Good morning. It’s Thursday, Jan. 9.
- The most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.
- Donald Trump seizes on tragedy to point finger.
- And Mayor Karen Bass faces harsh criticism for absence.
California on fire
1.
A second straight day of out-of-control wildfires terrorized Los Angeles on Wednesday in the city’s worst natural disaster in decades. A quick overview, by the numbers, as of early Thursday:
- Five deaths were reported, though the number was expected to rise.
- Roughly 2,000 structures, including homes, businesses, and houses of worship, have been damaged or destroyed, according to L.A. fire officials.
- At least five wildfires were burning across the L.A. region, though just two — one in the Santa Monica Mountains, the other in the San Gabriels — accounted for the overwhelming majority of loss.
- More than 130,000 people were under evacuation orders.
- At least 413,000 customers were without power, according to the latest update from Southern California Edison.
2.
By late Wednesday, the Palisades fire had swept across a 27-square-mile area stretching from the sea into the Santa Monica Mountains, leveling an estimated 1,000 structures. Those numbers made it the single most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history, according to records maintained by the Wildfire Alliance. “It feels like Armageddon,” said Theresa Corcoran, 49, who fled her home. “I woke up this morning and looked out, and it’s dark clouds. You can’t even see the sun.” Washington Post | KTLA
- “I can’t believe my eyes.” A helicopter crew got an aerial view of the ruin in Pacific Palisades after the smoke cleared. @SamanthaCortese
- Track the Palisades fire.
3.
The five deaths attributed to the firestorm were all found inside structures in Altadena, where the explosive Eaton fire allowed a narrow window for escape, officials said. Hundreds of structures were said to be destroyed or damaged in the inferno, which grew to nearly 17 square miles by late Wednesday. Reporters recounted panicked scenes as tearful residents fought in vain to save their homes with hoses. “We’re all alone!” one woman cried out. Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath met with evacuees at a recreation center. “The magnitude of grief people are experiencing, I don’t think we’ve even touched the surface,” she said. Washington Post | KTLA
- Track the Eaton fire.
4.
President-elect Donald Trump seized on Los Angeles’ tragedy Wednesday to pin blame on a political enemy, California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, posting a series of false or confused claims about California water policy. He appeared to link the fires to insufficient Southern California water allocations from the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. “I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA!” the incoming president wrote. But as multiple water specialists noted, those allocations have no bearing on the events of the last two days. CalMatters | Washington Post
5.
Mayor Karen Bass was in Ghana attending the inauguration of its new president when Los Angeles’ nightmare began on Tuesday. Her absence was glaring throughout the day, drawing a rare round of harsh criticism for the popular mayor. “That’s not leadership, that’s abandoning your post,” said Rick Caruso, who ran against Bass in 2022. Upon return to LAX, Bass was confronted by a Sky News reporter. “Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent whilst their homes were burning?” David Blevins asked in a video shared widely online. Bass stood silently for almost a full minute. L.A. Times | Politico
6.
Other wildfire developments:
- A new blaze in the Hollywood Hills prompted chaotic evacuations of more than 100,000 people. Many of those orders were lifted hours later after aggressive firefighting brought the Sunset fire under control. L.A. Times | LAist
- AccuWeather estimated the economic loss from the wildfires at between $52 billion and $57 billion. Depending on developments over the coming days “it may become the worst wildfire in modern California history,” said meteorologist Jonathan Porter. Accuweather | Reuters
- Will Rogers’ ranch house. Topanga Ranch Motel. Altadena Community Church. The Bunny Museum. LAist is tracking “beloved places we’ve lost.”
- In a touching moment captured on video, a father who lost his home in the Eaton fire reflected on what is really important to him. @ABC7
- Here’s where to donate to help wildfire victims.
Statewide
7.
Point Reyes National Seashore announced Wednesday that it would largely do away with ranching at the park in an agreement that environmentalists greeted as a historic victory. Sources said the settlement includes payouts totaling roughly $30 million and agreements by 12 out of 15 ranches to phase out operations within 15 months. Ranchers have clashed with environmentalists for years over how to balance the rights of historic dairies on federal land roamed by a threatened species endemic only to California. Press Democrat | S.F. Chronicle
8.
Former congresswoman Barbara Lee pledged to usher in an “Oakland renaissance” on Wednesday as she officially launched her bid for mayor. The progressive Democrat, 78, acknowledged that many residents feel Oakland is a “mess” saddled with problems that “are too big to solve.” But Oakland, she said, could rise again “as a beacon for innovators, artists, builders, and entrepreneurs.” Oaklandside likened Lee’s entry in the race to “a boulder dropping into a small pond.” Oaklandside | Politico
9.
California’s homelessness crisis is only getting worse. New federal data showed that the state’s homeless population grew 3% in 2024, totaling more than 187,000 people. However, California’s rate of growth was smaller than that of the nation, which was 18%, leading Gov. Gavin Newsom to suggest that the data showed “progress.” Critics scoffed. Since Newsom took office six years ago on pledges of decisive action, California has spent more than $20 billion on the homelessness crisis. Over that period, the number of homeless has swelled 16%. SFGATE | Mercury News
10.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, was sued on Monday by his sister, who alleged that he sexually assaulted and abused her for about a decade beginning in the late 1990s. Ann Altman said the abuse began in their family home in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, when she was just 3 years old and her brother was 12. In an online post, Sam Altman, along with his mother and two younger brothers, called the charges “utterly untrue” and said his sister suffers from “mental health challenges.” N.Y. Times | Wall Street Journal
11.
Commentary on Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to axe fact-checking at Meta:
- Silver Bulletin’s Nate Silver: “I don’t really trust Zuck/Meta. But it’s long overdue to get rid of designated fact-checkers and ‘misinformation’ types and just do journalism.”
- A former Meta employee, as reported by Platformer’s Casey Newton: “I really think this is a precursor for genocide. We’ve seen it happen. Real people’s lives are actually going to be endangered. I’m just devastated.”
- The N.Y. Times’ Kevin Roose: Zuckerberg is “revealing that Meta — a shape-shifting company that has thrown itself at every major tech trend of the last decade … has a fundamental hollowness at its core.”
12.
Every year, MIT Technology Review surveys the world of invention to compile a list of the 10 breakthrough technologies that are likely to shape the world in deep and lasting ways. For 2025, no fewer than six of the magazine’s selections are being pioneered by companies based in California. They include the promise of new cures from the field of stem-cell therapy, work that is being conducted by companies such as Neurona Therapeutics and California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, both headquartered in San Francisco. MIT Technology Review
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