#break-in to Mayor's home in LA

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Los Angeles Firestorm - II

January 10, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

My family and I remain safe in Los Angeles, although the apocalyptic feel is growing. New fires continue to erupt in the foothills with alarming regularity. Air quality is unhealthy everywhere. Billowing plumes blot the sun. Though the winds have slowed, the scale and number of the existing fires have stretched emergency services to the breaking point. Schools are closed, so traffic is eerily light. New evacuation orders are issued hourly. Power outages have stretched into their third day.

Although the winds are abating, the storm of disinformation is growing—fanned by the President-elect and his billionaire handler. For those dealing with the loss of homes, injuries, dislocation, and fear, disinformation adds insult to injury. Sadly, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, Patrick Soon-Shiong, and a recent candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, billionaire developer Rick Caruso, have contributed to the wave of disinformation.

Firefighters are having success in knocking down new fires, but three established fires (Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst) remain largely uncontained. Although the winds have moderated, even moderate winds can spread existing fires with surprising speed. Embers can land a mile ahead of an existing fire, creating new emergencies every minute.

President Biden held a cabinet-level meeting on live television to discuss the federal response to the fire. Biden refuted the silly and ignorant claim by the Trump-Musk axis of disinformation that Los Angeles has “run out of water.” False. Although firefighters are experiencing low or no pressure in some hydrants, that situation is caused by power outages that have disabled pumps that help create pressure in pipes (by filling elevated water storage tanks).

It is also false that Los Angeles cut the budget for its fire department last year. That falsehood was given flight by Rick Caruso, a billionaire developer, who recently ran for mayor of Los Angeles. During a Fox News interview, Caruso apparently referred to a preliminary budget that did not include all funds that were anticipated to be allocated to the fire department. That misinformation was repeated by the owner of the Los Angeles Times.

Caruso, who runs pristine and wildly successful shopping developments in the City of Angels, likened his hometown to a “third-world country.” It is fortunate that Los Angelenos did not elect Rick Caruso as their mayor, given his willingness to trash the city at the first opportunity.

The truth is that the final budget increased the LA Fire Department budget by $50 million (to approximately $870 million). See MSN, Widespread Online Claims Proven False as Report Shows LA Fire Department Budget Actually Increased by $50 Million Last Year. Online sources that claim otherwise are ignoring the increase in firefighter salaries granted in a separate union contract—funds that were not included in the proposed “budget” but are included in the actual allocation of funds to the fire department.

Trump, Musk, and their followers continue to claim that efforts to diversify LA’s almost exclusively male fire department are to blame for the catastrophic losses. LAFD met its racial diversity goals two decades ago; the current diversity efforts relate to increasing the number of women on the force.

In 2022, women accounted for only 4% of LAFD’s workforce, and former Mayor Eric Garcetti started an initiative to increase that percentage. So, when Trump and Musk complain about “diversity,” they are describing efforts to include more women in a workforce that is 96% male. See HuffPo, Trump Calls On Newsom To Resign; Republicans Blame DEI For Inability To Contain Wildfires.

Personal anecdotes are rarely helpful in settling disputes over policy, history, or contested facts. But as a native Angeleno, I can say that after 68 years in Los Angeles, the windstorm on January 7 and 8 was the first time in my life that I was worried by the force of the winds. It felt like a hurricane and sounded like an earthquake as the winds thrummed our rooftop. Imagine trying to control a brushfire in the face of such winds. The notion that attempting to expand the number of women employed by the LAFD is responsible for the losses is insulting to women, to firefighters, and to all Angelenos.

For a brief period on Thursday, the historic observatory atop Mount Wilson was threatened by the flames—which advanced to the boundaries of the facility. But the 100-inch Hooker Telescope was spared. That is the telescope used by Edwin Hubble to determine that the universe extends beyond our own Milky Way Galaxy and that the universe is expanding. See photo below of the 100” Hooker Telescope.

Los Angeles has many tough and heartbreaking days ahead. I continue to hear from readers and friends who have lost their homes or have family members who have lost their homes. Many readers have asked for advice about contributing to recovery efforts. I suggest waiting a few days. Los Angeles is still trying to control the fires, and relief efforts have not begun in earnest. Please exercise caution to ensure that any organization you recommend to others is legitimate and will deliver the donations to those who need them.

Stay safe and take care of friends, family, and complete strangers!

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

Below is a picture of the Hooker 100-inch Telescope, used by Edwin Hubble to determine that the universe expands beyond the Milky Way and that the universe is expanding. The Hooker Telescope sits atop Mount Wilson and was briefly threatened by the Eaton Fire on Thursday.

[nicecarito]

(English text version below the spanish one)

“ Ugh…. Diablos…Esto se esta haciendo cada vez más difícil día con día. ¿Pero que más puedo hacer? Estoy haciendo todo lo que puedo para mantenerme al margen, ser lo mas productivo posible y no dejarme llevar por mis preocupaciones. Tomo los medicamentos que el psiquiatra me ha recetado y me descargo con mi terapeuta en cada cita … aunque no puedo ser completamente honesto y decirle a detalle lo que me agobia realmente….

¿Cómo puedo decirle a mi terapeuta que guardo el oscuro secreto de mi hermano gemelo? Un secreto que puede destruir a mi familia definitivamente.

¿Cómo le explico que me mata la incertidumbre y el miedo de no volver a ver a mi gemelo con vida, cada vez que sale a completar alguna “misión?

¿Cómo le explico el miedo que tengo de que mi hermano mayor también salga herido o muerto cuando sale a cumplir con su deber como jefe de policía?

¿Qué haré yo si pasan esas cosas?

¿Qué haré si Café llega a enterarse del verdadero trabajo de Doppio y esto le destroza el corazón?

Si Doppio no llega a casa nunca y Café no sabe el por que… ¿Cómo deberé explicárselo?

¿Qué hare con Vanilla? … Ella es la que mas me preocupa… Ella es tan joven… no quiero que llegue a sufrir por esto…

¿Qué haré yo?….

Solo puedo callar, no puedo hacer nada más…

No puedo demostrar mi preocupación, no puedo hacerlo.

Trato de distraerme , tengo más de cinco trabajos que me ayudan a fijar mi atención en cualquier cosa menos en esto…Quiero ver lo positivo del mundo, ver a los otros sin preocupaciones …

Debo sonreír para no preocupar a nadie…

Y debo mantener todo esto para mi mismo… porque mis problemas son míos y de nadie más…

Nadie debería preocuparse por mis problemas, solo yo soy quien puede lidiar con ello…. Aunque este completamente agotado…."

Lungo, el personaje más carismatico , sin embargo, el mas complejo.

(practicamente no puede tener relaciones porque su vida esta echa un despapaye jejeje, el si le da importancia a estar bn primero antes de empezar algo, y las relaciones en las que ha estado son practicamente de solo una noche. Aunque bromeé con Pinzell, el mismo no le pediria en s erio el ser pareja. ojalá haya contestado bn a tu pregunta!)

English Version

" Ugh…. Damn…This is getting harder and harder everyday. But what else can I do? I'm doing everything I can to stay out of it, be as productive as possible and not get carried away with my worries. I take the meds the psychiatrist has prescribed and I vent to my therapist at every appointment…although I can't be completely honest and tell her in detail what is really overwhelming me…..

How can I tell my therapist that I'm keeping my twin brother's dark secret? A secret that could destroy my family for good.

How do I explain to her how I am overwhelmed by the fear of never seeing my twin alive again every time he goes out to complete some "mission"?

How do I explain to her the dread I have of my older brother also getting hurt or killed when he goes out to do his duty as chief of police?

What will I do if such things happen?

What will I do if Café finds out about Doppio's real job and it breaks his heart?

If Doppio never comes home and Café doesn't know why… How should I explain it to him?

What will I do with Vanilla? … She is the one that worries me the most… She is so young… I don't want her to suffer because of this…

What will I do? ….

I can only keep quiet, I can't do anything else….

I can't show my concern, I can't do it.

I try to distract myself , I have more than five jobs that help me to fix my attention on anything but this…I want to see the positive in the world, to see others without worries ….

I must smile so I don't worry anyone ….

And I must keep all this to myself…because my problems are mine and no one else's…..

No one should worry about my problems, only I am the one who can deal with it…. Even if I am completely exhausted…."

Lungo, the most charismatic character, however, the most complex.

[darkmaga-returns]

From American Thinker

That’s how Victor David Hanson describes this week’s catastrophic wildfires in California.

