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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)
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.
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.
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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HELENA, Mont. — The Department of Veteran Affairs appointed a new healthcare system director.
Kimberly Adkins is responsible for 21 sites of care statewide including a medical center at Fork Harrison, a health care center in Billings, 13 community-based outpatient clinics and oversees delivery of health care services covering 1447,000 square miles in Montana.
Adkins has been a federal employee since May 1989 when she began as a GS-3 clerk-typist with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Officials say she brings experience overseeing emergency management, fiscal, facilities management, safety, strategic planning, supply chain management, police, privacy, human resource, contacting and more.
The Department of Veteran Affairs provided the information in the following press release:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Kimberly Adkins, as the new director of Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS). Ms. Adkins is responsible for 21 sites of care statewide including: a Medical Center at Fort Harrison, a Health Care Center (HCC) in Billings, 13 Community Based Outpatient Clinics, and oversees delivery of health care services covering 147,000 square miles within the state of Montana.
“We are excited to bring Ms. Adkins on board as the new director of the VA Montana Health Care System,” said Sunaina Kumar-Giebel, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 Director. “Her sound leadership qualities and proven experience will be valuable assets for the facility, the employees and volunteers, and most importantly, for the Veterans we are honored to serve.”
Mrs. Adkins has been a Federal employee since May of 1989 when she began her career as a GS-3 clerk-typist with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. She has more than 29 years of Federal service. She brings experience overseeing emergency management, fiscal, facilities management, safety, strategic planning, supply chain management, police, privacy, human resources, contracting, and more.
The Montana VA Health Care System provides essential services is a Joint Commission accredited, level two complexity facility serving Veterans across Montana; the largest catchment area in the lower 48 states (about 147,000 square miles) and operates on a budget of over $612 million. MTVAHCS has approximately 47,300 enrolled Veterans and has capacity to provide services to the estimated 65,000 eligible Veterans in Montana. MTVAHCS has 21 sites of care statewide including: a Medical Center at Fort Harrison, a Health Care Center (HCC) in Billings, 13 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (Bozeman, Butte, Browning, Cut Bank, Glasgow, Glendive, Great Falls, Hamilton, Havre, Kalispell, Lewistown, Miles City, Missoula), a Primary Telehealth Outpatient Clinic in Plentywood, a 14-bed Community Living Center in Miles City, a nationally accredited Sleep Disorders Center in Helena, and ATLAS telehealth sites in Eureka, Bozeman and Missoula. Fort Harrison VA Medical Center has 29 authorized/18 operational acute care medical/surgical beds; which includes six Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds offering a broad range of acute, chronic, and specialized inpatient and outpatient services for Veterans. Fort Harrison operates a 24-bed residential rehabilitation unit offering 2 tracks: the treatment of Veterans with PTSD and the treatment of Veterans with substance abuse. Billings Health Care Center (HCC) provides Primary Care, Mental Health, Specialty Care services, as well as Dental, Laboratory, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Diagnostic Imaging, and outpatient specialty procedures and surgical interventions for the largest metropolitan area in Montana and vast rural area of the eastern half of Montana. Billing’s secondary service area includes northern Wyoming. Telehealth services are available at all sites of care.
RENO, Nev. — The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) is investigating a battery with a deadly weapon at the Nevada Cares Campus Resource Center in Reno on Tuesday afternoon.
Deputies responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at the Nevada Cares Campus Resource Center on Line Drive around 1 p.m. on June 30.
Upon arrival, deputies determined the suspect had stabbed one victim. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries, and the suspect was taken into custody.
The identity of the suspect has not been released.
This remains an active investigation. The public is asked to avoid the area while deputies continue processing the scene.
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Police say there is no ongoing threat to the public related to this incident.
LAS VEGAS, N.M. (KRQE) – Las Vegas police and firefighters are warning residents that they are on the lookout for illegal fireworks this Independence Day. Following the area’s severe drought conditions and elevated risk of wildfire, the City of Las Vegas said they will be strictly enforcing fireworks laws.
Banned fireworks this year include aerial devices like bottle rockets, roman candles, and mortars, as well as any ground firecrackers that make loud noises.
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