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Southern California community members return for first time to site where church burned down ahead of Easter

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Southern California community members return for first time to site where church burned down ahead of Easter

Community members in the Pacific Palisades area in Los Angeles County returned on Good Friday to the site of a 103-year-old church that burned down in January during the Southern California wildfires.

And while the Community United Methodist Church’s building is nothing but rubble and ashes at the moment, Pastor John Shaver told Fox News Digital Saturday it will remain a “community without walls” until it’s rebuilt. 

“As many share familiar ancient words worldwide, ‘Christ is Risen!,’ we know these words of hope are for the Pacific Palisades Community United Methodist church family, the people of Pacific Palisades, the Altadena community and all who need the strength to keep moving forward worldwide,” Shaver said. “This great gift of hope gives us the fortitude to rebuild, and, in the meantime, we will strive to be a faith community (even without walls) that is a center of hope and healing for our neighbors near and far.”

Shaver, who had led the church for just six months before it burned down, three years after its centennial celebration, gathered with a handful of community members at the site Friday before they embarked on a cross walk through the neighborhood. 

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP SHARES GOOD FRIDAY MESSAGE AHEAD OF EASTER

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Pastor John Shaver carries a cross during a cross walk by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades Friday in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/William Liang)

They stopped at nine locations in the devastated neighborhood, reading Bible verses at each stop to represent a different part of Jesus Christ’s path. 

“On this Easter Sunday, even though we know there are still significant challenges to come, we give thanks for the hope God gives us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Shaver told Fox News Digital. 

He added that the Community United Methodist Church “wants to share God’s love and hope through our words and service to everyone. We hope that by being the hands and feet of Christ, we can build bridges of unity with others throughout the amazing city of Los Angeles.” 

The church was built by the same people who founded Pacific Palisades more than a century ago and, over the decades, it has borne witness to weddings, funerals, community gatherings, sports competitions, holiday celebrations and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. 

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Members of the Community United Methodist Church listen to a prayer by Pastor John Shaver during a cross walk.  (AP Photo/William Liang)

Inspired by the Chautauqua social movement of the 1920s, the founders started a “peace movement,” building the church and offering arts, music and cultural programs to residents, Shaver told The Associated Press.

The congregation has continued services since the fire at other sites, but it was its first time back to the site Friday. 

FRANKLIN GRAHAM SHARES HOPE MESSAGE IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON EASTER SPECIAL: ‘GOD HASN’T FORGOTTEN THEM’

Shaver, along with most of his congregation, lost his home in the Palisades Fire. 

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Carli Wright plays music for a church prayer during a cross walk by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades Friday.  (AP Photo/William Liang)

The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, which was further inland near Pasadena, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and businesses and killed 29 people, including a congregant of Shaver’s church. 

Shaver remembered 85-year-old Annette Rossilli during the cross walk and stopped in front of the rubble where his own house once stood. His family moved into the home last July. 

“It’s also a reminder how much of what we have, we take for granted,” Shaver told the AP. 

And while the church burned down, the community was able to save important parts of it like stone tiles, a metal cross that stood atop its tower and another stone cross.

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Shaver said the church will try to find ways to incorporate those items when the new church is built. 

Shaver said the cross walk was also a reminder of “how much of what we have, we take for granted.”  (AP Photo/William Liang)

Thomas Knoll, a resident who didn’t attend the church and isn’t religious, told the AP he attended the event because it felt “like sort of a funeral for Pacific Palisades.” 

Knoll also lost his home. 

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The church before the fires (Google Maps)

 “The whole story of crucifixion and resurrection is appropriate here,” he said. “This town will be rebuilt, but it’s going to take a long time.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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San Francisco, CA

Thousands in one San Francisco neighborhood heading into another day without power

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Thousands in one San Francisco neighborhood heading into another day without power


While many people in San Francisco have their power back, there are still thousands without it.

At a press conference Monday afternoon, Mayor Daniel Lurie said 4,000 PG&E customers in the Civic Center area are still in the dark. One of them is Parvathy Menon. 

