This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Officials in the city of Los Angeles knew they and their fire department personnel were unprepared to defend the city from wildfires.
A letter from Fire Chief Kristin Crowly had warned city officials, including Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, only last month about the problem that threatens lives, property and the city itself.
The letter warned the budget cuts on the fire department, imposed by the city during a time period when it was fulling embracing spending plans for "diversity" and the like, have "severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies including wildfires."
Multiple deaths already have been confirmed and hundreds, probably thousands, of homes and businesses have been lost to at least half a dozen fires that have raged, aggravated by high winds, over the last week.
A Twitchy report said the letter makes Bass, who recently returned from a trip to Africa she was on as her city burned, look even worse.
"While our pals on the Left are screeching about climate change being at fault for the devastating fires we're all watching in California in real-time, the reality of the situation and how badly LA has and other affected areas have been managed and cared for is becoming more and more obvious. From refusing to utilize water to protect some minnow, to slashing the budgets, Mayor Karen Bass has made some horrible decisions compounded by Gavin Newsom being one of if not the worst governor in the country," the report said.
"When priorities are as off as Bass's and Newsom's unfortunately that spells disaster for their people. And guess what? A letter from L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley written JUST LAST MONTH shows even she knew there was a problem. Bass was so concerned she took a trip to Ghana."
I Love America News had reported that fire hydrants ran dry, leaving firefighters without their most critical resource to battle the recent blazes.
And video confirmed that those fighting fires were resorting to carrying water to the fires in handbags in valiant attempts to protect property. A subsequent report revealed firefighters carry canvas bags with them, somethings dumping small amounts of water strategically, instead of unfurling a hose each time.
Bass, on returning from her trip to Africa, froze when asked about the situation.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended a conference at the headquarters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI, in Paris along with Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian Resistance organization. In his speech, referring to the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, Pompeo stated, "Now is the time for optimism for the people of Iran. The regime is undoubtedly at its weakest point."
Noting that he was not speaking officially on behalf of the upcoming Trump administration, Pompeo added, "However, I am confident that the maximum pressure campaign will resume, marking the beginning of the end for the malicious regime and a step to help the people of Iran."
A year of defeats for the Iranian regime
The past year was full of heavy and unprecedented defeats for the Iranian regime. There was a widespread boycott of both the parliamentary and presidential elections. More young people joined the Resistance Units, and their activities expanded. Even inside prisons – where the Iranian dictator exercises absolute control – female prisoners nevertheless staged protests and chanted slogans such as "Death to the dictator."
The regime is currently facing a crippled economy, 40% inflation, widespread poverty and massive systemic financial corruption, especially among commanders within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a primary branch of Iran's armed forces. Rifts within the regime's loyal forces, particularly the IRGC, are on the rise.
Under such circumstances, the regime's main proxy force, Hezbollah in Lebanon, suffered severe blows. Ultimately, the main pillar of Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei's regional strategy, the Assad dictatorship in Syria, collapsed in the final months of 2024. Now, Khamenei faces the real possibility of a popular uprising against his rule.
At one time, IRGC commanders proudly proclaimed, "Iran's influence extends from Iran, Iraq, and Syria to the Mediterranean Sea." They referred to Syria as Iran's "35th province." However, events in Syria exposed the fragility of the regime's forces. At the beginning of the battles in Aleppo, the regime had over 30 bases in the region. Yet, as soon as opposition forces launched their attacks, the regime's forces rapidly disintegrated.
As one media outlet reported, "350 opposition fighters entered Aleppo, and 30,000 members of government forces and Iranian loyalist forces fled without any resistance, destroyed their positions, and left the area. Similar situations occurred across Syria."
The fall of Assad and the weakness of the Iranian regime
In her speech at the conference, Maryam Rajavi highlighted the regime's weakness, stating, "What happened in Syria clearly reflects the regime's frailty. If the regime were strong and stable within Iran and not surrounded by the people's anger, it might have been able to remain in Syria and protect its most important ally."
Pompeo emphasized this reality, stating, "The speed at which the Assad regime fell showed the world that the Ayatollah's era is over."
Khamenei's mistake: The October 7 War
In 2023, when Khamenei ignited the flames of a destructive war on Oct. 7, he made a grave mistake. However, he felt compelled to take this action so as to delay the threat of domestic uprisings within Iran by creating an external war.
Despite suffering significant defeats, the Iranian regime continues to follow the same path.
Rajavi believes there is only one solution to end the regime's influence in the region, halt its nuclear and missile programs, and force it to stop torturing and executing Iranian youth: "The regime must be overthrown by the Iranian people and their Resistance."
Recognition of Iran's resistance and the role of the resistance units
Rajavi calls on the international community to "recognize the Iranian people's struggle to overthrow the regime and the rebellious youth's fight against the IRGC. Recognizing the struggle of the Iranian Resistance and its Resistance Units is an essential part of a firm policy against the mullahs' regime."
Pompeo likewise emphasized that the Iranian Resistance' roadmap for overthrowing the regime does not rely primarily on the U.S. or any other country. Rather, he said, "This roadmap depends on the Iranian people, the organized resistance network inside the country, and the Resistance Units across the country."
Pompeo concluded his remarks with a message for the Iranian people and the Resistance Units fighting on behalf of everyone: "Keep your focus on the IRGC. The United States and the pressure campaign will return, making the regime even more fragile. You, the Resistance, are on the right path."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – In less than three weeks, Poland will hold commemoration ceremonies to mark 80 years since the Soviet Red Army's liberation of the Auschwitz – the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp on its soil – and yet, there is still significant doubt as to whether Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be among the participants.
It seems extraordinary that the elected leader of the Jewish state – the largest single Jewish population on earth – would not be present to mark such a somber event as the liberation of the place, which is the largest Jewish burial ground in the world. And yet, here we are.
As a result of the International Criminal Court's late November decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu, and his then-defense minister Yoav Gallant, over their alleged war crimes in conducting the Gaza war against Hamas, there are several countries – including Poland – which have threatened to fulfill those warrants.
On Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda called on Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government to guarantee Netanyahu's safety from arrest if he should attend the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz's liberation. In a Jan. 8 letter to Tusk reviewed by Bloomberg, Duda emphasized the need to ensure Netanyahu's presence would remain "unhindered" during his time in Poland, citing the "absolutely exceptional circumstances" of the commemoration.
The commemoration of the Nazi death camp's liberation is set to take place on Jan. 27, the mandated International Holocaust Remembrance Day. A Netanyahu spokesperson was asked what the prime minister's plans were with regard to the commemoration, and slightly curiously responded no official invitation had yet been received. Privately Polish officials assess any lack of contact from their Israeli counterparts is due to fears the prime minister will indeed be arrested if he sets foot on Polish soil.
Despite his frequent disagreements with Tusk's administration, – who hails from the other side of the political aisle – Duda expressed confidence in the letter that the government could develop an "adequate formula" to guarantee Netanyahu's safety while respecting international law and honoring the significance of the Auschwitz liberation commemoration.
The hosts of Pod Save America joked about President Joe Biden snubbing former President Barack Obama by not awarding him the Medal of Freedom, The Washington Examiner report. Co-hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor were previously staffers for Obama.
On Saturday, the White House announced the names of the 19 people who would receive the highest civilian honor. Obama was not on that list, and the podcast hosts poked fun at the situation.
"Obama gave one to Biden, and Biden did not return the favor," Favreau said. Lovett replied, "I guess they’re not really on speaking terms, I suppose, after all that’s happened!"
Despite governing together for eight years, it's increasingly apparent that Obama and Biden have a strained relationship today. This seems all the more evident given that Biden did not award the Medal of Freedom to Obama despite receiving one himself.
"To know Joe Biden is to know love without pretense, service without self-regard, and to live life fully," Obama said about Biden in 2017 when presenting the award. Biden did not reciprocate that honor when given the chance at the end of his presidency.
This is a drastic change from the way it was when Obama was president and Biden his vice president. The media painted a picture of their "bromance," and that image was solidified in 2019 when Biden shared a photo of friendship bracelets with their names for National Best Friend's Day.
However, behind the scenes, things were already tense even then. Obama was reportedly behind Biden's decision not to run for president in 2016 when Democrats chose former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as their candidate, who went on to lose to President Donald Trump.
Despite endorsing Biden, Obama still did not have faith in Biden to win the presidential election in 2020. "Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f–k things up," Obama allegedly warned an unidentified Democrat in August that year, the New York Post reported.
If ever there was a shred of goodwill left, it's all gone after Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. Publicly, Obama praised Biden's decision, but behind the scenes, it appeared that Biden had no decision at all.
According to The Hill, Biden's campaign believed Obama was pushing him out. "One thing that we do have to underline here — just so viewers can follow what’s going on behind the scenes — is the Biden campaign, and many Democratic officials do believe that Barack Obama is quietly working behind the scenes to orchestrate this," MSNBC's Joe Scarborough shared on July 11.
This came a day after actor and political activist George Clooney published a New York Times guest essay, "I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee." It appeared to have been a coordinated effort to push Biden out, and some believe Obama was the mastermind.
The Associated Press reported that Biden indeed dropped out and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in a letter posted to X, formerly Twitter, less than two weeks later. Harris would go on to lose to Trump just as Clinton did in eight years before.
Obama chose losing candidates over his former vice president, and Biden likely saw that as a grave offense against him. Biden likely failed to reciprocate in awarding Obama the Medal of Freedom as a way to humiliate him.
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles canceled the license of a man who used what he called a "loophole" to change genders on his driver's license, Fox News reported. The state thanked trans activist TikToker James Rose, who inadvertently alerted the state after he had bragged about the process on the platform.
Rose's account, known as "Jamesissmiling," has since been deleted, but the original clip was captured and shared to X, formerly Twitter, by Libs of TikTok. "SCOOP: A trans activist boasted about a loophole which allowed him to change his gender marker on his Florida license," the account captioned the video.
"Florida doesn’t allow an individual to change their gender marker based on gender identity. Additionally, he may have violated the law by lying about 'losing' his license so he can change his gender marker," Libs of TikTok added.
SCOOP: A trans activist boasted about a loophole which allowed him to change his gender marker on his Florida license.
The FLHSMV responded by sending him a letter thanking him for bringing attention to this error and promise action to address it.
Florida doesn’t allow an… pic.twitter.com/RHVdJ5p0N0
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 7, 2025
Rose posted his video on Dec. 20 after getting his license to say "female" against Florida's laws. "I just got my gender changed on my driver’s license in the free f---ing state of Florida," Rose, with his long hair and nails, said excitedly into the camera.
"My god, Ron DeSantis would be screaming right now if he knew about this," Rose said of the state's Republican governor. "This little license now says female on it," the content creator went on.
"This is not easy. You’re not even supposed to be able to do this in this state," Rose noted, demonstrating that he knew what he was doing was against the law.
"Here’s the loophole, here’s the loophole. Listen up! If you’re replacing your driver’s license, not renewing it but replacing it because you ‘lost it,’ they have to take all of your information from what they consider a ‘primary document,’" Rose explained.
"A passport is considered a primary document, and you can self-identify on your passport, which means loophole, you can self-identify on your Florida f---ing driver’s license," Rose said. Unfortunately for him, what he called a "loophole" is actually the violation that got his license canceled.
On Tuesday, Libs of TikTok shared that the FHSMV was tipped off about the scheme and subsequently canceled Rose's license. The accompanying letter that explained Rose's license was no longer valid was also shared in the post.
"Please be advised that the sex identifier on the replacement Florida driver’s license issued to you on December 20, 2024, was improperly changed from male to female. Accordingly, that license is invalid and has been canceled," the letter from FHSMV's executive director Dave Kerner read.
"Thank you for bringing this error to the Department's attention," continued Kerner. "Your public comments will help ensure compliance with Florida law."
Meanwhile, Bryan Griffin, communications director for DeSantis, said that there is no such "loophole" as changing one's gender on the license is prohibited. He shared that FHSMV will be "conducting an inquiry" into whether Rose was lying about losing the license to pull off this scheme.
Republicans in Florida have a mandate to stop the gender madness, while Democrats lose their minds. Radicals like Rose simply can't stand not getting their way in the Sunshine State, but he will now face the consequences.
In a surprisingly blunt, 11th hour confession, lame duck president Joe Biden has admitted that he might not have lasted a second term if he had somehow won re-election - vindicating what Donald Trump has long said about Biden's mental fitness.
"Who the hell knows?" Biden told USAToday in an exit interview, when asked if he would have served another four years.
While admitting he may not have been up to another four years, Biden is clinging to the conviction that - if he had not dropped out - he would have beaten Trump at the ballot box.
"When Trump was running again for re-election, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him," Biden said in the interview.
"But I also wasn't looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old," Biden added.
With Biden heading for the exits, insiders are dishing to the Wall Street Journal and others about an elaborate White House cover-up of Biden's limitations - confirming what many long suspected about the president.
