On Thursday, Vice President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Vance</a> formally announced that he would resign from his seat in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a>, effective at midnight.
The Ohio Republican declared his intention to step down in a brief <a href="https://www.vance.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/JDV-Resignation-Letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> sent to his state&#8217;s GOP governor, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-dewine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike DeWine</a>, less than two weeks before Vance joins President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> in the White House. Inauguration Day is on January 20.
&#8220;To the people of Ohio, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of representing you in the United States Senate,&#8221; Vance said in a statement. &#8220;When I was elected to this office, I promised to never forget where I came from, and I’ve made sure to live by that promise every single day.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;The American people have granted President Trump an undeniable mandate to put America first, both at home and abroad. Over the next four years, I will do all that I can to help President Trump enact his agenda. Together, we will make America stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before.&#8221;
Vance <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/j-d-vance-wins-ohio-senate-seat-over-democrat-tim-ryan-projection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> his Senate seat in Ohio during the 2022 election, defeating his Democrat opponent, Tim Ryan. His term was for six years. DeWine is expected to <a href="https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2024/11/07/ohio-senate-jd-vance-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appoint</a> a successor who will hold the seat temporarily, possibly as early <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1877481781441470872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as Monday</a>. A special election in 2026 will determine who will serve out the last part of the term.
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Cleveland.com <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/01/jd-vance-to-resign-senate-seat-at-midnight-to-become-trumps-vice-president-dewine-to-pick-his-successor.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that there is speculation that DeWine could pick his lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, after they visited Trump&#8217;s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last month. Other possibilities are: former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH).
Before announcing his Senate exit, Vance cast one last <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-breaks-filibuster-on-laken-riley-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vote</a> on Thursday to break the filibuster on the “Laken Riley Act,” legislation that would require federal officials to arrest illegal immigrants who are charged with theft-related crimes in the United States.
Other lawmakers are poised to make the jump from Congress to the second Trump administration. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-officially-taps-rubio-for-secretary-of-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nominated</a> to become secretary of state. Trump also tapped some members of the House, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to be his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-taps-mike-waltz-as-national-security-advisor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national security adviser</a> and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-offers-elise-stefanik-u-n-ambassadorship">serve</a> as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Vice President-elect JD Vance

Vice President-Elect JD Vance Submits Resignation From Senate

Congress

Donald Trump

Inauguration

JD Vance

Mike DeWine

Ohio

Politics

U.S. Senate

The GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> advanced on Thursday the &#8220;Laken Riley Act,&#8221; legislation that would require federal officials to arrest illegal immigrants who are charged with theft-related crimes in the United States.
A bipartisan group of 84 members voted to <a href="https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/filibusters-cloture.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invoke cloture</a>, surpassing the 60-vote threshold to end a filibuster and open debate on the bill, which is <a href="https://x.com/RepMikeCollins/status/1877449367398826420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to get a final vote on passage as early as next week.
The legislation was named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed last year. An illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Jose Ibarra, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of murdering Riley and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley-immigrant-d8d75ccc6d81e7a88eb7890829d9fc9c#:~:text=The%20killing%20added%20fuel%20to,entered%20the%20U.S.%20in%202022.&amp;text=The%20Venezuelan%20man%20convicted%20in,without%20the%20possibility%20of%20parole." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to life in prison.
A press release from Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), who <a href="https://collins.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mike-collins-reintroduces-laken-riley-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced</a> the Laken Riley Act for the new session of Congress, said that the bill &#8220;directly addresses one of the federal policy failures&#8221; related to Riley’s murder.
Ibarra &#8220;is an illegal alien who had been previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department,&#8221; it said. &#8220;If local law enforcement had called ICE, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken would be alive.&#8221;
A summary of the bill says it would require &#8220;the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.&#8221;
The legislation would also authorize &#8220;states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement,&#8221; the summary — which appears on the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/29?s=1&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Laken+Riley+Act%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress.gov website</a> — also notes.
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In March of last year, the House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-led-house-passes-laken-riley-act-170-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the Lake Riley Act, but the Senate — then under control of the Democrats — <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7511/all-actions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not take it up</a> for a vote. The House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-laken-riley-act-159-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed it again</a> — with more Democrat votes — earlier this week.
NBC News reporter Sahil Kapur <a href="https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/1877408124920815805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X that Democrats are open to the bill as their party is &#8220;recalibrating on immigration, after getting pummeled on the issue in recent years,&#8221; including in the 2024 election.
Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA), a co-sponsor of the Laken Riley Act, <a href="https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1876830970458108032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a Fox News interview that if Democrats could not come up with at least seven votes to break a filibuster, &#8220;that&#8217;s a reason why we lost.&#8221;
In fact, a majority of Democrats did vote for cloture, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Fetterman. Just <a href="https://x.com/america/status/1877460694242562154" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine members</a> — eight Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) — opposed moving forward.
Some Democrats want amendments, including for the sections on <a href="https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/1877409398676496526" target="_blank" rel="noopener">theft</a> and <a href="https://x.com/burgessev/status/1877324153625133254" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state lawsuits</a>, as well as how it deals with &#8220;Dreamers,&#8221; but Punchbowl News&#8217; Andrew Desiderio <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1877420278076059751" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Republicans are &#8220;likely to shut this down.&#8221;