“It was a total systems collapse from the idea of not spending money on irrigation, storage, water, fire prevention and forest management, a viable insurance industry, a DEI hierarchy, you put it all together and it’s something like a DEI Green New Deal hydrogen bomb… Gavin Newsom was fiddling, he’s almost Nero Newsom. And this has been something that is just unimaginable… The systems breakdown. And to finish, what we’re seeing in California is a state with 40 million people. And yet the people who run it feel that it should return to a 19th century pastoral condition. They are de-civilizing the state and de-industrializing the state and de-farming the state. But they’re not telling the 40 million people that their lifestyles will have to revert back to the 19th century, when you had no protection from fire… You didn’t have enough water in California. You didn’t have enough power. You didn’t pump oil. So we are deliberately making these decisions not to develop energy, not to develop a timber industry, not to protect the insurance industry, not to protect houses and property. And we’re doing it in almost a purely nihilistic fashion.”

And any honest accounting underscores the truth of his assessment.

LA is burning. And the derelict people responsible are worried that they are found out as charlatans and empty suits. The leftwing voters who enabled them are getting angry over the inferno that their chosen politicos green-lighted — as if they are shocked, shocked by the consequences of their voting. 

Here are just some of the most glaring examples of the misgovernance of California which contributed to the catastrophe, in case your source of news brushes past them with feature stories of loss and nonsense about climate change. (Average annual rainfall in California has remained unchanged since the late 19th century and California has not been in drought conditions since 2022. Sometimes it does rain in California. Sometimes it does not. Therefore, particularly wise management of water resources is necessary and that has been ignored.) It has not created or maintained existing water reservoirs, it has not created fire breaks, it has forbidden the removal of dry brush in its forests. The people holding elective office have demonstrated indifference and incompetence to the citizens of the state. A week before the fires broke out, a fire weather watch was declared. The mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass (a long time Castro fan) left anyway for a junket in Ghana which hardly ranks among her job duties. Her deputy mayor for public safety was on leave after the FBI raided his home “allegedly for making a bomb threat against City Hall earlier this year.” 

[bullet-prooflove]

New Fics Under The Cut:

911:

Poinsettia - Bobby shows you his appreciation.

Daisy - It's love at first sight for Bobby and your dog Daisy.

Snake - You receieve a surprise gift from your ex at Halloween. (Eddie Diaz)

Midnight - Eddie makes you a promise.

Catalina Island - You and Buck meet for the first time during a daring rescue.

911 Lone Star:

Four Reasons - Judd reflects on his current circumstances.

The Bear:

Home Run (NSFW) - Richie loves watching the game with you.

Chicago Fire:

Past Life - You finally tell Sam about your past.

Chicago Med:

One of Those Days - It's been one of those days in the ED for Dean.

Happy Birthday - Dean doesn't celebrate his birthday.

Quack - Dean's grandson Benji is fascinated with a rubber duck.

Socks - Sam and Dean talk about fatherhood.

Ten Hours - It's the longest ten hours of Jack's life.

Chicago PD:

Bed Head - David wakes up next to his ex-wife... again.

Cobra Kai:

Money Matters - You and Terry discuss your money concerns.

Bora Bora - You find inspiration when Terry takes you to Bora Bora.

Trying - You and Terry see a fertility specialist after a year of trying.

FBI - International:

Three Days - Scott realises you won't be home in time for Christmas.

Forever - Tank decides it's time for Scott to take the next step.

Slovenia - You and Scott steal a moment in the hot springs.

Hudson & Rex:

Autumn Leaves - You and Charlie introduce your dogs for the first time.

Law & Order:

Dire Straits - Nick realises there's something wrong.

Truth Be Told - You finally tell Ed the truth.

Law & Order SVU:

Bingo - You discover Mike’s secret.

Snow Day - Terry enjoys a couple of moments with you before work.

Law & Order Toronto:

Tension - Henry needs to take a break.

Mayor of Kingstown:

Rose - Robert has a new tattoo.

Delayed Dratification - Robert doesn't like to wait.

Insomnia - Mike can't sleep without you.

NCIS:

Pillow Talk - Alden realises he's a shitty husband.

Into The Woods - You tell Nick you're leaving UC work during an op.

NCIS LA:

Guardian Angel - Arlo thinks you're his guardian angel.

NCIS - NOLA:

A Future With You - Douglas has to make a choice.

64 Days - You and Sebastian have been apart for too long.

NCIS Origins:

Haunted (ft: Mike Franks) - Mike reflects on your prior history. (Leroy Jethro Gibbs)

Baggage - You confront Mike after he says another woman's name in his sleep.

Tulsa King:

Romantic - Mitch makes a suggestion regarding your future together.

Yellowstone:

Three Shots - Three shots and your life changes forever. (Ryan Yellowstone)

[assiraphales]

You've reached water 7 yaay! Would love to hear your thoughts about all the galley la crew! Their dynamic is so interesting and i love their introduction at the start of the arc

I know this ask was about galley la but here's a collection of a few of my thoughts on water 7 in general!

-starting off with galley la. UMMM!!!! I will say that is one of the twists that genuinely shocked me so far in the series. the fact that half the town gathered to watch them work n fangirl over how strong they all are was so funny, and they seemed like such a tight knit group. I can't imagine working with them for five years as close friends and then finding out they were evil government workers

-lucci was a lot more fun when he was a ventriloquist who made his pet pigeon talk for him lmaooo

-the aesthetics of the water 7 amazes me! I love the design so much! i'm optimistically hoping there will be enough live action seasons that they make it here, and i've been thinking about how they'll put it off especially considering practical effects are so important to them. i'm thinking they'll build small parts of town like the shipyard, franky's house, and a main drag. and perhaps a model like they did in lotr for shots of the city ?

-usopp honey boo boo...................I get where his insecurities come from, and why the merry is so important of him (a piece of his home town) but he really brought the drama huh

-sanji is always more tolerable when he didn't have as much time to fawn over women. he did what he did best -- looking Cool smoking cigs and kicking ass. he's always so much cooler when he's on his solo missions and as soon as he's back with the crew the Dumbass gene takes over. I also DID think it was funny when he left the love note for nami in paint on the wall

-luffy getting stuck in a wall TWICE!!!!!!!! and being so in sync with zoro. naps at the same time. breaking into places at the same time. their little tag team move on the train.

-i've already talked about them in another post but franky n iceburg have one of the most interesting dynamics i've seen in the series. they make me ill. shipbuilder and ship demolitioner. mayor and criminal. they can never be friends but they'll always be brothers. etc

-franky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was on the fence for like 2 seconds but the blue haired hawaiian shirt wearing freak of nature won me over. he's so silly. he has a cola cooler in his stomach. he runs around in a speedo causing mischief. I love him. new little bug i'm shaking in a jar

-the two train station workers are two of my fave minor characters. they're eavesdroppers who live for gossip. they're making up love triangles and shipping strangers. good for them. good for them.

-nami literally cares for her crew so much. begging luffy to talk to usopp. crying / collapsing with joy when she found out robin didn't hate them. running into the path of a tsunami for luffy.

-luffy always gets this little :o face when he sees someone cry or hears their story. and he uses them as a power up. like yah he was angry but now he's REALLY!!! angry

-sanji's relationship w usopp. this arc revealed sanji ARGUABLY knows him the best

-oh tom :/

-the people of water 7 are v kind and live as a giant community which I think may have come from their struggles before the sea train came to town. the man who gave usopp the lumber and food. franky and co protecting the city. the shipbuilders / paulie helping nami luffy zoro n chopper. the townspeople rallyiing around iceburg and willing to risk their lives for him.

-the going merry :( I knew i'd eventually have to say goodbye to her but when I heard galley la say she was damaged beyond repair I was like no!!!!! NO!!! it's too soon!!!!!!!

-the found family of it all

[thetavolution]

Modern Day AU

I spent a moment to think what everyone would be up to in a modern day AU.

Astarion: He was pre-law when he got caught up with Cazador. It's less a vampire spawn situation and a more straightforward abuse situation. I think in the AU he was also much younger when Cazador found him. Once he breaks free of Cazador, he might go back into law. He'd end up in therapy and he'd probably have to take a step back to re-evaluate what he wants in life.

Gale: Of course he's a professor. With magic off the table in this particular AU, he'd probably teach as many subjects as they'd let him. Students would constantly have deja vu seeing him in so many classes. He'd be teaching somewhere like Cambridge or Oxford. The subjects that came to mind were English, History of Art, Linguistics, Philosophy, and for reasons I can't explain, German.

Shadowheart: Her ass would be in a cult. She was kidnapped into some kind of Gloriavale situation as a kid. She'd eventually get a taste of freedom and leave the cult for good, especially if a Tav comes her way. Then she'd write a tell-all book and do a lot of Ted Talks about it. As she got older, she'd become more reclusive. She'd write books from her little countryside house full of animals.

