The judicial system in the state of New York once was "considered the premier legal system in the country."
Not anymore, according to constitutional expert "Jonathan Turley, a Fox contributor and Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University.
Sunday, January 12, 2025
Constitutional expert warns New York state justice system 'walking into infamy' * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh
Constitutional expert warns New York state justice system 'walking into infamy' * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh:
Behind Trump’s Greenland Comment, Years of Concern Over Growing China, Russia Influence
Both the Trump and Biden administrations have warned about rising risks in the Arctic over the last 8 years. - Emel Akan 
“I’m not going to commit to that,” Trump said on Jan. 7 when asked if he would rule out using military or economic coercion to control both Greenland and the Panama Canal...
- One of the benefits of Trump’s approach, whether intentional or not, is that it creates public discourse on issues that would typically be handled behind the scenes, Michael Walsh, a U.S. foreign policy expert, told The Epoch Times.
- “It stirs discussion and debate. And you’re seeing that right now. You hear people on the metro talking about Greenland and Panama,” Walsh said...
These concerns persisted under Biden, who introduced an Arctic strategy in 2022 to counter growing competition, especially China’s “Polar Silk Road.” Walsh noted that both administrations share similar views on the risks in the region...
- China in recent years has been ambitiously developing its commercial and military capabilities in the Arctic.
- In addition, Russian and Chinese warships are operating together more frequently in the region...
“Greenland is important because the Arctic has become important,” Gordon Chang, political commentator and China expert, told The Epoch Times. “And China and Russia are seeking to control the Arctic.”...
All DEI policies terminated at Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram | Blaze Media
All DEI policies terminated at Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram | Blaze Media:
The announcement comes after Mark Zuckerberg implemented policies to expand free speech.
Amemo from a Meta company official announced the company's decision to terminate all hiring policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, according to an Axios report.
Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The company's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently announced an end to controversial fact-checking policies on the popular social media platforms in order to allow for more free speech.
Climate Expert: Media Are Falsely Blaming Climate Change For Calif. Wildfires - Climate Change Dispatch
Climate Expert: Media Are Falsely Blaming Climate Change For Calif. Wildfires - Climate Change Dispatch - Anthony Watts
The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have once again become a rallying cry for those blaming climate change for natural disasters. [emphasis, links added]
Recent coverage, such as stories in Axios and by the BBC hastily and falsely connect these wildfires to a “rare confluence of climate factors,” a narrative that has become all too familiar.
However, any such connection is unsupported by data.
As is often the case, linking individual wildfires or even a single year’s wildfires to long-term climate change oversimplifies complex natural events, failing to address the broader context.
To truly understand these fires, we must consider history, meteorology, and land management—not just the latest climate narrative.
California has a long history of wildfires, the vast majority of which occurred well before human-induced climate change became a point of discussion. Historical records and studies show that the region has always been prone to cycles of fire.
For example, a study published by the U.S. Forest Service highlights the significant role of wildfires in the natural ecology of California, with fire-return intervals ranging from decades to centuries, depending on the ecosystem.
Native Americans set fires to manage vegetation and prevent catastrophic wildfires. However, these practices were abandoned after European settlement, contributing to the accumulation of fuel in forests.
Today’s fires, while tragic, fit into a long history of natural and human-influenced fire activity in the region.
The cause? Santa Ana Winds, which is weather, not climate.
The current fires in Los Angeles are largely driven by the infamous Santa Ana winds, a well-documented weather phenomenon. These dry, gusty winds blow from the inland deserts toward the coast, creating the perfect conditions for rapid fire spread.
The National Weather Service provides detailed explanations of the Santa Ana winds, describing how they are driven by high-pressure systems over the Great Basin. All it takes is a spark or an arsonist. to initiate a raging wind-driven wildfire.
In this satellite video below from the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, note how the Santa Ana wind, coming from the Northeast, is fanning the fire, and blowing the smoke out to sea at a rapid pace.
The Axios article frames the fires as being fueled by “climate factors,” but Santa Ana winds have not changed as the planet has warmed and are a textbook example of weather, not climate.
Weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate refers to long-term trends over decades or centuries. To conflate the two is to misrepresent the science.
Another critical factor in California’s wildfire problem is land management. Decades of fire suppression policies have allowed fuel – (aka dead trees, dry brush, and dense vegetation) – to accumulate, creating tinderbox conditions.
