Connect with us

West

Bill Maher trashes Karen Bass, Cali officials for response to fires: 'Fiddling in Ghana while the city burned’

Published

on

Bill Maher trashes Karen Bass, Cali officials for response to fires: 'Fiddling in Ghana while the city burned’

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.

CALIFORNIA FIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM

HBO host Bill Maher ripped Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for her wildfire response this week.  (Bob Riha Jr / Contributor | Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer)

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

CALIFORNIANS ‘ANGRY’ AMID DEVASTATING WILDFIRES, ASKING WHERE HIGH TAX DOLLARS WENT: LOCAL RESEARCHER

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. 

Advertisement

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.” 

LA FIRES: LORENZO LAMAS SHREDS CALIFORNIA’S LACK OF PREPARATION AS ‘ABSOLUTELY DESPICABLE’

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.” 

Advertisement

“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.”

Read the full article from Here

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Montana

Montana FWP seeking water rights for Rock Creek near Red Lodge

Published

on

Montana FWP seeking water rights for Rock Creek near Red Lodge


CARBON COUNTY — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is working to acquire two senior water rights along the West Fork of Rock Creek near Red Lodge to address critically low water levels that are threatening the fish population.

The creek, which flows around the Red Lodge community, may appear full to casual observers, but wildlife officials say the flow is dangerously low for fish survival.

Watch FWP discuss the need for these water rights for Rock Creek:

Advertisement

Montana FWP seeking water rights for Rock Creek

“To have these water levels, it can have an impact on the fishery over there,” Chrissy Webb with Fish, Wildlife and Parks said. “Over the past few years, we’ve been seeing really low water levels for these trout, which is obviously a huge issue. Fish, of course, need water.”

The proposed solution involves purchasing two senior water rights that were previously used for irrigation and transferring them to remain in the stream for fishery protection.

“This would be water that was once diverted for irrigation. Those water rights would transfer to remain in the stream for the protection of this fishery,” Webb said.

Advertisement

Acquiring water rights is a complex process, but Webb emphasized the urgency of the situation. Without intervention, the fish population could decline quickly.

“We need water levels to be at a certain level for fish to survive. And we need water temperatures to be low enough for these trout to survive. And then, like I said, some places in Rock Creek have even experienced total dewatering of the stream bed,” Webb said.

FWP plans to purchase the water rights for $330,000. The process involves the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

“They’re working with the owner of those water rights to transfer their purpose from irrigation to being in stream flows,” Webb said.

The DNRC will ultimately decide whether FWP has the authority to purchase the water rights. The access to water would come from Giant Springs in Great Falls.

Advertisement

Michael Downey with the DNRC said mid to low elevation areas are particularly lacking adequate stream levels, but is confident they will rise as the year continues.

“If you look at where snowpack is right now, even those places that are below normal, certainly that Rock Creek drainage is probably the one in the area that looks worse than most,” Downey said.

On Feb. 12, the DNRC will decide if the FWP has the authority to purchase those water rights.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nevada

People urged to stay inside across California, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota

Published

on

People urged to stay inside across California, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota


Thousands of residents across parts of California, Nevada, Oregon, and South Dakota have been advised to stay indoors, as levels of fine particle pollution (PM2.5) will have reached “unhealthy” levels as of January 12, 2026, at 6 a.m. ET, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) AirNow Map shows. 

The EPA is urging people in sensitive groups, including the elderly, children, and those with certain health conditions, to completely avoid prolonged or intense outdoor activities. Everyone else should reduce their participation in long or intense outdoor pursuits. 

This is because physical activity causes people to breathe harder and faster, which means the fine particulate matter can penetrate deeper into the lungs if people are exercising outdoors. 

The EPA warns, “Your chances of being affected by particles increase the more strenuous your activity and the longer you are active outdoors. If your activity involves prolonged or heavy exertion, reduce your activity time—or substitute another that involves less exertion. Go for a walk instead of a jog, for example.”

Advertisement

What Do ‘Unhealthy’ Levels of PM2.5 Mean? 

PM2.5 are tiny, inhalable particles of pollution, 2.5 micrometers or less in size (smaller than a strand of hair), that are considered to be one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution, according to the EPA. 

This is because they get deep into the lungs—and sometimes even the bloodstream—triggering or exacerbating certain health conditions, like asthma, or causing symptoms ranging from coughing and nose, eye, and throat irritation to shortness of breath and chest tightness. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses the Air Quality Index (AQI) to report and classify air quality across the United States. The AQI is a standardized scale ranging from 0 to 301+, which categorizes air quality into the following levels:

  • Good: 0 to 50—Air pollution poses little or no risk to the public
  • Moderate: 51 to 100—Some pollutants may pose a moderate health concern for a very small number of unusually sensitive people
  • Unhealthy for sensitive groups: 101 to 150—Members of sensitive groups (children, elderly, people with respiratory or heart conditions) may experience health effects; the general public is less likely to be affected
  • Unhealthy: 151 to 200—Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious effects
  • Very Unhealthy: 201 to 300—Everyone may experience more serious health effects
  • Hazardous: 301+—Health warnings of emergency conditions; the entire population is likely to be affected

What Causes PM2.5?

PM2.5 can come from a variety of sources, ranging from wildfires and smokestacks to emissions from vehicles and power or industrial plants. 



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

New Mexico

Body of Albuquerque city councilor’s brother found

Published

on

Body of Albuquerque city councilor’s brother found


MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (KRQE) – The missing family member of an Albuquerque city councilor has been found dead. The town of Mountainair announced on Saturday via Facebook that the body of Albert Peña, the brother-in-law of City Councilor Klarissa Peña, has been found.

Albert Peña went missing on December 30. Police are looking into Peña’s death as a homicide. Anyone with information about this disappearance and death is asked to contact Mountainair police.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending