The suspect accused of starting one of the largest wildfires in Los Angeles history, fixated on Luigi Mangione weeks before starting the blaze out of resentment for the rich, according to federal prosecutors. 
Federal prosecutors said in a trial memorandum that 30-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht demonstrated an obsession with Mangione in the days before he started the Lachman and Palisades Fires on January 1, 2025. Mangione has developed a cult following among the Left after he was arrested for gunning down Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
“On January 24, 2025, when investigators asked defendant why someone might commit arson in the Pacific Palisades, he 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,” the memo said. 
The memo added that Uber passengers who rode with Rinderknecht on December 31 and January 1 recounted him being “angry, intense, driving erratically, and ranting about being ‘pissed off at the world’ and Luigi Mangione, capitalism, and vigilantism.”
Prosecutors described Rinderknecht becoming “fixated” on Mangione in the weeks leading up to the fires, saying his internet search history revealed queries like “free Luigi Mangione,” “lets take down all the billionaires,” and “reddit lets kill all the billionaires.”
Rinderknecht has been charged with destroying property by fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and setting timber afire. Facing over forty years in prison, he has pleaded not guilty. 
&#8220;Millings of people in this country are fascinated with Luigi Mangione. To suggest that is a connection to the crime of ours is ridiculousarson is ridiculous [SIC],&#8221; Steve Haney, Rinderknecht&#8217;s lawyer, told The Daily Wire. &#8220;These are the depths that the government are going to in the absence of any evidence of my client committed a crime.&#8221;
The memo said that Rinderknecht had an obsession with fire and had previously burned a Bible. 
“A few months before the fire, defendant asked ChatGPT — an AI system that he used as a confidant and diary — to generate and then modify images of a ‘burning forest’ next to ‘a bunch of people running away,’” prosecutors said. “Defendant also confided to ChatGPT that he had burned a bible and that it felt ‘liberating.’ Later, after he knew he was under investigation for the fire, defendant threatened to burn down his sister’s house.”
Mangione is currently facing charges related to the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. While a judge dismissed federal murder charges against Mangione, he still faces second-degree New York murder charges. In the wake of Mangione’s arrest, leftist activists have called for his release, claiming he was targeting an exploitative corporation.

MixCollage-04-May-2026-09-14-AM-5387

Major Arson Suspect Obsessed Over Luigi Mangione And Wanted To Kill The Rich, Prosecutors Say

California

Fire

Los Angeles

Luigi Mangione

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared an emergency on Friday for 91 counties in his state, where authorities are battling two major wildfires that have caused record property damage as more than 120 homes and other buildings have gone up in flames.
The Highway 82 and Pineland Road fires &#8211; one sparked by a party balloon, the other by a welder&#8217;s torch &#8211; are by far the fiercest among dozens of blazes ravaging the drought-stricken Georgia countryside and neighboring states of Florida, South Carolina, and Alabama in recent days.
No casualties were reported in Georgia, which has borne the brunt of the wildfires. But a volunteer firefighter died on Thursday evening after suffering an unspecified medical emergency while fighting a brush fire in northern Florida, according to various news media reports.
The conflagrations were primed by a confluence of climate extremes gripping the Southeast, authorities said.
Unusually sparse rainfall this spring following heavy vegetation growth in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene last fall has created a fuel bed of drought-parched timber and brush now posing the kind of wildfire hazards more typical for the Western United States in summer.
&#8220;We are in extreme drought conditions, and wildfire activity has already surpassed our five-year average,&#8221; Georgia Forestry Commission Director Johnny Sabo said in a video message posted online. &#8220;Right now conditions are so dry that even one small spark can quickly turn into a dangerous wildfire.&#8221;
As of Friday night, the Highway 82 and Pineland blazes had scorched more than 39,500 acres (16,000 hectares) combined, incinerating at least 122 homes and other structures, state forestry officials said. The tally of destruction marked the biggest property loss from a single fire event in Georgia&#8217;s history, the governor told a press conference.
Nearly 1,000 more homes remained threatened, he said.
Fires are scattered across Georgia, with the two biggest clustered in the southeast near the Florida border, roughly 250 miles (400 km) southeast of Atlanta, the state&#8217;s capital and largest city.
News footage of the fires showed walls of pine trees engulfed in flames, and Kemp described &#8220;fire that is burning to the top of trees and burning from one treetop to another.&#8221;
With firefighters and water-dropping aircraft struggling to halt the advance of the flames, crews were trying to protect homes still in harm&#8217;s way, Kemp said.
Teams had managed to carve containment lines around 10% of the perimeters of each of the two major fires, forestry officials said.
In a move aimed at hastening and consolidating Georgia&#8217;s disaster response, Kemp declared a state of emergency in 91 of Georgia&#8217;s 159 counties. Sabo announced a 30-day ban on the outdoor burning of refuse, agricultural waste or campfires in the same counties, the first such restriction in the state&#8217;s history.
The origin of the two biggest blazes illustrated how a small ignition source could touch off catastrophic fires.
Investigators determined that the Highway 82 blaze began on Monday, when an aluminum-coated balloon landed on a transmission line, triggering an electrical spark that ignited surrounding vegetation.
The Pineland Road fire, burning since April 18, was touched off by a stray spark from a welding operation that fell to the forest floor, authorities said.
Authorities said they expected extreme fire conditions to persist through the weekend, with gusty winds and little chance of rain in the forecast.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by William Mallard)

Firefighter

Stray Spark And Aluminum Balloon: Georgia Declares State Of Emergency As Wildfires Rage In South

Brian Kemp

Georgia

Natural Disaster

U.S.

