West
Southern California community members return for first time to site where church burned down ahead of Easter
Community members in the Pacific Palisades area in Los Angeles County returned on Good Friday to the site of a 103-year-old church that burned down in January during the Southern California wildfires.
And while the Community United Methodist Church’s building is nothing but rubble and ashes at the moment, Pastor John Shaver told Fox News Digital Saturday it will remain a “community without walls” until it’s rebuilt.
“As many share familiar ancient words worldwide, ‘Christ is Risen!,’ we know these words of hope are for the Pacific Palisades Community United Methodist church family, the people of Pacific Palisades, the Altadena community and all who need the strength to keep moving forward worldwide,” Shaver said. “This great gift of hope gives us the fortitude to rebuild, and, in the meantime, we will strive to be a faith community (even without walls) that is a center of hope and healing for our neighbors near and far.”
Shaver, who had led the church for just six months before it burned down, three years after its centennial celebration, gathered with a handful of community members at the site Friday before they embarked on a cross walk through the neighborhood.
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Pastor John Shaver carries a cross during a cross walk by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades Friday in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
They stopped at nine locations in the devastated neighborhood, reading Bible verses at each stop to represent a different part of Jesus Christ’s path.
“On this Easter Sunday, even though we know there are still significant challenges to come, we give thanks for the hope God gives us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Shaver told Fox News Digital.
He added that the Community United Methodist Church “wants to share God’s love and hope through our words and service to everyone. We hope that by being the hands and feet of Christ, we can build bridges of unity with others throughout the amazing city of Los Angeles.”
The church was built by the same people who founded Pacific Palisades more than a century ago and, over the decades, it has borne witness to weddings, funerals, community gatherings, sports competitions, holiday celebrations and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Members of the Community United Methodist Church listen to a prayer by Pastor John Shaver during a cross walk. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Inspired by the Chautauqua social movement of the 1920s, the founders started a “peace movement,” building the church and offering arts, music and cultural programs to residents, Shaver told The Associated Press.
The congregation has continued services since the fire at other sites, but it was its first time back to the site Friday.
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Shaver, along with most of his congregation, lost his home in the Palisades Fire.
Carli Wright plays music for a church prayer during a cross walk by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades Friday. (AP Photo/William Liang)
The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, which was further inland near Pasadena, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and businesses and killed 29 people, including a congregant of Shaver’s church.
Shaver remembered 85-year-old Annette Rossilli during the cross walk and stopped in front of the rubble where his own house once stood. His family moved into the home last July.
“It’s also a reminder how much of what we have, we take for granted,” Shaver told the AP.
And while the church burned down, the community was able to save important parts of it like stone tiles, a metal cross that stood atop its tower and another stone cross.
Shaver said the church will try to find ways to incorporate those items when the new church is built.
Shaver said the cross walk was also a reminder of “how much of what we have, we take for granted.” (AP Photo/William Liang)
Thomas Knoll, a resident who didn’t attend the church and isn’t religious, told the AP he attended the event because it felt “like sort of a funeral for Pacific Palisades.”
Knoll also lost his home.
The church before the fires (Google Maps)
“The whole story of crucifixion and resurrection is appropriate here,” he said. “This town will be rebuilt, but it’s going to take a long time.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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West
California Democratic candidate uses wrong photo for Rep Jasmine Crockett’s congressional endorsement
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A campaign website for a California Democratic congressional candidate mistakenly promoted an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett using a photo of a different Black woman instead of the Texas Democrat.
The website for Esther Kim Varet removed the image Thursday afternoon after Fox News Digital inquired about the error.
“Racist. Arrogant. Totally out of touch. Good thing @estherkimvaret’s hate-filled, bigoted self isn’t getting anywhere near Congress,” Christian Martinez, national Hispanic press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, wrote on X.
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Varet, owner of Various Small Fires, a chain of art galleries in Los Angeles, Dallas and Seoul, is running to unseat Rep. Young Kim, a Republican representing California’s 40th Congressional District, which includes portions of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Varet, the child of Korean immigrants, called Kim, who was born in South Korea, an “ESL puppet” in a social media post criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The campaign website for California Democratic candidate Esther Kim Varet had the wrong image of Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, while touting her endorsement. (Getty Images)
“My story is not unique. It’s the story of so many Korean Americans and immigrants across the country who are proud Americans and are making our communities better every day. I’m proud of my accent and will keep using my voice to protect the American dream for future generations,” Kim previously told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Varet’s campaign and to Crockett’s office.
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The campaign website for Esther Kim Varet had the wrong image for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, while touting her endorsement. (estherkimvaretc.com)
In August, the NRCC called Varet “unhinged” after she criticized Kim’s English-speaking skills. She also allegedly targeted Martinez personally, telling him to “prove that you’re a REAL Latino,” the group said.
