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Two major fires continue to burn in SoCal
From The Center Square
Santa Ana winds to pick up Tuesday morning
As two major fires continue to burn in and near Los Angeles, fire officials warn that major Santa Ana winds are expected to return early Tuesday morning, extending red flag warnings.
As of midday Monday, 26 individuals have died from the fires. Many died because they refused to evacuate their homes, according to fire officials. Gov. Gavin Newsom has deployed a second round of national guard members to assist law enforcement in evacuations and prevent looting of evacuated areas.
“The men and women of the California National Guard have been on the ground since day one – not only fighting fires, but also assisting with public safety efforts in communities devastated by these fires,” a statement from Newsom reads.
As of Monday morning, the fire that began in the Pacific Palisades last week has grown to 23,713 acres with 14% containment and 5,123 firefighters working to contain the fire. Additionally, there are 44 helicopters, 540 engines, 66 dozers, 60 water tenders and 115 crews.
Evacuation zones reach east toward Sherman Oaks and south toward Santa Monica. There remains a mandated curfew in these areas from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and a “Do Not Drink” notice to Pacific Palisades zip codes and surrounding areas due to the potential of pollutant contamination of the water because of the fire.
The Palisades fire is the most destructive wildfire Los Angeles has ever seen with thousands of structures burning to the ground and tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate.
The other major fire is the Eaton Fire, which also began last week in Eaton Canyon right outside of Pasadena. The fire has grown to 14,117 acres at 33% containment and is spreading into the Los Angeles National Forest, which remains closed. There are hundreds of structures destroyed and thousands of people who have been forced to evacuate. Areas in Altadena and Pasadena near the fire and evacuation zones are under a “Do Not Drink” order and all schools in the Pasadena Unified School District remain closed.
There are currently 3,408 personnel fighting the fire with both air and ground support.
Officials have also issued an air quality warning for the City of Los Angeles and those living in surrounding areas. The pollutants in the air are specifically dangerous, according to officials, because of the structures being burned, including old ones that contain harmful materials such as asbestos.
More than $2.6 million has been raised for a suburban Sydney shop owner who put himself directly in the line of fire to stop a terrorist during last Sunday’s attack at Bondi Beach, a moment of raw courage that has resonated far beyond Australia’s shores.
The GoFundMe campaign for Ahmed al Ahmed surpassed the $2.6 million mark by Sunday morning, fueled by more than 45,000 donations after video of his actions spread rapidly online. The footage shows Ahmed charging one of the attackers, tackling him to the ground, wrenching a shotgun from his hands, and turning the weapon back on the would-be killer to prevent further carnage.
Ahmed, you are an Australian hero.
You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist.
In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that's exactly what we saw on Sunday night.
On behalf of every Australian, I… pic.twitter.com/mAoObU3TZD
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 16, 2025
Ahmed, 44, is a father of two young daughters, ages five and six, and owns a small shop in suburban Sydney. His intervention came at a brutal cost. As he fought to disarm the first attacker, a second terrorist opened fire on him, shooting him multiple times in an effort to stop him from taking control of the gun. Ahmed survived, but only narrowly.
The overwhelming financial support has turned Ahmed into an unlikely national figure — not because he sought attention, but because he acted when others couldn’t. The outpouring of donations has unfolded alongside growing public anger toward Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government, which has faced mounting criticism over its handling of rising antisemitic violence across Australia in the wake of recent terror incidents.
For many Australians, the contrast has been impossible to miss: ordinary citizens stepping up with courage and clarity while political leaders scramble after the fact. Ahmed didn’t wait for instructions or statements. He saw a threat, moved toward it, and stopped it — and millions of people around the world have now responded in kind.
Business
Some Of The Wackiest Things Featured In Rand Paul’s New Report Alleging $1,639,135,969,608 In Gov’t Waste
From the Daily Caller News Foundation
Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul released the latest edition of his annual “Festivus” report Tuesday detailing over $1 trillion in alleged wasteful spending in the U.S. government throughout 2025.
The newly released report found an estimated $1,639,135,969,608 total in government waste over the past year. Paul, a prominent fiscal hawk who serves as the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement that “no matter how much taxpayer money Washington burns through, politicians can’t help but demand more.”
“Fiscal responsibility may not be the most crowded road, but it’s one I’ve walked year after year — and this holiday season will be no different,” Paul continued. “So, before we get to the Feats of Strength, it’s time for my Airing of (Spending) Grievances.”
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The 2025 “Festivus” report highlighted a spate of instances of wasteful spending from the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spent $1.5 million on an “innovative multilevel strategy” to reduce drug use in “Latinx” communities through celebrity influencer campaigns, and also dished out $1.9 million on a “hybrid mobile phone family intervention” aiming to reduce childhood obesity among Latino families living in Los Angeles County.
The report also mentions that HHS spent more than $40 million on influencers to promote getting vaccinated against COVID-19 for racial and ethnic minority groups.
The State Department doled out $244,252 to Stand for Peace in Islamabad to produce a television cartoon series that teaches children in Pakistan how to combat climate change and also spent $1.5 million to promote American films, television shows and video games abroad, according to the report.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) spent more than $1,079,360 teaching teenage ferrets to binge drink alcohol this year, according to Paul’s report.
The report found that the National Science Foundation (NSF) shelled out $497,200 on a “Video Game Challenge” for kids. The NSF and other federal agencies also paid $14,643,280 to make monkeys play a video game in the style of the “Price Is Right,” the report states.
Paul’s 2024 “Festivus” report similarly featured several instances of wasteful federal government spending, such as a Las Vegas pickleball complex and a cabaret show on ice.
The Trump administration has been attempting to uproot wasteful government spending and reduce the federal workforce this year. The administration’s cuts have shrunk the federal workforce to the smallest level in more than a decade, according to recent economic data.
Festivus is a humorous holiday observed annually on Dec. 23, dating back to a popular 1997 episode of the sitcom “Seinfeld.” Observance of the holiday notably includes an “airing of grievances,” per the “Seinfeld” episode of its origin.
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