The public repeatedly expressed concerns about Biden's cognitive decline throughout his term, but the issue was ignored by Democrats and most liberal media until his feeble performance at a pivotal CNN debate in June, which convinced Democrats - including Nancy Pelosi - he could not defeat Trump.
Biden's support collapsed overnight, and he put up a stubborn fight with his own party before dropping his re-election bid. Trump went on to win the presidency in a historic political comeback, defeating vice president Kamala Harris resoundingly.
Democrats, including Pelosi, have blamed Harris' defeat on Biden's refusal to step aside sooner.
Biden has been largely overshadowed since he ended his campaign, with the world's attention turned to President-elect Trump and his bold plans for a second term - from mass deportations to purchasing Greenland.
While Biden has been mostly forgotten about already, he has continued to provoke public criticism with a series of controversial moves, many of them aimed at undermining his successor.
Like he has done in the past, Biden maintained in his exit interview that his age has given him wisdom in dealing with world affairs - an assessment many are sure to disagree with.
"And so I hope that history says that I came in and I had a plan how to restore the economy and reestablish America's leadership in the world," he said. "That was my hope."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Joe Biden's legacy is going to include 20% plus inflation that has been hugely injurious to Americans. And the ideology of body mutilating transgender "treatments" for children. And abortion. And an open southern border that allowed in millions and millions of illegal aliens.
And his fumbling, stumbling, mumbling public behavior that left no doubt about his declining physical and mental capabilities.
Further, he's moved to hurt America going forward with a new ban on oil drilling on tens of millions of undersea acres and more.
And now there's one more piece to the Biden legacy: A cash grant of taxpayer money to promote Satan.
It is the Washington Stand that documents the federal grant of $388,863 that went to the University of North Carolina for a podcast to promote "Church of Satan, paganism, a Cuban cult that practices animal sacrifice, astrology, an LGBT-friendly school of witchcraft, and other 'magico-religious' beliefs."
The Washington Stand's Ben Johnson reports, "The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded a $388,863 grant to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to produce the 'Magic in the United States' podcast. The series would produce six episodes per season for three seasons between October 17, 2023, and last December 17, each highlighting different occult practices (often pointing out the LGBTQ status of its practitioners)."
The report explains the series equates being filled with the Holy Spirit with demonic possession and likens Christian prayer and New Age meditation.
Further it suggests someone who is Christian still can "work magically with non-biblical spirits."
The report said the series "crosses the line into full-blown celebration and advocacy of the pagan spirituality it chronicles."
It cites as an example the first episode, where a Wiccan, "Thorn Mooney," describes the witchcraft he practiced when he was 13 as "the happiest times in my life."
The series facilitator, Heather Freeman, "repeatedly claims that someone can say his 'religious identity is Christian' but adopt a 'bigger, richer, and more complex' set of pagan and magical beliefs."
The Washington Stand charges, "The show reaches its darkest point in the final episode of season 2, about the Church of Satan. (The episode notes that it 'includes frank conversations about sex and sex-positivity.') Freeman praises Lil Nas X, a hip-hop performer who identifies as homosexual, for producing a music video for the song 'MONTERO (call me by your name),' in which the rapper 'slides down a stripper pole into Hell, gives Satan a lap dance, and then kills the Prince of Hell to become its new reigning sovereign.'"
The report also cites the panic that targets "innocent Satanists" when concerns about "devil worship" are raised.
The report explains the series "misses few opportunities to mislead or demean the traditional Christian faith" and claims the church often was "an institution of indoctrination and oppression."
There are stories of individuals who claim to have physical interactions with spirits and perform animal sacrifices "in the most humane way."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom for not just failing to address issues that could have help minimize the raging wildfires that are destroying communities there this week, but actively refusing to address the needs of the state's residents.
Trump said, "The fires in Los Angeles may go down, in dollar amount, as the worst in the History of our Country. In many circles, they're doubting whether insurance companies will even have enough money to pay for this catastrophe. Let this serve, and be emblematic, of the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo. January 20th cannot come fast enough!"
"As of this moment, Gavin Newscum and his Los Angeles crew have contained exactly ZERO percent of the fire. It is burning at levels that even surpass last night. This is not Government. I can't wait till January 20th!" he added.
It wasn't the first time Trump had warned Newsom about the fire dangers, and videos still online confirm that California's governor was warned about the need to address safety years ago already.