Kim is also facing a Republican primary challenge from Rep. Ken Calvert, and the two will compete for the reconfigured district.
The district lines were changed after voters approved a statewide redistricting measure in November aimed at creating additional Democratic-leaning congressional seats.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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The move came in response to a new map in Texas designed to establish several more Republican-leaning districts.
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San Francisco, CA
Thousands in one San Francisco neighborhood heading into another day without power
While many people in San Francisco have their power back, there are still thousands without it.
At a press conference Monday afternoon, Mayor Daniel Lurie said 4,000 PG&E customers in the Civic Center area are still in the dark. One of them is Parvathy Menon.
“We haven’t been able to take showers or use the bathroom,” said Menon. “Our electricity is out. I think all our food started rotting about a day in.”
She lives at 100 Van Ness. She said she’s grateful she’s going out of town tomorrow, but even that’s posing some problems.
“I actually have to pack for a trip tonight, and we’re doing it in full darkness,” Menon explained. “We are using our phone lights, we are using our laptops to charge our phones.”
Her apartment is pitch black, except for the small amount of streetlight coming through the windows. She said the apartment complex has been doing all they can to help, like providing some food and water.
They have a small generator to power some lights in the lobby and one elevator for the nearly 30-story apartment building.
Menon said she is most upset about the lack of communication from PG&E.
“Initially, when this started, we were supposed to get power back within the day, then it went to the next day and now they just stopped calling us completely,” said Menon.
San Francisco City Hall was closed for the day because of the outage, but Mayor Daniel Lurie held a press conference with Supervisors Matt Dorsey and Bilal Mahmood.
Lurie said what residents have gone through is unacceptable, and he’s lost trust in PG&E’s estimated times for repair.
“They gave us a timeline that they believe in, but it’s not one that I can have confidence in any longer,” Lurie said. “So, we don’t have full faith that 6 a.m. is the time tomorrow.”
“Shame on PG&E for having this happen,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “This is a company that has had a lot of reliability issues and the jury is out on what happened, but if this is negligence, I think it’s going to be really important for people to understand they have rights as customers.”
Leaders encourage everyone who lost anything to file a claim with PG&E; they could be eligible for reimbursements. Mahmood is calling for a hearing after the new year to get some answers for PG&E.
“What went wrong, why weren’t they able to address it this weekend and what steps are they taking to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Mahmood about the question he has for the utility company.
PG&E said the outage happened after a fire at its Mission Street substation left significant damage, but the cause is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, Menon has been refreshing social media looking for good news, but she’s starting to lose faith.
“They’re really doing nothing to help us here, so I’m losing hope,” said Menon.
Denver, CO
Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets: Recap and final score
In a game that was over in the first quarter, the Denver Nuggets destroyed the Utah Jazz 135-112. The score isn’t even indicative of how the game went. To start the game, the Nuggets went on a massive run, leaving the Jazz down by 27 points in the middle of the 1st quarter. For the Jazz, it’s surprising just how different they are on the road versus at home. At home, the Jazz are 7-9 while they are 3-9 on the road. This game was a perfect example. The Jazz looked like they got Monstar’d in the first quarter, and there was no way for them to recover the rest of the game. It’s a sign that this Jazz team, as competitive as they’ve mostly been at home, is not there yet as a competitive team.
There were a few things on this one to build on, but some things to be concerned about. Keyonte George was able to calm down after a shaky start and was able to shoot a respectable 7/14 from the field and 2/4 from three. He also grabbed 8 boards and dished out 7 assists. George looked the most in control of anyone on the Jazz during the loss. It’s one of those signs that George is evolving into a great player who will perform at a high level regardless of whatever situation he’s in.
For things to be a little concerned about? Lauri Markkanen continues not shoot the three well. Tonight he was 2/9 from three and is now shooting 35.2%. Overall, Markkanen shot it well from the field at 10/20, but it would be nice if that three-point shot started falling more consistently. It’s the skillset that sets Markkanen apart but it’s not really showing up again this season. Last season, Markkanen ended the year at 34.6%. Is this the reflection of a season being thrown again, or is this just what Markkanen is as a shooter?
Probably the biggest concern of everything is the defense. Yes, you’re playing against Nikola Jokic, but the Jazz came into this one as the #29 defense in the league. So many times in this one, you have defenders playing off shooters and not able to defend shooters. And we’re not talking drive-and-kick-type plays, these are one-pass-away possessions that are getting open threes. It’s not the best sign for this team, ever being a high-level defense. Maybe they’re not trying as hard with the obvious tank that now appears to be happening, but it would be nice to see some better outcomes with the defense on nights like tonight. That said, the best thing for this team, after a game like tonight, is to add more talent to the roster. Fixing the defense is something they’ll worry about more next season. But it’s definitely something to watch as the season goes on, and pay attention to who is able to make an impact defensively.
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