President Donald Trump on Friday blamed Canada for sending wildfire smoke into the United States and said the costs associated with the pollution &#8220;must of necessity be added&#8221; to tariffs on Canadian imports.
In a Truth Social post, Trump accused Canada of &#8220;willful negligence,&#8221; saying America is &#8220;being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air.&#8221; The president said he planned to call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later Friday to figure out a solution.
&#8220;Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116936952365066409">wrote</a>. &#8220;This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s post comes as hundreds of Canadian wildfires sent smoke south, leading to air quality advisories for more than 100 million Americans in 18 states and Washington, D.C. Images of hazy, gray skies across much of the Midwest and Northeast flooded social media, blurring skylines, reducing visibility, and triggering some outdoor cancellations.
Nearly <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/canada-wildfire-smoke-response-d0d3613a">900 wildfires</a> are burning across Canada, forcing evacuations and threatening remote communities after a major wave of blazes erupted over the past two weeks.
The hardest-hit U.S. cities have been in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, including Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Cleveland, where Major League Baseball <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-pirates-guardians-0a1b831efa3f58d79e560a4e867d83dd?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">postponed</a> Friday night&#8217;s Guardians-Pittsburgh Pirates game after the air quality reached the &#8220;very unhealthy&#8221; category. The smoke has also raised questions about Sunday&#8217;s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
&#8220;We want to be safe for our players,&#8221; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. &#8220;We want to make sure that it&#8217;s not too smoky and obviously for the fans as well. It&#8217;s just not safe to be out in that environment if it&#8217;s not playable.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Where did Lake Erie go? <a href="https://t.co/C1y4rFLYVg">pic.twitter.com/C1y4rFLYVg</a>
— News 5 Cleveland (@WEWS) <a href="https://x.com/WEWS/status/2078096444032987502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As of Friday evening, Prime Minister Carney had not publicly responded to Trump&#8217;s comments or tariff threat. Canada is already subject to multiple rounds of tariffs from the Trump administration. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has pushed back against Trump&#8217;s trade agenda, fired back.
&#8220;If there&#8217;s some politicians out there chirping away, well maybe what you should do rather than complain, is send support, send help, because we have done the exact same thing for our American friends,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/us-complaints-trump-widlfire-smoke-9.7274466">said</a>.

Chicago, July 17, 2026

Trump Says America Is Being ‘Unnecessarily Invaded’ By Canadian Wildfire Smoke

Canada

Donald Trump

Environment

Executive

Mark Carney

Tariffs

Wildfires

When President Donald Trump floated the idea of Canada becoming our 51st state, the Left lost its collective mind on both sides of the border.
A group of Democratic House members <a href="https://democrats-foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=C44F2297-5A45-49AB-806B-D587082D0739&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">warned</a> that the president’s rhetoric threatens to leave us alone to face other challenges we cannot overcome on our own. U.S. Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA) <a href="https://lindasanchez.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sanchez-delivers-remarks-house-floor-canada-tariffs-vote">denounced</a> the “childish threats” as “certainly not strategic.&#8221; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/world/canada/carney-trump-canada-speech.html">declared,</a> “Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”
Fast forward to the present day, and hazardous smoke from over 800 Canadian wildfires is billowing across American skies. As of Friday, air quality alerts were in effect <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/at-least-17-states-under-air-quality-alerts-as-canadian-wildfire-smoke-spreads-in-the-midwest-and-northeast-raising-questions-about-the-world-cup-final-184707666.html">across at least 17 states,</a> imperiling the health of more than 125 million Americans. On a scale of 0 to 500, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/weather/what-to-know-canada-wildfires-smoke.html">the air quality rating eclipsed 800</a> in Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday night.
Funny, the chorus of warnings from the Left about reckless behavior has gone quiet. So much for “challenges we cannot overcome on our own.”
These fires are not new, and neither are the consequences. In 2023, Canadian wildfires <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c703nzl25ypo">emitted more carbon</a> (647 million metric tons) than the annual output of all but three countries worldwide.
How does this keep happening, and who is to blame?
The Left, as they are wont to do for almost anything, points the finger at climate change. In 2023, Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1666534710720315392">declared</a>, “These Canadian wildfires are truly unprecedented, and climate change continues to make these disasters worse. We passed the Inflation Reduction Act to fight climate change, and we must do more to speed our transition to cleaner energy and reduce carbon in the atmosphere.”
In early 2025, while fires in California <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Los-Angeles-wildfires-of-2025">were claiming 30 lives</a>, forcing more than 180,000 people to flee their homes and costing an estimated $100 billion in damage, California Governor Gavin Newsom <a href="https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/1882904964403511556">told</a> his constituents that “climate change is here and it is real.”
Schumer and Newsom are right. Climate change is the cause of these fires. Only not in the way they are suggesting.
Just as the threat of “carbon emissions” has been used to justify sweeping changes to the American way of life (Barack Obama’s attempt to ban coal, Newsom’s efforts to eliminate gas-powered vehicles, Biden’s IRA boondoggle), the Canadians have used it to mismanage their forests. <a href="https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/forestry">Roughly 38%</a> of Canada’s land consists of forest, significantly more than the U.S, and <a href="https://natural-resources.canada.ca/forests-forestry/sustainable-forest-management/forest-land-ownership">94%</a> of those forests are publicly owned.
On its <a href="https://natural-resources.canada.ca/forests-forestry/sustainable-forest-management/canada-s-forest-laws?utm_source=chatgpt.com">government website</a>, Canada proudly declares its “forest laws are among the strictest in the world,” adding, “by law, forest management plans must be approved before harvesting starts.”
For the last decade-plus, Canada’s government has been run by leftists, first Justin Trudeau, who was succeeded by Carney in 2025. During his tenure, Trudeau repeatedly downplayed forest management, denouncing an “attack on experts, and on science” in favor of his preferred villain of the climate polluters.
In one 2024 House of Commons debate over <a href="https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/House/441/Debates/347/HAN347-E.PDF?utm_source=chatgpt.com">forest management</a>, Trudeau intoned that, “if we do not act in fighting against climate change with everything we have, then there will be no economy of the future.”
Forget about the economy of the future. These fires threaten Canada’s very existence today.
When the government fails to manage the forests, the consequences are steep. When forests are unmanaged and unattended, they burn.
Long after these fires are extinguished and the air returns to normal, the dangerous mentality of the climate cult will persist on both sides of the border.
Even after all his state has been through, Newsom, one of the Democratic Party’s wannabe standard-bearers, <a href="https://usclimatealliance.org/press-releases/alliance-statement-on-epa-endangerment-finding-repeal-feb-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">is still claiming</a>, “greenhouse gases cause climate change and endanger our communities and our health.”
Never mind the children, pregnant women, and those with respiratory conditions in our country today, who are worried about the air they are breathing.
Climate change is the linchpin excuse for failed government. Remember that the next time Gavin Newsom comes after your gas car. Or New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urges you to set your air conditioning at 78 degrees during a heatwave. Or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that <a href="https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-presses-epa-assistant-administrator-kramer-jeopardizing-clean">data centers are dirty</a>.
The real threat is the failure of leadership. That failure can be deadly, and the symptoms manifest themselves in different ways, but the cause is rooted in climate politics. Given their current plight, perhaps it’s a blessing that Canada did not become our 51st state after all.
***
Daniel Turner is the founder and executive director of Power The Future, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for American energy jobs. He also runs a sheep and cattle farm in rural Virginia.  Contact him at daniel@powerthefuture.com and follow him on Twitter @DanielTurnerPTF

