Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: 49ers WR Demarcus Robinson 🏆
HBO host Bill Maher trashed the local government for how officials are handling the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles in the closing monologue of his show on Friday.
The “Real Time” host slammed local officials for not being prepared and prioritizing DEI initiatives over competent fire response. He also savaged the city’s Democratic mayor, Karen Bass, for being out of the country when the blazes began in LA County.
“L.A.’s mayor, Karen Bass, the Nero of American politics, was fiddling in Ghana while the city burned,” Maher said.
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HBO host Bill Maher ripped Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for her wildfire response this week. (Bob Riha Jr / Contributor | Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer)
Maher went after the government for not having the resources to fight the fires, sharing an article from Axios about how complicated it was to get water out of fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood in L.A. particularly ravaged by the inferno.
The host saw this as a weak excuse, stating, “I’m sure it is. I’m sure it’s very complicated. That’s why I pay 13 percent of my income in the state every year to people who I assume were working on things like this.”
Maher ripped Bass’ excuse for being unprepared. He quoted her saying the fires were so bad because of “eight months of negligible rain and winds that have not been seen in L.A. in at least 14 years.”
The host ridiculed the line, saying, “Yeah, that’s not that long a time. Maybe look in the history books to see how our ancestors handled it back in 2011.”
He also hammered Bass for cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, Bass cut $17 million from the LAFD’s budget, having originally wanted to cut $23 million.
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People watch the smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
As Maher noted, Bass insisted that the cuts didn’t affect the city’s preparedness. In response, he brought up LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley’s “slightly different take.”
“She said, ‘We are screaming to be properly funded,’” the host said, adding, “And yes, the budget was cut, and it did impact our ability to provide service.”
He then mocked the city for appearing to prioritize DEI initiatives among its first response units. “We just got our a—kicked by fire, something neanderthals fought to a tie. The good news is our fire chief is a lesbian,” he said, mentioning Crowley again.
Maher clarified he sees nothing wrong with there being a lesbian chief but suggested that she was chosen because of her sexual identity. “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.”
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To back up his hunch, Maher read from Crowley’s LAFD bio, which stated, “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…”
The host savaged the bio, stating, “Well, you didn’t exceed my expectations, which was that the whole city wouldn’t burn down. But it’s telling that diversity was mentioned twice before we get to ‘while’ – ‘while striving’ to meet ‘expectations.’”
Maher savaged his home state as a place that “spends money and gets nothing, which is why you may have noticed when the fires broke out, no one escaped by high-speed rail.”
“We have the highest marginal tax rate in America, higher than almost all other states … What is included for that? Breadsticks? Because it clearly doesn’t cover fire,” he said. “That’s government’s job. Protect us from crime, violence, theft, fire. I’m not saying Alabama would have done better with fires by fighting them with prayer in school, but look me in the eye and tell me anyone could have done worse.”
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot two people in Portland, Oregon, after the driver of a car allegedly attempted to run over federal officers.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:19 p.m. local time, when Border Patrol agents stopped a vehicle and identified themselves as law enforcement, DHS said.
According to DHS, the driver – who is believed to be a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) – allegedly, “weaponized the vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents.”
Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot, according to DHS. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene, officials said.
DHS said the driver was also allegedly involved in a recent shooting in the city.
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FBI agents at the scene of an alleged shooting involving federal agents. (KPTV)
Following the incident, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to “halt all operations” in the city until a full and independent investigation can take place.
“We know what the federal government says happened here,” Wilson said during a news conference Thursday. “There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time has long passed.”
Wilson added that ICE agents and DHS leadership “must fully be investigated and held responsible for the violence inflicted on the American people in Minnesota, in Portland, and in all the communities across America.”
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek reacted to the shooting, claiming it was “instigated by the reckless agenda of the Trump administration.”
“While the details of the incident remain limited, one thing is very clear: when a president endorses tearing families apart and attempts to govern through fear and hate rather than shared values, you foster an environment of lawlessness and recklessness,” she said.
Kotek said Oregon’s attorney general and other leaders have raised concerns with the excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland, adding that “today’s incident only heightens the need for transparency and accountability.”
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced the state DOJ has launched a formal investigation into the shooting.
Portland District Attorney Nathan Vazquez hosts a press conference outside a medical building in Portland after a shooting involving federal agents occurred. (KPTV)
Portland District Attorney Nathan Vazquez said Thursday he was “very concerned” by the incident and pledged a thorough investigation.
Vazquez said his office is working closely with Portland police and the FBI.
Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers responded to reports of a shooting on the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street at about 2:18 p.m. local time and confirmed federal agents were involved, according to the city.
Fewer than 10 minutes later, at 2:24 p.m., officers were told a man who had been shot was calling and requesting help in the area of Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside.
Police responded and found a man and woman with apparent gunshot wounds, according to the city. They were taken to the hospital and their conditions are unknown.
The City of Portland released a map of where a shooting took place Thursday afternoon in Portland, Oregon. (City of Portland)
Both scenes were secured by the PPB pending an investigation, officials said.
No arrests have been confirmed.
