International
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.
Daily Caller
Zelenskyy Under Siege As Top Aide Resigns After Home Raided In Major Corruption Scandal
From the Daily Caller News Foundation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned Friday after his home was raided in an ongoing corruption probe that threatens to undermine Zelenskyy’s grip on power during wartime.
Ukrainian authorities on Friday raided the home of Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff and right-hand man, as part of a sweeping corruption probe investigating Zelenskyy’s possible involvement in a $100 million scheme to defraud the nation’s atomic energy company. Yermak’s resignation comes at a time when Zelenskyy is under increasing pressure to accept a U.S.-brokered peace deal to end Ukraine’s war with Russia.
The investigation has shaken Ukrainian confidence in Zelenskyy’s administration while Russian strikes continue to rock critical infrastructure. So far, Russia has not commented on the new proposed peace deal.
As a nonprofit, we are dependent on the generosity of our readers.
Please consider making a small donation of any amount here.
Thank you!
Zelenskyy first rose to power on an anti-corruption platform in the 2019 elections, which propelled him into the international spotlight. He has enjoyed a positive global reputation during the three-year war with Russia and has been hailed by numerous Western leaders as a beacon of democracy against autocratic Russia.
Zelenskyy has so far worked with the U.S. on the proposed peace agreement, but has also expressed major reservations about what it will mean for his country. In a public address on November 21, Zelenskyy said the plan puts Ukraine in the position of “either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”
Despite the prospect of losing U.S. intelligence sharing and weapons if Ukraine doesn’t accept the deal, Zelenskyy has been shoring up European alliances and international support, most recently signing a deal with France to obtain 100 Rafale jets for its air force. The deal also included anti-air equipment, drones and other munitions.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
The two West Virginia National Guard members critically wounded in Wednesday’s ambush near the Farragut West Metro Station have now been identified as Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom — young soldiers who had taken their oaths less than a day before gunfire erupted on a downtown Washington sidewalk.
Wolfe, 22, was identified first after Musselman High School in Inwood released a statement confirming the alumnus was one of the soldiers struck. The school said the community was “deeply saddened” and urged residents to pray for him. Wolfe was rushed into surgery and remains in critical condition.
Support poured in across the Eastern Panhandle throughout the day. Friends shared old photos and messages urging him to “keep fighting.” Wolfe, who lives in Martinsburg, is active in the region’s cornhole community, and the Beltway Baggers — organizers of ACL tournaments in Virginia — posted a photo of him flashing a peace sign while asking members to pray for his recovery. “He was shot today while serving our country,” the group wrote.
Federal officials identified the second Guardsman on Thursday as 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Beckstrom had just taken her oath of enlistment and was barely a day into her service when she was gunned down. She underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition.
According to investigators, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal — an Afghan national admitted to the U.S. following the Kabul evacuation — allegedly stepped from behind a corner and opened fire at close range as the two patrolled under a heightened security directive in the capital. Beckstrom was hit first. Wolfe was shot moments later.
Pirro said both families are at the hospital as doctors fight to keep the soldiers alive. She warned that if either succumbs to their injuries, prosecutors will pursue a first-degree murder charge. “If one of them is to pass — and God forbid that happens — this becomes murder one. That’s it.”
Pirro urged Americans to pray for the wounded Guardsmen. “On a day when families gather together, I ask you to pray for these two young people — that they survive.”
From Underdog to Top Broodmare
‘Modern-Day Escobar’: U.S. Says Former Canadian Olympian Ran Cocaine Pipeline with Cartel Protection and a Corrupt Toronto Lawyer
CDC’s Autism Reversal: Inside the Collapse of a 25‑Year Public Health Narrative
Cocaine, Manhunts, and Murder: Canadian Cartel Kingpin Prosecuted In US
-
Alberta2 hours ago
From Underdog to Top Broodmare
-
Crime2 days agoB.C.’s First Money-Laundering Sentence in a Decade Exposes Gaps in Global Hub for Chinese Drug Cash
-
Crime2 days agoFBI Seizes $13-Million Mercedes Unicorn From Ryan Wedding’s Narco Network
-
armed forces2 days ago2025 Federal Budget: Veterans Are Bleeding for This Budget
-
Banks2 days agoThe Bill Designed to Kill Canada’s Fossil Fuel Sector
-
Crime2 days agoMexico’s Constitutional Crisis
-
Alberta1 day agoAlberta and Ottawa ink landmark energy agreement
-
Artificial Intelligence2 days agoTrump’s New AI Focused ‘Manhattan Project’ Adds Pressure To Grid