West
California wildfire survivor shares story of narrowly saving his own house from Eaton Fire: 'A miracle'
A survivor of the devastating Eaton Fire that devastated the Altadena area of Los Angeles County recently spoke up about his experience fighting the inferno.
Justin Christie, a resident of Altadena, spoke with Fox News Digital on Saturday afternoon about his experience. As of Saturday evening, the Eaton Fire, which began on Tuesday, is only 15% contained.
Christie explained that his family has lived in the area since 1967, and had never seen anything as destructive as the Eaton Fire before.
“[I’ve seen] tons of fires on this hillside,” Christie recalled. “When I saw this, when I came out in the street and I saw the flames up on the hillside, something just told me this was different.”
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Justin Christie is pictured in front of a view of damaged structures and homes caused by the Eaton Wildfires in the Altadena neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Getty Images/Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
“I really got frightened, and I started to think [about] what I needed to do to prepare for it.”
Christie said that he was especially alarmed after seeing one of his palm trees catch on fire, which had never happened before. He quickly got all of his family members into his car and drove them away from the scene.
“I’ve never, in all the fires, never had one of our trees catch on fire,” he said. “And that was the one that really said, okay…we’re in big trouble.”
Christie later drove by to check on the status of his house – when he realized no one was going to extinguish the fire on his palm tree, Christie decided to put matters into his own hands and fight the fire himself.
“I thought my house, many times, was going to go,” he recalled. “From 8 in the evening to 12 o’clock noon. This house here, that burned next to me, was the last one that was to put me in danger.”
“When that one finally calmed down…I had a little sense of relief.”
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Congress members tour the wildfire disaster zone in Altadena on Saturday. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
But Christie said that that sense of relief was short-lived before another neighbor of his suffered a fire in their garage. Though Christie’s house was unscathed from that fire, the resident described the whole situation as “just shocking.”
“It’s heartbreaking. It’s just enough to make you want to cry,” Christie said. “So many people just lost everything.”
“And I never, ever thought….we’ve been here for so long…I always thought we were just far enough out of the fire’s reach.”
When thinking back to the experience, Christie described the sounds and sights of the wildfires as “incredible.”
The auditorium at Elliott Junior High is barely recognizable after being ravaged by wildfire in Altadena, Calif., on Friday. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
“The breaking glass, the explosions from gas lines, people’s propane tanks, cars catching on fire,” he vividly described. “It just sounded like several freight trains coming at you.”
Overall, Christie said that his house’s survival from the Eaton Fire was nothing short of a miracle.
“It was some miracle that I got a hold of the fire…the wind died down at one opportune time,” he said. “And if it hadn’t….it would have caught this trellis I have next to me, it would have caught my house on fire and I would have been done. And there were several times when I wanted to leave, but I didn’t. I stayed.
“If I had left, the house would be gone. Totally gone.”
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West
UC Davis professor who posted violent threats against ‘Zionists’ keeps job after discipline
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A UC Davis professor who drew widespread backlash after posting that “Zionist journalists” and their children should fear for their lives was suspended without pay for one academic quarter and remains employed by the university.
Jemma DeCristo, an assistant professor in the American Studies program who identifies as transgender, was the subject of an internal investigation following a social media post shared days after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The university’s investigative report, completed in June 2024, was released publicly last week in response to a public-records request, as first reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
On Oct. 10, 2023, DeCristo posted on X: “One group of ppl we have easy access to in the US is all these Zionist journalists who spread propaganda & misinformation… they have houses w addresses, kids in school… they can fear their bosses, but they should fear us more.” The post included emojis depicting a knife, an axe and drops of blood.
The post went viral a week later after being amplified by conservative commentators, such as the late Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk, who called the professor’s post a threat of terrorism.
Charlie Kirk called attention to Jemma DeCristo’s post in October 2023. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA ORDERED TO REINSTATE LAW STUDENT WHO WAS EXPELLED AFTER ANTI-JEWISH COMMENTS
According to the investigative report authored by UC Davis School of Law Dean Kevin R. Johnson and the outside law firm London & Stout, DeCristo told investigators the post was intended as satire and not a literal call to violence.
DeCristo claimed the language was intended to be “a sarcastic response to distressing geopolitical events,” and the message was not intended to be taken seriously.
The professor refused to issue a clarification or apology, according to the report, telling investigators, “it would just fuel the right-wing media that was harassing her.”
UC Davis concluded in their report that while the professor did not intend the post to be a literal threat, its language “injured members of the Jewish community,” caused fear for children’s safety, and triggered “a ripple effect of anxiety and increased burden on campus.” The report concluded the professor violated the faculty code of conduct regarding the university’s ethical principles and recommended discipline.
Memorial Union from a Distance at the University of California-Davis campus in Davis, California, taken on July 21, 2025. (istock)
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The investigation also documented “significant disruption” to university operations, including receiving hundreds of e-mails with demands that DeCristo be fired, complaints from students and staff over safety concerns and donations being jeopardized. At least one major donor threatened to withhold six-figure gifts unless DeCristo was terminated, according to the report.
A faculty panel in June 2025 recommended DeCristo be censured, but Chancellor Gary S. May decided that suspension was warranted as well.
UC Davis confirmed to Fox News Digital that DeCristo was suspended for the fall academic quarter and did not receive pay from Oct. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025. DeCristo is not currently teaching but remains employed by the university.
