West
California’s politicians didn’t start the fires. They made them worse
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Seeing homes in Malibu and the Pacific Palisades burn to the ground while fire hydrants ran dry is bad enough, but knowing the water shortage resulted from bad bureaucratic decisions makes the horrifying sights even worse.
Water is everywhere in California. The Golden State borders the Pacific Ocean, which contains countless gallons that could be desalinated to fill reservoirs and feed fire hydrants.
But California’s bureaucracy discourages desalination plants that would guarantee additional water, and no reservoirs were built with the $2.7 billion authorized in 2014.
LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES: CALIFORNIA FIREBUG ARREST CAUGHT ON VIDEO AS POLICE WARN OF ARSONISTS
Environmentalists prefer blaming climate change for wildfires, just like the ancient Greeks blaming their gods when things went wrong. It’s passing the buck rather than looking in the mirror.
Water is dropped by helicopter on the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (Ethan Swope/AP)
Acres of fires burned on federal lands from 1916 to the mid-1940s, when CO2 emissions were lower, were as high as levels in the first decade of the 2000s.
In California, politicians promoted an agenda to get rid of water, energy and minerals, which increased human suffering. The question is how they retain power without people voting them out of office.
This is particularly true when considering the tragedy of the fire, which could have been prevented by water.
State agencies that must approve desalination projects include the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Coastal Commission, the California State Lands Commission, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the National Marine Fisheries Service’s West Coast Region and the six coastal regional water quality control boards. This system is designed to slow progress.
Plus, approval depends on tribal consultation, environmental justice, consideration of marine life and energy efficiency, among other factors.
California has awarded $120 million for desalination projects, compared to $1.4 billion on charging stations and $500 million for electric school buses. The California Air Resources Board has the power to fast-track clean air regulations.
Surely, if California can afford billions of dollars on electric vehicles, the state can afford to fill its reservoirs with water — especially since the wildfires are doing more harm to the air than gasoline-powered vehicles?
Countries with lower GDP than California have no trouble building desalination plants. Such plants produce over 7 million cubic meters per day in the United Arab Emirates, about 40% of the country’s drinking water. Kuwait and Oman use desalination for about 90% of their drinking water, and Saudi Arabia’s share of desalinated water is 70%.
More burned-out cars from the Eaton fire at a Brake Masters in Altadena. (Fox News Digital / Ashley Carnahan)
Bahrain has recently completed its second desalination plant, with new reverse osmosis energy-efficient technology from Veolia Water Technologies, headquartered in France. The plant produces 227,000 cubic meters a day and began operations after 22 months.
The problem is that California’s government has created water scarcity, just as it created energy scarcity and critical mineral scarcity.
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California requires 60% of its energy to be created from renewables by 2030, so it has an energy scarcity with high prices. The legislature unanimously passed the Seabed Mining Prevention Act in 2022, which prevents extracting critical offshore minerals, leaving America at the mercy of China.
The environmentalist agenda, which focuses on scarcity rather than abundance, gives power to governments to distribute those limited resources. In times of scarcity, people become dependent on government rather than depending on their own actions.
Water is everywhere in California. The Golden State borders the Pacific Ocean, which contains countless gallons that could be desalinated to fill reservoirs and feed fire hydrants.
One of the two houses on his street that survived the 2018 Wolsey Fire in Malibu was owned by Robert Kerbeck, author of “Malibu Burning: The Real Story Behind L.A.’s Most Devastating Wildfire,” who learned in advance how to spray his home with fire retardant and who cut back brush that could feed the flames.
As Kerbeck recently wrote, “We need more water to fight fires, more reservoirs to store the water, and more firefighters with the right kind of equipment to battle these massive wind-driven blazes.”
California’s policies are often based on a myth inside an enigma, to paraphrase Churchill about the Soviet Union. Californians who promoted the agenda of energy, water, and mineral scarcity for the sake of the environment should think again. Nature should not be worshiped at such cost to people.
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San Francisco, CA
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.
Denver, CO
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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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