“Extreme” Santa Ana Winds Spark New Wildfires In Southern California

Blame Canada For Their Dumb Hot Wildfires

Climate Change

DW Opinion

Forest Managment

Justin Trudeau

Heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires is predicted to spread across the United States from Wednesday to Friday, causing potential air pollution that could impact 100 million people. 
The hazy smoke from wildfires — still blazing in western Ontario and northern Minnesota on Tuesday — is forecast to drift toward the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/07/15/wildfire-smoke-canada-will-soon-spread-across-midwest-northeast/">according</a> to The Washington Post. The conditions are set to decline through the end of this week as smoke mixed with little wind and high heat in the East creates a heat dome.
The air quality conditions in eastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and most of Michigan are expected to worsen on Wednesday, according to The Post.
“It is recommended that, when possible, you avoid strenuous outdoor activities, especially those with heart disease and respiratory conditions like asthma,” said an air quality alert from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. “Keep windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors and, if possible, run central air conditioning with MERV-13 or higher rated filters.”
On Wednesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration smoke modeling showed deterioration in air quality conditions in several cities:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Buffalo, Binghamton, Poughkeepsie, and New York City, New York</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Hartford, Danbury, and New Haven, Connecticut</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Providence, Rhode Island</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Scranton, Pennsylvania</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Newark, New Jersey</li>
</ul>
By Wednesday night, the smoke is predicted to travel south and east towards Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. — and then to Boston by Thursday morning. Wind currents are set to blow the smoke, in fluctuating intensities, around the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic through Friday. On Saturday, a shift in winds may potentially blow the smoke away, reported The Post.
As of now, eastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, Michigan, and western New York are closer to the fires and are most at risk for high smoke concentrations and air quality alerts, according to The Post.
The smoke is mainly from a dozen large wildfires raging across western Ontario. Late on Tuesday, the biggest fire located in Wabakimi Provincial Park expanded to over 130,000 acres, stretching to the north coast of Lake Superior about 135 miles, The Post reported. 
Multiple Minnesota wildfires, which were discovered on July 7 after a major lightning storm, are also contributing to the hazy skies. The two largest fires were named the Thumb Fire and the Bear Trap Fire, which are blazing across 14,500 and 13,500 acres of land, and have spurred evacuations and wilderness closures. 
Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) <a href="https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/759754">released</a> a statement on July 12, declaring a peacetime emergency and mobilizing the National Guard to aid with the wildfire response, which is “putting local communities at risk.”
“This emergency declaration allows for the mobilization of additional resources necessary to protect lives, prevent damage, and help the Minnesota [Department of Natural Resources] and our local communities respond,” Walz said.
On Wednesday and Thursday, dry weather is anticipated in scorched areas, but weather predictions for Friday show a possibility of scattered rain and thunderstorms. 
These conditions are being compared to those during Quebec’s wildfires in June of 2023, when smoke settled along the east coast and New York’s sky took on an orange tint. Their air quality peaked at a value of 465, which is the most hazardous level on record, reported The Post.
“At this time, current forecasts do not indicate a repeat of 2023 conditions,” the New York City Emergency Management wrote in a <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/em/about/press-releases/20260715_pr-NYCEM-Smoke-From-Canadian-Wildfires-May-Affect-NYC-Air-Quality.page">statement</a> on Tuesday. The NYCEM added that the smoke and high heat on Wednesday would produce “environmental health challenges.” 
“To protect the health of New Yorkers, especially those at greatest risk, free KN95 masks are available at public library branches across the five boroughs,” said the statement.

