this news is funded by viewers like you please support our work at democracynow. org welcome to democracy Now democracynow. org The War and Peace report I'm Amy Goodman five people have died 130,000 people ordered to evacuate as multiple wildfires continue to rage in the Los Angeles area destroying at least 2,000 structures the Palisades fire which is believed to be the most destructive ever recorded around Los Angeles has burned more than 177,000 Acres raising homes and businesses along the iconic Pacific Coast Highway the eaten fire has burned over 10,000 acres including many structures in Altadena and Pasadena firefighters appear to have fought back much of the sunset fire which exploded late Wednesday prompting evacuation orders around Hollywood red flag fire warnings are expected to remain active in La through Friday night as heavy wind gusts and dry air continue to Fan the Flames but officials say the most erratic weather patterns are believed to be over for now Los Angeles mayor Karen bass addressed the Monumental scope of the wildfires at a press briefing Wednesday this fir Stone Firestorm is the big one in magnitude hurricane force winds are usually accompanied by rainstorms but these are hurricane Forest winds that are combined with extremely dry drought conditions to provide context at 10:20 p.
m. a. m.
yesterday the Palisades fire was at 10 acres 12 minutes later it was at 200 Acres I know the world is looking at images of our City's Devastation I have seen the front lines of the palisad fire and it is St AG mayor bass has been criticized for leaving Los Angeles on a diplomatic trip to Ghana over the weekend as warnings about the imminent disaster were wrapping up La residents are also directing IR at Bass and the LA City Council which cut the fire department's budget by over 17 million this fiscal year while increasing the budget of the LAPD by nearly $126 million meanwhile housing Advocates are urging officials to do more to assist the 70,000 unhoused people in La who lack access to shelters and to personal protective equipment to protect their lungs from the Thick Smoke blanking much of the City Southern California faces yearr round Wildfire risk due to worsening climate catastrophe will go to California for the latest later in the broadcast gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours have killed at least 70 Palestinians injured over 100 others among the dead or at least at least eight people killed in Northern Gaza in an Israeli strike on a home in jabalia Al balad some of the gaza's remaining hospitals are scaling back Services amidst Israel's severe restrictions on fuel supplies at alaka hospital Doctors Without Borders reports 15 newborns and incubators could soon die unless Israel urgently allows the delivery of fuel to power the hospitals generators Mexican president Claudia Shane B on Wednesday mocked president-elect Donald Trump's proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America Shane Bal was speaking to reporters at her daily news conference in front of a large map from 16007 that labeled much of the North American continent America Mexicana or Mexican America the United Nation recognizes the name Gulf of Mexico but next why don't we call it Mexican America it sounds nice doesn't it since 1607 the constitution of apat singan was Mexican Amica so let's call it Mexican America it sounds nice doesn't it Gulf of Mexico since 1607 and it is also internationally recognized European leaders have reacted with alarm to Donald Trump's proposal to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland and vow to defend the national sovereignty of European nations on Wednesday Denmark's foreign minister said green land may become independent if its residents decide to but it will not become part of the us he made the remarks as Donald Trump Junior visited nuke Greenland where at a news conference he promised residents quote we're going to treat you well the justice department says it plans to publicly release special Council Jack Smith's findings on Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election but it will not release the part of special counsel Smith's report concerning Trump's handling of classified documents as legal proceedings continue for two of Trump's co-conspirators those findings will only be released to select lawmakers on the House and Senate Judiciary committees both cases against Trump were dropped after Trump won re-election in November it's not clear when the partial report might become available after Trump appointed judge aen Cannon who last summer dismissed Trump's classified documents case temporarily blocked the release of Smith's report on Tuesday meanwhile Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to block sentencing scheduled for Friday in his New York hush money case and 2016 election subversion conviction ABC news reports Supreme Court Justice Samuel Leto spoke to Trump on the phone shortly before Trump's request Alito claimed the call was related to a job reference for a former clerk the White House on Wednesday announced another $500 million and military aid package to Ukraine it's last before President Biden leaves office the Biden administration's also expected to announce new sanctions on Russia this week in Ukraine Russian shelling killed at least 13 people and wounded 32 others in the southern city of zapara on Wednesday some of the Dead were killed while headed home from work on a bus people were leaving from their shift through the main entrance of the building and that's when the attack came there were two very loud explosions I see that people were inside your bus yes two people were killed and two others were wounded two were killed how many people were here and how many people were killed in total there was a lot it happened exactly when people ended their shift the government of Chad says it repelled an armed attack on the presidential Palace Wednesday killing at least 18 as silence they said one member of Chad Security Forces reportedly died the perpetrators have not been identif ified but early reports blame the attack on boo Haram the attack came hours after the chadian president mamed Idris debbi met with China's foreign minister Wang Yi during an official visit to jamaa it also comes just weeks after contested parliamentary elections Debbie sees power in Chad after his father long-standing president Idis Debbie was killed by Rebel forces in 2021 Chads among a growing number of former French colonies that have expelled French fighters in recent months lebanon's Parliament has voted to elect a president filling a leadership vacuum for the first time in over two years Joseph aoun received 99 out of 128 votes with support across lebanon's political Spectrum including among Hezbollah politicians his election could help unlock funds from foreign donors as Lebanon seeks to rebuild from Israel's weeks long bombing campaign and Invasion last year the Italian journalist Cecilia Salah landed in Rome Wednesday after 3 weeks of detention in Iran Italian media says sala's arrest may have been part of an Iranian plan to negotiate the release of one of their citizens who was recently detained by Italian Authorities on a US warrant Muhammad abedini is accused of being involved in an attack on a US Bas in Jordan last year a wide ranging strike that would have shut down east coast and Gul Coast ports next week has been averted for now as the long Sherman's Union reached a tentative deal Wednesday guaranteeing job protections from automated technology and major wage increases union members must still vote on the agreement in other labor news the SEIU the service employees International Union is joining the AFL CIO adding roughly 2 million members to the 13 million strong group which includes workers across more than 50 other unions the move reunites the two powerful labor groups after they parted ways nearly two decades ago and as the incoming Trump Administration expected to launch new attacks on workers rights in North Carolina the Republican dominated state supreme court has blocked election officials from certifying the reelection of democratic Justice Allison rigs rigs beat her Republican rival Jefferson Griffin in November's election by 734 votes a tally which was confirmed by two recounts Griffin is attempting to disqualify the votes of some 60,000 North Carolinians in order to overturn his law hit has failed to provide any evidence the votes were unlawful here in New York hundreds of immigrant Justice activists rallied at the state capital in Albany Wednesday to demand Governor Kathy hok and lawmakers immediately enact legislation to protect immigrant New Yorkers ahead of Trump's return to office the bills include measures preventing cooperation with ice and providing legal services to those who need it anel Rees Rivas from the group make the Road New York says he fears for his mixed status family New York State cannot be reactive we need to be proactive we shouldn't wait for Trump to be elected to start pushing for this right we need to make sure that New York state becomes a state that is an example to the nation on how to treat people how to treat immigrants how to uphold human rights and the funeral for President Carter is being held today at the National Cathedral in Washington DC all five living presidents are attending President Biden is giving the eulogy and those are some of the headlines this is democracy Now democracynow. org The War and Peace report democracy Now is funded by viewers like you please give today at democracynow.