A report from Cal Fire explains the role of vegetation management in reducing fire risks and outlines how fuel accumulation has made fires more intense.
Why does every natural disaster now seem to come with a climate change label?
Meanwhile, urban expansion into wildland areas (the so-called wildland-urban interface) places more homes and infrastructure in harm’s way. Studies by the University of California, Berkeley, highlight the challenges posed by housing developments in fire-prone areas.
Historically, fires that would have naturally thinned forests and cleared underbrush were extinguished, leading to denser forests that burn more intensely.
These issues receive far less attention than the simplistic claim that “climate change” is to blame.
Why does every natural disaster now seem to come with a climate change label?
The media and policymakers have increasingly tied singular weather events—hurricanes, droughts, floods, and now wildfires—to global warming, aka climate change.
While it’s true that the climate influences weather patterns, the leap to blaming every fire or flood on climate change often skips over critical context.
The Axios article refers to “rare climate factors” but offers little in terms of specifics. Are these factors quantifiable, or are they speculative? Without rigorous data, these claims serve more as hyperbolic talking points than scientific evidence.
Blaming wildfires on climate change might make for an easy headline, but it distracts from real solutions. Improving forest management, enforcing sensible building codes, and investing in early detection and firefighting infrastructure could significantly reduce the risk and impact of wildfires.
The Little Hoover Commission, an independent state oversight agency, has been vocal about the need for better forest management practices in California (source).
Unblocking and stopping the removal of forest roads, for example, to allow easier access by firefighters to fires in distant wilderness areas before they become large conflagrations that reach populated areas would be one good policy response to reduce the land, buildings, and lives lost to wildfires.
Reinstituting large-scale logging on overcrowded forested areas to reduce the fuel available when fires start would be another.
Policies driven by the climate change narrative often prioritize symbolic actions over practical measures. For example, California’s focus on renewable energy mandates and electric vehicles (EVs) will have little or no impact on either the short- or long-term risks of wildfires.
Worse, these policies can siphon resources away from critical fire prevention measures.
California’s wildfires are tragic, but they are not unprecedented. The media’s rush to attribute these fires to climate change reflects a broader trend of politicizing natural disasters, often at the expense of meaningful solutions.
It’s essential to approach the wildfire issue with a clear-eyed understanding of history, science, and policy.
The fires in Los Angeles are a reminder not of climate doom, but of the importance of thoughtful land management and disaster preparedness—solutions grounded in reality, not rhetoric.
The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have once again become a rallying cry for those blaming climate change for natural disasters. [emphasis, links added]
Recent coverage, such as stories in Axios and by the BBC hastily and falsely connect these wildfires to a “rare confluence of climate factors,” a narrative that has become all too familiar.
However, any such connection is unsupported by data.
As is often the case, linking individual wildfires or even a single year’s wildfires to long-term climate change oversimplifies complex natural events, failing to address the broader context.
To truly understand these fires, we must consider history, meteorology, and land management—not just the latest climate narrative.
California has a long history of wildfires, the vast majority of which occurred well before human-induced climate change became a point of discussion. Historical records and studies show that the region has always been prone to cycles of fire.
For example, a study published by the U.S. Forest Service highlights the significant role of wildfires in the natural ecology of California, with fire-return intervals ranging from decades to centuries, depending on the ecosystem.
Native Americans set fires to manage vegetation and prevent catastrophic wildfires. However, these practices were abandoned after European settlement, contributing to the accumulation of fuel in forests.
Today’s fires, while tragic, fit into a long history of natural and human-influenced fire activity in the region.
The cause? Santa Ana Winds, which is weather, not climate.
The current fires in Los Angeles are largely driven by the infamous Santa Ana winds, a well-documented weather phenomenon. These dry, gusty winds blow from the inland deserts toward the coast, creating the perfect conditions for rapid fire spread.
The National Weather Service provides detailed explanations of the Santa Ana winds, describing how they are driven by high-pressure systems over the Great Basin. All it takes is a spark or an arsonist. to initiate a raging wind-driven wildfire.
In this satellite video below from the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, note how the Santa Ana wind, coming from the Northeast, is fanning the fire, and blowing the smoke out to sea at a rapid pace.