Free speech isn’t free at Texas universities. Apparently, it comes with strings attached, or at least that’s what I was told when I tried to host a pro-life event that got so derailed, I had to call on Students for Life of America’s (SFLA) attorneys for a demand letter to try and get it back on track.
It&#8217;s not just me. Students at the University of Texas, both at Dallas and Austin, <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.fire.org*2Fcases*2Ffellowship-christian-university-students-university-texas-dallas-v-eltife&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563320391*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=dtwwVKn*2B7xobXYzqajEbrkoh5HCW2yQ9KzvUpM4bZnU*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AcuVwNDD$">are suing</a> the University of Texas system after being censored when schools used a Texas law as an excuse to limit free speech on college campuses. While the law is not currently enforceable, college campuses across Texas are still holding strong to their censorship regime — and it&#8217;s up to students to stand up for their rights.
My story began <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fstudentsforlife.org*2F2026*2F04*2F16*2Ffree-speech-in-name-only-how-ut-austin-is-preventing-my-student-group-from-speaking-up-for-life*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563353206*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=e8RMiNBNMTNvEhywCUtnjeGTk91xp6Ut*2FmysB6LmWgw*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AT4BsCBy$">when I tried to host</a> a speaker on campus at the University of Texas as part of my SFLA activities. Rather than welcoming pro-life voices, the university demanded almost complete disassociation from SFLA for the event to go on, which made the event itself virtually impossible.
More specifically, the office told my group that our event could not include branded or promotional materials featuring both the outside organization and my student organization, Horns for Life; help managing the event; filming for social media; or co-sponsorship with SFLA or any off-campus organization.
That not only impacted my free speech rights, but my freedom of association, too.
In 2019, when Texas passed <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fcapitol.texas.gov*2FBillLookup*2FHistory.aspx*3FLegSess*3D86R*26Bill*3DSB18&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563396873*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=2AtQpIrbbtYNbU9928Xk5Ce1V*2F0kaoX7X6S88V6pMqE*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AT4TymyG$">Senate Bill 18</a>, it reinforced <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.congress.gov*2Fcrs_external_products*2FLSB*2FHTML*2FLSB10438.web.html&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563716854*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=0Ikog9aHx*2F*2BTRI1Hd*2FIaOF5Tv00HLGpukZuopplhmec*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AXDU25Tu$">Supreme Court precedent</a> that outdoor campus spaces are public forums, thereby ensuring free speech protections at universities. In a total betrayal of these values, Texas passed <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.capitol.texas.gov*2Ftlodocs*2F89R*2Fbilltext*2Fhtml*2FSB02972F.htm&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563753706*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=6JsTyqVn9QKarsTn9xQlqdGZFCPXSqtmSTYTXV8fzvA*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AakeQ9It$">Senate Bill 2972</a>, or the Campus Protection Act, in September 2025 under the guise of protecting campuses from disruptions and preserving safety during &#8220;end-of-term&#8221; periods and even during specific times of the day.
The Campus Protection Act stopped students from engaging in acts of speech between 10 pm and 8 am, as well as from bringing guest speakers, amplifying sound, or using percussive instruments at demonstrations in the final two weeks of each semester. It is extremely broad, even disallowing student speech in private conversations, whether in dorm rooms or outdoor meeting spaces.
“The First Amendment doesn’t set when the sun goes down,” <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.fire.org*2Fnews*2Flawsuit-texas-bans-first-amendment-public-universities-after-dark&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563782445*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=HEWBXSC*2Fhwx*2BevsjFIdxTtMbqSIAgPUB8HyXIE8*2Fo7g*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-ARkj-qwy$">said FIRE senior supervising attorney</a> JT Morris. “University students have expressive freedom whether it’s midnight or midday, and Texas can’t just legislate those constitutional protections out of existence.”
The bill was so unprecedented and broad that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued an injunction <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.fire.org*2Fnews*2Fvictory-federal-court-halts-texas-no-first-amendment-after-dark-campus-speech-ban&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563806965*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=7lyWqt1IQI12zcaFa09*2FX18T*2B8bYA8g1mtYVoxfCsUY*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AXgQLXpH$">stopping the law from being enforced</a> only a month later.
Despite the injunction, Texas universities continue to use these rules at the campus policy level. UT Austin cites SB 2972 as a justification for their policy that “states that a guest speaker may not staff a table or set up exhibits.”
Not only is pro-life speech being targeted, but religious speech and expression as well.
A group of students has sued the UT system and its various representatives on behalf of their Texas college groups, including <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fanyfocus.org*2Fut-dallasabout*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563827587*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=10DzF9ua0ems*2Fv6r2pUNa7R2NCSTEvMT39b8EOvqKu8*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AaH94gSd$">The Fellowship of Christian University Students at UT-Dallas,</a> after they were <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.fire.org*2Fnews*2Flawsuit-texas-bans-first-amendment-public-universities-after-dark&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563845212*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=81BT5sQASX2Am2oAbSw8QqBI3F9I8zpii4CCpOrfB8A*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AZIZuNqu$">prevented from bringing a minister</a> to campus to pray for them during their class finals.
Texas Woman’s University <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Ftwu.edu*2Fdean-of-students*2Fon-campus-free-speech*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563861696*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=QxqF1fMSVVmEqVQ6S9YMFl30Hhf3aQFPtddVwfx6GEw*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AZofybQy$">enacted regulations on free speech,</a> calling it a “limited public forum.” The school placed limits on the times, places, and methods in which students can demonstrate on campus <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fpublic.powerdms.com*2FTWU1*2Fdocuments*2F1745744&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563879914*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=JrNy4CupwORxR0Rmvy2W7WemASJ882EPoCMuSXltjcM*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AZcH0uUL$">while telling them</a> “nothing in this policy may be construed to limit or infringe on a person’s right to freedom protected by the United States and Texas Constitutions,” as if the rules do not inherently do exactly this. Texas Tech University’s Lubbock campus also has <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.yahoo.com*2Fnews*2Farticles*2Ftexas-tech-free-speech-policy-172434017.html&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563896751*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=c2DWOzTb5QmJ5ujYoCvwua7v2CKCf41fUBiC3W*2FmR*2FY*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-ASiBSwsP$">similar rules</a> now coming under fire.
While it is always advisable to follow campus rules, that does not mean Texas students cannot challenge them in the courts or otherwise.
Disallowing all guest speakers, claiming a limited public forum, imposing time limits, and limiting amplified sound all have precedent for being deemed impermissible in certain circumstances, especially if the university is using Senate Bill 2972 as an excuse to enforce these rules.
Using field representatives or coordinators from affiliate organizations to assist students in challenging university decisions against student organizations is a great first step. SFLA staff are equipped and eager to help our students. Additionally, reaching out to organizations like <a href="https://www.fire.org/">FIRE</a> allows student groups without resources from a larger organization to seek help navigating <a href="https://www.fire.org/defending-your-rights/legal-support">legal routes</a> addressing free speech challenges.
A university is a place to experience new ideas, diverse opinions, and freedom of discourse. The acts of tabling on campus and hosting speakers are not separate from this mission.
These unconstitutional rules do not disappear on their own. To see students’ free speech rights protected on university campuses again, students must speak up against the injustices happening on their campus and beyond — and the courts must follow their lead.
***
Tiffany Lomax is a senior student at the University of Texas at Austin. She serves as president of the Horns for Life chapter, where she is involved in pro-life advocacy and organizing events on campus.