100 Million Americans Could Soon Face Smoky Skies Thanks To Canada

Tim Walz

Public safety agencies across the United States will deploy drones to spot illegal fireworks during Fourth of July celebrations, thanks to new federal rules that accelerated drone-based enforcement.
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) loosened regulations, allowing cities and counties to launch Drone as First Responder (DFR) initiatives more quickly by cutting bureaucratic red tape. That change led to an increase in the number of policing organizations implementing DFR programs, jumping from 50 to an estimated 1,500 nationwide. The rapid expansion reflects how drone-based enforcement has become a national trend, not only for monitoring illegal fireworks but also for emergency response, crowd management, and search-and-rescue operations.
While some cities have used drones to monitor fireworks for years, this is the first July 4th holiday where aerial enforcement is widespread.
California has been one of the most aggressive adopters, largely because of the extreme risk of wildfires and the prevalence of illegal pyrotechnics. Several cities, including San Jose, Sacramento, and Riverside, are deploying aerial enforcement units specifically to monitor fireworks this holiday weekend. Other western states with similar wildfire risks, including Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, have also adopted unmanned aircraft operations teams. First responders say drones help them detect and respond to fires quickly, especially in wooded areas and during the dry summer months.
The Wheat Ridge Police Department in Colorado has relied on drones to monitor illegal fireworks since 2024, and the Riverside Police Department began using them last year. The drones can capture footage to be used for citations and prosecutions, according to a spokesman.
“This has been a spectacular tool for us to identify those who obviously make the decision to not follow the rules and be unsafe,” Det. Steven Espinosa, public information officer for the Riverside PD, told the Los Angeles Times.
The growing use of DFR programs has raised some privacy concerns, but law enforcement says the technology is deployed only in response to specific calls, not for general surveillance. With thousands of law enforcement agencies now equipped with drones, this year’s Fourth of July could mark a turning point in how cities enforce fireworks laws and how Americans celebrate the holiday.

GettyImages-1241718780

This Fourth of July, The Sky May Be Watching Back

4th of July

Crime

Drones

Fourth of July

Police

U.S.

<div>
A <a href="https://apnews.com/article/palisades-fire-trial-los-angeles-california-rinderknecht-arson-62699af71cf549d569709353c5c5b464">dramatic mistrial</a> rocked a Los Angeles federal courtroom Friday when jurors threw up their hands in the scorching arson case against the man accused of igniting the deadliest wildfire in California history — and prosecutors are already promising round two.
</div>
<div>
U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang pulled the plug on the trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver charged with torching what became the catastrophic January 2025 Palisades Fire, after jurors spent 13 agonizing hours over two days going nowhere fast. The panel fractured 10-2 in favor of walking the guy — leaving prosecutors fuming and victims of the <a href="https://www.redfin.com/news/los-angeles-wildfires/">$51.7 billion disaster</a> stunned.
</div>
<div>
&#8220;We have people on both sides that are dead set,&#8221; the deadlocked jurors wrote, telling the judge that no amount of extra time or re-read testimony would budge anyone. Hwang agreed, ruling that forcing further deliberations would amount to coercing the two holdout jurors pushing for conviction.
</div>
<div>
Defense attorney Steve Haney called the lopsided tally a &#8220;pretty resounding indication&#8221; his client is innocent. But First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wasn&#8217;t buying a word of it, vowing to drag Rinderknecht back into court before a fresh jury and secure guilty verdicts on all three felony counts — arson, malicious destruction by fire, and timber set afire.
</div>
<div>
The prosecution had painted a vivid portrait of a rage-fueled young man seething over wealth inequality who allegedly sparked a brush fire on New Year&#8217;s Day 2025 in the ritzy Pacific Palisades hills. Their theory: the blaze smoldered underground for a full week before explosive Santa Ana winds — gusting up to 90 mph — transformed those buried embers into an unstoppable inferno on January 7. The resulting catastrophe <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-year-after-the-la-wildfire-disaster-key-numbers-show-how-it-unfolded-and-the-toll-left-behind#:~:text=31%20lives,12%20in%20the%20Palisades%20Fire.">killed</a> 12 people, incinerated more than 6,800 structures from the Palisades to Malibu, and burned for over a month before firefighters finally got it under control.
</div>
<div>
Prosecutors leaned hard on Rinderknecht&#8217;s digital footprint — ChatGPT diary entries dripping with class resentment, Reddit searches for &#8220;lets kill all the billionaires,&#8221; and even a look-up of a tech CEO&#8217;s home address. An ATF agent testified that Rinderknecht&#8217;s own account of his movements that night contradicted his phone&#8217;s location data.
</div>
<div>
The defense countered that not a shred of physical evidence put a lighter in their client&#8217;s hand. They argued fireworks — not Rinderknecht — ignited the initial blaze, with witnesses recalling teenagers sprinting down a nearby trail that night. And they hammered home a simple point: their client called 911 more than a dozen times and stuck around to watch firefighters work.
</div>
<div>
&#8220;No arsonist sets a fire and then calls 911 to put it out,&#8221; Haney told jurors.
</div>
<div>
Apparently, 10 of them agreed. The fight, however, is far from over.
</div>