The US Capitol

Senate Breaks Filibuster On Laken Riley Act

Illegal Immigration

John Fetterman

Laken Riley

On Thursday, the Republican-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> again passed legislation threatening to impose sanctions on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/international-criminal-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Criminal Court</a> (ICC) after the organization issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders last year.
Forty-five Democrats <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/20257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> 198 Republicans in voting for the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act. The bill once more heads to the Senate; with the GOP in control, the legislation may actually succeed.
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/23/text?s=1&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Illegitimate+Court+Counteraction+Act%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> would &#8220;impose sanctions with respect to the International Criminal Court engaged in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.&#8221;
Penalties listed in the bill would have the president implement restrictions on transactions of property and interests within the U.S., as well as visas, admission, or parole for anyone linked to offending ICC actions.
Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Brian Mast (R-FL) first <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-roy-and-mast-demand-sanctions-icc-officials-going-after-us-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> the sanctions bill last May, citing reports indicating the ICC was prepared to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials in response to the war in the Gaza Strip.
The ICC later did <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/icc-blasted-over-arrest-warrants-for-netanyahu-gallant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issue</a> arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant — as well as Hamas terror group officials — a move that got bipartisan criticism in the U.S.
Roy and Mast, who is now chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-roy-chairman-mast-reintroduce-bill-protect-israel-illegitimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> earlier this week that the House rules package for the nascent 119th Congress set the stage for their legislation to get another vote.
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&#8220;The House will not tolerate rogue actors who circumvent international law to attack Israel and threaten America. We won’t do it,&#8221; House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://x.com/Edgar_A_Barrios/status/1876657254218465309" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a press briefing on Capitol Hill this week.
Johnson also noted he expects the Senate, now led by Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), to vote on the bill. The Democrat-led Senate in the last Congress <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8282/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not vote</a> on the legislation as President Joe Biden <a href="https://x.com/nicholaswu12/status/1797727903175807367" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposed</a> it.
Roy <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-roy-chairman-mast-reintroduce-bill-protect-israel-illegitimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he has &#8220;full confidence&#8221; President-elect Donald Trump &#8220;will stand for Israel with the strength and moral clarity that Biden has sorely lacked,&#8221; adding the bill ensures the ICC won&#8217;t get a &#8220;free pass&#8221; to attack U.S. allies.
The House vote on Thursday was the second in this Congress in which a bipartisan group of lawmakers passed a bill. On Tuesday, 48 Democrats and 216 Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-laken-riley-act-159-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> the &#8220;Laken Riley Act&#8221; to the Senate.

Rep. Chip Roy

House Again Passes ICC Sanctions Legislation

Chip Roy

International Criminal Court

Israel

Sanctions

U.S. House of Representatives

This week, a pair of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> proposed bills that could bring to life President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s suggestions for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-announces-u-s-to-change-name-of-the-gulf-of-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renaming</a> the Gulf of Mexico the &#8220;Gulf of America&#8221; — at least on maps and documents within the United States — and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-former-trump-official-explains-why-trump-may-take-panama-canal-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking back</a> the Panama Canal.
Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marjorie-taylor-greene" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a> (R-GA) announced on Tuesday that she directed her staff to draft a bill to make the &#8220;Gulf of America&#8221; rebranding happen as soon as Trump brought up the idea.
If the legislation is enacted, any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Gulf of Mexico shall be deemed to be a reference to the &#8220;Gulf of America.&#8221;
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🚨 READ MY STATEMENT &amp; BILL TEXT 🚨
Mexican cartels currently use the Gulf of Mexico to traffic humans, drugs, weapons, and God knows what else while the Mexican government allows them to do it.
The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the maritime… <a href="https://t.co/m0Nh3a6vuq">pic.twitter.com/m0Nh3a6vuq</a>
&mdash; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1876756973644837111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And the commerce secretary, acting through the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, would oversee the implementation of changing the names in each federal document and map — an overhaul that would be completed in 180 days.
&#8220;It’s our gulf. The rightful name is the Gulf of America and it’s what the entire world should refer to it as,&#8221; Greene <a href="https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1876756973644837111" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X, adding later, &#8220;We already have the bill written with legislative council and ready to file first thing Thursday morning. Congress has to take the Trump Agenda mandate seriously and that means acting fast to enact it.&#8221;
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Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) is going to introduce a bill to authorize the president, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to enter into negotiations for the acquisition of the Panama Canal from the Republic of Panama for the &#8220;symbolic&#8221; amount of $1. The bill, according to a screenshot <a href="https://x.com/cami_mondeaux/status/1877058216032379180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to X by The Washington Examiner&#8217;s Cami Mondeax, also calls for a report to Congress detailing progress on the talks, potential challenges, and anticipated outcomes in 180 days.
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Here’s bill text from <a href="https://twitter.com/DustyJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DustyJohnson</a> to “authorize the President to enter into negotiations for the reacquisition of the Panama Canal from the Republic of Panama for the symbolic amount of $1.” <a href="https://t.co/k9nRSmrE7l">pic.twitter.com/k9nRSmrE7l</a>
&mdash; Cami Mondeaux (@cami_mondeaux) <a href="https://twitter.com/cami_mondeaux/status/1877058216032379180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;President Trump is right to consider repurchasing the Panama Canal. China’s interest in and presence around the canal is a cause for concern,&#8221; Johnson said in a statement <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5074775-republican-bill-panama-canal-trump-purchase/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by The Hill. &#8220;America must project strength abroad — owning and operating the Panama Canal might be an important step towards a stronger America and a more secure globe.&#8221;