Schwarzenegger Skips Debate To Rally Before Students

The Texas College Students Fighting Back Against Free Speech Censors

College

DW Opinion

Free Speech

Students for Life of America (SFLA)

A one-million-square-foot warehouse in Southern California went up in flames early Tuesday morning in what authorities believe was an arson attack.
The warehouse in Ontario, California, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, belonged to personal care company Kimberly-Clark and was completely destroyed in the blaze. Around 20 people were inside when the fire first began around 12:30 a.m., but there have been no reported injuries.
One person has been arrested on suspicion of arson, according to officials.
Authorities released drone footage showing the scale of the fire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPDATE: Ontario Police Department drone footage <a href="https://t.co/lwVSYDjrN5">pic.twitter.com/lwVSYDjrN5</a>
— San Bernardino County Fire (@SBCOUNTYFIRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBCOUNTYFIRE/status/2041467261555478647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The first fire crew responded within eight minutes of the initial call and found &#8220;light smoke throughout the structure and what they believed was a small fire being contained by the operating fire protection system or sprinkler system,&#8221; according to Ontario Deputy Fire Chief Mike Wedell. As firefighters worked to douse the flames inside the warehouse, they were &#8220;quickly overrun by fire that rapidly spread throughout this enormous warehouse,&#8221; Wedell said.
Fire crews entered the building after a warehouse worker was initially reported missing during the evacuation. The missing employee was eventually located, officials said. Ontario police identified the suspected arsonist as a male Kimberly-Clark employee, though it remains unclear whether he was the individual initially reported missing.
Some people near the warehouse said they heard a loud boom shortly before the fire broke out, ABC 7 Los Angeles <a href="https://abc7.com/post/massive-fire-tears-warehouse-ontario/18851549/">reported</a>.
&#8220;Very early on, we identified this fire as suspicious in nature,&#8221; Wedell told reporters, adding, &#8220;There was a person of interest identified from the very initial response of this incident.&#8221;
Kimberly-Clark specializes in producing hygiene paper products, including toilet paper, facial tissues, baby wipes, and feminine hygiene products.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a large fire load of paper products inside of this building,&#8221; the deputy fire chief added. Fire crews will remain on the scene throughout Tuesday as they continue to extinguish the blaze.