Firefighters continue battling Palisades fire in Los Angeles as flames rage out of control

Burned By The Jury: $51B Palisades Fire Trial Goes Up In Smoke

California

mistrial

Palisades Fire

The political climate in California is changing. The Golden State is seemingly on the cusp of a red wave in the Los Angeles mayoral and statewide gubernatorial races. Californians’ deep <a href="https://www.ppic.org/blog/wildfires-are-a-top-concern-for-californians/">concern about the prevalence</a> of high-intensity wildfires plaguing their state is a major reason why.
I previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/america-is-next-for-newsoms-failing-policy-experiments">argued</a> that Governor Gavin Newsom treated California as a policy laboratory for all kinds of radical regulatory experimentation and that the results were overwhelmingly negative. Now there are signs of a state-wide reckoning.
Polling indicates that California residents could put an end to the toxic mix of harmful policies crafted or enforced by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Newsom.
The L.A. mayoral race has put this dynamic on full display. Former reality TV star and political outsider Spencer Pratt has made the Palisades Fire, which occurred under Bass’s watch, a central issue in the race. That fire, started by a deranged arsonist, caused damages <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/01/22/3013659/0/en/Verisk-Estimates-Industry-Insured-Losses-for-the-Palisades-and-Eaton-Fires-Will-Fall-Between-USD-28-Billion-and-USD-35-Billion.html">estimated</a> at over $28 billion and killed dozens of people. Bass’s team oversaw a response that policy experts have <a href="https://www.hoover.org/research/could-palisades-fire-have-been-prevented-perhaps-cost-nearly-zero">criticized</a> as inadequate. At the time, the Washington Post editorial board argued that Bass’s city government “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/02/06/los-angeles-fires-karen-bass-lafd/">badly mishandled</a>” the response, and, perhaps worse, that Bass tried to sweep evidence of her bungled response under the rug.
Though it happened over a year ago, Spencer Pratt is not letting Bass off the hook for her role in the fire, which affected him personally. “If they didn’t burn my house down, I wouldn’t be running for mayor,” Pratt has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=3doY2QVesH0YvxAa&amp;v=6DUhu_naEFY&amp;feature=youtu.be">said</a>. That strategy is working for Pratt. While still slightly trailing Bass in recent <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/california-2026-poll-becerra-continues-to-surge-steyer-and-hilton-compete-for-second-spot/">polls</a>, Pratt is slated to face Bass in a runoff election in November.
Bass blamed climate change for the fires, which is no excuse for negligence. In fact, if Bass believes climate change is exacerbating wildfire risk, that arguably casts her in a worse light. If she believed that fires are now more likely to occur, due to climate change or any other reason, her decision to <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/08/us-news/la-mayor-karen-bass-cut-fire-department-funding-by-17-6m/">drastically reduce</a> the L.A. Fire Department budget by $17 million before the fire was especially inexcusable.
Bass not only refused to accept accountability but also attempted a cover-up. Bass reportedly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/02/06/los-angeles-fires-karen-bass-lafd/">altered</a> an after-action report to downplay the role of poor political decisions in the fire’s impact. The original report, much of which Bass reportedly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/02/06/los-angeles-fires-karen-bass-lafd/">quashed</a>, may have discussed the reservoir <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-10/as-flames-raged-in-palisades-a-key-reservoir-nearby-was-offline">drained ahead of the fire</a> that could have supplied 117 million gallons of water, and the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-21/lafds-failure-to-pre-deploy-before-palisades-fire-a-times-investigation?utm_source=chatgpt.com">insufficient availability</a> of firefighters.
Solely focusing on Bass, though, misses the larger point: In California, ideologically driven leftist policies have prioritized environmental regulations over brush-clearing measures. Faster vegetation growth translates to higher fire risk.
Californians know this, but they have long faced an uphill battle in clearing brush from public land. As a general rule, California <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/climate-environment/how-l-a-bureaucracy-made-it-harder-to-clear-flammable-brush-683f953e?mod=djem10point&amp;ref=pitchstonewaters.com">doesn’t clear brush</a> from public lands for environmental reasons, and residents must apply for a permit to do so — a lengthy and cumbersome process.
This is what happened in the Palisades Fire. Having not been cleared from public lands abutting residential areas, brush plants, which are evolutionarily engineered to burn, <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/how-policy-decisions-exacerbated-the-devastating-los-angeles-wildfires/">contributed</a> to the fire’s rapid spread.
Californians know that politicians are at least partly to blame for mismanagement and poor policymaking that <a href="https://calmatters.org/environment/wildfires/2025/01/la-county-fires-wildland-urban-interface/#:~:text=The%20fire%20damaged%20or%20destroyed,a%20wildfire%20engulfs%20the%20neighborhood.">cost</a> over 20,000 of them their homes in the most recent major bout of wildfires in early 2025.
That is why Democrats are at risk of losing their grip on power in California at the gubernatorial level, too. Republican candidate Steve Hilton is surging in polls among Californians and could be the first Republican elected governor of California in two decades.
Hilton is not tiptoeing around challenging fire prevention issues. To the contrary, he is leaning in with ambitious <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/26/us-news/steve-hiltons-plan-for-first-100-days-if-elected-california-governor-is-wild/">proposals</a> to use remote sensing technology and drones to detect and stop fires before they spread out of control.
At the same time, Hilton has condemned California officials for putting ideology before people. Hilton has <a href="https://www.congress.gov/119/meeting/house/117864/witnesses/HHRG-119-JU05-Wstate-HiltonS-20250206.pdf">noted</a>, “the California Coastal Commission also blocked fire prevention and mitigation measures in the exact hills that just burned, in order to protect a few thousand specimens of the Braunton’s milkvetch shrub.” He also got Californians’ attention, with his <a href="https://www.congress.gov/event/119th-congress/house-event/LC74115/text">claim</a> that the L.A. wildfires were “not a natural disaster” but rather “a man-made disaster.” Thanks to common sense axioms like these, he is currently the <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/30/republicans-get-surprise-opening-california-governors-race/">frontrunner</a> in the race, much to the chagrin and surprise of California’s Democratic establishment.
California is a solid blue state and has been for many years. A red wave there would mean a red wave could be possible anywhere. And apocalyptic scenes of wildfires, the most salient and striking example of policy failure in that state, are getting voters’ attention like never before.
***
Sydney Rodman is a visiting fellow with the Independent Women’s Center for Energy and Conservation.