“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” PPB Chief Bob Day wrote in a statement. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”
Two people were allegedly shot by federal agents in an Oregon neighborhood. (KPTV)
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Audio released Thursday evening from a 911 call captures a request for emergency assistance after a man was shot twice in the arm and a woman, identified as his wife, was shot in the chest.
PPB officers were not involved in the incident, and “do not engage in immigration enforcement,” according to city officials.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., reacted to the shooting on X, blaming the Trump administration for “inflaming violence.”
“I’m monitoring the first awful reports of two people shot in Portland by federal law enforcement,” Wyden wrote in the post. “I’ll keep you updated, but Trump’s deployment of federal agents in my hometown is clearly inflaming violence–and must end.”
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said he had “huge concern” about a reported shooting of two individuals by federal agents outside Portland Adventist Hospital.
“Please keep protests of Trump’s ICE/CBP peaceful, as Trump wants to generate riots,” Merkley said, adding, “Don’t take the bait.”
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Oregon state Sen. Kayse Jama forcefully rejected the presence of ICE and other federal agencies in the state, saying, “We do not need you.”
“You are not welcome and you need to get the hell out of our community,” Jama said at a news conference.
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The San Francisco 49ers suffered another devastating injury on Sunday. But, thanks to a strong supporting cast, they found a way to prevail once again.
San Francisco pulled off the biggest playoff upset so far in what’s been a wild wild-card round, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-19, on the road. Unheralded wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was a major reason behind Sunday’s upset as he hauled in six receptions for a game-high 111 yards and a touchdown en route to winning Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game.
When Robinson spoke with Brady after the game, it didn’t take long for him to find the one word to describe the 49ers.
“If it was one word, I’d say resiliency. Resilient,” Robinson said of his team. “These guys play with resiliency. We’ve got a lot of injuries throughout the year. Even tonight, like you said, losing Kittle, guys stepped up and knew they had to make plays. That’s what we were able to do today, go out and make plays.”
Sunday’s victory also came in comeback fashion for the Niners, who rallied from a 16-10 fourth-quarter deficit despite losing tight end George Kittle in the first half to a torn Achilles.
Robinson’s resiliency was on full display on the 49ers’ opening possession. He turned an intermediate pass from Brock Purdy over the middle into a 61-yard gain, zigzagging through the Eagles’ secondary on his way to Philly’s 16-yard line. He then caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to end the drive.
There was possibly no greater sign of the team’s resiliency, however, than the play that gave them a 17-16 lead early in the fourth quarter. After their offense seemed stuck in the mud for most of the game, the 49ers found the end zone when wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey on a trick play.
Robinson was just one of a few supporting characters who contributed to the 49ers’ win. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk had a season-high four receptions for 49 yards, making a pair of big grabs that helped set up touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Defensively, linebacker Garret Wallow had a game-high 11 total tackles after recording just nine total tackles in the regular season.
The 49ers’ top player in McCaffrey also showed his resilience in the win. McCaffrey turned 21 touches into 114 yards and two touchdowns, with the second TD coming via a 4-yard grab with 2:54 remaining to give the 49ers a decisive 23-19 lead.
“I think the guys are just playing with resiliency, man,” Robinson said of his team. “Everybody knew what we had at stake. Everybody came out there and did their part. So, that helped us get the dub.”
The injury to Kittle was his second serious injury of the season after he missed time earlier in the year due to a hamstring tear. San Francisco has also seen some of its other stars get sidelined for the majority of the year, such as edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner.
Warner could potentially return later in the postseason, but another key piece in wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who missed Sunday’s game, remains in limbo as he battles a knee injury. Of course, Purdy missed time this year due to shoulder and toe injuries that cost him eight games.
Despite all of that, the 49ers will now move on to play for a spot in the NFC Championship Game when they take on the Seahawks in Seattle next weekend. They nearly hosted the divisional round game, but lost to the Seahawks at home, 13-3, in the regular-season finale to give Seattle the NFC West and the conference’s No. 1 seed.
Robinson is optimistic, however, that there will be a different result this time around.
“Hopefully, we get the dub, obviously,” Robinson said. “We’ve just got to lock in, man. We’ve got to lock in and put more points on the board than we did last week at home. Just put more points on the board. The defense played lights out tonight. Hopefully, we keep playing that same way, man, and it leads to more dubs.”
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The Denver Broncos are just hours away from learning their opponent for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
As the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, the Broncos have a bye for the wild-card round this weekend. They will play the lowest advancing seed from the conference, and there are now two candidates.
The Buffalo Bills (the No. 6) seed defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The only lower seed in the AFC are the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 7), who will face the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football this evening. So if L.A. wins, they will face Denver next weekend. If the Chargers lose, the Broncos will host the Bills next weekend.
The NFL will likely announce the date, time and television channel for the Broncos’ playoff game during or just after SNF. Denver is coming off a bye and there’s another AFC wild-card game scheduled for Monday, so the Broncos will likely be scheduled to play on Saturday, Jan. 17 (but that hasn’t been confirmed yet).
Stay tuned. We will know Denver’s opponent later today, and the game date should also arrive soon.
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