West
Liberal California may have a political 'reawakening' after wildfire disaster, historian predicts
Californians may have a “reawakening” that could trigger a “political shock” among the nation’s top decision-makers after the state’s highly criticized response to the Los Angeles wildfires brought to light the state’s vulnerability and leadership failures, historian Victor Davis Hanson predicts.
“So, there is a group of people in California that could fuel a revolt of liberals or Democrats,” Hanson, a Hoover Institution public policy think tank senior fellow, told Fox News Digital in an interview on Tuesday.
That group of people could include the wealthy on the coastal line whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the wildfires that broke out Jan. 7. Several celebrities, including filmmaker Mel Gibson and actor Michael Rapaport, openly blasted California leadership for its response to the crisis as the blaze destroyed several Los Angeles districts.
NEWSOM CALLS FOR LOOTING TO BE A FELONY IN EVACUATION ZONES AMID LA INFERNO
Historian Victor Davis Hanson analyzes how California may undergo a cultural shift after the destruction of the LA wildfires. (Penny Collins/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“So, the shock of LA is most of the people that were burned out in Pacific Palisades or on the areas around it were very, very left-wing and very wealthy,” Hanson said. “And this was what’s shocking politically, because the consequences of their votes and their ideology had never really personally affected them to this degree.
“This is going to be an accelerant or a force multiplier. That’s because it affects two different groups of people,” Hanson explained. “It affects the very wealthy. For the first time, they got firebombed. Looks like Dresden, and that’s going to be $300 or $400 billion when it’s all over. And they’re going to have to deal with the Coastal Commission, the Los Angeles Planning Commission and permits for building. And they’re going to be irate when they have to do that.
“The net result is, I don’t think any California politician is going to have a national profile after this.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ absence during the first 24 hours of the inferno, coupled with empty hydrants, a malfunctioning reservoir, a defunded fire department and a lack of new water infrastructure — despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s backing of billions for new reservoirs — highlighted severe flaws in the state’s response, noted by lawmakers and experts.
The state’s response to the crisis has fueled further criticism, particularly regarding its bureaucracy. In response, Newsom signed an executive order Sunday to suspend certain state commission requirements, aiming to speed up the rebuilding process for homeowners.
“Goodbye, red tape,” Newsom wrote in a post on X. “Through an executive order, we are making it easier for victims of the SoCal fires to quickly rebuild their homes and lives.”
LA COUNCILWOMAN WHOSE DISTRICT RAVAGED BY WILDFIRES LOOKS TO HOLD LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR EMPTY RESERVOIRS
The auditorium at Elliott Junior High is barely recognizable Jan. 11, 2025, after being ravaged by a wildfire in Altadena, Calif. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
“If he could do it now, why didn’t he do it before the fire?” Hanson said of the order.
Another issue that has been a multiyear problem is California’s loss of residents to red states. Dubbed the “California exodus” by experts, California has lost hundreds of thousands of residents over the past few years, many of them citing high taxes, unaffordable housing, crime and difficult business regulations.
‘DEVASTATING’: CALIFORNIA HAD RECORD RAINFALL LAST YEAR, BUT LACKED INFRASTRUCTURE TO STORE IT
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is defending his response to the Los Angeles wildfires as mounting backlash continues. (Jae C. Hong/AP; Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images )
Many former California residents have relocated to states with lower taxes and more business-friendly environments, such as Texas, Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina. Top companies — Tesla, Oracle, Charles Schwab and Chevron — have also moved to other states.
Nearly 240,000 people moved out of California between 2023 and 2024, according to the Census Bureau. This was the largest net domestic migration loss in the country during that time period. Between April 2020 and July 2022, the state saw a net loss of more than 700,000 residents.
“They’re getting very, very angry that it’s hard to do business … and they are angry at the gasoline prices,” Hanson said. “And so I think there’s the potential, if there were a clever, adroit, enlightened Republican candidate or political figure that could capitalize on. So far, the Republican Party doesn’t know what to do. They don’t know whether to go left and try to accommodate this left-wing population or go further right and galvanize it.
“There’s no dissenting voices … and I think that’s going to change after what we saw.”
Read the full article from Here
Spring in Montana has a way of keeping people on their toes. One day feels like summer is finally here, and the next morning you’re scraping frost off the windshield before work.
And honestly, that’s pretty normal around here.
A Transition Month: May in Montana
In many parts of Montana, May is still very much a transition month. Higher elevation communities like Butte can still see freezing temperatures late into the season, and in some years the final frost does not arrive until June. That lingering winter chill is just part of life in the Treasure State.
Daylight Gains: Embracing Longer Evenings
At the same time, May also brings some of the biggest daylight gains of the entire year. As Montana races toward the summer solstice, we add roughly 70 more minutes of daylight throughout the month, depending on location, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Longer evenings, greener landscapes, and warmer afternoons start showing up, even if the mornings can still feel like winter.
READ MORE: Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts Later Frost Dates for Parts of Montana
That’s what makes Montana weather so unique this time of year. You might start the day with a jacket and a windshield scraper, then end the afternoon in shorts and a T-shirt.
While we recently looked back at some of the warmest Mays Montana has experienced, the colder years can be just as memorable. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has tracked Montana temperatures dating back to 1895, giving us a fascinating look at just how cold May can still get across the state.
READ MORE: These Are the Warmest Mays Ever Recorded in Montana
Some of those chilly Mays brought persistent snow, freezing mornings, and temperatures far below average well into spring.