“The chancellor suspended the faculty member without pay for one academic quarter and placed a Letter of Censure in the faculty member’s personnel file,” a statement from the university read. “The letter will remain in the faculty member’s personnel file for the duration of the faculty member’s employment with UC.”
Kerr Hall, UC Davis, Davis, California. Taken April 8, 2015. (Joseph DeSantis/Getty Images)
PROFESSOR SLAMMED FOR ‘DESPICABLE BEHAVIOR’ WITH CONTROVERSIAL REPOSTS ON CHARLIE KIRK
In the letter of censure, May wrote that both investigators and the hearing panel found a failure to recognize the “deep pain and significant disruption” caused to the university community and a failure to offer clarification or apology that could have mitigated the impact.
“Particularly where students were among those who suffered as a result of your actions,” May wrote, “your glaring lack of insight into the harm you caused is in direct conflict with your obligation to protect and preserve conditions hospitable to student learning.”
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DeCristo did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News’ David Rutz contributed to this report.
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San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Bay Ferry fleet brings back live music after 25 years
SF Bay Ferry brings back live music after 25 years
the theme was tides and tunes on the San Francisco Bay Ferry on Friday night. The Richmond line commuters were serenaded with a free concert. It’s an experience other riders may not have to wait too long to enjoy.
SAN FRANCISCO – East Bay ferry commuters on Friday got some very special surprises during their evening commutes on one San Francisco Bay Ferry line. Soon, other commuters on other lines may get the same treatment.
Sweet, soothing music
Beyond the beautiful views and cocktails, folks who took the ferry between San Francisco and Richmond on Friday evening got an extra treat; something they haven’t done in more than two decades: live music.
Lolah, a San Jose solo artist and band member, sang songs for fans and Friday commuters to their surprise and delight. “I think it’s very entertaining after a long day at work, and it makes the ferry really enjoyable compared to BART,” said commuter John Schmidt.
Jess Jenkins read about it online. “It’s a little bit out of my way. Yeah, but I was excited to try and check out the live music on the ferry. I think making public transit attractive to use is like, yeah, great for everybody,” said Jenkins. “Fantastic. I mean this is the most beautiful city in the world, sunset, a little music. What more could you want in the world?” said passenger Josh Bamberger.
Commuter and artist Marco Sorenson sketched Lolah. “It’s great. This was a real surprise tonight, fascinating; on the boat anyway, so this adds a little extra,” said Sorenson.
The singer loves her art and audiences. It’s an opportunity for musicians like me because we want to go out there and share your work, your art. So you feed on the energy from the audience and the audience feeds from the energy from you,” said Lolah who books her gigs through Lolahentertainment.com.
Bay ferries had music before
Twenty-five years ago, before the dot-com crash, it was a spontaneous twice-a-month Friday event. “It was just a group of enthusiastic ferry riders from Oakland that put it all together. So, it gathered a following. People would come, get on the boat and just never get off the boat, just continuously two round trips, and we were grateful for it,” said three-year SF Bay Ferry Captain Tim Patrick.
Ultimately, it interfered with the evening commute. “And then we kind of put a stop to it because it became too successful,” said Caprain Patrick.
This time, SF Bay Ferry itself is sponsoring even to bolster ridership at commute time as well as on weekends. “We’re definitely kind of testing the waters, experimenting with what we’re able to do in a venue such as the ferries; beautiful and scenic,” said SF Bay Ferry spokesperson Teo Saragi.
What’s next:
On Friday, January 16, entertainment will be provided by a DJ between the city and Vallejo.
The Friday after, Lolah returns. “We’re also in the process of brainstorming potential trivia nights or comedy nights,” said spokesperson Saragi.
What was successful 25 years ago, could become successful again on a much bigger ferry system with a lot more lines, because people love live music, they love the ferries; throw in a cocktail and call it a party.
Denver, CO
Broncos offensive line is the engine that drives offense
I’ve been covering the Denver Broncos for his entire career and I remember writing up some pretty harsh criticism of his play early on — especially in regards to holding penalties. I recall at one point he was committing holding penalties at a record-breaking rate. He was so far above the rest of the field that he’d break charts if anyone tried to chart it. The best part of that saga is that he never let the outside noise (from me and many others) get to him. He worked on his craft and he got better. And then got even better to the point where it is pretty clear that he is one of the best left tackles in all of football. He is going to go down as one of the best tackles in franchise history too when its all said and done. It’s a great comeback story.
All that said, he wasn’t the only one of the Broncos players on that offensive line to make an impact with guard Quinn Meinerz also being named a PFF All-Pro player. The whole offensive line has been dominant in nearly every category and is the main engine that has driven the offenses successes this season.
4) Denver Broncos
Team OLi Grade: 83.0
Best-Ranked OL: Garett Bolles, 89.0 (7th overall, 3rd position)
Worst-Ranked OL: Alex Palczewski, 63.5 (159th overall, 61st position)
And one more to complete the picture comes from Sharp Football Analysis who has the Broncos ranked fifth-overall in their NFL Offensive Line Stats:
There is so much evidence that shows the trenches on both side of the ball is what has brought the success of the 2025 Broncos. It’s an area that Sean Payton has said in the past is always an area of focus. He knows you don’t win consistently if your team is being dominated in the trenches.
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