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CA lawmaker demands federal probe amid fire destruction, as Sacramento seeks unity and accountability

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CA lawmaker demands federal probe amid fire destruction, as Sacramento seeks unity and accountability

California lawmakers called for unity amid the historic Los Angeles wildfires, while at least one fired off letters to Congress calling for federal investigations into Sacramento’s fire preparedness and environmental policies.

Republican lawmakers also said at a news conference Monday that any talk of gaveling-in the special session with the express purpose of buttressing the state against President-elect Trump should be quashed.

Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, said he is sending letters to members-designate of the new Trump administration and top oversight lawmakers, suggesting officials in Sacramento will not “get to the truth” on the blazes.

DeMaio said tragedies like wildfires are a rare issue that can unite Republicans and Democrats, adding Californians “stand united in wishing the best to these communities for a speedy recovery.”

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A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Etienne Laurent)

“But I also believe that Californians also stand united on a very important issue of accountability. Why were we not better prepared for this disaster? All Californians are asking that question.”

DeMaio said the legislative special session should include oversight hearings on questions he claimed Gov. Gavin Newsom has not sufficiently answered.

“He’s given [questioners] nothing but evasion and yes, frankly, dishonesty,” DeMaio claimed. “I do not believe that we are going to get to the truth if we leave the investigation in the hands of Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state and local politicians.”

DeMaio said two of his letters have been sent to Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, both of Kentucky, to probe “a number of failures by state and local politicians on these fire disasters.”

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He added that he will ask President-elect Trump to also sign an executive order requesting federal agencies investigate California’s lack of brush management, public land maintenance and inadequate water supply and infrastructure in the fire-affected areas.

CA DEMOCRATS URGE FEDS TO APPROVE HIGH SPEED RAIL FUNDING BEFORE DOGE NIXES BOONDOGGLE

Assemb. Carl DeMaio (CQ/Getty)

Lawmakers also hammered insurance companies and warned the state’s insurance market could go insolvent if changes aren’t made amid dropped coverages and private companies pulling out of the state.

Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, noted his district weathered the 2019 Paradise fire, and offered the caucus’ condolences and support to those dealing with the crisis in Los Angeles.

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“Our thoughts and prayers are going out to those community members and those first responders who are fighting and doing God’s work fighting these fires as we speak. I want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to help get people safe, to help people recover,” Gallagher said.

“[W]e need to do a whole lot more to combat and prevent catastrophic wildfires in our state,” he said, adding that both wildfire prevention and issues with the state insurance market must be addressed in the special session.

Gallagher said that in 2021, he and other lawmakers fought for $1 billion in funding for such issues, and that there has been a major reduction in appropriations since then.

“We’re calling for immediate action on recovery to help ensure that these communities recover from this disaster, but also on the real solutions that will help us to be a stronger, more resilient state against catastrophic wildfires.”

CA DEMS MOVE TO TRUMP-PROOF THE STATE

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DeMaio, Gallagher and Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, also voiced concerns about the state’s insurance market.

Grove listed off almost a dozen insurance companies which she claimed either stopped writing Californian homeowners’ insurance, limited renewals or left the state’s market.

She noted homeowners cannot get or refinance a mortgage without proof of insurance and called for “permanently eliminating red tape and expediting cleanup and recovery and rebuild for all Californians affected by wildfires.”

For his part, Newsom has reportedly proposed $2.5 billion in additional emergency response and preparedness funding.

Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, said seven of the 15 deadliest California wildfires have occurred over the past 10 years, and that little seems to change in the way of preparedness.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Getty)

Former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson reopened the Santa Monica Freeway only 66 days after a 1994 earthquake-spurred collapse, she said.

Under Newsom, CalFIRE’s ranks and budget have both nearly doubled to nearly 11,000 members and $3.8 billion. The state’s forest management budget also increased under the potential 2028 presidential candidate.

In a tweet rejecting Republicans’ claims about cuts to fire prevention funding, Newsom’s press office tweeted that it presented a “purposefully misleading graphic that starts when a one-time budget supplemental was injected to respond to the horrific fires in 2019/2020.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom, as well as the Trump Transition and Comer for response to DiMaio’s letters.

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San Francisco, CA

Missing woman last seen in San Francisco found dead in Texas after 53 years

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Missing woman last seen in San Francisco found dead in Texas after 53 years


On Wednesday, San Francisco police closed the case of a missing woman who was last seen in the city in 1973.

Police said 27-year-old Cheryl Lanier was last seen in 1973 in San Francisco, and her initial missing person’s report was filed in 2010. For years, the department’s Missing Person Unit worked on the case, but it remained open and unsolved.

In July 2025, police said they received a tip out of Harris County in Houston, Texas, advising that a deceased “Jane Doe” could be Lanier. After a DNA analysis, police determined the “Jane Doe” was Lanier and closed the case after 53 years.

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Denver, CO

Could the Dolphins Do Another Deal With Denver?

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Could the Dolphins Do Another Deal With Denver?


As the NFL draft moves farther into the rearview mirror and the offseason program continues to march on, linebacker Jordyn Brooks remains one of three significant Miami Dolphins veterans looking for a contract extension.