Halsin: Halsin would still be a tree-hugging hippy. He'd have an environmentalism related job, like wind turbine technician, environmental technician, or solar installer. (I imagine he'd want something very hands on.) He'd 100% be part of a nudist colony. He'd still be poly, and he'd be very choosey about who he lets into the polycule.

Lae'zel: She'd go to university where she'd be expanding her world. It would force her to unpack her unhealthy home life is. She was probably raised in a jingoistic family. After discovering the power of friendship and self-discovery, she'd make better choices for herself. She'd still be INCREDIBLY disciplined so I imagine she'd be an athlete. Either she'd do professional rugby or MMA. She might do pro wrestling. She wouldn't join the theatrics on purpose. They'd just tap into her natural persona for her character.

Karlach: She worked for Gortash before he made a name for himself in politics. I'm still trying to work out exactly what would happen to her. I imagine he framed her in this universe and she spent 10 years in prison instead of Avernus. Now she's out and wants revenge... but also would love to get her life back. Possibly she has a chronic illness that, if untreated, could kill her. It's not a 1-to-1 for her heart situation, but close.

Jaheira: She refuses to ever retire from her work. She's been a part of almost every humanitarian world org that'll have her, like The Peace Corps. She now runs her own organization that travels the world for humanitarian efforts. She's a widow and she's still the mother to several adopted children.

Wyll: He was on track to make his father proud. He was going to Oxford to study politics until he realized how much he hated it. His father is the mayor of a major city. I'm hesitant to say London because it feels too obvious. Instead, Wyll drops out to pursue humanitarian work. This is where his path crosses with Jaheira as he joins her organization. His father just doesn't get it and they're at odds over it.

Minthara: Military brat who grew up to join the British Military. In her off time, she's in the BDSM scene.

Orin: She is either running a true crime podcast or being talked about on one. Either that or she's a CEO of a drug company a la The Fall of the House of Usher (2023).

Gortash: This dude is running as a Tory and you know it. He left a huge trail of problematic behavior on his Twitter. He made an anonymous Reddit account to post relationship problems on, but everyone figured out it was him almost immediately.

Barcus: This poor man is so tired. He never found his "dream" and he's been going from job to job for decades. After he starts to stand up for himself, he opens an online store based on all his interests and thrives.

I might do more later, but this is all I could think of for now.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

George Chidi at The Guardian:

Atlanta is, from time to time, the center of the political universe. It is also home to all things evil and villainous, a festering cesspool of lurid crime, a “shooting gallery” in the words of Donald Trump, spoken in the vile confines of a brand new college basketball arena amid the unspeakable horrors of a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood with a microbrewery. Conservatives stoking fear of big cities would be a joke, if not for the damage it does. In May, the FBI arrested Mark Adams Prieto, a 58-year-old gun show dealer from Prescott, Arizona, on firearms trafficking charges. Prieto had been on the way to Atlanta at the time, according to court documents, because he planned to kill as many Black people as he could at a Bad Bunny concert while planting Confederate flags and shouting white power slogans, to provoke a race war ahead of the 2024 election.

“The reason I say Atlanta,” Prieto allegedly told an informant working with the FBI, “Why, why is Georgia such a fucked-up state now? When I was a kid that was one of the most conservative states in the country. Why is it not now? Because as the crime got worse in LA, St Louis and all these other cities, all the n****** moved out of those [places] and moved to Atlanta.” Prieto is a product of decades of Republican fearmongering, not just about Atlanta, but about big cities across the country. This is the message that Tucker Carlson and other conservative pundits have been pushing for years about San Francisco, New York and Detroit – it’s exactly the same way conservatives amped up their rhetorical combat on Chicago in the wake of Barack Obama’s ascension to the White House 16 years ago. It’s not because of crime. Cities in every country have long had more crime than their suburban counterparts, simply because it’s easier to commit a crime in a city, and it has largely trended downward. It’s because Democrats – often Black Democrats – control most big city governments, and they help national politicians win. Joe Biden won 85% of San Francisco’s votes in 2020. He also won 83% of Chicago, 77% of Los Angeles and 76% of New York City.

As a result, conservative state governments are cauterizing upstart municipalities, burning any pretense of respect for small-D democracy at the local level in the process. They fear those blue dots will bleed enough Black political power into red states to turn them purple and cost them the White House, not just in 2024, but permanently. Race is at the center of the fear. “Any mayor, county judge that was dumb-ass enough to come meet with me, I told them with great clarity, my goal is for this to be the worst session in the history of the legislature for cities and counties.” That’s former Texas House speaker Dennis Bonnen, in a conversation recorded with another legislator leaked to the Texas Tribune in 2019. In response to Austin legislation requiring water breaks for construction workers in the punishing Texas heat, the Republican-controlled legislature in 2023 passed what progressives call the “Death Star” bill. The law in effect ends the practice of home rule in Texas governments – a legal principle enshrined in the Texas constitution and that of many states – giving cities broad autonomy to create local laws, as long as those laws do not conflict with state or federal law.

House Bill 2127 takes that power away from cities in a swath of policy areas, from managing climate change to labor law. The law is in legal limbo today. But the damage is already being done to municipal leaders, who are frozen in place waiting for the case to be resolved. This story is playing out across the country, with red state governments seeing big blue cities as launching places for progressive ideas. In the wake of the deadly police beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, the city government created a police review board. Tennessee’s conservative legislature promptly passed a law banning such boards. Nashville’s response to the Covenant school shooting led to protesters in and outside the state capitol. The legislature responded with an attempt to cut Nashville’s elected metro council in half and threatened takeovers of the city’s sports and airport authority boards. Florida has blocked its cities from passing LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination ordinances, from regulating pit bulls, from making socially conscious investments, and from passing local zoning laws around “missing middle” housing and building construction. Florida’s famous “don’t say gay” bill mandates local school boards to provide politically vetted instructional materials.

[...]

Why would Trump trash a city like Milwaukee – or Atlanta, for that matter – in a swing state in an election year? Because those cities cost him those states in 2020. On the podium on a fateful 6 January 2021, speaking to a group of supporters who would eventually become a riot storming the Capitol, Trump intoned a litany of grievances with no regard for evidence and repeating debunked claims from these cities. Trump said Fulton county in Georgia was “corrupt” and had stuffed machines with fake votes. Detroit had “139%��� turnout – a lie – after canvassers were “re-scanning batches of ballots over and over again” – another lie. The grievance lives on. When Trump was speaking in Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood in August, he described Atlanta as “like a killing field”, referencing a recent high-profile murder downtown. When Congressman John Lewis refused to attend Trump’s inauguration in 2017, Trump suggested by tweet that the city was “crime infested” and that Lewis “should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart”.

Trump refused to observe Lewis’s death with dignity as a revered civil rights icon. He instead attacked Lewis’s legacy, telling a reporter he “couldn’t say one way or another” whether Lewis was worthy of praise, complaining again about being snubbed at the inauguration and musing about how the Civil Rights Act had “worked out” for Black voters. Atlantans have not forgotten these insults. Fulton and DeKalb counties – Atlanta’s core – delivered a net gain of about 140,000 votes for Biden in 2020. Overall turnout in Georgia increased by about 20% four years ago; in these counties, Democratic turnout increased by about 32%. Lewis’s name was on their lips as they stood in line to vote. The Trump campaign had been trying to coax Black voters into their camp, with events like the launch of his Black voter coalition group at a historically Black church in Detroit in June. Even then, in an audience packed with almost exclusively white supporters, he once again railed against cities and crime. “Look, the crime is most rampant right here and in African American communities,” Trump said at 180 Church in Detroit. “More people see me and they say, ‘Sir, we want protection. We want police to protect us. We don’t want to get robbed and mugged and beat up or killed.’” Between the rise of Kamala Harris after Biden’s withdrawal and the pratfall of comments about “Black jobs”, in front of a group of Black journalists, Trump has begun abandoning the pretense of cross-racial outreach in favor of railing against “sanctuary cities”. Over the last few weeks, he has made a tour of sundown towns – communities that would terrorize Black people caught within the city limits after sundown – on the campaign trail.

Why are Republicans stoking fears of big cities, especially big cities in red states? It’s because those cities are Black-majority and are heavily Democratic.

[xxkitty13]

Circus Freaks

LA Buggy x Fem Reader

Dark themes, Mention of suicide (not towards reader)

Previous Chapters: Part 1, Part 8

Previously: With the delivery of an invitation, Y/n's presence is needed at the Abask mansion. Dinner with the Abask men goes smoothly before a surprising proposal for marriage is announced. As it turns out, the Ti’s debt is one of the factors for the proposition. Now, Y/n must decide on her answer.

A/n: Information in this chapter refers back to Part 4

Part 9: Arising Tensions

Ruckus fills the ring of the circus tent. Props fly left and right as Buggy goes on a rampage. He throws everything in sight, the empty chests are thrown onto the bleachers, breaking at the force.