The current firestorms are raging in multiple locations in California, and already have destroy hundreds of homes in Los Angeles area neighborhoods, including some where A-list stars have – or had – homes.
Trump continued, "Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way. He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn't work!), but didn't care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster! "
Already, at least two fatalities have been confirmed in California's latest battle with wildfires, and the number of homes and businesses lost to the flames hasn't been tabulated. There have been horror stories about residents, including families, trying to evacuate under state instructions and getting stuck in gridlocked streets and highways, where they've sometimes been forced to abandon their vehicles.
It was the Post Millennial that noted that Trump had warned Newsom about the fire dangers his state faces in 2018.
"There's been a lot of study going on over the last little while," Trump said at the time, "and I will say I think you're gonna have—hopefully this is going to be the last of these because this was a really, really bad one. And I know that Gavin's committed, we're all committed, I'm committed to make sure that all of this is cleaned out and protected. You gotta take care of the floors. You know, the floors of the forests, very important."
He continued, "You look at other countries where you do it differently and it's a whole different story. I was with the president of Finland and he said 'We have a much different—we're a forest nation.' He called it a 'forest nation.' And they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things and they don't have any problem. And when it is, it's a very small problem. So I know everybody's looking at that, to that end. And it's gonna work out…"
However, California's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan in 2022 specifically noted that "rare plants and species diversity must be protected when 'clearing' forest floors."
"The plan also blamed climate change for fire intensity and frequency," the report said.
Joe Biden, who has approved aid to California for its latest disaster, said, "I am being frequently briefed on the wildfires in west Los Angeles. My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire. Earlier tonight, FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support areas that are impacted and help reimburse the state of California for the immediate firefighting costs. My Administration will do everything it can to support the response. I urge the residents of the Pacific Palisades and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles to stay vigilant and listen to local officials."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A sheriff in Wyoming has posted a warning sign to wannabe criminals: A red, blinking "vacancy" sign over the door to the county jail.
"We put (the sign) up to make sure everyone knows we're open for business. We take people to the jail that need to be arrested," Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozal told the Cowboy State Daily.
He explained the red neon, all-caps sign is "meant to let people know the jail has room, and that deputies are willing to book suspected criminals charged with crimes into the jail," the report said.
One of the issues is that for more than two years during COVID-19 and after, a prior administration suspended many of its booking protocols and allowed many defendants suspected of nonviolent crimes to remain free.
"We're making it clear we have vacancy, so criminals are welcome in our jail" Kozak confirmed to the publication.
The sign is at a busy intersection of Pioneer Ave. and 20th Street in downtown Cheyenne.
Kozak is not new to unusual ploys. Last year he used part of his advertising budget to advertise in downtown Denver, 100 miles away, that he had open deputy positions for officders "dissatisfied with some of Colorado's laws that are less friendly to law enforcement than Wyoming's," the report said.
The county jail has some 170 inmates now, in a facility with a capacity of about 450.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrats' failed candidate for House speaker, has mocked a Republican plan, already voiced by President-elect Donald Trump, that would provide for the United States again to be in charge of the Panama Canal, which originally was built by America.
Jeffries claimed, according to a report from the Washington Examiner, that, "House Democrats believe that we are not sent to Washington to invade Greenland, rename the Gulf of Mexico, or seize the Panama Canal by force."
Those three options all have been discussed by Trump as he prepares to move into the White House and again work to enhance America's security, and indeed, the security of the world.
The threat being addressed is China's increasing influence over other nations through its various Belt and Road infrastructure investment plans, through which is routinely takes control of transportation routes and facilities by building the projects, and then running them.
Trump, in fact, has mentioned the concepts of America being in control of Greenland, and Canada joining the U.S., as various ways to enhance America's security internationally. For example, a military base on Greenland would be only a short 2,000-mile flight from Moscow.
U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said, "President Trump is right to consider repurchasing the Panama Canal. China's interest in and presence around the canal is a cause for concern. America must project strength abroad – owning and operating the Panama Canal might be an important step towards a stronger America and a more secure globe."
Johnson has introduced a bill that would empower Trump to negotiate over the canal management.
It also would have Trump report to Congress on the possible outcomes and ramifications.
Some Republicans long have objected to the agreement that provided Panama with supervision over the canal, as the U.S. built it and paid for it.
Panamanian officials said they own the canal … "every square meter."