And while new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said at draft time that running back De’Von Achane was not available for trading purposes, he hasn’t made the same declaration for either Brooks or center Aaron Brewer (while it’s fair to add that Sullivan wasn’t asked specifically about the latter two at draft time, he easily could have ended all speculation by adding them to Achane’s name).

Instead, what we have are Sullivan’s prior words that he always would listen if another GM were to give him a call.

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That’s important to remember when it comes to Brooks when we hear or see reports around the league about teams in the market for a linebacker.

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The Dallas Cowboys were one such team heading into the draft, but they acquired former starting San Francisco 49ers starter Dee Winters for a fifth-round pick, so it would seem they’re not longer shopping around.

Now comes a report that the Denver Broncos could be looking to add a linebacker to a defense they believe could lead them to a Super Bowl after they secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs last year before losing starting QB Bo Nix in the divisional round.

An NFL executive told Denver Broncos On SI that they could be looking to make a move that seemed to describe the Dolphins and Brooks to a T.

“The Broncos, I am certain, are going to be watching every cut for a terrific linebacker who can upgrade that,” the executive told Broncos On SI. “It’s the only weak link on their defense. If they could get one dominant player that another team couldn’t afford or doesn’t want to pay because they’re not in contention, they could be scary next year.”

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The key line in the executive’s quote was about a dominant player that a team doesn’t want to pay because they’re not in contention.

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Wow, might as well have stamped Brooks’ picture on that comment right there.

Brooks was dominant last year, for sure, when he earned All-Pro honors and it’s not realistic to expect the Dolphins to be in contention in 2026 after their roster overhaul that ended with more than 60 percent of the team’s salary cap going to players no longer around.

Under normal circumstances, extending Brooks would look like a no-brainer for the Dolphins given his ability, leadership and culture-setting characteristics, but he’s looking for a payday and he’s also going to be 29 years old during the 2026 season.

So instead of a slam dunk, the Dolphins have to ask themselves have kind of financial commitment they want to make to a linebacker who likely will be in his 30s when the team is ready to compete.

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Brooks has no guarantees this year with a $7.8 million base salary and he’s set to become a free agent next offseason when his contract goes into void years. If a move were to happen with Brooks, it almost assuredly would take place after June 1 when the Dolphins would save $8.4 million with a trade.

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Brooks currently has a $10.9 million cap number for 2026 and an extension likely would lower that number, which makes it very intriguing that it hasn’t happened yet or that the Dolphins did not restructure his contract to lower his cap number — the way they did with Achane and Brewer.

But any decision to trade Brooks would not be easy because the Dolphins, after all, do need good players and good leaders to establish a foundation in the first year of the Jon-Eric Sullivan/Jeff Hafley regime.

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WHAT A TRADE COULD LOOK LIKE

If the Broncos indeed were to place a phone call to Sullivan at some point, there probably isn’t a strong likelihood that the Dolphins could get a replay of what they got when they sent wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to Denver this year.

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That deal saw Miami give up Waddle for picks in the first and third rounds, with the teams swapping fourth-round choices to the benefit of the Broncos for 19 spots.

But Waddle is only 27, was under contract for three more years and plays a more premium position.

So thinking about getting a first-round pick for Brooks would not seem realistic, though maybe Denver would be willing to pay a bigger price if the Broncos indeed feel that the linebacker could be the final piece to a Super Bowl puzzle.

As was the case with the Cowboys, this is a situation to monitor because the idea of a trade involving Brooks really can’t be summarily dismissed until he signs a contract extension and we’re still waiting on that.

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Seattle, WA

Who will be the next Seahawks owner? One possible bidder invests in the 49ers

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Who will be the next Seahawks owner? One possible bidder invests in the 49ers


The Seattle Seahawks’ new ownership group may be just like the old one: a team of basketball owners.

In addition to being the first known bidders for the Seahawks, Mittal and Grousbeck were the only names listed on their letter of interest to the Allen Estate. Since Mittal lives in London, Grousbeck would likely be running operations from Seattle and live there part-time, as per Sportico.

But wait, there’s more.

Vinod Khosla, an investor in the division rival San Francisco 49ers, has also been named as a potential buyer. Last year, Khosla was one of a few nearby investors to purchase equity in the 49ers, with the team’s total valuation reaching north of $8.5 billion at the time. The specifics of the individual stakes were not made public, but Sportico reports that Khosla’s was the largest of the group.

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The Seahawks are valued at just under $7 billion, but they will likely be sold for more. If Khosla were to purchase the team from Jody Allen, he would obviously need to sell his stake in the Niners. This type of move is becoming increasingly common in today’s NFL, which has seen former Pittsburgh Steelers minority owners David Tepper and Josh Harris acquire the Panthers and Commanders, respectively.

Harris, who bought a controlling interest in the Commanders in 2023, purchased the team from Dan Snyder for over $6 billion, the largest figure for such an acquisition for an NFL franchise. No matter who ends up purchasing the Seahawks from the Allen Estate, Harris’s record will surely be broken.



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