“We haven’t been able to take showers or use the bathroom,” said Menon. “Our electricity is out. I think all our food started rotting about a day in.”

She lives at 100 Van Ness. She said she’s grateful she’s going out of town tomorrow, but even that’s posing some problems.

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“I actually have to pack for a trip tonight, and we’re doing it in full darkness,” Menon explained. “We are using our phone lights, we are using our laptops to charge our phones.”

Her apartment is pitch black, except for the small amount of streetlight coming through the windows. She said the apartment complex has been doing all they can to help, like providing some food and water.

They have a small generator to power some lights in the lobby and one elevator for the nearly 30-story apartment building.

Menon said she is most upset about the lack of communication from PG&E.

“Initially, when this started, we were supposed to get power back within the day, then it went to the next day and now they just stopped calling us completely,” said Menon.

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San Francisco City Hall was closed for the day because of the outage, but Mayor Daniel Lurie held a press conference with Supervisors Matt Dorsey and Bilal Mahmood.

Lurie said what residents have gone through is unacceptable, and he’s lost trust in PG&E’s estimated times for repair.

“They gave us a timeline that they believe in, but it’s not one that I can have confidence in any longer,” Lurie said. “So, we don’t have full faith that 6 a.m. is the time tomorrow.”

“Shame on PG&E for having this happen,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “This is a company that has had a lot of reliability issues and the jury is out on what happened, but if this is negligence, I think it’s going to be really important for people to understand they have rights as customers.”

Leaders encourage everyone who lost anything to file a claim with PG&E; they could be eligible for reimbursements. Mahmood is calling for a hearing after the new year to get some answers for PG&E.

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“What went wrong, why weren’t they able to address it this weekend and what steps are they taking to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Mahmood about the question he has for the utility company. 

PG&E said the outage happened after a fire at its Mission Street substation left significant damage, but the cause is still under investigation.

Meanwhile, Menon has been refreshing social media looking for good news, but she’s starting to lose faith.

“They’re really doing nothing to help us here, so I’m losing hope,” said Menon. 

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Denver, CO

Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets: Recap and final score

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Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets: Recap and final score


In a game that was over in the first quarter, the Denver Nuggets destroyed the Utah Jazz 135-112. The score isn’t even indicative of how the game went. To start the game, the Nuggets went on a massive run, leaving the Jazz down by 27 points in the middle of the 1st quarter. For the Jazz, it’s surprising just how different they are on the road versus at home. At home, the Jazz are 7-9 while they are 3-9 on the road. This game was a perfect example. The Jazz looked like they got Monstar’d in the first quarter, and there was no way for them to recover the rest of the game. It’s a sign that this Jazz team, as competitive as they’ve mostly been at home, is not there yet as a competitive team.

There were a few things on this one to build on, but some things to be concerned about. Keyonte George was able to calm down after a shaky start and was able to shoot a respectable 7/14 from the field and 2/4 from three. He also grabbed 8 boards and dished out 7 assists. George looked the most in control of anyone on the Jazz during the loss. It’s one of those signs that George is evolving into a great player who will perform at a high level regardless of whatever situation he’s in.

For things to be a little concerned about? Lauri Markkanen continues not shoot the three well. Tonight he was 2/9 from three and is now shooting 35.2%. Overall, Markkanen shot it well from the field at 10/20, but it would be nice if that three-point shot started falling more consistently. It’s the skillset that sets Markkanen apart but it’s not really showing up again this season. Last season, Markkanen ended the year at 34.6%. Is this the reflection of a season being thrown again, or is this just what Markkanen is as a shooter?

Probably the biggest concern of everything is the defense. Yes, you’re playing against Nikola Jokic, but the Jazz came into this one as the #29 defense in the league. So many times in this one, you have defenders playing off shooters and not able to defend shooters. And we’re not talking drive-and-kick-type plays, these are one-pass-away possessions that are getting open threes. It’s not the best sign for this team, ever being a high-level defense. Maybe they’re not trying as hard with the obvious tank that now appears to be happening, but it would be nice to see some better outcomes with the defense on nights like tonight. That said, the best thing for this team, after a game like tonight, is to add more talent to the roster. Fixing the defense is something they’ll worry about more next season. But it’s definitely something to watch as the season goes on, and pay attention to who is able to make an impact defensively.