Palisades fire

Don’t Overlook The Heat Source Behind California’s Red Wave

California Elections

Gavin Newsom

Karen Bass

Spencer Pratt

Clinton Adams, a prominent social media influencer and hip-hop artist known to his hundreds of thousands of followers as “Clintnlord,” has been <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/us-news/sick-influencer-learns-fate-after-raping-women-in-fire-damaged-palisades-mansion-he-pretended-to-own/">sentenced</a> to eight years in state prison. The sentencing follows a harrowing series of events in which Adams lured women to a smoke-damaged, evacuated mansion in Pacific Palisades and sexually assaulted them.
Adams, 32, pleaded no contest to the charges after a legal saga that began with his arrest in late 2025. The Northridge resident, who boasted over 400,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, leveraged his digital persona and a $5.3 million Mediterranean-style villa to deceive his victims. While Adams claimed to own the luxury four-bedroom residence, the ocean-view property had actually been abandoned by its rightful owners due to smoke damage from the devastating January 2025 wildfires.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sick influencer learns fate after raping women in fire-damaged Palisades mansion he pretended to own <a href="https://t.co/Hv9fLCoO4W">https://t.co/Hv9fLCoO4W</a> <a href="https://t.co/K9HyvhP10e">pic.twitter.com/K9HyvhP10e</a>
&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2045123186996453589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After Adams&#8217; arrest, District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman <a href="https://lacounty.gov/2025/12/09/influencer-facing-felony-rape-charges-in-sexual-assault-of-two-women-additional-victims-sought/#:~:text=His%20preliminary%20hearing%20setting%20is,to%20life%20in%20state%20prison.">stated</a>, “These allegations describe predatory attacks carried out in an area still affected by the aftermath of the January wildfires. Taking advantage of a historic disaster and causing severe harm to two women is despicable.&#8221;
Court records and graphic testimony paint a predatory picture of Adams’ actions during the summer of 2025. In one instance occurring in June, a victim testified that after a night of partying, Adams pinned her down in a room at the mansion. Despite her repeated pleas for him to stop, Adams allegedly placed a hand on her neck to prevent her from screaming before raping her. The victim eventually escaped the home barefoot and sought treatment at UCLA Medical Center.
A second assault allegedly took place in August 2025. A woman testified that Adams approached her on a Santa Monica street, claiming to be in the fashion industry. He invited her to the Palisades property under the guise of watching movies, only to violently assault her in a bedroom.
Adams was originally charged with three felony counts of forcible rape and one count of assault with intent to commit rape. Although he initially pleaded not guilty and faced a potential sentence of 90 years to life, the no-contest plea resulted in the eight-year term.

Wildfires tear through Los Angeles

Hip-Hop Influencer Who Committed Heinous Crimes In Abandoned Palisades Mansion Learns Fate