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump

Republicans Offer Bills To Realize Trump’s Ideas For ‘Gulf Of America’ And Taking Back Panama Canal

Gulf of Mexico

House Republicans

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Panama Canal

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> voiced uncertainty when asked whether he believed he could serve another four-year term in the White House if he did not drop out of the 2024 race.
On Wednesday, USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/01/08/joe-biden-interview-transcript/77490912007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> a transcript of an interview that its Washington Bureau chief, Susan Page, conducted with the 82-year-old Biden over the weekend.  &#8220;Do you think you would&#8217;ve had the vigor to serve another four years in office?&#8221; Page asked.
Biden hearkened back to his winning 2020 campaign, making references to his old boss — former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/barack-obama" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barack Obama</a> — and his son, Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015. He also mentioned President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>, who won the 2024 contest.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know,&#8221; the president said in his response. &#8220;That&#8217;s why I thought when I first announced, talking to Barack about it, I said I thought I was the person. I had no intention of running after Beau died – for real, not a joke. And then when Trump was running again for reelection, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;But I also wasn&#8217;t looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old. And so I did talk about passing the baton. But I don&#8217;t know. Who the hell knows? So far, so good. But who knows what I&#8217;m going to be when I&#8217;m 86 years old?&#8221;
Earlier, Page pressed Biden on whether he believed he could have defeated Trump, who he did beat in 2020. &#8220;Do you believe you could have won in November?&#8221; Page asked.
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&#8220;It&#8217;s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes, based on the polling that&#8230;,&#8221; Biden said.
Although Biden initially embarked on a re-election campaign, Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> ended up replacing him as the Democrats&#8217; nominee after the president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-drops-out-of-presidential-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped out</a> in July following a fumbling debate performance against Trump that led members of his own party to push him aside amid concerns about his age and mental acuity.
As for polling, Jon Favreau, a former Obama aide and host of the &#8220;Pod Save America&#8221; podcast, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4981792-pod-save-america-bidens-internal-polling-showed-trump-winning-400-electoral-votes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Biden&#8217;s internal numbers showed that Trump was going to win &#8220;400 electoral votes&#8221; in a rematch. A source close to Biden <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/politics/pod-save-america-host-says-bidens-internal-polling-showed-trump-winning-400-electoral-votes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disputed</a> that claim to Mediaite. The RealClearPolitics average of public polls <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2024/trump-vs-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> Trump had a 3-point advantage.

President Joe Biden

‘Who The Hell Knows?’: Biden Gets Asked If He Would Have The ‘Vigor’ To Serve Another Term

2024 Election

Joe Biden

Kamala Harris

U.S.