San Bernardino County Fire

Massive California Warehouse Destroyed In Suspected Arson Attack

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Two people who ran a Swiss bar that burst into flames during a New Year&#8217;s Eve party, killing 40, are under criminal investigation on suspicion of offenses including homicide by negligence, prosecutors said on Saturday.
Two days after the fire, in which 119 people suffered injuries including severe burns, officials were still trying to identify many of those killed and attention turned to how one of Switzerland&#8217;s worst tragedies could have occurred.
The bar&#8217;s two operators are suspected of offenses including homicide by negligence, causing bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, prosecutors in Valais, the canton that is home to the bar in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana, said in a statement. They did not name the pair.
&#8220;It was an enormous tragedy. We&#8217;re all so sorry that this had to happen,&#8221; Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans told reporters, standing in front of the cordoned-off bar, Le Constellation.
He said temperatures during the blaze must have reached &#8220;500, 600 degrees (Celsius, 900-1,100 Fahrenheit)&#8221;.
Reuters was not immediately able to contact the bar&#8217;s owners for comment or reach the prosecutors to verify whether they were the people referred to.
Responding to the news of the criminal probe, residents still grieving over the sudden loss of life said it was important authorities get to the bottom of the case.
&#8220;We need a moment to reflect,&#8221; said one, Patricia Mazzoni, 55. &#8220;But afterwards, I&#8217;d like an independent investigation. An independent investigation to find out who failed here.&#8221;
Witnesses reported seeing staff at Le Constellation carrying so-called fountain candles atop bottles of champagne, and questions have also arisen about a foam material used to soundproof the ceiling of the basement where revelers danced.
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Beatrice Pilloud, chief prosecutor of Valais, said indications were that the fire started because the sparklers got too near to the ceiling.
&#8220;From there, a rapid, very rapid and widespread blaze ensued,&#8221; she said on Friday afternoon.
Investigations will look at renovations made to the bar, the fire extinguishing systems and escape routes, as well as the number of people inside when the blaze began, prosecutors said.
Police arrived quickly at the scene, according to local residents, but the fire burned victims so severely that investigators said they would need days to identify the bodies.
Illustrating the painstaking nature of that work, the Valais prosecutors&#8217; office said on Saturday that the police had identified the bodies of four Swiss victims aged between 16 and 21 &#8211; two female and two male &#8211; and returned them to their families. It did not name them.
On Friday, officials had only identified one of the dead, a teenage Italian international golfer, Emanuele Galeppini.
According to two people familiar with the investigation, some of the victims may be under 16.
Local residents said the bar was popular with young people and the Swiss government said many of the dead were likely youths. Beer and wine can be drunk from age 16 in Switzerland.
One of the bar&#8217;s two owners, Jacques Moretti, told the Tribune de Geneve newspaper that Le Constellation had been checked three times in 10 years and that everything was done according to the rules.
Stephane Ganzer, head of security in Valais, said the investigation would determine if the bar had undergone its annual building inspections, but that the town had not raised concerns or reported defects to the canton.
(Reporting by Dave Graham, Emma Farge, Tassilo Hummel and Benoit Van Overstraeten, Francois Murphy and Horaci GarciaEditing by Lisa Shumaker and Susan Fenton, Kirsten Donovan)
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Swiss Prosecutors Investigate Pair Who Ran Bar Over Deadly Blaze

Disasters

General

Switzerland

World

The fire that killed at least 40 people at a ski resort in Switzerland on New Year&#8217;s Eve was caused by sparklers, according to Swiss officials.
In a press conference Friday, officials said it appears as though the fire was ignited by sparklers on top of champagne bottles that were too close to the ceiling. Officials described the fire as a &#8220;flashover event,&#8221; meaning the entire room caught fire almost instantly.
At least 40 people died in the fire and 119 more are in the hospital as of Friday morning, some with serious injuries.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning in Valais at Le Constellation, a bar at the Swiss ski resort Crans-Montana.
Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said officials are looking into any criminal activity related to the fire. Pilloud said if criminal activity was involved, investigations will be opened for fire negligence, homicide by negligence, and injuries by negligence.
Pilloud said investigators are also looking into the building&#8217;s regulations and safety measures, as well as how many people were inside the building when the fire broke out.
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&#8220;The investigations will focus on the renovation work that had been carried out in the bar, the materials used, the licensing arrangements, the safety and security arrangements, fire extinguishers, emergency exits, and other firefighting equipment,&#8221; the attorney general added.
But the first priority is identifying the victims and bringing closure to families.
Authorities said Friday it could be days before the identities of those killed are revealed. Officials are looking into dental and DNA records because some of the bodies are unrecognizable from the burns.
Of those injured who have been formally identified, 71 are Swiss, 14 are French, 11 are Italian, and others are from Bosnia, Serbia, Portugal, and Belgium, according to officials.
A witness told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyml77ml7jo">BBC</a> he saw people burning from head to foot as he tried to help people get away from the flames.
Another witness told the BBC that she and her husband were leaving the bar when they saw people screaming and crying while being carried out on stretchers.
Outside the bar, candles and flowers covered the ground in a makeshift shrine to honor the victims.
A vigil will take place January 9 as part of a national day of mourning.