“Buggy! Calm down!”

“How do you expect me to stay calm when another man wants you?”

“Buggy please, just listen!”

He stops and snaps his head at her. “Will you except?”

Y/n stays quiet.

“I said, will you except?” his tone stern.

“I-I don’t want to, but. . .”

The pirate approaches her and harshly yanks her towards him. “But what?”

“It’s complicated Buggy. Trust me, I don’t want to marry Yasi.”

“Okay, whatever it is. . . we can just kill them and be done with this.”

“No! Buggy, we can’t kill them. Murder isn’t the answer.”

The pirate rolls his eyes. Everything would be solved if they could get rid of them.

“I need to speak to my sister and her parents.”

“Why’s that?”

“Yasi’s father is threatening their home with the marriage.”

“Damn bastard.”

Y/n goes to sit on the empty bleachers and Buggy follows after her. Her elbows press against her thighs, resting her face on her hands. “I don’t know what to do. The land they have has been passed down through generations. I wished they would have mentioned the debt to me. Even so, I’m pretty sure he’s been scheming this for a while.”

"I heard he gives out loans to the townspeople and makes it impossible to pay it back."

"Yeah, it's what he does. He also owns a lot of the farming land here; my adoptive parents are one of the few families that own property besides the Abasks." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "Yasi mentioned something to me earlier and it has been bothering me ever since."

Buggy raises his eyebrow at the statement. "What was it?"

"I think he's genuinely terrified of his father. He said someone will get hurt if we don't go along with Kija's plans."

"What?!" Buggy yells out. He begins to manically laugh before wheezing out loud. Cabaji, who silently stood at the whole scene, began to creep away. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Who, me?"

"Yes, dumbass. Who else? Geez." Buggy facepalms. “Well, that bastard has no idea who he’s dealing with.”

Y/n tilts her head in confusion. “Are you saying that you can go against the Abasks?”

“Darling, we are pirates. The sea is much tougher than that old prune.”

Cabaji cracks up at his captain’s words. “Y/n, do you really think we’re afraid of that man?” Buggy scoffs, a moment ago Cabaji was sneaking away.

“Well, it never occurred to me that they’re people who can stand up against him. He’s basically a tyrant on this island.”

"He won't be for long."

"Oh,"— Cabaji cuts—" Y/n, I have to show you this. "

Y/n's ears perk up. "What is it?"

The acrobat hesitantly takes out a folder from his stash bag. "Y/n. . . I didn't want to add more to your stress, but you have to know."

"What do you mean?" She walks to the pirate, her full attention set on the closed file. Carefully, she opens it, going through the numerous pages. One document in particular catches her eye.

“He killed my father. . ..”

Buggy’s ears perk at the word. “Who?”

She gulps in the silence that fills the ring.

"It was the mayor. . ."

Y/n's face scrunched in confusion. All this time, she was right. "I knew it!" she gleams in joy. Buggy and Cabaji tilt their heads, shocked to see her happy. "I knew he would never kill my mother!"

"Uh, what do you mean?"

Overrun by excitement, she trembles, barely managing her emotions. "It was said that my dad fatally shot my mom and then killed himself. This shows that it was all a lie," she shouts, waving the paper in the air.

"So, is he 15? The one from the other letters?" Buggy asks.

"I don't know, the letter is written to Kija and it is signed by the mayor. He just gives him a notice about the death, no other information is provided."

Buggy pondered on that. It seems too good to be true. "Cabaji, where did you find it?"

"It was in a safe from his office. I may have broken it, but that's not the problem at the moment."

"Great, very suspicious." He rolled his eyes. “And where exactly was it located at?”

“Behind a large painting.”

That is a very common hiding spot, maybe the old hag is dumb. Still, Buggy thought the letter was too convenient, but he didn’t want to ruin Y/n's joy.

“What do you plan to do?” he asks.

Her smile fades. What is she going to do? “I. . . don’t know. . .”

Buggy couldn’t help but feel sorry for the young woman, so naive. Luckily for her, he already has a diabolical plan in mind.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Huh?”

He rests his arm on her shoulder, giving her a smug look. “This whole situation is pissing me off. The marriage, Yasi, and now this.” He takes the paper from her hands and gives it to Cabaji.

“Leave it all to me. You no longer have to deal with the matter.”

“Are you talking about the marriage or. . ?”

“Like I said, leave it to me.” Buggy pecks her on the cheek and shoos her away. “Don’t you have to talk to your sister?”

She hesitantly walks away. “Uh yes, but-“

“Come on go. I have work to do.”

In defeat, she sighs. “Okay, just don’t kill anyone.”

Buggy crosses his fingers behind his back. “Mhm.” No promises. She squints her eyes at him before turning away and leaving the tent.

“So captain, what are you planning?” Cabaji asks.

“Get Mohji, looks like we have to speak to mayor once again. I guess our little talk didn’t work last time,” he chuckles darkly.

.°˖✧.°˖✧

“Wakey wakey sleeping beauty.”

Cold water splashes over the mayor’s face. Awakening in such a freight, he is incoherent, frantically looking around the darkness that fills his bedroom. He violently coughs out the water than he breathed in.

The lamp on his bedside table turns on, illuminating his view.

“Boo.”

He jumps back at the appearance of the deranged clown.

“What the hell?! What are you doing here?!”

The clown draws back, circling around his bed. The mayor grips his bedsheets, his eyes never leaving the man. He’s not alone either, two of his subordinates are with him. He remembers them well. Maniacs.

“W-what do you want? I thought we settled this on our last ordeal.”

Buggy moves his pointer finger in disapproval. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. . . that was then and this is now,”— he stops— “something else has popped up.”

“Whatever it is, you know I didn’t snitch to Kija,” he quickly states.

Buggy walks to the opposite side of the bed, sitting down on the nice cushion. “No, it’s nothing of that matter.” His hand reaches out to inside of his coat and pulls out a folded piece of paper. “Do you know what this is Mr. Dun? Or should I say 15?”

Mr. Dun eyes widen at the code name. He snatches the paper out of his hand. “Where did you get this?”

“That is none of your concern. What’s important is whether you’re 15 or not.”

“15? I don’t know what’s the meaning of this. Why do you care about Zimik anyway?”

Irritated by this, he grabs the mayor by the collar of his neck and pulls out a knife, pressing it against his skin. “I’m the one asking questions here. Did you or did you not kill Zimik?”

“No. I would never kill Zimik, he was a good friend of mine.”

Buggy lets go of his collar, annoyed by his response. “Tsk, you better not be lying to me. You know what will happen if you are,” he smirks, waving the blade over his face.

“N-no, please. . . you can’t release that information to the public.”

“So then answer my question.”

“I told you I’m not involved in Zimik’s death.”

“Are you sure? I’m pretty sure the town would be shocked to hear that you’re Kija’s little bitch.”

The mayor grits. “I’m telling you the truth. There is no evidence to pinpoint this at me.”

Buggy rolls his eyes. “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Let’s go.” he waves for Mohji and Cabaji to exit the room. Leaving Mr. Dun in a petrified state.

“Shit.” He waits for time to pass before dialing his snail transponder. It rings for a while until someone picks up the line. “I’m sorry for calling this late, but this is urgent.”

“It better be important for waking me up this late.”

“It’s Buggy. He’s accusing me of Zimik’s death.”

“. . .”

The person doesn’t say word.

“Hello? This isn’t funny.”

“Where the hell did that clown get that information?”

“I don’t know, but he's threatening me again. I have a feeling it won't be long before he finds out I've been communicating with you.”

"Well then, I will have to put a stop to that clown. I found something very interesting about him, I am sure it will drive him away," the voice chuckles.

"What is it?"

"You'll find out soon enough." With that, the call ends. Mr. Dun angrily throws the snail transponder across the room. A cold sweat runs down his forehead, he feels cornered between two beasts. What will he do now?

.°˖✧.°˖✧

"Lyla! Are you home?"

The door swings open. "Y/n? What's with the urgency?"

Y/n enters inside of her sister’s home without saying a word. Lyla looks at her confused. “Hey what’s gotten into you? You don't barge into someone’s home you know.”

“I’m sorry. . . it’s just there’s a lot going on.”

“What do you mean? Come on take a seat,” she says pointing at her sofa, where the two take a seat.

“I just wanted to ask you something.”

“What is it?

“Did you know that we’re in debt?”

“Debt? What are you talking about?”

“Your parents. . . they owe a lot of money to Kija.”

Lyla’s eyes widen as she got up from her seat. “They owe who money?!” She tugs on her hair, pacing back and forth from her spot. “You’re lying. They wouldn’t be, right?”

Y/n sighs, “The man told me himself.”

“What?! When?!”

“It’s a long story. . .”