People ditched their cars on the road and kept moving on foot as they escaped the wind-fueled <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/los-angeles-area-neighborhood-goes-up-in-flames-as-wind-driven-blaze-rages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wildfire</a> in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday that engulfed the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a> neighborhood and prompted officials to order thousands of residents to evacuate, making for apocalyptic scenes in images shown on news reports and across social media.
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/pacific-coast-highway-shut-down-drivers-told-to-flee-their-cars-as-palisades-fire-jumps-in-size/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that authorities told drivers to leave their cars behind as Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) was shut down in the Malibu area. The news outlet also noted that all lanes of Topanga Canyon Boulevard were closed as the wildfire grew in size and, on part of Sunset Boulevard, drivers were told to leave their cars and move on foot as the blaze approached.
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The Palisades Fire moved in so quickly, evacuees panicked. Every car represents someone or a family that, in fear, abandoned their cars, and fled on foot. The wind could reach 100 mph tonight. <a href="https://t.co/z0weB3WS2d">pic.twitter.com/z0weB3WS2d</a>
— Jonathan Vigliotti 🐋 (@JonVigliotti) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonVigliotti/status/1876800633505763674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The fire came right down to the road and the fire department came up and said get out of your cars now — because the fire was right up against the cars,&#8221; said Marsha Horowitz, who was driving down Sunset Boulevard at the time, according to the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/pacific-coast-highway-shut-down-drivers-told-to-flee-their-cars-as-palisades-fire-jumps-in-size/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CBS News. &#8220;There were three lanes of cars, and the fire was right down and there was nothing to stop it.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Fire crews are using a bulldozer to move abandoned cars to make way for firefighters fighting the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PalisadesFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PalisadesFire</a><a href="https://t.co/IOu5ZtSubn">pic.twitter.com/IOu5ZtSubn</a>
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/1876767802645741973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Fox 11 Los Angeles <a href="https://x.com/FOXLA/status/1876778574079983787" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that fire crews used a bulldozer to move cars out of the way so that they could respond to the wildfire. A <a href="https://x.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/1876767802645741973" target="_blank" rel="noopener">segment</a> from KLTA, which was posted to X, showed a large red bulldozer shoving multiple vehicles as a reporter on the scene explained that drivers &#8220;panicked&#8221; and took their keys as they left their cars behind for as far as he could see.
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&#8220;I have friends up there that can&#8217;t get out&#8221;: Actor Steve Guttenberg urges those living in the Pacific Palisades area to evacuate. He advises people leaving vehicles behind to leave their keys inside so they can be moved. 
More: <a href="https://t.co/G7qJkk06mI">https://t.co/G7qJkk06mI</a> 
NewsNation affiliate <a href="https://twitter.com/KTLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KTLA</a> <a href="https://t.co/rLxfPCNewH">pic.twitter.com/rLxfPCNewH</a>
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewsNation/status/1876763870531854777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Police Academy&#8221; actor Steve Guttenberg, a local, <a href="https://ktla.com/entertainment/actor-steve-guttenberg-helping-fire-crews-by-moving-cars-near-pacific-palisades-brush-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> KTLA that he was moving abandoned cars on Palisades Drive to help people who got stuck in the gridlock. &#8220;What’s happening is people take their keys with them as if they’re in a parking lot. This is not a parking lot. We really need people to move their cars,&#8221; Guttenberg said. &#8220;If you leave your car behind, leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there.&#8221;

Los Angeles-Area Fires Erupt As Dangerous Wind Storm Begins

People Abandon Cars As They Flee Palisades Fire In Southern California

California

Cars

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County

Natural Disaster

Wildfires

Hours after CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced changes he says are designed to maximize free speech, Facebook quietly revamped its &#8220;hateful conduct&#8221; policies on Tuesday.
While Meta&#8217;s decision <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/meta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to</a> end its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zuckerberg-says-meta-restoring-free-speech-will-get-rid-of-fact-checkers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact-checking program received much attention on Tuesday</a>, the social media company also quietly removed multiple references to fighting &#8220;hate speech&#8221; on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads from its &#8220;hateful conduct&#8221; <a href="https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/hateful-conduct/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">webpage</a>.
The site displays changes made to its policies, with reams of text struck through with red lines to show removed text and green highlighted text to denote added words. Sentences that once talked about cracking down on &#8220;hate speech&#8221; were revised to address combating a more general &#8220;hateful conduct&#8221; directed against people.
The changes largely eliminate specific violations, replacing them with broader descriptions of what will be considered harmful conduct. Meta no longer says it would remove &#8220;statements of inferiority, expressions of contempt or disgust; cursing; and calls for exclusion or segregation,&#8221; but it will nix &#8220;dehumanizing speech,&#8221; &#8220;harmful stereotypes,&#8221; and &#8220;allegations of serious immorality or criminality, and slurs.&#8221; Meta will continue to remove content about &#8220;Animals in general or specific types of animals that are culturally perceived as inferior (including but not limited to: Black people and apes or ape-like creatures; Jewish people and rats; Muslim people and pigs; Mexican people and worms).&#8221; Meta added it will continue to remove &#8220;calls for exclusion or segregation when targeting people based on protected characteristics.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-854897 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-7.29.11%E2%80%AFPM-705x576.png" alt="" width="705" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-7.29.11%E2%80%AFPM-705x576.png 705w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-7.29.11%E2%80%AFPM-300x245.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-7.29.11%E2%80%AFPM-768x628.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-7.29.11%E2%80%AFPM.png 935w" sizes="(max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px" /></div>
The changes came hours after a video on Tuesday in which Zuckerberg said that his company would no longer work with independent fact-checkers, end restrictions on topics like gender and immigration, and scale back filters that censored people for innocuous posts, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zuckerberg-says-meta-restoring-free-speech-will-get-rid-of-fact-checkers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Meta in the updated policy said it recognizes that people sometimes share content that contains &#8220;slurs or someone else’s hate speech&#8221; to condemn such commentary or seek to use them &#8220;self-referentially or in an empowering way,&#8221; but will not axe the posts if the speaker&#8217;s intention is &#8220;clear.&#8221;
Some lines were erased but were placed elsewhere. Occasionally, sections were rewritten in different parlance. At the bottom, a note was added saying European Union users can submit legal removal requests for suspected violations of hate speech laws within their countries.
Completely gone is a section rejecting content targeting people &#8220;on the basis of their protected characteristic(s) with claims that they have or spread the novel coronavirus, are responsible for the existence of the novel coronavirus, are deliberately spreading the novel coronavirus.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-854895 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-5.07.10-PM-1024x276.png" alt="" width="1024" height="276" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-5.07.10-PM-1024x276.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-5.07.10-PM-300x81.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-5.07.10-PM-768x207.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-07-at-5.07.10-PM.png 1178w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Meta offers graphs that show how prevalent &#8220;hate speech violations&#8221; have been on Facebook and Instagram. Over the past couple of years, it&#8217;s estimated that less than .1% of views showed &#8220;violating content,&#8221; while the number of content &#8220;actioned&#8221; numbered in the millions.
The recent presidential election that brought a red wave to Washington seemed like a “cultural tipping point,&#8221; Zuckerberg said in the video. He pledged to simplify policies governing content.
&#8220;We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,&#8221; Zuckerberg said.