Sparklers To Blame For NYE Bar Fire That Killed Dozens In Switzerland

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Investigators on Friday set about the painful task of identifying the burned bodies of a blaze that engulfed a crowded bar and killed around 40 people at a New Year&#8217;s Eve party in the upscale Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana.
So severe were the burns suffered by the mostly young crowd of revelers in the Le Constellation bar that Swiss officials said it could take days before they name all the victims of the fire that also injured 115, many of them seriously.
Parents of missing youths anxiously issued pleas for news of their loved ones as foreign embassies scrambled to work out if their nationals were among those caught up in one of the worst tragedies to befall modern Switzerland.
&#8220;The first objective is to assign names to all the bodies,&#8221; Crans-Montana&#8217;s mayor Nicolas Feraud told a press conference on Thursday evening. This, he said, could take days.
Mathias Reynard, head of government of the canton of Valais, said experts were using dental and DNA samples for the task.
&#8220;All this work needs to be done because the information is so terrible and sensitive that nothing can be told to the families unless we are 100 percent sure,&#8221; he said.
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What caused the blaze was unclear. Swiss authorities said it appeared to be an accident rather than an attack.
Some accounts from survivors and footage broadcast on social media suggested that the ceiling of the bar&#8217;s basement may have caught fire when sparkling candles got too close.
Residents of Crans-Montana, which has the distinction of being not only a popular draw for skiers, but also golfers, were stunned by the inferno. Many knew victims and some said they were lucky not to have been there themselves.
Hundreds of people stood in silence near the scene as they came to pay their respects to the victims on Thursday night.
&#8220;You think you&#8217;re safe here but this can happen anywhere. They were people like us,&#8221; said Piermarco Pani, an 18-year-old who, like many others in the town, knew the bar well.
Dozens of people left flowers or lit candles on a makeshift altar at the top of the road leading to the bar which police had cordoned off. Some cried, others quietly hugged one another.
Behind the cordon, the bodies of some victims still lay in the bar, police said, as they pledged to work around the clock to identify everyone who succumbed to the blaze.
Kean Sarbach, 17, said he had spoken to four people who escaped from the bar, some with burns, and that they had told him the flames had spread very quickly.
Elisa Sousa, 17, said she was meant to be there but ended up spending the evening at a family gathering instead.
&#8220;And honestly, I&#8217;ll need thank my mother a hundred times for not letting me go,&#8221; she said at the vigil for the victims. &#8220;Because God knows where I&#8217;d be now.&#8221;
(Reporting by Dave Graham and Emma Farge; Editing by Alistair Bell)
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Fire In Bar At Swiss Ski Resort

Swiss Face Arduous Task Of Identifying Victims Of Deadly Bar Fire

New Year's

What was intended to be a night of celebration turned into a scene of unimaginable horror early Thursday morning, as a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/switzerland-ski-resort-fire-live-intl-hnk">massive fire</a> tore through a crowded nightclub in the elite Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. Authorities say dozens of people are presumed dead, and approximately 100 others have been injured, many of them critically, after a blaze <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/01/world/switzerland-ski-resort-fire">gutted</a> the popular venue &#8220;Le Constellation&#8221; during a New Year’s Eve party.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. local time in the heart of the exclusive Alpine haven, known for its panoramic views of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. Witnesses described a chaotic and terrifying scene that unfolded in mere seconds. According to accounts provided to CNN affiliate BFMTV, the tragedy may have been sparked by pyrotechnics. Witnesses reported seeing waitresses carrying champagne bottles topped with lit sparklers; in one instance, a server was reportedly standing on another’s shoulders to reach the crowd. The flames reportedly licked the ceiling, igniting the interior almost instantly.
&#8220;Within about ten seconds, the entire nightclub was on fire,&#8221; one survivor recalled. &#8220;We all ran out screaming.&#8221;
The Swiss government launched a massive emergency operation, mobilizing 150 medical personnel, 40 ambulances, and 10 helicopters. The influx of casualties was so great that local operating theaters reached capacity, necessitating the use of three specialized jets to airlift severe burn victims to Zurich.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who began his term on Thursday, postponed his scheduled New Year’s address to the nation. &#8220;What should have been a moment of joy turned into a night of mourning,&#8221; he stated, acknowledging the international impact of the disaster given the resort&#8217;s status as a global tourist destination.
Prosecutor General Beatrice Pilloud confirmed that while the cause is under investigation, officials have ruled out terrorism. A no-fly zone has been established over the area to facilitate recovery efforts and forensic identification.
As the sun rose over the Valais Alps, images from the scene revealed the grim aftermath: a charred building skeleton, its furniture and debris destroyed. For now, the glamorous streets of Crans-Montana remain cordoned off as investigators begin the grim task of identifying the victims and returning them to their families.

