Judge Juan Merchan gave President-elect Donald Trump an unconditional discharge in the New York business records case. The sentencing does not carry a penalty.
President Joe Biden surprised reporters with a personal announcement during a press briefing with California Governor Gavin Newsom about the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires. Speaking from a firehouse in Santa Monica, the 82-year-old president shifted focus from the devastating fires to share that he had become a great-grandfather.
A homeless man was arrested for allegedly starting the Kenneth Fire in Los Angeles after locals detained him while he appeared to use a makeshift flamethrower. The suspect was seen in Woodland Hills on Thursday afternoon, riding a bicycle and igniting fires on old Christmas trees and trash cans. These incidents occurred near the ignition point of the Kenneth Fire, which has since burned over 960 acres.
Los Angeles County is grappling with five major wildfires that have consumed over 27,000 acres, destroyed nearly 2,000 structures, and displaced over 130,000 residents under evacuation orders.
Outgoing acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director P.J. Lechleitner expressed strong criticism of the Biden administration's delayed efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Political commentator Mike Cernovich called for President-elect Donald Trump to intervene in the state of California to reconstruct its policies to benefit its citizens.
The Department of Defense announced that it would "provide additional firefighting personnel and capabilities to California as that state’s Los Angeles County region continues to be ravaged by a series of out-of-control wildfires.”
As devastating wildfires ravage California, some liberal voices have taken to social media to blame former President Donald Trump for the crisis. Sam Stein, managing editor at The Bulwark, claimed on Twitter that Trump’s past remarks about withholding federal wildfire aid were relevant to the state’s current struggles. Stein tweeted that Trump’s threats to cut wildfire relief funds “dawned on him” as fires consumed thousands of acres in Los Angeles, destroying homes and forcing evacuations.