Meta – Mark Zuckerberg – Photo Illustration

Facebook Conducts ‘Hateful Conduct’ Policy Rewrite After Anti-Censorship Pledge

Free Speech

Social Media

Technology

Thousands of residents have been told to evacuate as a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wildfires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wildfire</a> fueled by a powerful windstorm raged in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a>-area neighborhood in Southern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> on Monday.
KTLA <a href="https://x.com/KTLA/status/1876736179162247669" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that all of Pacific Palisades was under an evacuation order due to the &#8220;wind-driven&#8221; blaze that had burned through hundreds of acres by the afternoon.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: All of Pacific Palisades is currently under an evacuation order due to the fast-moving, wind-driven <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PalisadesFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PalisadesFire</a> which has burned more than 200 acres. Evacuees are being urged to travel south toward Pacific Coast Highway. The latest: <a href="https://t.co/SLLsFbvAaj">https://t.co/SLLsFbvAaj</a> <a href="https://t.co/EQaEKw0q29">pic.twitter.com/EQaEKw0q29</a>
&mdash; KTLA (@KTLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KTLA/status/1876736179162247669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Evacuees were urged to travel south toward the Pacific Coast Highway using Palisades Drive and Sunset Boulevard, the local television station said in a <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/20-acre-wildfire-erupts-in-pacific-palisades-amid-severe-winds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news article</a>.
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A friend who lives in Pacific Palisades sent me these horrific videos of the fire. 
He just evacuated and said traffic was so bad people abandoned their cars. <a href="https://t.co/mbOjz8QAf9">pic.twitter.com/mbOjz8QAf9</a>
&mdash; Jon Michael Raasch (@JMRaasch) <a href="https://twitter.com/JMRaasch/status/1876758050511454272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Listen to local authorities, if told to leave, Don&#8217;t Wait, Evacuate,&#8221; the California Governor&#8217;s Office of Emergency Services <a href="https://x.com/Cal_OES/status/1876759188853928371" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in a post to X on Tuesday.
In a post to X, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection <a href="https://x.com/CAL_FIRE/status/1876719619072991581" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> people to be prepared to move and report suspicious activity to help prevent arson.
Los Angeles Magazine <a href="https://x.com/LAmag/status/1876723860852392248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> more than 100 firefighters and been deployed to fight the blaze, but as shown in videos posted to social media, homes were being <a href="https://x.com/MattSeedorff/status/1876734882811953321" target="_blank" rel="noopener">engulfed</a> in flames.
Actor James Woods shared clips from his home in the area. In one video, he spoke about evacuating as planes dropped water. &#8220;S***!&#8221; he said, as flames could be seen erupting.
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Leaving <a href="https://t.co/yJDQ8xIhbI">pic.twitter.com/yJDQ8xIhbI</a>
&mdash; James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1876717022375215161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Forecasters <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/national-weather-service-warns-of-life-threatening-windstorm-in-southern-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> on Monday that a &#8220;life-threatening&#8221; and destructive&#8221; windstorm could stir up <a href="https://x.com/ReadyLACounty/status/1876346129115468226" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fast-moving wildfires</a> due to dry conditions in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
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&#8220;Extremely Critical fire-weather conditions&#8221; are expected through Wednesday, the <a href="https://x.com/NWSSPC/status/1876751674410160586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Weather Service</a> (NWS) said, and the outlook predicted Santa Ana winds would intensify.
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Extremely Critical fire-weather conditions are expected across parts of Southern California, Tomorrow Jan 8th. Santa Ana winds are ongoing and expected to intensify through Thursday. For specific information see your local NWS office or <a href="https://t.co/QMmU4tBZDt">https://t.co/QMmU4tBZDt</a> for more info. <a href="https://t.co/O2960J3EXH">pic.twitter.com/O2960J3EXH</a>
&mdash; NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSPC/status/1876751674410160586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Santa Ana winds are &#8220;[h]igh-speed and dangerous winds that periodically kick up and blow from the mountains to the coast in Southern California,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/what-are-santa-ana-winds-2/343027#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AccuWeather</a>.
The Los Angeles office for NWS previously <a href="https://x.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1876354438966956073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> gusts of 50 to 80 miles per hour (mph) were <a href="https://x.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1876392297350492294" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible</a>, and isolated gusts of 80 to 100 mph across the mountains and foothills.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/NOAA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NOAA</a>&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOES18?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GOES18</a>🛰️ is closely tracking the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PalisadesFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PalisadesFire</a> as it explosively grows northwest of Los Angeles this afternoon. A particularly dangerous situation <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RedFlagWarning?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RedFlagWarning</a> is in effect for the region. Latest: <a href="https://t.co/mooP0SuiV5">https://t.co/mooP0SuiV5</a> <a href="https://t.co/k4G2Iw5Z0t">pic.twitter.com/k4G2Iw5Z0t</a>
&mdash; NOAA Satellites &#8211; Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NOAASatellitePA/status/1876752009996435937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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President Joe Biden had been scheduled to visit nearby Coachella Valley to announce the creation of two national monuments in California, but had to change plans.
&#8220;Due to weather issues, the President will not travel to Thermal, CA. The previously scheduled remarks will be delivered in Los Angeles, CA,&#8221; the White House <a href="https://x.com/dannyctkemp/status/1876716658082898057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly said</a>.