influencer

Rape

Reality star Spencer Pratt announced that he will be running for mayor of Los Angeles on the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire.
The Republican and former star of “The Hills” has been critical of local Democrats for their actions before and after the fires. Pratt and his wife, Heidi Montag, and his parents all lost their homes.
The TV personality made the announcement while speaking at the “They Let Us Burn” rally, which was organized by residents who lost property. “All of this was preventable,” he said. “We are standing here amongst the ashes of our once beautiful town because the state and local leaders let us burn.”
Pratt blamed California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom for allowing brush to grow wild without management or controlled burns. He also called out the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power CEO Janisse Quiñones and the Los Angeles Fire Department for their poor responses, saying the LAFD’s failure could “be due to lack of budget, lack of knowledge, or simply DEI.” 
Pratt said the fires changed the way he viewed the world and motivated him to strive for change. “This isn’t just a political failure, it’s a moral one.” 
“The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling; it’s fundamentally broken. It is a machine designed to protect the people at the top and the friends they exchange favors with while the rest of us drown in toxic smoke and ash,” Pratt continued.
“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles and I&#8217;m done waiting for someone to take real action. That&#8217;s why I am running for mayor.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It’s official. I’m running for Mayor of LA. I’ve waited a whole year for someone to step up and challenge Karen Bass, but I saw no fighters. Guess I’m gonna have to do this myself.
Let’s make LA camera ready again! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayorPratt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MayorPratt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrattForMayor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrattForMayor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpencerPrattForMayor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpencerPrattForMayor</a> <a href="https://t.co/akXG8Jd7H3">pic.twitter.com/akXG8Jd7H3</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://twitter.com/spencerpratt/status/2009143254684717067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“Let me be clear, this just isn&#8217;t a campaign. This is a mission, and we are going to expose the system. We are going into every dark corner of LA politics and disinfecting the city with our light. And when we are done, LA is going to be camera-ready again,” Pratt concluded.
Pratt is a first-time candidate facing more than a dozen other contenders for the nonpartisan mayoral primary in June, including current Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, who is seeking re-election. Pratt’s campaign website describes him as “Karen Bass’ worst nightmare.” 
Pratt <a href="https://x.com/RichardGrenell/status/2009005532888355283">received an endorsement</a> from Richard Grenell, the interim head of the Kennedy Center, who also runs the group Fix California.
“Transparency is what we need. Spencer has the passion and the drive to make positive change for Los Angeles,” Grenell posted on X.

Reality Star Spencer Pratt Is Running For Mayor Of Los Angeles

Reality Star Spencer Pratt Announces He's Running For Mayor Of Los Angeles

Celebrities

Entertainment

Los Angeles

Mayor

In an attempt to showcase just how dangerous he believes President Donald Trump to be, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) made the mistake of comparing the United States under Trump to a &#8220;five-alarm fire&#8221; — an analogy that quickly blew up in his face.
Newsom was explaining his position to ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl, and he claimed — among other things — that Trump was likely to do away with elections and the democratic process in their entirety if he was left to himself.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gavin Newsom: “I really am scared to death about what’s going on in this country. I really believe it is Code Red. It’s five-alarm fire. It’s breaking every hour of every day. We won’t have a country. We won’t have an election that’s fair and free if we don’t stand up” <a href="https://t.co/Zprb4IomBD">pic.twitter.com/Zprb4IomBD</a>
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcoFoster_/status/1983904722580025440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I just hope we have more fighters,&#8221; Newsom said, adding, &#8220;I say this seriously — I have no problem being, you know, out there with arrows in my back as long as it gives some space for people to run over me and move forward. I&#8217;m serious about that.&#8221;
&#8220;I really am scared to death about what’s going on in this country,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I really believe it is Code Red. It’s five-alarm fire. It’s breaking every hour of every day. We won’t have a country. We won’t have an election that’s fair and free if we don’t stand up.&#8221;
But with the memory of the Palisades fire only just in the rear view mirror — and the state&#8217;s abject failure to cut away the layers of red tape preventing those who want to from rebuilding — a number of critics found Newsom&#8217;s &#8220;five-alarm fire&#8221; analogy to be a little too on the nose.
&#8220;Here’s a tip, Slick. You of all people would be wise not to use fire metaphors in your bulls*** rambling,&#8221; actor James Woods observed. &#8220;The last &#8216;five alarm fire&#8217; in California destroyed 16,000 homes and killed 29 people. Thanks solely to you, the commie mayor you support, and your idiot policies. Pipe down.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here’s a tip, Slick. You of all people would be wise not to use fire metaphors in your bullshit rambling. The last “five alarm fire” in California destroyed 16,000 homes and killed 29 people. Thanks solely to you, the commie mayor you support, and your idiot policies.
Pipe down. <a href="https://t.co/EuNhDro5rJ">https://t.co/EuNhDro5rJ</a>
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1984159003036021147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton added, &#8220;You are trying to disenfranchise millions of Californians and rig our elections to entrench your authoritarian one party rule. We are not interested in your laughable lectures on threats to democracy. Look in the mirror.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You are trying to disenfranchise millions of Californians and rig our elections to entrench your authoritarian one party rule.
We are not interested in your laughable lectures on threats to democracy. Look in the mirror. <a href="https://t.co/lZRRducB2D">https://t.co/lZRRducB2D</a>
— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveHiltonx/status/1984263279880065065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The Code Red is what happened in the Palisades. Who ordered it?? We can handle the truth!&#8221; RedState&#8217;s Jennifer Van Laar said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Code Red is what happened in the Palisades. Who ordered it??
We can handle the truth! <a href="https://t.co/R9wKldMUhP">https://t.co/R9wKldMUhP</a>
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) <a href="https://twitter.com/jenvanlaar/status/1984274803378012244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Does Gavin Newsom know Gavin Newsom&#8217;s record in putting out five alarm fires?&#8221; Margot Cleveland wondered.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Does Gavin Newsom know Gavin Newsom&#8217;s record in putting out five alarm fires? <a href="https://t.co/8BQoBtdXe5">https://t.co/8BQoBtdXe5</a> <a href="https://t.co/R4WAgzVqbD">https://t.co/R4WAgzVqbD</a>
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProfMJCleveland/status/1984097235873956241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;After what happened in California imagine having so little shame and self-awareness to say Trump&#8217;s causing a &#8216;five-alarm fire,'&#8221; Doug Powers said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After what happened in California imagine having so little shame and self-awareness to say Trump&#8217;s causing a &#8220;five-alarm fire.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/eFkIUUw7pN">https://t.co/eFkIUUw7pN</a>
— Doug Powers (@ThePowersThatBe) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThePowersThatBe/status/1984242101832515648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Vogue World: Hollywood Press Announcement

