L.A. Was Prepared for Serious Fires. But It Wasn’t Ready for Four. | New York Times
- The LA Fire Department properly prepared for a dangerous fire situation the days before the fire, just as it had done upwards of 30 times in the past few years. Firetrucks and fighters were positioned around LA in high-priority areas ready to stop any flames. The number of firetrucks and fighters will be a topic of discussion once everything is calmed, but fire chiefs across LA are saying their old playbooks and resources are not well-suited to face 80mph winds. Once the fire was ignited and picked up by the winds, there was almost no stopping it. It looks as though natural disasters played an equal role in LA’s lack of resources.
Supreme Court skeptical of ban on TikTok | Scotus Blog
- TikTok is lying on its death bed hoping that the Supreme Court & Trump will resuscitate it. Congress in 2020 passed a bill requiring TikTok to be sold from ByteDance (Chinese-owned) to an American company, citing national security concerns. The deadline for this bill is 8 days away the only thing able to stop TikTok from either shutting down or being sold is the Supreme Court which has the power to strike down the bill or provide an injunction that will allow Trump and his administration to weigh in on the issue and possibly assist in a sale. Current Supreme Court hearings have the justices leaning towards doing nothing or possibly siding with Trump to allow for a pause. With the court’s recent tenderness towards Trump, it’s easy to see it going against norms and providing an injunction so Trump can exert his will.
- The Republican cuts begin, targeting programs and policies that affect poorer disadvantaged Americans the most. In their vision to cut $2.5T from the national budget, Republicans are eyeing programs that will affect you and me. From medical policy that allows pre-existing conditions to be covered to programs that provide food to the hungry. At a time where nationally we’re facing a breakdown of services for the needy, these cuts may be the cherry on top that leads to further societal breakdown.
- Israel capitalizing on Syria’s regime change has taken military control of the Israel-Syria border, which beforehand was monitored by UN Peace Keepers in accordance with a treaty after their last war. While Israel cites security concerns as their primary reason for expanding their military presence, they are currently impeding on multiple Syrian villages causing disruptions and general occupation that may give rise to heightened tensions.
- America loves touting international relations and justice until that justice goes against its wishes. Congress is preparing to pass a bill that has the possibility to all but destroy the International Criminal Court by sanctioning all members, even those who assist in cases against US allies. The core of the bill is in response to the ICC opening an investigation against Israel’s prime minister for genocide, which the court believes it has sufficient evidence for. Whether the court and its past impact is a net positive on the world is beyond my current knowledge, America’s swiftness to undermine it shows where our true intentions lay.