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Seattle, WA

Where Seattle Seahawks’ No. 1 seed odds stand after Week 16

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Where Seattle Seahawks’ No. 1 seed odds stand after Week 16


The NFC West is a crowded mess, with three of the NFL’s best teams vying for both the division crown and the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

And it just got messier.

The 49ers’ win over the Colts on Monday night improves their record to 11-4, tying them with the Rams and putting both teams one game behind the 12-3 Seahawks.

Are Seahawks now the NFC favorite? Sheil Kapadia’s take

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What does it mean for Seattle? I’ll be using The Athletic’s 2025 Playoff Simulator to navigate through the next two weeks…

First, the basics. What’s next for these three teams?

The 49ers have two at home. They host the 11-4 Chicago Bears (the league’s leader in takeaways and coming off back-to-back wins) for Sunday Night Football and then host the Seahawks. The date and time on that one is TBD, usually settled late Week 17, but it’s a favorite to be another primetime matchup.

The current NFL playoff picture

The Seahawks have two on the road. They head to Carolina to take on a hungry 8-7 Panthers team, also coming off a win, that can clinch the NFC South for the first time in a decade with a victory and a Bucs’ loss to the Dolphins. Then the Seahawks head to Santa Clara to face the 49ers.

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The Rams have the easiest slate, facing two teams already eliminated from the postseason. They head to play the 6-9 Falcons and then host the 3-12 Cardinals in the regular-season finale.

What are the Seahawks’ current odds of clinching the No. 1 seed?

The Seahawks entered Monday with 53% odds to clinch the No. 1 seed. There’s not a big hit from the 49ers’ win: Seattle’s odds dip to 48%, but are still the highest of the three (49ers at 27% and the Rams at 11% before games are played this upcoming Sunday).

The only thing eliminated by virtue of the 49ers’ win was the Seahawks’ ability to clinch the top seed this Sunday.

If all three NFC West teams win in Week 17, the Seahawks’ odds are right where they were: 53%. That’s how monumental Week 18’s game against the 49ers is.

Best-case scenario in Week 17: Easy. The Seahawks are the only team of the three to win this Sunday. Their odds would jump to 74%. They get the No. 1 seed one of two ways after that: beat the 49ers, or lose to the 49ers + a Lions win over the Bears.

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Worst-case scenario in Week 17: The Seahawks lose, while the Rams and 49ers win. Seattle’s odds would drop to 7%. But they’re not done; in this scenario, they could still get the top seed with a win over the 49ers + a Cardinals win over the Rams.

How would the Rams clinch? The Rams’ loss to the Seahawks last Thursday night took L.A. out of the driver’s seat. The Rams’ simplest path is to: win out + the Seahawks and 49ers lose one game each + the Lions beat the Bears. The Rams need the Seahawks to lose to make up for the one-game lead, and need the Bears to lose to win a tiebreaker (conference record).

What else should we know?

Oh, that’s right, the Bears.

There’s another team here still fighting for the top seed. Chicago’s Saturday night comeback win over the Packers wasn’t just a thriller; it also added some new playoff implications.

The Bears are currently the No. 2 seed. But they have a better conference record than both the Rams and the Seahawks, so keeping a game ahead is massive.

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Again, all Seattle has to do is win out. It doesn’t matter what any other team does if that happens. But things become tricky if Seattle drops a game.

In that case, if the Seahawks lose to the Panthers, root for the Lions and Cardinals. And always root against your NFC West foes.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• What led to Seahawks’ uncharacteristic defensive issues vs Rams?
• NFL upholds 1-game suspension for Seahawks’ Derick Hall
• Walker’s big night an encouraging sign for Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Seahawks Injury Updates: Status of trio of DBs
• Huard: The reason Darnold was able to lead Seahawks over Rams






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