BACKDRAFT: Gavin Newsom Uses Fire Analogy To Attack Trump, But It Blows Up In His Face

Media

Politics

President Donald Trump announces that Israel and Hamas have agreed to phase one of his Middle East peace plan, authorities arrest a Florida man accused of setting the deadly Palisades Fire, and the Supreme Court hears arguments on Colorado’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy.”
It’s Thursday, October 9, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump: The Peace President</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-983355" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/The-Peace-President-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/The-Peace-President-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/The-Peace-President-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/The-Peace-President-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/The-Peace-President-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/The-Peace-President.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to terms on the first phase of a peace deal that could end the war in Gaza.
Trump was hosting a public event with several independent journalists when he was approached by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. After whispering something in Trump’s ear, Rubio then handed the president a handwritten note, which, based on photographs, appeared to say that a deal was “very close.” It then said, “Need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce the deal first.” 
Moments later, the president’s account published that post, which read: “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace…This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America…BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
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As part of the first phase, Hamas plans to release the 20 living hostages this weekend, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/egypt-gaza-talks-kushner-witkoff-israel-hamas-news-10-08-2025-ac80d3ed50ff2a9b4106ab5e13156651" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>. Hamas is responsible for the bodies of 28 dead hostages, though it is unclear whether the terror group can locate and retrieve them. Once the Israeli cabinet approves the agreement, the terror group has 72 hours to return the hostages.
Israel’s military has 24 hours from the time the Israeli cabinet approves the deal to withdraw from the heart of Gaza to a predetermined boundary.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">SCOTUS Hears Colorado &#8220;Conversion Therapy&#8221; Case</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-983361" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Conversion-Therapy-Hearing-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Conversion-Therapy-Hearing-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Conversion-Therapy-Hearing-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Conversion-Therapy-Hearing-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Conversion-Therapy-Hearing-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Conversion-Therapy-Hearing.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in a case addressing the legality of so-called “conversion therapy.” Historically, the term referred to counseling or treatment aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation from gay to straight. However, leftist activists now use the label more broadly, applying it to efforts that encourage transgender individuals to accept their biological sex.
The case: The plaintiff, a Christian counselor named Kaley Chiles, is challenging a law in Colorado that’s been dubbed the “Minor Conversion Therapy Law.” It was passed in 2019 by a Democrat-controlled legislature, and it bans counseling that “attempts or purports to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.” 
The plaintiff: Chiles’ legal team, Alliance Defending Freedom, says Chiles is currently under investigation by the state of Colorado over this law, and they’ve stressed that minors are being deprived of her services. 
The state of Colorado argues that this is not a free speech issue, but rather a matter of regulating conduct and medical treatment—even if that “medical treatment” is only speech, like talk therapy. The law is then constitutional, according to state attorneys. Colorado says that talk therapy that doesn&#8217;t affirm the gender-confused is harmful to children, which the state bases on “experts” and the so-called medical consensus.
SCOTUS watch: The justices appear to be leaning in favor of the plaintiff, and not just the conservatives. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan seemed to side with Justice Samuel Alito when he said the Colorado law seemed like, quote, “blatant viewpoint discrimination.”
A ruling is expected next summer. And if the tea leaves are being read correctly, an overturning of this Colorado law could influence similar laws in dozens of other states.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Authorities Arrest Suspected Palisades Fire Arsonist</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-983363" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Palisades-Arson-Arrest-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Palisades-Arson-Arrest-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Palisades-Arson-Arrest-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Palisades-Arson-Arrest-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Palisades-Arson-Arrest-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Palisades-Arson-Arrest.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Authorities have arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, who they say intentionally sparked the fire that destroyed Pacific Palisades, California, back in January.
The suspect: Rinderknecht is an Uber driver who now lives in Melbourne, Florida. Officials from the Justice Department and the Los Angeles Police Department held a joint press conference on Wednesday to announce the arrest. According to officials, Rinderknecht 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.
What happened: According to U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Rinderknecht was in Pacific Palisades late on New Year’s Eve after working throughout the evening. He drove toward Skull Rock trailhead, got out of his car, and walked up a trail to a nearby hilltop, where he recorded videos and listened to a rap song. According to Essayli, the song was accompanied by a music video showing objects being set on fire.
In addition to that, Rinderknecht’s phone had images he created with ChatGPT of people fleeing from burning forests. Another ChatGPT search made around the time he called 911 to report the fire said, “Are you at fault if a fire is lit [sic] because of your cigarettes?”
Firefighters were able to suppress the fire shortly after, but it continued to burn underground until strong winds revived it a week later, starting the Palisades Fire.
The blaze eventually became one of the worst in California history. It killed 12 people and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures, resulting in $150 billion in damage. The rebuilding process has been long and difficult. As of last month, the city of Los Angeles had <a href="https://www.carriermanagement.com/news/2025/09/30/279930.htm">approved</a> just over 600 permits to rebuild out of about 1,500 applications.
The charges: Rinderknecht is only charged with destruction of property by means of fire. But prosecutors may add more charges to the indictment later. They accused him of lying to authorities, with Essayli stating that Rinderknecht provided false information to police about the fire when officers interviewed him on January 24. But Essayli made no mention of a charge on that in the indictment. As is, Rinderknecht faces up to 20 years in prison.