Powerful Winds Fuel Multiple Fires Across Los Angeles Area

Los Angeles-Area Neighborhood Goes Up In Flames As ‘Wind-Driven’ Blaze Rages

James Woods

Severe Weather

Weather

On Tuesday, the GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> of Representatives once again passed the &#8220;Laken Riley Act,&#8221; a bill that would require federal officials to arrest illegal immigrants who have been charged with theft-related crimes in the United States.
Forty-eight Democrats <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/20256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> with 216 Republicans in voting for the bill, which had previously been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-led-house-passes-laken-riley-act-170-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> by the lower chamber in March of last year. This time around, 159 Democrats opposed it, compared to 170 in the earlier vote.
These &#8220;no&#8221; votes showed that some Democrats &#8220;ignored&#8221; voters who &#8220;demanded secure borders, the deportation of violent illegal aliens, and laws that put the safety and security of the American people first,&#8221; said Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA).
The legislation was named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed last year. A 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Jose Ibarra, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of murdering Riley and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley-immigrant-d8d75ccc6d81e7a88eb7890829d9fc9c#:~:text=The%20killing%20added%20fuel%20to,entered%20the%20U.S.%20in%202022.&amp;text=The%20Venezuelan%20man%20convicted%20in,without%20the%20possibility%20of%20parole." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to life in prison.
In addition to directing the secretary of Homeland Security to detain aliens charged in the U.S. with theft crimes, the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/29/text?s=1&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Laken+Riley+Act%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> would allow states to sue federal officials for &#8220;injunctive relief&#8221; if certain immigration actions or policies harm their citizens.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/us-house-of-representatives/house-session-part-1/654076" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> during a debate on Tuesday that lawmakers were trying to &#8220;score cheap political points off of a tragic death&#8221; with a bill that &#8220;unfairly sweeps up many more innocent lives with no due process.&#8221;
A press release from Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), who last week <a href="https://collins.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mike-collins-reintroduces-laken-riley-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced</a> the Laken Riley Act for the new session of Congress, said that the bill &#8220;directly addresses one of the federal policy failures&#8221; related to Riley’s murder.
Ibarra &#8220;is an illegal alien who had been previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department,&#8221; it said. &#8220;If local law enforcement had called ICE, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken would be alive.&#8221;
The Senate <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7511/all-actions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not take up</a> the Laken Riley Act for a vote when it was in control of the Democrats. Now, with Republicans back in command, a Senate version has been reintroduced. Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) is even a co-sponsor.
&#8220;Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence,&#8221; Fetterman <a href="https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senators-katie-britt-ted-budd-john-thune-john-fetterman-colleagues-introduce-laken-riley-act-in-119th-congress/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CLaken%20Riley's%20story%20is%20a,what%20makes%20our%20country%20great." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.