“Well, I want to hear every single detail, you better not hide anything from me.” Her voice stern.

Y/n looks around the room, avoiding eye contact with her sister. She wasn’t sure if she should tell her everything, but there’s no backing out. She takes a deep breath. “Yasi’s father wants me to marry his son,” she manages to spit out.

Lyla mouth drops wide open. “Oh my god. . . that’s ridiculous. What does that have to with anything?”

“You see, he’s using the marriage as a way to pay for their debt. . . I would be a method of payment.”

“What the fuck y/n?! You’re not money, you’re a human being. You can’t accept, we have to find another way.”

“Look, we need to speak to your parent’s first, but who knows when they’re coming back. I have a feeling Kija sent them away for this reason.”

Lyla slumps on the couch, running her hands through her hair. She sighs, “Do you know the amount of money they need? Maybe I can my husband for help.”

“I’m working on a plan as well.”

“What is it?”

“Uhh. . .”— Y/n fidgets her fingers— “It’s. . . rather complicated. . .”

“Come on, tell me. You know we don’t keep secrets from each other,” she says holding her hand. “We can’t let that bastard win.”

“Just promise to keep it secret.” Lyla nods, squeezing the palm of her hand. “I’m with the clown. . . he’s finding a way to solve our problem.”

“You’re with that clown?! That pirate?!” she yells in shock. “Girl, how long have you been with him?! Why haven’t you told me?”

Y/n covered her ears from her sister’s loud voice. She is angry and rightfully so. They never kept secretes from each other. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know what you’d say if I told you I’m dating a pirate.”

“Y/n a pirate? I know he’s a clown, but do you know the reputation they carry? They are not good people.”

“Y-you don’t know him. . .” her voice cracked.

“But do you know him? He’s only been here for a short time.”

This time Y/n froze. It is true. . . she knows nothing of him, but his circus act. Who is he truly? Her hands behind to shake and were immediately ceased by another pair of hands.

Lyla eyes softened as she sighed. “It’s okay, as long as he treats you right. It’s just. . . I never saw it coming.”

“Neither did I.” Y/n felt confused, she’s known about her partaking in the circus, what’s so different this time? Either way, she rather not argue with her.

“Well, I’m sure a pirate has their ways to bribe people. I think he’s just the guy to go against the Abasks. Still, I will talk to Walo about the situation; after all, he works for them.”

“I just hope everything works out. I’m not sure how long we have before they lose it all.”

Lyla goes to embrace Y/n, holding her tight in her arms. “Don’t worry, we won’t let him win.” She let’s go and grabs her shoulders, adding a bit pressure to them. “Just be careful. . . pirates are dangerous, I don’t want you getting hurt. I can’t tell you what to do, you’re an adult. You know what you’re doing, remember that.”

And all Y/n did was nod in agreement.

.°˖✧.°˖✧

Dusk hit the island as Y/n returned to the circus grounds. Buggy’s hoarse voice became louder at each step. She opened the tent and found herself in the middle of a commotion at the ring.

“What do you mean they saw you?!”

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know they were home.”

“Shit, can you fuckers do anything right?”

He tightened his fist around his throat and squeezed tightly. “Don’t fuck up again, we can’t let our act fall apart.” With one final squeeze her lets go. The man gasps out for air.

Y/n watched in horror. Has he’s always been this way?

“Buggy you almost killed him!”

“So?”— the pirate turns to face the voice— “Oh- darling, you’re back.”

“Um. . .”

He looks at her and back down at his subordinate.“Don’t worry about it. He’s fine. Besides, he was careless. We don’t want the attention on us while Kija is planning to have a wedding.”

Y/n only stared at Buggy.

Buggy huffed. “Baby, forget about it. Come on, it’s getting late, you should get some sleep.”

“Yeah. . .” she replied, walking away from the scene.

Dangerous. Should she be worried? No. . . Buggy wouldn’t hurt her. Well, he did tie her up that one time and destroyed her doll, but he’s changed. . . or so she thought. He’s a captain, he has to put his crew in order. That’s all it was, discipline.

She looks back at Buggy who dismissed the man. The large purple bruise marks cover his throat. She felt herself wince at the sight as she grabbed her own. The pirate has incredible strength, she’s felt it first-hand. Lyla is right, maybe she should be careful around these people. She takes one last look, as Buggy pulled out three blades from his coat and began his target practice. What is this plan he’s talking about? Whatever it is, she hopes no one loses their life.

.°˖✧.°˖✧

A/N: Okay, this took forever to write and it's kinda boring. I was really stuck on writing this for a while, but I think it should be easy from here on out.

[89845aaa]

Well, if you make a shithole, don’t be surprised if you have to live in one…

[kingtry]

Missing Faces In Empty Pictures

Author: MyLiteraryItinerary Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark Series: Part 1 of Spider-Man: Charting The Way Back Home Language: English Stats: 12 Chapters (Completed)

Summary:

Something’s wrong. He’s certain of that now. The photos, the dreams, and now this. It’s too much to be a coincidence. He feels as though his mind has slowly evolved into a puzzle with one piece out of place. One very big piece out of place. And until he can find it, the rest of the picture will be skewed. His memories have been tampered with, he can feel it in his gut, though why or how he cannot say. But, after tonight, he has a sneaking suspicion that it all traces back to Spider-Man.

Or: two years after the snap that saved the universe, Tony Stark wakes up to a world in which no one remembers Peter Parker–including himself. But when puzzling memories of Spider-Man come to light, will Tony be able to break the spell and bring his kid home?

Autor: MyLiteraryItinerary Clasificación: Audiencias adolescentes y mayores Fandom: Universo cinematográfico de Marvel Relaciones: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark Series: Parte 1 de Spider-Man: Charting The Way Back Home Idioma: Inglés Estado: 12 Capítulos (Terminada)

Resumen:

Algo esta mal. Está seguro de eso ahora. Las fotos, los sueños, y ahora esto. Es demasiado para ser una coincidencia. Siente como si su mente se hubiera convertido lentamente en un rompecabezas con una pieza fuera de lugar. Una pieza muy grande fuera de lugar. Y hasta que pueda encontrarlo, el resto de la imagen estará sesgada. Sus recuerdos han sido manipulados, puede sentirlo en sus entrañas, aunque no puede decir por qué o cómo. Pero, después de esta noche, tiene la leve sospecha de que todo se remonta a Spider-Man.

O: dos años después del chasquido que salvó el universo, Tony Stark se despierta en un mundo en el que nadie recuerda a Peter Parker, incluido él mismo. Pero cuando los desconcertantes recuerdos de Spider-Man salgan a la luz, ¿podrá Tony romper el hechizo y traer a su hijo a casa? 

Divisores de  cafekitsune

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, November 16

Spike: It's bloody chaos over there without you. Buffy: It is? Spike: Yeah! Yeah, it's, uh... There's junk... You know? Food cartons, sleeping bags not rolled up, everyone's very scared and, uh, unkempt. Buffy: Sounds dire. Spike: I didn't see a lot. I came, hit Faith a bunch of times, and left. Buffy: Really? I mean, not that I'm glad, but— Spike: Oh, you say the word, and she's a footnote in history. I'll make it look like a painful accident.

~~Touched~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

One Little Dance (Buffy/Spike, E) by HollyDB

Tierney Tishler is Definitely, Totally, Not Gay (Mrs. Tishler/Ms. Murray, G) by Jess_Ann_Perreault

Consolation (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Harlow Turner

[Chaptered Fiction]

Memory Lane, Chapter 2 (Crossover wtih Smallville, NR) by Callarose_aka_FireDragon

Obsession, Chapter 3 (Crossover with Harry Potter, M) by Callarose_aka_FireDragon

New Blood, Chapter 1 (Crossover wtih Naruto, T) by danu40k

The Prodigal Boyfriend, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, 18+) by myrabeth

New Normal, Chapter 27 (Crossover with Jericho, AO) by holetoledo

Rise, Chapter 20 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by CheekyKitten

The Mayor Dates, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, PG) by Desicat

L'amore trovera la via, Chapter 17 (French language, NC-17) by Violette-Milka

56 Hours, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Soulburnt

Dawn Rising, Chapter 25 (Crossover with Lord of the Rings, FR15) by Luna

Going Home (to a place we’ve never been before), Chapter 13 (Crossover with Lord of the Rings, FR15) by curiouslywombat

Cross Purposes 4, Chapter 37 (Multiple crossings, FR13) by DianeCastle

Bring Him Home, Chapter 34 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Acb6293

What the Drabble?, Chapter 42 (Buffy/Spike, R) by VeroNyxK84

[Images, Audio & Video]

Gifset: Surprise by detectivedawnsummers

Gifset: Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 3x08 - "The Wish" by slayerdaily