Now it’s time to look back at the 10 coldest May temperatures Montana has experienced since record-keeping began in 1895. Keep scrolling for more.
Top 10 Coldest Mays in Montana According to NOAA
Top 10 Coldest Mays in Montana According to NOAA
Gallery Credit: Chris Wolfe
Montana’s Top 10 Warmest Mays on Record
According to NOAA, these are the top 10 warmest, on average, months of May in Montana
Gallery Credit: Chris Wolfe
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Another platform is coming under fire by the State of Nevada over alleged unsafe conditions for children.
On Wednesday, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford filed a lawsuit against Discord, which is a communication platform that facilitates instant, text, and chat messaging as well as voice and video calls. Users are also able to share media, including photos and videos.
“Discord’s popularity with minors also makes it popular with a much more dangerous cohort: child predators, who seek to groom and exploit minor users,” the 100-page complaint reads in part. “Discord knows that the children on its platform are at risk, and further knows that children and their parents and guardians are afraid of malicious actors on the platform. Yet Discord has done very little to protect these children, and has refused to implement safety features that it knows would greatly ameliorate the risk.”
The complaint lists several cases as alleged proof that the platform is dangerous:
- In 2023, a Las Vegas man was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a minor and producing child pornography of his victim, whom he groomed on Discord.
- In 2024, a Reno man was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime supervised release for grooming a minor on Discord.
- In 2025, a sting captured eight individuals who had used Discord — among other communications platforms — to solicit sex from law enforcement agents posing as children.
According to the complaint, a group called 764, which was located on a Discord server that contained violent videos and “how-to” guides on sexually exploiting and extorting minors online, “has acknowledged a presence in Nevada”. The FBI’s Las Vegas field office is part of one or more of the agency’s 250 investigations into the organization.
Ford’s team also alleges that Discord has several flaws in its design, which is putting children at risk. For example, insufficient barriers for strangers contacting children, misleading and/or ineffective filters, parental control issues, and an “absence of age or identity verification in the account creation process.”
In February 2026, Discord tried to implement a requirement where users had to authenticate their age “with a face scan or by uploading a form of ID if they want to access adult content.” However, the complaint states that after user backlash to that announcement, “Discord immediately went into damage control mode and walked backed its commitment.”
According to the complaint, Ford’s team is seeking civil penalties of up to $15,000 per violation of the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act and up to $25,000 for each violation directed at a minor.
Discord has denied the claims made in the complaint and sent Channel 13 the following statement:
“The lawsuit’s characterization of Discord does not reflect the platform we have built or the investments we have made in user safety. Discord is a communications platform built to connect people around playing games. Users join Discord communities intentionally, based on their interests, and unlike social media, the platform has no algorithmic feed, infinite scroll, or public “likes” pushing content to mass audiences.
Our safety systems combine advanced technology and human-led investigations, alongside user reports to help identify accounts or spaces engaged in harmful activity, including exploitative and child sexual abuse materials. We require all users to be at least 13 to use Discord and also provide teen users and their parents and guardians with important privacy and safety tools, including Teen Safety Assist and our Family Center. We look forward to collaborating with policymakers in working toward a safer online experience for all users on Discord and across the internet.”
Discord Spokesperson
This is not the only platform that is facing lawsuits in Nevada.
Last month, Ford announced the State of Nevada had reached a settlement with the online gaming platform Roblox.
In addition to abuse concerns, 13 Investigates partnered with ABC News Investigates to tell you how teenagers were being recruited on Roblox to become hackers.
WATCH: 2023 cybersecurity incidents lead to Nevada Gaming Control Board changes
2023 cybersecurity incidents lead to Nevada Gaming Control Board changes
As part of that settlement, Roblox officials agreed to several changes to make the platform safer, including age verification, content control, enhanced parental controls, and agreements to spend $2.5 million for online safety awareness campaigns as well as workshops and training for law enforcement.
APRIL 2026: Nevada reaches settlement with gaming platform Roblox
FULL PRESSER: State of Nevada reaches settlement with online gaming platform Roblox
Ford’s office has filed similar consumer protection lawsuits against TikTok, Snap, Meta, YouTube, and Kik, all alleging harmful design features and a lack of common-sense online safety measures for children.
According to Ford’s office, they’re set to go to trial against TikTok and Snap next year.
LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – A 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck in southern Colorado near the New Mexico border Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with shocks felt as far as Pueblo.
According to the USGS, around 10:45 a.m., an earthquake struck near Weston at a depth of 8.7 km.
USGS said weak shaking could be felt as far as southern Pueblo and Monte Vista, with the shaking measured at an intensity level 3.
USGS said it estimates a 28% chance that an aftershock greater than 3.0 can be felt again within the next week.
Copyright 2026 KKTV. All rights reserved.
-
Illinois22 seconds agoFamily, friends, supporters honor fallen Illinois police officers
-
Indiana6 minutes agoIndiana Silver Alert issued for missing 16-year-old boy possibly in Indianapolis
-
Iowa12 minutes agoFormer eastern Iowa city clerk pleads guilty after state audit finds $66K in theft
-
Kentucky24 minutes agoBass fishing titles on the line for 5 Northern Kentucky teams at state
-
Louisiana30 minutes agoSpecial Olympics Mississippi moves state games to Louisiana, holds swimming events in-state
-
Maine36 minutes agoMaine teen accused of killing paddleboarder makes court appearance
-
Maryland42 minutes agoMaryland State Police seek help in finding missing Wicomico juvenile
-
Michigan48 minutes agoMichigan cities rethink