U.S. Capitol Building

House Again Passes Laken Riley Act; 159 Dems Vote Against It

Border Crisis

A federal judge in Florida has temporarily blocked the expected release of special counsel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jack-smith">Jack Smith</a>&#8216;s final report, a victory for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> and his allies in the final weeks before the president-elect starts his second White House term.
Smith&#8217;s report must remain undisclosed while the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals considers a challenge from two of Trump&#8217;s former co-defendants in the classified documents case, District Court Judge Aileen Cannon <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25480420-cannon-injunction-final-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in an order on Tuesday.
Lawyers for the defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, had <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25479596-nauta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> a hearing on an emergency motion to argue against the release of certain materials while contending an &#8220;unchecked release&#8221; would result in &#8220;prejudice&#8221; against them.
&#8220;Defendants are strictly precluded from refuting the Report,&#8221; their filing on Monday warned. &#8220;The Final Report is meant to serve as a Government verdict against the Defendants contrary to all criminal justice norms and constitutional guideposts.&#8221;
Cannon, a Trump appointee, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-dismisses-trump-classified-documents-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/appeals-court-agrees-dismiss-trumps-classified-documents-case-rcna181942" target="_blank" rel="noopener">classified documents</a> case last summer. Smith appealed the decision but dropped the challenge after Trump won the 2024 election. However, the appeal with regard to Nauta and De Oliveira remains active.
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The defendants&#8217; <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25479596-nauta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a> included a letter from Trump&#8217;s attorneys to Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> requesting he not go along with Smith&#8217;s bid &#8220;to disseminate an extrajudicial &#8216;Final Report&#8217; to perpetuate his false and discredited accusations.&#8221;
Smith, who is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/us/politics/jack-smith-special-counsel.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> stepping down from the Department of Justice before Trump is inaugurated on January 20, had responded to Nauta and De Oliveira&#8217;s motion by confirming a two-volume &#8220;confidential report&#8221; was being finalized.
The filing from the special counsel <a href="https://x.com/kyledcheney/status/1876599874193604836" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that one of the volumes pertains to the documents case, and it would not be sent to Garland before 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Smith also said Garland would not release the volume to the public, if at all, before Friday.
POLITICO&#8217;s Kyle Cheney <a href="https://x.com/kyledcheney/status/1876632535515689105" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> earlier on Tuesday that Trump &#8220;is preparing to formally intervene in the effort to block Jack Smith’s report, his codefendants say. And they’re asking the 11th circuit to send the case back to Cannon so she can rule on it.&#8221;
The second volume may deal with Smith&#8217;s abandoned <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/special-counsel-jack-smith-moves-dismiss-election-interference/story?id=116207758" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 election subversion</a> case in Washington, D.C. District Judge Tanya Chutkan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-chutkan-dismisses-federal-election-charges-against-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> the charges against Trump after the special counsel filed to drop the matter following the 2024 election.

Special Counsel Jack Smith

Judge Blocks Release Of Jack Smith’s Final Report

Courts

Department of Justice

Jack Smith

Merrick Garland

A dangerous windstorm is expected to blow through Ventura and Los Angeles Counties in Southern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> this week, according to forecasters.
&#8220;HEADS UP!!!&#8221; the National Weather Service (NWS) Los Angeles said in all capital letters with a post to X on Monday <a href="https://x.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1876343016526598292" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warning</a> of the potential tempest.
&#8220;A LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm is expected [Tuesday] afternoon-[Wednesday] morning across much of Ventura/LA Co,&#8221; it added.
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Here are potential impacts for the upcoming strong winds Tuesday through Wednesday. Here&#39;s what you can do to prepare to help minimize impacts! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CAwx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoCal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoCal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LAwind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LAwind</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LosAngeles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LosAngeles</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VenturaCounty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VenturaCounty</a> <a href="https://t.co/CIHdZo3AC5">pic.twitter.com/CIHdZo3AC5</a>
&mdash; NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1876408016930803836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Areas that are not &#8220;typically windy will be impacted,&#8221; NWS Los Angeles said, advising people to &#8220;stay indoors, away from windows&#8221; and to anticipate power outages.
Locations of &#8220;greatest concern&#8221; in which people were urged to take &#8220;immediate action&#8221; included Simi Valley, San Fernando, Burbank, Pasadena, Santa Monica.
One account on X asked what the difference is between a typical Santa Ana winds event and the extreme weather that was in the forecast.
Santa Ana winds are &#8220;[h]igh-speed and dangerous winds that periodically kick up and blow from the mountains to the coast in Southern California,&#8221; per <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/what-are-santa-ana-winds-2/343027#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AccuWeather</a>.
&#8220;The wind direction of this event is more from the N-NE rather than typical NE-E Santa Ana&#8217;s,&#8221; NWS Los Angeles said in <a href="https://x.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1876356700325978155" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reply</a> to the question.
&#8220;This means the strongest wind corridors shift more east &amp; focus over more of LA Co. than is typical (including San Gabriel foothills) rather than the Ventura Coast,&#8221; it added.
Possible impacts include downed trees, <a href="https://x.com/ReadyLACounty/status/1876346129115468226" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fast-moving wildfires</a> due to dry conditions, &#8220;knocked over&#8221; big rigs and motorhomes, airport delays, and dangerous sea conditions.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) <a href="https://x.com/LADOTofficial/status/1876395879730393095" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a weather advisory for what it said was an expected &#8220;severe wind storm&#8221; to impact parts of Los Angeles.
&#8220;Traveling may be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Remain in lower levels of your home and away from windows. Use caution if you must drive,&#8221; it said.
&#8220;Report downed trees to 311 and downed power lines to 911,&#8221; LADOT added. &#8220;Sign up for emergency alerts at NotifyLA.org.&#8221;
Los Angeles <a href="https://lafd.org/news/red-flag-parking-restrictions-effect-800am-7-january-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> a &#8220;Red Flag Alert&#8221; with parking restrictions lasting at least 24 hours, starting at 8 a.m. local time on Tuesday, the city&#8217;s fire department said.
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Here&#39;s a little more details on the upcoming wind event. The strongest wind areas of LA and Ventura Counties will see widespread N-NE wind gusts of 50-80 mph, with isolated gusts up to 80-100 mph in the mountains and foothills. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoCal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoCal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CAwx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LAwind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LAwind</a> <a href="https://t.co/swzlRX2G99">pic.twitter.com/swzlRX2G99</a>
&mdash; NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1876392297350492294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In other posts, NWS Los Angeles <a href="https://x.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1876354438966956073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> gusts of 50 to 80 miles per hour (mph) were <a href="https://x.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1876392297350492294" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible</a>, and isolated gusts of 80 to 100 mph across the mountains and foothills.
The coming windstorm may be the &#8220;strongest event&#8221; since one in 2011 in which Pasadena was &#8220;specifically hit hard,&#8221; NWS Los Angeles <a href="https://x.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1876396608814014654" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, and likely more widespread.

