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Freddie Escobar, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles County (UFLAC), criticized Los Angeles leaders for neglecting the city’s fire department, contributing to challenges in combating massive wildfires like the Palisades Fire. The fire has burned 24,000 acres, with another 14,000 acres scorched by the Eaton Fire, exposing severe resource and staffing shortages within the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

With less than a week until Inauguration Day, former President Donald Trump’s team is rallying support for his “Make America Wealthy Again” (MAWA) agenda, a continuation of his America First policies. In a video released to Breitbart News, Trump lays out his promises to reduce costs and reinvigorate the economy by prioritizing energy independence, cutting taxes, and fighting inflation.

Actor and outspoken climate activist Leonardo DiCaprio faced backlash after fleeing Los Angeles wildfires on a private jet. The fires, which began on January 7, have devastated California, destroying 10,000 buildings, killing at least 24 people, and forcing 150,000 residents to evacuate.

The New York Times editorial board proposed a sweeping plan to resolve America’s immigration challenges, advocating for increased legal migration while sidelining concerns of many Americans. The op-ed, titled “A Big Idea to Solve America’s Immigration Mess,” frames migrants as essential for economic growth while casting native-born Americans as a declining population incapable of meeting labor demands.

A federal judge in Vermont sentenced Luis Fernando Barragan-Palacios, 29, to 18 months in prison for smuggling nearly 100 migrants across the Canadian border into the United States. Barragan-Palacios, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, earned approximately $500,000 from the human smuggling operation over a five-month period. He is expected to be deported upon completing his sentence.

President Joe Biden, 82, claimed that illegal migration numbers “came way down” after he assumed office. However, official statistics and reports indicate otherwise, showing a sharp increase in unauthorized crossings during the first three years of his presidency.

A recent immigration enforcement operation in Kern County, California, provided a glimpse of what may become more common under anticipated changes to U.S. immigration policy. Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector carried out "Operation Return to Sender," targeting criminal migrants in and around Bakersfield. The three-day initiative resulted in nearly 80 arrests, including several sex offenders and individuals with warrants for weapons and drug-related charges.

U.S. Border Patrol agents and Coast Guard crews intercepted 24 Cuban migrants near Key West, Florida, last week after their makeshift boat approached U.S. shores. This incident is one of several recent interdictions highlighting the risks of maritime migration in the region.

Southern California is bracing for two days of intense windstorms that officials fear could reignite dormant fires or spark new ones, posing a significant threat to the region.

Walmart has issued a recall for its Great Value Family Size Chicken Broth due to packaging issues that could cause the product to spoil.