Jan 29 Emergency alert systems lagged when residents needed them most during LA wildfires By Christopher L. Keller, Claudia Lauer, Amy Taxin, Rebecca Boone, Associated Press When disaster strikes, government emergency alert systems offer a simple promise: Residents will get information about nearby dangers and instructions to help them stay safe. Continue reading
Jan 28 Climate change made conditions that fed California wildfires more likely and intense, preliminary study finds By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press Tuesday's report, too rapid for peer-review yet, found global warming boosted the likelihood of high fire weather conditions in this month's fires by 35 percent and its intensity by 6 percent. Continue reading
Jan 27 Southern California rain helps fight fires but causes mudflows, boosting toxic ash runoff risk By Christopher Weber, Associated Press Rain is easing after Southern California’s first significant storm of the season brought weekend downpours that aided firefighters but caused ash, mud and debris to flow across streets in wildfire-burned areas. Continue reading
Jan 26 Watch 2:48 News Wrap: Israeli troops kill 22 people in Lebanon during protest against their presence In our news wrap Sunday, tensions are high in Lebanon after Israeli forces killed more than 20 people, weekend rain brings some relief to fire-ravaged southern California but raises flooding concerns, Vance stood behind Trump’s blanket pardon of Jan. 6… Continue watching
Jan 25 WATCH: Trump holds press conference after touring Los Angeles wildfire damage By Will Weissert, Chris Megerian, Makiya Seminera, Associated Press In fire-ravaged California, the state’s Democratic leaders pressed Trump for federal assistance that he’s threatened to hold up, some setting aside their past differences to shower him with praise. Continue reading
Jan 24 Watch 8:54 Trump questions need for FEMA and says states should ‘take care of disasters’ By Laura Barrón-López, Shrai Popat, Eliot Barnhart President Donald Trump jetted off for the first trip of his second administration to tour one sprawling disaster zone after the other. The president is in California where he'll survey damage from the wildfires that are ravaging the Los Angeles… Continue watching
Jan 24 Trump criticizes California water policy before touring LA fire damage By Amy Taxin, Associated Press President Donald Trump has used social media and interviews to accuse the state of sending too much water to the Pacific Ocean instead of south toward Los Angeles and highlighted how some hydrants ran dry in the early hours of… Continue reading
Jan 24 On the first trip of his second term, Trump will visit disaster zones in North Carolina and California By Will Weissert, Chris Megerian, Associated Press He has sharply criticized President Joe Biden's administration for its handling of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, and he's suggested withholding money from California unless it changes water policies. Continue reading
Jan 23 Watch 5:35 Meet the small team behind the Watch Duty app giving life-saving wildfire updates By Stephanie Sy, Sam Lane Ever since the deadly wildfires began in Los Angeles two weeks ago, residents have largely turned to one app for the most up-to-date information. It’s called Watch Duty and Stephanie Sy spoke to two members of the small team that… Continue watching
Jan 23 California Republicans push back after Speaker Johnson’s threat to saddle wildfire aid with conditions By Michael R. Blood, Kevin Freking, Associated Press Some U.S. House Republicans in California are breaking with Speaker Mike Johnson over his suggestion that federal disaster aid be coupled with as-yet unspecified conditions on the wildfire-ravaged state. Continue reading