MRN_251009_V1

Morning Brief: The Peace President, SCOTUS Takes Up ‘Conversion Therapy,’  & Palisades Fire Arrest

Morning Brief: The Peace President, ‘Conversion Therapy’ At SCOTUS, And Suspected Palisades Arson

Colorado

Hamas

Israel

Los Angeles Fires

Marco Rubio

Morning Wire

SCOTUS

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.

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

Arson Suspect Nabbed For Setting Catastrophic Palisades Fire In California

Department of Justice

Fire

wildfire

President Donald Trump jabbed at Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) after $100 million in donated funds — raised through a concert named FireAid — did not go directly to the victims of the recent California wildfires.
FireAid was billed as a one-night concert event, featuring artists like Katy Perry, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lady Gaga — which was supposed to raise money for residents who lost their homes during the devastating wildfires that ravaged Altadena and the Pacific Palisades. In fact, A-List actors promised people that was the express purpose of the event. 
Actor Miles Teller – from Top Gun Maverick –  told everyone that FireAid would go “directly” to victims, saying, &#8220;All the money raised will go directly to people who need it now and long-term efforts to build it back.&#8221;
&#8220;The Avengers&#8221; star Samuel L. Jackson offered a similar take, encouraging as many people as possible to donate at the website even if they couldn&#8217;t attend the event: &#8220;Give what you can. All the money will go directly to people who need help in the short term and the long-term effort to get this city back on its feet.&#8221;
But as Sue Pascoe — Editor and Chief of Circling the News, who <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-27/lafd-records-secrecy">lost</a> her home in the Palisades fire — discovered, the money <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/where-did-100-million-in-la-fire">did not go directly to individuals</a>: &#8220;There’s all sorts of skullduggery going on, and basically wildfire victims and Palisades and Altadena got no direct relief.&#8221;
Local residents backed up what Pascoe said as well. David Howard, who lost two homes in the Pacific Palisades, told the local Fox affiliate, &#8220;I have not seen any benefit from the FireAid money, and I am very involved here and neither have my neighbors.&#8221;
Likewise, Altadena fire victim Mark Jones said that he too had been led to believe the money was going to go directly to the people. &#8220;The fire aid was for us. So, we figured where is the money? Where is it going?&#8221; he asked.
President Trump weighed in on Friday, lashing out in all-caps from his Truth Social platform:
<blockquote>“FIREAID” IS A TOTAL DISASTER. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DEMOCRAT INSPIRED SCAM. 100 MILLION DOLLARS IS MISSING. WAS SUPPOSED TO TO GO TO THE LOS ANGELES FIRE VICTIMS, FIRES THAT, WITH PROPER MANAGEMENT, WOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN HAPPENED. GOVERNOR NEWSCUM REFUSED TO RELEASE BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT WOULD HAVE MADE! I HAVE SINCE OVERRULED HIM, AND IT IS NOW RELEASED. All FEDERAL HOUSING PERMITS HAVE ALSO BEEN APPROVED, THE CITY IS YEARS LATE. GET THE FIRE VICTIMS THEIR APPROVALS TO REBUILD, AND DO IT NOW!</blockquote>
Newsom responded to Trump&#8217;s post on X, sarcastically mocking up a screenshot of the president&#8217;s Truth post and rebutting some of his claims.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Go to bed, grandpa. It’s past your bedtime. <a href="https://t.co/9qRtdqMhha">https://t.co/9qRtdqMhha</a> <a href="https://t.co/SvEnokL4YZ">pic.twitter.com/SvEnokL4YZ</a>
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPressOffice/status/1948915120337551815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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FireAid has claimed that the money was never intended to go directly to the people — despite the claims made by celebrities promoting the event — and issued a statement saying, &#8220;FireAid does not have the capability to make direct payments to individuals and that was never the plan. We partnered directly with trusted local non-profits&#8230;to reach communities in need.&#8221;
Some of those nonprofits, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-wildfire-victims-left-wondering-where-100m-went-following-fireaid-benefit-concert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a>, include one that works to promote “self-determination in the Latino community” and promised to use the funding to build not just houses but “a more humane and democratic society by responding to the needs and problems of disenfranchised people.” Another organization promised to use the money to “cultivate egalitarian relationships based on trust and respect.&#8221; 
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) has asked the Attorney General to get to the bottom of the situation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Americans showed amazing generosity in giving $100 million to support LA fire victims as part of the &#8220;Fire Aid&#8221; concert. Yet the money did not go directly to victims, and went to several questionable nonprofits.
I&#8217;ve asked the Attorney General to investigate. <a href="https://t.co/n4UfBxzaAE">pic.twitter.com/n4UfBxzaAE</a>
— Rep. Kevin Kiley (@RepKiley) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepKiley/status/1948783871236944093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Listen to this story and the rest of today&#8217;s &#8220;Morning Wire&#8221; podcast here.
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US-WEATHER-FIRE

Trump Jabs At Newsom After $100 Million In FireAid Concert Funds Don’t Go Directly To Victims

Trump Jabs At Newsom After $100 Million In FireAid Concert Funds Don't Go Directly To Victims

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