Fire In Bar At Swiss Ski Resort Of Crans-Montana Kills Dozens

Tragedy In The Alps: Dozens Presumed Dead In Swiss Ski Resort Fire At New Year’s Party

Ski Resort

A gas explosion followed by a partial collapse of the building resulted in a number of people being trapped inside a Pennsylvania nursing home on Tuesday afternoon.
The explosion and subsequent fire took place at Silverlake Nursing Home in Bristol Township, Bucks County — which is near Philadelphia — and first responders rushed to the scene.
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More photos from the Silver Lake Nursing Home gas explosion in Bristol Pennsylvania
There are multiple injuries and the fire is not yet contained <a href="https://t.co/ekI7gvnlw3">pic.twitter.com/ekI7gvnlw3</a>
— PhillyCrimeUpdate (@PhillyCrimeUpd) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhillyCrimeUpd/status/2003568450044854637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bucks County officials told The Associated Press that they were first notified that there had been an explosion at the facility shortly after 2 p.m. local time. Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Ruth Miller told the outlet they were also informed at that time that a portion of the building had collapsed and that an unknown number of people could still be trapped inside.
ABC News posted video of the fire that continues to burn on site, reporting that police have declared a &#8220;mass casualty incident&#8221; and have asked people to &#8220;avoid the area.&#8221;
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BREAKING: A massive fire has erupted at a nursing home in eastern PA following a possible gas explosion, officials said.
Police described it as a &#8220;mass casualty incident&#8221; at the Silver Lake Nursing Home and asked people to avoid the area in Bristol.<a href="https://t.co/EN9IPJbJGe">https://t.co/EN9IPJbJGe</a> <a href="https://t.co/JQDFwUDD03">pic.twitter.com/JQDFwUDD03</a>
— ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/2003575069897843081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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State Rep. Tina Davis, who represents the area including the Silver Lake facility, said that she approached the area in her car, but held back to avoid getting in the way of those working the scene: &#8220;I saw smoke and I saw car after car after car was a fire truck or ambulance from all over the city, from all over.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s just so sad — it’s that hopeful time of year. This is just something that is sad for everybody and the families and the workers that are there. I hope there’s positive results from this. We don’t know at this point,&#8221; Davis said.
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Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) addressed the tragedy in a <a href="https://x.com/GovernorShapiro/status/2003571868805062736">post on X</a>, saying, &#8220;I’ve been briefed on the incident at Silver Lake Nursing Home in Bucks County, and my Administration is in contact with local officials and first responders on the ground. @PEMAHQ and @PAStatePolice have offered their full support and any resources needed. The scene is still active, and folks nearby should follow the direction of local authorities. Please join Lori and me in praying for the Bristol community.&#8221;
The Silver Lake facility gets poor ratings from <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/details/nursing-home/395258?city=Bristol&amp;state=PA&amp;zipcode=">Medicare</a> overall, but no citations were issued when a routine fire inspection was done in 2024. A state level inspection done in October found several issues, however, including the absence of a Life Safety Code Floor Plan — a detailed map of the facility that shows the exact locations of exits and fire and smoke barriers.