Gifset: slept so long by jay gordon by fuffygifs

Gifset: I was your Watcher, Faith. I know the real you. by mycatismyfriend

[Reviews & Recaps]

NASTY!! (nasty) | Buffy the Vampire Slayer 5x9 "Listening to Fear" | Normies Reaction! by The Normies

SCARIEST EPISODE?! - Angel Reaction - 5x4 - Hell-Bound by TheLexiCrowd

Let's Rewatch Buffy! Season 2, episode 1 by Jenny Trout

Buffy Season 6: Older and Far Away & As You Were by Revisiting the Buffyverse

Podcast: HELLMOUTH HOMOS: Lovers Walk by Fear Queers

Podcast: HELLMOUTH HOMOS: The Wish by Fear Queers

Podcast: Water’s Cancelled - Angel S05E05 - Life of the Party by Pop Culture Role Call

[Fandom Discussions]

Angel and Spike being in prophetic dreams of Buffy's by OveliaGirlHaditRight

i’m so intrigued by the fact that soulless spike is able to curb his desire for bloodshed by goresbian

Prophecy Girl by multiple authors

Buffy telling Dawn about Joyce in "The Body" breaks me EVERY TIME - one of the best performances from Sarah and Michelle by multiple authors

The Zeppo by multiple authors

Flooded and Anya suggestion Buffy should charge by multiple authors

The Willow and Xander affair by multiple authors

Angel's finances by multiple authors

Why did demons serve glory? by multiple authors

How powerful was Connor exactly??? by multiple authors

What exactly is the difference between the PTB and the Old ones other than "morality" by multiple authors

Stakeless Buffy? by multiple authors

Turok-Han by multiple authors

It's never really explained in the show but [What happens when a slayer actually lives until old age?] by multiple authors

The spell in the episode "Chosen" by multiple authors

Season 7 Appreciation by multiple authors

Why do the werewolves in this show look so bad compared to everything else? by multiple authors

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Publication: Buffy Finally Reveals What Would Have REALLY Happened If Dawn Had Been There From Season 1 via ScreenRant

Publication: Slayers: A Buffyverse Story's Emma Caulfield Shares Hopes for Sequel, Including a Taylor Swift Nod via comicbook

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[samads-take]

California Wildfire Live Updates: New ‘Auto Fire’ Breaks Out

TIMELINE

Tuesday, 4:00 a.m. PST The National Weather Service’s “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties is now in effect, and the agency’s LA office noted that while such warnings “do not predict fire starts, they do highlight an extremely dangerous environment that is favorable to very rapid fire growth if a fire does start.”

Tuesday, 12:15 a.m. PST Nearly 20,000 homes and businesses were without power early Tuesday in Ventura County as the area deals with the new Auto Fire, while the number of outages in Los Angeles County stands at 44,000, according to Power Outages.US.

Tuesday, 12:15 a.m. PST The Ventura County Fire Department announced that “forward progress on the Auto fire has been stopped” and the fire “was confined to the river bottom and no structures were threatened.”

Monday, 11:50 p.m. PST According to the Los Angeles Times, the Auto Fire received its name because of the large number of auto dealerships in the impacted area.

Monday, 11:45 p.m. PST A new fire, called the Auto Fire, broke out late on Monday night in Ventura county and, according to Cal Fire’s latest update, has rapidly grown to cover 56 acres.

Monday 9:00 p.m. PST The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power issued a warning that it may be forced to cut off power supply—with outages potentially lasting as long as 48 hours—in certain areas as a safety measure to prevent wildfires while the Red Flag Warning remains in effect until Friday.

Monday 8:45 p.m. PST Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order on Monday night, which aims to expedite the process of rebuilding homes in the impacted areas by requiring city officials to complete all building permitting reviews needed for reconstruction within 30 days of an application.

Monday, 2:48 p.m. PST California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed $2.5 billion in additional funding for disaster response and recovery efforts in Los Angeles, adding that if the funding is approved by the legislature it will specifically go toward “recovery and cleanup, additional wildfire preparedness, and reopening schools shuttered by the fires.”

Monday, 2:00 p.m. PST Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced nine people were charged in connection to looting carried out in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, in addition to one arson charge for a man who allegedly started a fire in the city of Azusa, which is located about 20 miles east of Altadena.

Monday, 11:12 a.m. PST The NWS, which has a red flag warning in effect for a large portion of southern California until Wednesday, says much of the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County will be in a “Particularly Dangerous Situation”—an especially severe fire warning—from early Tuesday morning until noon Wednesday. Forecasters are expecting 45 to 70 mph wind gusts and low humidity capable of creating rapid fire growth in the most hard-hit areas: “In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets,” the agency said.

Monday, 8:10 a.m. PST Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 23 people have been reported missing as a result of the fires—17 near the Eaton Fire and six near the Palisades Fire—and LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said six people are also missing and unaccounted-for in the city of Los Angeles, though it’s unclear if there’s overlap with Luna’s count. The death toll remains at 24, including a former child actor from Australia, a surfer from Malibu and a 67-year-old amputee who refused to leave his disabled son behind. Luna also said 34 people have been arrested since the fires began for breaking curfew and other offenses, including three arrests for drone-related incidents.

Monday, 8:10 a.m. PST The $30 million 'Super Scooper' plane that was damaged by a private drone last week has been repaired and is expected to rejoin the firefighting efforts Tuesday, after federal officials sign off, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

Monday, 8:10 a.m. PST Crowley said: “We are not in the clear as of yet and we must not let our guard down, as we have, right now, extreme fire behavior.”

Monday, 8:10 a.m. PST Prosecutors will announce the first set of looting and arson charges later Monday, said L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, calling the defendants “despicable and disgraceful” and warning they could face “very significant sentences” (he said the arson case isn’t related to any of the major fires).

Monday, 7:40 a.m. PST The Palisades Fire—the largest of the three blazes still burning—is now 14% under control after having grown to cover 23,713 acres, according to the latest Cal Fire update, while the Eaton Fire covers 14,117 acres and is 33% contained.

Monday, 7:00 a.m. PST FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN the agency will cover the full cost of removing wildfire debris for six months—180 days—but warned cleanup from the disaster is going to take longer.

Monday, 1:20 a.m. PST The Pasadena Unified School District announced all its schools will remain closed this week as evacuation orders remain in effect, the air quality in the area is “unhealthy” and “damage to school facilities and safety concerns, make it impossible to reopen schools for in-person learning at this time.”

Monday, 1:10 a.m. PST Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced firefighters and engines were being “strategically pre-deployed in areas close to the Palisades Fire as well as various fire stations throughout the city,” in response to the National Weather Service’s warnings about strong gusts winds on Tuesday and Wednesday that have raised risk of further flareups early this week.

Monday, 12:40 a.m. PST The Hurst Fire, the smallest of the three active fires which covers 799 acres, is now 95% contained and has no active evacuation orders or warnings linked to it.

Sunday, 10:30 p.m. PST Nearly 33,000 homes and businesses across Los Angeles County remained without power, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said, adding its crews were “assessing the fire-affected areas” and power restoration work will begin after the assessments are completed.

Sunday, 9:50 p.m. PST The Los Angeles United School District said it will reopen most of its schools and all of its offices on Monday but officials will continue to “monitor conditions” and inform families about any changes by 5.30 a.m. on Monday.

Sunday, 5 p.m. PST Some 24 people have been reported dead in the two most severe blazes (16 from the Eaton Fire and eight from the Palisades Fire), the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office said Sunday, up from 16 deaths reported one day earlier, while another 16 people remained missing—a number that is expected to go up.

Sunday 2:34 p.m. PST Authorities will start drawing up plans for evacuated residents to return to their neighborhoods “first thing Thursday,” after another bout of heavy wind subsides, County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a meeting.

Sunday, 6:02 a.m. PST Criswell told CNN, “the winds are potentially getting dangerous and strong again,” adding that the firefighters’ response in the coming days “all depends on the weather.”

Sunday, 12:30 a.m. PST Strong winds are expected Sunday morning before dying down through the day and increasing again late Monday into Tuesday, the National Weather Service says, issuing a “red flag warning” for potential “critical fire weather conditions” for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Wednesday, though possible rain later in the week could help tame the fires.

Friday, 1:26 p.m. PST All evacuation warnings linked to the Archer Fire in Granada Hills are lifted as the blaze lessened in size to about 19 acres, after officials lifted evacuation orders and said the fire was no longer spreading.

Friday, 1:01 p.m. PST Newsom directed state water and fire officials to conduct an independent investigation into causes of the “lost water supply and water pressure in municipal water systems” during the fires, also requesting reviews of preparation and response procedures taken by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, as well as Los Angeles County Officials.

