International
Bill Maher Torches California’s Disastrous Wildfire Response in Brutal Monologue

After 27 fatalities, the destruction of over 12,000 structures, and $150 to $250 billion in damages, California resident and comedian Bill Maher didn’t hold back his outrage over his state’s catastrophic wildfire response on Real Time.
In a scathing monologue, Maher first pointed out to the climate cult that mandating EVs and shaming people for their carbon footprints means nothing when the government can’t even manage wildfires.
“You know what the absolute worst thing for the environment is? Wildfires. A 2022 study found that the smoke from just the two in 2020 wiped out 18 years of carbon reduction in the state—which means we suffered the pain of driving those early-model Priuses for nothing,” Maher quipped.
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Maher zeroed in on LA Mayor Karen Bass’s selection of Kristin Crowley as fire chief, suggesting she was only chosen for being the “best lesbian” for the job instead of the best person—something Maher argued was “not good enough” for essential services.
“Am I against a lesbian being chief? Of course not. Do I think a lesbian can do the job? Of course, I do. And maybe she’s the best person for the job. Or maybe they really wanted a lesbian in that job, and she’s just the best lesbian for the job, and with essential services, that’s not good enough,” Maher snapped.
“Crowley’s official bio says, ‘Chief Crowley leads a diverse department, creating, supporting, and promoting a culture that values diversity, inclusion, and equity, while striving to meet and exceed the expectations of the communities.’ Well, you didn’t exceed my expectations, which was that the whole city wouldn’t burn down!” he stressed.
“But it’s telling that diversity is mentioned twice before we get to ‘while striving to meet expectations.’ Now, can you do two things at once? Yes, but it matters where your head is,” Maher argued.
Maher went on to admit that it’s “not wrong” to blame wokeness for California’s disastrous fire response, turning his attention to Deputy Fire Chief Kristine Larson, whose recent comments are so absurd that Maher called them “kind of racist.”
Larson said in a viral social media post, “You want to see somebody that responds to your house, your emergency, whether it’s a medical call or a fire call that looks like you.”
Maher fired back at this statement, saying, “which would sound kind of racist if a Southern sheriff said it.”
“Now, is wokeness the main reason for the fires? Of course not,” Maher said. “But let’s not pretend it hasn’t played a role. Our government’s unforced errors are straight out of the progressive playbook: questionable budget priorities, sky-high taxes that get you nothing, and a constant obsession with identity politics instead of fixing what’s broken.”
“Cali’s got commissions, agencies, bureaucrats, and even sign language interpreters who emote with their face,” Maher continued. “But where’s the common sense? Where’s the action?” he asked.
In his final words, Maher warned California that they better figure out how to actually govern “soon” because “wildfires in California are like boob jobs in a strip club: inevitable, and only getting bigger.”
Watch the full monologue below:
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conflict
Russia rejects offer to swap territory gained with Ukraine

Quick Hit:
The Kremlin has flatly rejected a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to swap Russian-held Ukrainian land for territory in Russia’s Kursk region controlled by Kyiv. Moscow insists it will not negotiate on its occupied land and has vowed to expel Ukrainian forces from Kursk.
Key Details:
- The Ukrainian president suggested exchanging parts of Kursk that Ukraine controls for unspecified Russian-occupied Ukrainian land.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared the idea “impossible” and insisted Russia would never discuss swapping territory.
- Russian forces continue fighting to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk, while Ukraine attempts to regain control of its own land.
Diving Deeper:
Russia has firmly rejected a proposed land swap suggested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, dismissing any notion of trading occupied Ukrainian territory for parts of Russia’s Kursk region that Kyiv seized in a cross-border attack last year.
The idea, which Zelensky discussed with The Guardian, was aimed at finding a diplomatic path toward ending the war. “We will swap one territory for another,” Zelensky said, though he did not specify which Russian-occupied areas Ukraine would demand in return. He emphasized that every piece of Ukrainian land is important, declining to name any priorities.
Moscow’s response was swift and unequivocal. “This is impossible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Russia has never discussed and will not discuss the exchange of its territory.” He reaffirmed Russia’s determination to remove Ukrainian forces from Kursk, either by force or by expulsion.
Ukraine’s military made a surprise incursion into Kursk last August, securing pockets of land that Russian forces have been struggling to reclaim. President Vladimir Putin previously assured Russians that Ukrainian troops would be removed but declined to specify a timeline.
Currently, Russia occupies nearly 20% of Ukraine—more than 112,000 square kilometers—while Ukraine controls around 450 square kilometers of Kursk, according to battlefield maps.
Business
U.S. Seizes Fentanyl Shipment From Canada In Seattle, As Washington Pressures Ottawa on Crime Networks