Firefighters and a hose in front of a fire engine

Gas Explosion Leaves People Trapped Inside Pennsylvania Nursing Home

Explosion

Nursing Homes

Pennsylvania

A man who expressed anti-Israel views and called Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro a “monster” pleaded guilty to all charges on Tuesday morning after firebombing the Governor’s Residence in April.
Cody Balmer, 38, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted homicide and terrorism, along with dozens of arson-related charges, The Philadelphia Inquirer <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/crime/cody-balmer-arson-guilty-plea-josh-shapiro-mansion-fire-20251014.html">reported</a>. Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.
Balmer scaled the property fence and broke into the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence at around 2:00 a.m. on April 13, shortly after Shapiro — who is Jewish — finished celebrating Passover with his family. The arsonist lit multiple homemade incendiary devices and threw them on the floor inside the home as Shapiro and his family slept, security footage shows. Balmer then fled the property.
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Video inside Gov. Shapiro&#8217;s residence shows the moments Cody Balmer threw Molotov Cocktails inside the residence earlier this year
More details on <a href="https://t.co/7vlW67ZTdM">https://t.co/7vlW67ZTdM</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZKWrn5LQqm">https://t.co/ZKWrn5LQqm</a> <a href="https://t.co/scIl39YPYH">pic.twitter.com/scIl39YPYH</a>
— abc27 News (@abc27News) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc27News/status/1978097948140388429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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After the blaze erupted, the governor and his family were awakened by state troopers and escaped unharmed. The fire damaged much of the home, costing more than $7 million to repair, the Inquirer reported.
Hours after he set the fire, Balmer called police and admitted to the attack, saying that he would not “take part in [Shapiro’s] plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arsonist-arrested-for-attack-on-josh-shapiro-hated-israel-911-call-reveals">reported</a>. Balmer told authorities that he strongly disagreed with Shapiro’s stance on the war between Israel and Hamas and admitted that he would have beaten Shapiro with a hammer if he had encountered the governor during his rampage, according to police documents.
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Balmer had past run-ins with law enforcement, and his mother said that he is “mentally ill and he went off his medication.” In 2023, police responded to a call from Balmer’s home, and he reportedly told police that he attempted suicide with a “bottle full of pills” and got into a fight with his wife and 13-year-old son. His wife alleged that Balmer hit the teenager and punched her in the face and bit her. He was charged with three counts of simple assault at the time.
Last year, as Shapiro was on the shortlist of potential running mates for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the governor faced intense criticism from many on the Left for his stance on the war in Gaza. Harris ultimately skipped over Shapiro and selected Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz. Shapiro maintained that he was not passed over due to any form of antisemitism within the party.
Balmer’s social media activity shows that he expressed a range of leftist beliefs, while also criticizing former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/14/us-news/cody-balmer-suspected-josh-shapiro-arsonist-pictured/">reported</a>. Leftist media personalities like Don Lemon and Joe Scarborough <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-the-attack-on-democrat-josh-shapiros-house-is-not-an-example-of-maga-violence">attempted</a> to spin Balmer’s attack as an example of Right-wing violence.

Josh Shapiro

Anti-Israel Man Pleads Guilty After Terrorizing Pennsylvania Governor’s Home

anti-Israel

Arson

Crime

Israel

Politics

Federal officials on Wednesday announced the arrest of a man accused of deliberately sparking the deadly blaze that devastated Pacific Palisades, California, in January.
The Justice Department and the Los Angeles Police Department said at a press conference that 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of Melbourne, Florida, started the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Day. The Lachman Fire eventually became the Palisades Fire after it was rekindled by severe winds a week later. In the federal criminal complaint, Rinderknecht is charged with maliciously starting the fire that eventually “burned down the Palisades,” according to Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
If convicted on that charge, Rinderknecht faces up to 20 years in prison. However, Essayli stated that authorities have not yet determined all the charges that Rinderknecht will face, and more charges will likely be presented to a federal grand jury.
Essayli said that Rinderknecht, an Uber driver, was in Pacific Palisades late on New Year’s Eve after working throughout the evening. Rinderknecht allegedly got out of his car and walked up a trail to a nearby hilltop, where he recorded videos and listened to a rap song. The song was accompanied by a music video that showed objects being set on fire, according to Essayli.
“Twelve minutes into the new year, environmental sensing platforms indicated that a fire had started. It took the defendant several tries to contact 911 to report the fire,” Essayli said. “He fled the scene in his car, but turned around after passing fire engines driving in the opposite direction to fight the fire. While the Lachman Fire burned, the defendant walked up the same trail from earlier that night to watch the fire and firefighters, using his iPhone to take short videos of the scene.”
The U.S. attorney added that while firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze, the fire continued to smolder underground “within the root structure of the dense vegetation” and was rekindled by heavy winds on January 7, “causing what became known as the Palisades Fire.”
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Rinderknecht was questioned by law enforcement on January 24 and is accused of lying to investigators about where he was when he first saw the Lachman Fire. Rinderknecht claimed that he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, but geo-location data from his 911 call revealed that he was standing “above the fire in a clearing nearly 30 feet from the blaze as it rapidly grew,” Essayli said.
Some of Rinderknecht’s passengers on New Year’s Eve told investigators that the suspect appeared agitated before he dropped them off. Essayli also pointed to images the suspect allegedly generated on the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT that showed a burning city. The suspect allegedly generated the image in the months leading up to the fire.
Charging documents contained snippets of a conversation Rinderknecht had with ChatGPT, in which he reportedly said, &#8220;I am 28 years old. And … I basically … This just happened. Maybe like … I don’t know, maybe like 3 months ago or something. Like, the realization of all this. I literally burnt the Bible that I had. It felt amazing. I felt so liberated.&#8221;
They also included the prompt that Rinderknecht allegedly entered on July 11, 2024, to create the image:
<blockquote>“A dystopian painting divided into distinct parts that blend together seamlessly. On the far left, there is a burning forest. Next to it, a crowd of people is running away from the fire, leading to the middle. In the middle, hundreds of thousands of people in poverty are trying to get past a gigantic gate with a big dollar sign on it. On the other side of the gate and the entire wall is a conglomerate of the richest people. They are chilling, watching the world burn down, and watching the people struggle. They are laughing, enjoying themselves, and dancing. The scene is detailed and impactful, highlighting the stark contrast and the direct connection between the different parts of the world.”</blockquote>
Rinderknecht was arrested in Florida, where he was most recently living, but was living in Pacific Palisades at the time of the fire. Essayli stated that Rinderknecht has no criminal history, and authorities did not disclose their belief regarding Rinderknecht’s motive, adding that it would be addressed in court.
Rinderknecht is scheduled to appear in the U.S. District Court in Orlando at 1:30 ET on Wednesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today we are announcing the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January. 
⁰The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht&#8217;s started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year&#8217;s Day &#8211;… <a href="https://t.co/UzrFa0Lmrz">pic.twitter.com/UzrFa0Lmrz</a>
— Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyEssayli/status/1975954598201536880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Palisades Fire ripped through the Los Angeles neighborhood on January 7, killing 12 people and destroying thousands of homes. It was one of multiple devastating fires that ripped through Los Angeles County in January. The Eaton Fire, about 15 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles in Altadena, was the most destructive blaze, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 buildings. The cause of the Eaton Fire is still being investigated.