Friday, 9:30 a.m. PST President Joe Biden, who described Los Angeles as a “war zone,” said the death toll for the fires is still expected to rise, though it’s not clear how significantly: “There are still a lot of people who are unaccounted for. We don’t know where they are,” he said.

Friday, 8:15 a.m. PST Bass said FEMA has pledged to reimburse disaster relief expenses, as the Palisades Fire expanded to more than 20,000 acresand the Eaton Fire increased to nearly 14,000 acres.

Friday, 8 a.m. PST Kevin McGowan, director of Los Angeles County’s Office of Emergency Management, apologized during a press conference for an evacuation alert mistakenly sent to millions of county residents at about 4 a.m. local time, saying the error was “not human driven” while acknowledging “an extreme amount of frustration, fear and anger.”

Friday, 5:20 a.m. PST Satellite images released by Maxar on Thursday night showed the scale of devastation caused by fires so far as Cal Fire’s latest update says the blazes have destroyed more than 10,000 structures, including homes and businesses.

Friday, 4:05 a.m. PST Biden announced he has approved Newsom’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration, adding that it will allow “folks impacted by the Southern California wildfires to get cash assistance to cover things like groceries and medicine.”

Friday, 2:30 a.m. PST The Kenneth Fire grew in size to cover nearly 1,000 acres, according to Cal Fire’s latest update, but firefighters have managed to contain 35% of the blaze.

Thursday, 11:30 p.m. PST The Los Angeles County Fire Department said a fire fighting plane struck by a civilian drone over the Palisades Fire was the Super Scooper—an amphibious plane which can scoop up water from a river or lake and aerially dump it on a fire—and has been grounded, though it managed to land safely.

Thursday, 10:30 p.m. PST The death toll from all the fires rose to 10, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office announced.

Thursday, 10:00 p.m. PST Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said his department has requested support from the California National Guard and is trying to implement a curfew between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires to prevent looting and other crimes.

Thursday, 9:15 p.m. PST The Ventura County Fire Department said, “forward progress of the Kenneth fire has been stopped,” and the fire continues to hold at 960 acres with 0% containment.

Thursday, 9:00 p.m. PST The LAPD told local outlets they received a call informing them that a “suspect was ‘attempting to light a fire’ in the area of the Kenneth Fire,” and while the suspect is now in custody the department added: “We are continuing our investigation and we CANNOT confirm any connection to any fire.”

Thursday, 8:35 p.m. PST Los Angeles Police have arrested a man suspected of arson in the Woodland Hills area, and the department told NewsNation they are now investigating if the Kenneth Fire was intentionally set.

Thursday, 5:09 p.m. PST Newsom approved a request from Los Angeles County to deploy 8,000 National Guard members to the region to help combat fires and prevent looting (the sheriff’s department arrested 20 people for looting as of Thursday afternoon).

Thursday, 4:35 p.m. PST The NFL announced the Jan. 13 wild card playoff matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings will be moved from SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, citing concerns for public safety.

Thursday, 3:16 p.m. PST The Kenneth Fire began in the neighborhood of West Hills and spread to 50 acres, triggering evacuation orders for some residents in the Hidden Hills community.

Thursday, 3 p.m. PST The death toll from the fires reached six, according to multiple outlets, with the city of Malibu reporting its first death of a resident killed in the Palisades fire.

Thursday, 1:55 p.m. PST Biden said the federal government will pay the full cost of the disaster response for 180 days, covering the costs of things like “debris and hazard removal, temporary shelters, first responders’ salaries and all necessary measures to protect life and property” (the federal funding initially covered 75% of eligible firefighting costs).

Thursday, 11:27 a.m. PST Bass said the Sunset fire in the Hollywood Hills was “fully contained” after the fire began Wednesday evening and spread to 43 acres.

Thursday, 11:27 a.m. PST Los Angeles Unified School District announced its schools and offices will remain closed through Friday, adding students will continue to have access to digital academic resources, meal distribution and mental health support services.

Thursday, 10:35 a.m. PST The NBA postponed a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena, the NBA announced, with ESPN insider Shams Charania noting Lakers head coach JJ Redick lost his home in the fires.

Thursday, 7:30 a.m. PST The Los Angeles Fire Department lifted the last evacuation order related to the Sunset Fire, providing some relief to residents, though it said there are still “LAFD companies working in the area” and asked people “to be careful while returning” to their homes.

Thursday, 9:55 a.m. PST Pasadena urged residents in a portion of the city to not use tap water for drinking or cooking “until further notice,” citing the Eaton Fire’s damage to reservoirs and pump stations that potentially impacted water quality in certain areas.

Thursday, 7 a.m. PST Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said 95,203 of its customers are without power and that the estimated time to respond to outages remains at 24 to 48 hours, noting within a statement its boil water notice remains in effect for residents in Pacific Palisades’ 90272 zip code and the adjacent area.

Thursday, 4 a.m. PST The wildfires have severely impacted the air quality in the Los Angeles area with levels of PM 2.5 pollutants—airborne particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter—hitting 165, which is labeled “unhealthy” by the EPA’s AirNow tracker and 11 times above the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit of 15.

Thursday 3 a.m. PST At least 2,000 homes, businesses and other buildings have been destroyed by the fires so far, and more than 130,000 people have been forced to evacuate—some even multiple times as the fires spread to other parts of Los Angeles county.

Thursday 2:40 a.m. PST According to the National Weather Service, the dry Santa Ana winds moving in from the northeast will “continue over Eaton Fire through the next few days, with somewhat weaker winds Thursday morning followed by increasing winds Thursday afternoon...into early Friday.”

Thursday 2 a.m. PST At least 250,000 homes and businesses across Los Angeles County and neighboring Ventura County remained without power on Wednesday night, according to Power Outage.us, as the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power said its crews had managed to restore power to “more than 152,000” since the start of the fires.

Thursday 12:30 a.m. PST The Los Angeles Fire Department said “the majority of the Evacuation Zone for the Sunset Fire is LIFTED” in an update shortly after midnight as Cal Fire’s tracker showed the size of the blaze in the Hollywood Hills shrinking from its previous size of 60 acres to 43 acres at 12:17 a.m. PST.

Wednesday 9:30 p.m. PST The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the the “most intense fire activity” in the Hollywood Hills fire is occurring on the southwestern side, while the perimeter on the eastern side is “holding well thanks to a fire road and ground crews in place.”

Wednesday 9:20 p.m. PST Cal Fire deployed several helicopters and tankers to douse the Hollywood Hills fire, with flight tracker data showing at least six aircraft flying over the area—aerial operations had been impacted on Tuesday night and early Wednesday due to the strong winds.

Wednesday 9 p.m. PST The city of Santa Monica instituted a mandatory curfew from sunset to sunrise on Wednesday night “to support law enforcement efforts in these zones, and other measures to facilitate an effective response,” the Palisades Fire.

Wednesday 8:40 p.m. PST Bass said the Los Angeles Police Department’s officers are being deployed to Hollywood “to help alleviate evacuation traffic,” as the city moves to “urgently to close roads, redirect traffic and expand access for LAFD vehicles to respond to the growing fire.”

Wednesday 8:11 p.m. PST Another fire, called the Sunset Fire, broke out around 6 p.m. PST in the Hollywood Hills which has rapidly grown in recent hours to engulf more than 50 acres or area, prompting mandatory evacuations.

Wednesday 7 p.m. PST Biden canceled the final overseas trip of his presidency on Wednesday—shortly before he was set to travel to Italy and the Vatican—to stay in Washington D.C. and monitor the emergency in California.

Wednesday 5:11 p.m. PST Biden approves a Major Disaster Declaration for California, making federal funding available to those impacted by the fires in Los Angeles County.

Wednesday, 1:39 p.m. PST Nearly 1 million customers of electricity providers in Los Angeles County were without power, Power Outage.us reported before it said the outage management system of Southern California Edison—the main electricity provider in the county—went offline.

Wednesday, 1:25 p.m. PST The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades—an affluent coastal neighborhood—exploded to 15,832 acres, according to Cal Fire, making it the largest fire of the four burning in Los Angeles County as of Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday, 11 a.m. PST The Eaton Fire in Altadena, a small city directly north of Pasadena, grew to 10,600 acres with 0% containment, according to the Cal Fire.

Wednesday, 10:45 a.m. PST Bass announced Los Angeles Fire Department air operations resumed after a lengthy suspension of air support began Tuesday due to high winds.

Wednesday, 7:31 a.m. PST Criswell said FEMA is “closely monitoring” the wildfires and has authorized additional assistance from the agency to support firefighting efforts.

Wednesday, 6:15 a.m. PST The Woodley Fire began in the Sepulveda Basin neighborhood, expanding to 30 acres before being brought under control, according to The New York Times.

