West
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
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
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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Montana
Montana Lottery Lucky For Life, Big Sky Bonus results for Jan. 19, 2025
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 19, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 19 drawing
08-24-35-43-46, Lucky Ball: 04
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 19 drawing
06-07-10-12, Bonus: 08
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
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Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Nevada
Missing pilot’s plane found near Mount Jefferson, authorities say
After weeks of searching, the plane of a pilot who went missing earlier this month was found near Mount Jefferson on Saturday.
Authorities had not been able to get more than a couple of miles away from the scene as of Sunday afternoon, and the condition of pilot Michael Martin, who was the only person onboard, remains unknown.
Nye County Director of Emergency Management Scott Lewis was just returning from the scene Sunday afternoon when he spoke to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and said that there was “significant damage” to the aircraft.
“We just need to get the resources and get them up there as quickly as we can. It was very windy during our search just now, very treacherous area, very steep area. We have a lot of things to overcome, but we’re working on it,” Lewis said.
The elevated position made the scene unreachable by foot, and Lewis said the team needed to wait for helicopters to reach the scene.
Martin, an experienced, licensed pilot, took off from North Las Vegas Airport the morning of Jan. 2 without telling anyone. His location last showed him as near Mount Jefferson, about 50 miles from Tonopah. His family reported the 65-year-old pilot missing on Jan. 5.
Authorities searched hundreds of square miles for Martin but suspended search and rescue efforts Thursday after finding no physical evidence, Lewis said.
Local resources were still looking in the area, and late Saturday, a game warden using special glasses found the plane, Lewis said. The search team had already looked in the area, but the snow previously covering it had melted.
Mystery departure
The circumstances of Martin’s disappearance remain unclear. The day he went missing, he told the owner of the company where he works that he’d be taking an early lunch but would return by 12:30 p.m. for an important meeting, according to his daughter-in-law Kathleen Martin.
Martin, an aerospace engineer, is employed as president of Erickson International, a window film manufacturer in Las Vegas, according to his family and LinkedIn page. Erickson operations employee Don Gist previously said the two had discussed working on a project together that afternoon.
Martin’s plane took off at 10:51 a.m., but his flight transponder stopped transmitting at 11:15 a.m. At 12:06 p.m., Martin’s daughter-in-law said, his phone last pinged near Tonopah, and at 12:26 p.m., his iPad — which he used as a navigation aid — and his Apple Watch last showed him near Mount Jefferson, about 50 miles from Tonopah.
She said his family initially believed he’d had a stressful holiday season and was taking a one- or two-day break in a local hotel, but they reported him missing the evening of Jan. 5 because they couldn’t get in touch with him.
Martin did not appear to have established a flight plan, according to Lewis,
Cathy Martin, his wife of 40 years, previously told the Review-Journal that Michael Martin had left without explanation years ago for one or two days.
“We had a little tiff Wednesday night, but it wasn’t a huge one,” she said. “I just asked him a question and we discussed it and it was done. He wasn’t upset.”
If he survived a crash, he had the skills to take care of himself in the wilderness, his wife said.
A missing person report released by police indicates Martin might have been upset and carried a handgun in his work bag the morning he left.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social. Review-Journal staff writer Noble Brigham contributed to this report.
New Mexico
At The People’s March in New Mexico, rally goers brace for second Trump presidency • Source New Mexico
On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration, speakers at a rally in New Mexico’s largest city called for a new social movement to defy Trump and confront fascism.
Hosted by the New Mexico Women’s March, The People’s March was timed in conjunction with similar protests in Washington D.C. and around the country.
New Mexico Women’s March Chair Samia Assed told the hundreds gathered at Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza the political moment demands practicing democracy and protecting the right to protest.
“A big responsibility lies on our shoulders, and we have to be up for it,” Assed said. “Come Tuesday, President Trump will have his 100 executive orders ready for us. Project 2025 will unfold. Are we going to fight back?”
Assed introduced outgoing U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the event’s keynote speaker. Haaland noted the record 60 women headed to the state Legislature this week and said there’s much more to do to support parents and working people.
Haaland said Trump is “surrounding himself with super-rich people who look down on us and our communities.”
“Our fight is not over. We will need to do the hard work of getting important things done and pushing back against an administration who couldn’t care less about regular people, about people like us,” Haaland said. “We will need to unapologetically stand up to make change to ensure that your voices are heard. We need more people with real lived experiences elected to office and serving our communities as doctors, scientists, CEOs, so that solutions reflect who we are.”
Other speakers at the rally included state Sens. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and Harold Pope, Rep. Eleanor Chavez, Pueblo Action Alliance Executive Director Julia Bernal, Faith Roots Reproductive Action Development Director Karinna Solares and El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos Community Organizer Fabiola Landeros.
“We’re going to fight to remind people in power that they answer to us,” Haaland said.
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