LA Area Hit With Powerful Santa Ana Winds in 2011

National Weather Service Warns Of ‘Life-Threatening’ Windstorm In Southern California

National Weather Service

With Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> presiding, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress</a> certified President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> and Vice President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Vance</a>&#8216;s victory in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2024-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 election</a> on Monday.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> received the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/electoral-college" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electoral College</a> votes in less than an hour with the reading of certificates from the states and D.C. The GOP ticket won 312 of them.
&#8220;CONGRESS CERTIFIES OUR GREAT ELECTION VICTORY TODAY — A BIG MOMENT IN HISTORY. MAGA!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113781668884628397" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclaimed</a> in a post to Truth Social.
Harris, who lost the presidential election, <a href="https://x.com/rcpvideo/status/1876289653780676679" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watched</a> over the proceedings as president of the Senate. It was Harris who ultimately declared the final tally and the winners.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> Kamala Harris: &quot;This announcement of the state of the vote by the President of the Senate shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons elected president and vice president of the United States, each for a term beginning on the 20th day of January 2025.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ePBAZ9i08q">pic.twitter.com/ePBAZ9i08q</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876339014393110595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This announcement of the state of the vote by the President of the Senate shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons elected president and vice president,&#8221; she said.
Members of Congress made their way to the U.S. Capitol despite a storm that dropped several inches of snow, causing closures throughout the D.C. region.
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Boxes containing Electoral College Certificates on their way to the U.S. House Chamber. <a href="https://t.co/oVAnMGasdt">pic.twitter.com/oVAnMGasdt</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876328317764190398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/with-snow-blast-imminent-speaker-johnson-says-we-cannot-delay-certification-of-trumps-victory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; interview on Fox News that lawmakers would be &#8220;making sure&#8221; to get the job done.
&#8220;President Trump had a mandate — a landslide, you know — so many electoral votes and we get to count them all. We cannot delay that certification,&#8221; he said.
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There were increased <a href="https://x.com/mkraju/status/1876287299773690158" target="_blank" rel="noopener">security measures</a>, including <a href="https://x.com/CraigCaplan/status/1876289563636945303" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more barriers</a> and law enforcement, after the Capitol riot briefly disrupted the count four years ago.
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Extra security including law enforcement from outside DC on Capitol Hill today for the Joint Session of Congress to count electoral votes in the House chamber. <a href="https://t.co/6viMeop4lZ">pic.twitter.com/6viMeop4lZ</a>
&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1876289563636945303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Unlike in 2020, no lawmakers objected to any of the state&#8217;s election results. Some Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leading-dems-wont-confirm-if-theyll-certify-trump-victory-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had previously been dodgy</a> on whether they would oppose certification.
An <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/23/politics/congress-legislation-january-6-capitol-attack/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overhaul</a> of the Electoral College Act in 2022 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-democrats-unveil-plan-to-change-electoral-count-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made it harder</a> for lawmakers to raise objections and established that the vice president could not settle these disputes.
Trump, who served his first term from 2016 to 2020, is scheduled to begin his second administration in two weeks with Inauguration Day on January 20.
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Sen. JD Vance following Maine electoral results being read. <a href="https://t.co/NwhuU3KfSI">pic.twitter.com/NwhuU3KfSI</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876333990942056700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vance</a> (R-OH) is slated to become vice president. Ohio GOP Governor Mike DeWine will <a href="https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2024/11/07/ohio-senate-jd-vance-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appoint</a> Vance&#8217;s Senate successor until a special election in 2026.
Republicans narrowly retained the House and won command of the Senate. In the coming months, they plan to get a fast start on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-big-beautiful-bill-speaker-johnson-draws-out-budget-reconciliation-plan-for-trump-2-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">implementing Trump&#8217;s agenda</a>.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris presides

Kamala Presides As Congress Certifies Trump’s 2024 Victory

Electoral College

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Daniel Chaitin