Jan. 7, 10:29 p.m. PST The Hurst Fire ignited in the suburban area of Sylmar.

Jan. 7, 5:30 p.m. PST Newsom declared a state of emergency, urging residents to heed evacuation orders and saying, “This is a highly dangerous windstorm creating extreme fire risk, and we’re not out of the woods.”

Jan. 7, 10:30 a.m. PST The Palisades Fire started in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and resulted in about 30,000 people receiving evacuation orders as it initially spread to about 2,000 acres.

READ MORE

[darkmaga-returns]

1/10 ASTROLABE LINKS:

JUST WHITE GUY THINGS

DUDES BEING DUDES: VC MINDSET

2008 HIGH SCHOOL PROM

WILL HILD: TEXAS FEDERAL JUDGE RULES AGAINST AMERICAN AIRLINES RE: ESG

DUSTY DEEVERS THREAD ON ANTI-ESG RULING RAMIFICATIONS

WILL HILD ON GOOD OL' BOYS POD

FAIR TAX IMPLICATIONS CONVERSATION

GROK BREAKDOWN OF FAIR TAX IMPLICATIONS

ELON ON POST-WAR LIBERAL ORDER

FEMA REFUSING TO EXTEND HOTEL VOUCHERS FOR WESTERN NC HELENE VICTIMS

BIDEN SAYS FED GOVT WILL COVER 100% OF COSTS FOR SOCAL WILDFIRES

WHAT THE PALISADES LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW

HELICOPTER FIRE DROP WORTHY OF ESPN HIGHLIGHT

THE MEANING OF HOME: PALISADES WOMAN MOURNING HER NEIGHBORHOOD

91 YEAR OLD PASADENA RESIDENT ON LOSING HIS HOME OF 60 YEARS

MAYOR OF LA: "IF YOU NEED HELP, GO TO URL"

DAVID MUIR CLOTHESPINS VIDEO

GAVIN NEWSOM CONFRONTED, PRETENDS TO BE ON A CALL WITH BIDEN

TRUMP ON THE SMELT

MATT'S PREDICTION OF A NEWSOM CHALLENGER

JAMES WOODS CALLS FOR TRIBUNALS

ADAM CAROLLA ON CALI LEFTISTS GETTING A RUDE WAKEUP CALL

ARTICLE ON CALIFORNIA'S PROP 1: $7.5 BILLION BOND FOR NEW WATER STORAGE PROJECTS

JOHN KONRAD THREAD ON IMPORTANCE OF MARINE PUMPING TO REFILL FIRE DEPT WATER SUPPLIES

"I THINK IT'S ALL THE GAY PEOPLE IN LA"

NEWSCUM ORDERS INVESTIGATION INTO LACK OF WATER IN FIRE HYDRANTS

FIRE CHIEF SAYS LA OFFICIALS FAILED THEM

GAY FIRE HYDRANT

REPORTS OF CARTEL-ORGANIZED LOOTERS

REPORT: 300 FIRES SET INTENTIONALLY AS ARSON OR TERRORISM

REP RO KHANNA: CALIFORNIANS DESERVE ANSWERS

CHAMATH PALIHAPITIYA RECAP POST

SCOTT ADAMS POST ON THE REBUILD EFFORT HURDLES

HYUNDAI CEO ON ELON MUSK

AXIOS: META KILLS DEI PROGRAMS

ZUCK BEING RELATABLE

ZUCK: X DID FACT CHECKING BETTER

ZUCK ON BIDEN'S FED GOVT BEING UP THEIR ASSES

ZUCK: CHANGES BASED ON A "CULTURAL PULSE"

ZUCK: MASCULINITY IS GOOD AND CORPORATE CULTURE IS TOO FEMININE

BRAZIL'S PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE THREATENING ZUCK

JOEL KAPLAN BREAKS DOWN META'S NEW PLATFORM SHIFT TOWARD FREE SPEECH

PETER THIEL: "A TIME FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION"

[uniquejellyfishqueen]

Fun fact. My senior superlative was most likely to be on facebook at 2 am.

Ace week (formerly asexuality week) falls during the last week of October, 2024 it was October 20th-26th.

Within that week 8 of T.Swizzles albums celebrated birthdays..

(1) Taylor Swift 10/24/2006. 18 years old

4 YEARS LATER

(3)Speak Now, Speak Now Deluxe, & SN World Tour 10/25/2010. 14 years old

2 YEARS LATER

(4)Red & Red Deluxe Edition (oh my goodness the acronyms of that spell RED, was this album supposed to be a double? Does it have a sister? There is more to the ATW story…) 10/22/2012. 12 years old.

10 YEARS LATER

(10)Midnights, Midnights 3 AM 10/22/22. 2 years old.

1 YEAR LATER

1989 TV 10/26/2023 *1989 Deluxe which was released the following day only had 1 additional track on it and that was Bad Blood (ft. Kendrick Lamar). 1 year old.

42101 (8) is the Zip Code for Bowling Green Kentucky. The Area Code is 270 (9) Its also in Warren county which is home to the national Corvette Museum. And was named after Joseph Warren on 12/19/1796. The mayor of Bowling Green is a dude by the name of Todd Alcott, which may make you think of The Alcott by The National ft Taylor Swift which was released on 4/28/2023 and this was also recorded at Long Pond—> Folklore Long Pond was released on 11/25/2020. It was recorded in September of 2020. According to Spotify the total of 34 songs has a run time of 2:14 (there’s 2/14 again)

The next single to be released by tswizzle is Karma and that was released on 5/1/23 (3 days after The Alcott) lol karma is a KAT.

The music video for Karma was premiered on 5/26/23 N1 East Rutherford, NJ. The National also released Alphabet city on August 17 2023. 8 days after her last show in LA which she did not say thank you.. (“Hey kids spelling is fun”) also Alphabet City is in New York.. so like Welcome, I guess?

*ps we haven’t gotten the solid green 1989 set yet. Is this possibly in connection to another album that was also released on 10/22/2012? Kendrick Lamar released Good Kid, M. A. D. D. City on 10/22/2012. Track 5 on this album is Money Trees “pick your poison, tell me what you’re doing. Everybody gon’ respect the shooter” -> imgonnagetyouback “pick your poison, babe, I’m poison either way.” -> poison “that girl is poison. Never trust a big butt and a smile. That girl is poison poison”

**atari means "to hit a target"

But also on that same album track #6 is Poetic Justice ft Drake. Drake is from Toronto, where TS will be for shows 141-146 11/14-11/16, 11/21-11/23. There is a 7 day break for her in between these shows. Then when the Toronto shows end that is 6 days before the release of her BF Target release. (7+6=13).

AND THEN 13 days later the last stop of the Errors Tour is on 12/6 in Vancouver.

I see the VT as a mirror of TV as Taylor’s Version, but also it’s the state abbreviation for Vermont. 8/31/2007 Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, and TS were there it was rare.. no idk if it was but they were at the Champlain Valley Fair, in Essex Junction Vermont.. it apparently became Vermonts 10th city on 7/1/22, it was incorporated as a village on 11/15/1892.. what an unfortunate date, dear john go fuck yaself.

11/15/2024 N2 in Toronto 7 hours and 43 minutes to Essex Junction. (7+4+3=14)

743 is the area code for Greensboro, North Carolina… (grew AGAIN) *no idea what I stumbled upon but there is going to be a Taylor Swift Camp here on July 14-18, 2025. *speaking of 1989 10/21/2015 apparently is the last time TS was at Greensboro, NC with Vance Joy, and Miranda Lambert. From what the interweb shows me she didn’t play a surprise song at this show. *ok so she might not have given them a surprise song but she did write the song Carolina (6/24/2022) for the movie Where the Crawdads Sing which was released on 7/15/2022.

Carolina was played on the Errors Tour on 6/15/2024 N3/3 Liverpool show #102. This was played on the guitar mashed up with No Body, No Crime. (Sure there was no thank you post for LA, but on the thank you post from Santa Clara on 7/31/2023 she mentioned that she will never forget the HAIM sisters coming out in their dresses from Bejewled to sing No Body, No Crime this photo is from 7/28/23 because she is wearing the yellow dress.)

*HAIM joined TS on 7/22-8/9, 3 cities, 10 shows, with No Body, No Crime replacing Tis The Damn Season.

Seattle, Santa Clara, Los Angeles…. CLASS.

Area codes 310 and 424 are the telephone area codes for West LA, a small portion of Ventura County, and Santa Catalina Island… (like the Catalina Wine Mixer?) the area code 310 was created on 11/2/1991. Then on 1/25/97 it was split to 562 for the southeast portion of LA county and a large portion of Orange County. (The OC? Premiered 8/5/2003. RIP Marissa, Mischa Barton was actually named the It Girl of 2003, kinda like Clara Bow?)