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have intercepted a shipment containing more than one pound of fentanyl from Canada, marking the latest sign of an accelerating crisis along the BC-Washington border. The fentanyl, concealed within a package believed to have originated in British Columbia, was discovered during a targeted enforcement operation at a Seattle shipping facility on February 6.
The package contained a brown, rock-like substance wrapped in plastic bags. Subsequent testing confirmed it was fentanyl, the synthetic opioid driving tens of thousands of overdose deaths in North America each year.
Area Port Director Rene Ortega, speaking about the seizure, underscored its broader implications. “Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous synthetic drug that continues to devastate communities across the United States,” Ortega said. “CBP remains committed to using every available tool to stop these lethal substances before they reach our streets.”
The latest seizure is part of an escalating pattern that has prompted increasingly aggressive responses from Washington. President Donald Trump has warned of sweeping tariffs in the coming weeks unless Ottawa delivers a credible, actionable plan to crack down on transnational crime networks driving fentanyl production. These networks—operating primarily out of British Columbia—are deeply entrenched with organized crime groups from China and Mexico.
The Bureau has reported extensively on Washington’s mounting frustration with Canada’s handling of the fentanyl crisis. BC Mayor Brad West, who has been in direct communication with senior U.S. officials, has described an urgent shift in tone from American law enforcement and intelligence agencies. In a high-level 2023 meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, West was briefed on just how seriously Washington views Canada’s role in the illicit drug trade.
“This is no longer just a Canadian domestic issue,” West told The Bureau. “Secretary Blinken made it clear that the Biden administration sees fentanyl as an existential threat. They’re building a global coalition and need Canada fully on board. If we don’t show real progress, the U.S. will protect itself by any means—tariffs or otherwise.”
Concerns extend beyond law enforcement. According to multiple sources with direct knowledge of U.S. intelligence assessments, American agencies have begun withholding key evidence from their Canadian counterparts, citing a lack of confidence that Ottawa will act on it. West confirmed that in his ongoing discussions with senior U.S. officials, they have voiced alarm over the level of access major figures in Asian organized crime appear to have within Canada’s political class.
“They’re basically asking, ‘What’s going on in Canada?’” West said.
The frustration is not new. For years, U.S. and international law enforcement agencies have sought to curb the transnational reach of organizations like Sam Gor, the powerful Asian organized crime syndicate that dominates much of the fentanyl precursor supply chain. But Canada’s response has been widely seen as inadequate. Critics argue that political sensitivities and reluctance to confront entrenched criminal networks have left Canadian law enforcement hamstrung.
The question now is whether Ottawa will take decisive action. Bringing forward measures as sweeping as a RICO-style anti-mafia statute or invoking the notwithstanding clause to bypass legal obstacles to tougher enforcement would represent a sharp departure from the status quo. Both approaches would require confronting entrenched political, legal and economic interests, as well as explaining why existing laws have failed to secure convictions against the most powerful actors in organized crime.
West believes the shifting geopolitical landscape may force Ottawa’s hand. Washington’s patience, he warns, ran thin years ago—and the U.S. is now signaling it will no longer wait.
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