Palisades Fire

Suspect In Palisades Fire Linked To Strange AI Images, ChatGPT Queries

Arson Suspect Nabbed For Setting Catastrophic Palisades Fire In California

Department of Justice

Los Angeles Fires

wildfire

Wildfires

The former Los Angeles fire chief, who was fired by Democratic Mayor Karen Bass in February after the deadly Palisades fire raged for weeks, filed a legal claim against the city on Wednesday, accusing Bass of orchestrating a &#8220;defamation and retaliation campaign&#8221; to save her political image.
Ex-fire chief Kristin Crowley said that Bass “orchestrated a campaign of misinformation, defamation, and retaliation” in an effort to move the spotlight off of herself, &#8220;while concealing the extent to which she undermined public safety,” the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-08-20/former-los-angeles-fire-chief-accuses-mayor-bass-of-defamation">reported</a>. Crowley&#8217;s legal claim noted that Bass was taking the brunt of the criticism over her decision to leave the country and attend a ceremony in Ghana when the fire first broke out.
“As the Fire Chief, for nearly three years, I advocated for the proper funding, staffing and infrastructure upgrades to better support and protect our Firefighters, and by extension, our communities,” Crowley told the Times. “The lies, deceit, exaggerations and misrepresentations need to be addressed with the only thing that can refute them — the true facts.”
California requires a legal claim to be filed before a lawsuit against a government entity, according to the Times.
The rift between Crowley and Bass began after the former fire chief blamed the mayor&#8217;s $17.5 million cuts to the L.A. fire department&#8217;s budget, while Bass said that Crowley sent 1,000 firefighters home before the Pacific Palisades fire broke out, despite the drought conditions and high winds creating a high-risk fire environment. Twelve people died in the Pacific Palisades fire, and around 7,000 homes were destroyed.
A month before the fire broke out, Crowley <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/l-a-fire-chief-warned-democrat-mayor-bass-budget-cuts-severely-limited-fire-response">wrote</a> in a memo that the budget cuts “severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires.”
In the legal claim, Crowley&#8217;s lawyers said that Bass “initially praised the department’s preparedness” after fire crews responded to the fire.
“But as criticism mounted over her absence, Bass reversed course,” the legal claim added. “She sought to shift blame to Crowley, falsely stating that Bass was not aware of the nationally anticipated weather event, that Crowley sent 1,000 firefighters home who could have fought the blaze, and misrepresenting the department’s budget.”
The claim also stated that the “LAFD did not have sufficient operating emergency vehicles to safely and effectively pre-deploy 1,000 (or anywhere near 1,000) additional firefighters on January 7.” Bass accused Crowley of allowing 40 available engines to sit &#8220;idle&#8221; before the fire erupted, but the ex-fire chief&#8217;s lawyers are pushing back against that claim too, saying that “the LAFD staffed all its front-line fire engines (including all the 40 engines that Bass later falsely stated sat ‘idle’).”
Bass reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/la-fire-chief-reportedly-called-to-mayors-office-to-be-fired-heres-what-we-know">summoned</a> Crowley to her office on January 10, and Crowley expected to be fired during that meeting. The fire chief, however, wasn&#8217;t ousted until February 21, six weeks after the Pacific Palisades fire was finally extinguished. During the January 10 meeting, Crowley&#8217;s lawyers claimed that Bass chewed her out for complaining about the fire department&#8217;s funding. Bass allegedly told her, “I don’t know why you had to do that; normally we are on the same page, and I don’t know why you had to say stuff to the media.&#8221;
Bass also said that Crowley refused to conduct an after-action report after she was ordered to, but Crowley&#8217;s lawyers insisted that she was only asked about an after-action report and never instructed to produce one. During the back-and-forth with Bass, Crowley was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/los-angeles-fire-chief-axed-by-mayor-bass">defended</a> by the 3,000-member L.A. firefighter union, which stated, &#8220;While we haven’t agreed on everything, you’ve been the only fire chief in decades to repeatedly demand adequate resources.&#8221;

LA Press Conference

Axed L.A. Fire Chief Accuses Mayor Of ‘Retaliation Campaign’ To Save Face After Deadly Fire

Karen Bass

Los Angeles Fire Department

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