dipped a bit, in line with broader Los Angeles trends, the most evident impact was on supply,” Orphe Divounguy, a Zillow senior economist, said in the report.

“The sharp increase in listings just outside the burn zones likely reflects a mix of homeowners accelerating planned sales or owners of second homes deciding to list in response to the sudden shift in local demand.”

According to Redfin, investors were responsible for buying 48 of the 119 lots for sale in the Pacific Palisades area during the third quarter. In nearby Altadena, investors purchased 27 of the 61 lots available, and in Malibu, 19 of the 43 lots for sale were bought by investors.

Redfin’s analysis indicates that many investors made lowball offers for lots in Altadena, where some of the destroyed homes had been built in the 1940s and 1950s. These lots have been selling in the $500,000 to $600,000 range. The report noted that while some owners rejected these offers, others were forced to sell as they lacked the money to rebuild.

By comparison, a typical empty lot sold for $1.6 million in Pacific Palisades, and for $1.3 million in Malibu.

“It’s not uncommon for investors to buy and develop land after natural disasters,” the report stated.

However, while investors have been making inroads in getting vacant land off the market, Redfin agents say there is so much vacant land for sale that much of it remains unsold.

Meanwhile, those homes left standing in the fire zones are attracting offers if they’re reasonably priced, with owners usually handling the ash and smoke damage remediation.

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