The Axios article frames the fires as being fueled by “climate factors,” but Santa Ana winds have not changed as the planet has warmed and are a textbook example of weather, not climate.
Weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate refers to long-term trends over decades or centuries. To conflate the two is to misrepresent the science.
Another critical factor in California’s wildfire problem is land management. Decades of fire suppression policies have allowed fuel – (aka dead trees, dry brush, and dense vegetation) – to accumulate, creating tinderbox conditions.
A report from Cal Fire explains the role of vegetation management in reducing fire risks and outlines how fuel accumulation has made fires more intense.
Why does every natural disaster now seem to come with a climate change label?
Meanwhile, urban expansion into wildland areas (the so-called wildland-urban interface) places more homes and infrastructure in harm’s way. Studies by the University of California, Berkeley, highlight the challenges posed by housing developments in fire-prone areas.
Historically, fires that would have naturally thinned forests and cleared underbrush were extinguished, leading to denser forests that burn more intensely.
These issues receive far less attention than the simplistic claim that “climate change” is to blame.
Why does every natural disaster now seem to come with a climate change label?
The media and policymakers have increasingly tied singular weather events—hurricanes, droughts, floods, and now wildfires—to global warming, aka climate change.
While it’s true that the climate influences weather patterns, the leap to blaming every fire or flood on climate change often skips over critical context.
The Axios article refers to “rare climate factors” but offers little in terms of specifics. Are these factors quantifiable, or are they speculative? Without rigorous data, these claims serve more as hyperbolic talking points than scientific evidence.
Blaming wildfires on climate change might make for an easy headline, but it distracts from real solutions. Improving forest management, enforcing sensible building codes, and investing in early detection and firefighting infrastructure could significantly reduce the risk and impact of wildfires.
The Little Hoover Commission, an independent state oversight agency, has been vocal about the need for better forest management practices in California (source).
Unblocking and stopping the removal of forest roads, for example, to allow easier access by firefighters to fires in distant wilderness areas before they become large conflagrations that reach populated areas would be one good policy response to reduce the land, buildings, and lives lost to wildfires.
Reinstituting large-scale logging on overcrowded forested areas to reduce the fuel available when fires start would be another.
Policies driven by the climate change narrative often prioritize symbolic actions over practical measures. For example, California’s focus on renewable energy mandates and electric vehicles (EVs) will have little or no impact on either the short- or long-term risks of wildfires.
Worse, these policies can siphon resources away from critical fire prevention measures.
California’s wildfires are tragic, but they are not unprecedented. The media’s rush to attribute these fires to climate change reflects a broader trend of politicizing natural disasters, often at the expense of meaningful solutions.
It’s essential to approach the wildfire issue with a clear-eyed understanding of history, science, and policy.
The fires in Los Angeles are a reminder not of climate doom, but of the importance of thoughtful land management and disaster preparedness—solutions grounded in reality, not rhetoric.
Great news!-----Seventh Plan’s the Charm - Expectations for Japan’s updated energy plan include a nuclear renaissance.
If there’s one country that understands the need for a comprehensive energy strategy, it is Japan, mostly because it has never possessed much exploitable energy of its own. - Doomberg 
At its zenith, nuclear energy accounted for 30% of Japan’s total electricity generation, a bedrock of stable baseload supply and a cornerstone of the country’s booming manufacturing sector.
- All that changed on March 11, 2011. The natural disaster that led to the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant had a profound effect on Japan’s energy outlook.
- From 2010 to 2012, electricity produced from nuclear reactors dropped 93%.
- By 2014, the country produced none.
- During this suspension of activity, additional fossil fuels were imported, citizens were asked to participate in massive efficiency drives, and plans for a large-scale rollout of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar were drafted.
The domestic and international reaction to the Fukushima disaster was wildly overblown, much to the detriment of the Japanese people...
Within Japan, calmer leadership eventually reasserted itself, and a slow reopening of the country’s reactors began in late 2015.
- As of the time of this writing, 14 of Japan’s 33 operable reactors have reconnected to the grid, and a further 11 are seeking restart approval. Two additional reactors are under construction, but the timing of their completion is uncertain...
If we have any real climate issue, it’s the political climate - Climate Change Dispatch
Los Angeles is burning and the East Coast and Midwest have been walloped by cold and snow. - I & I Editorial Board 
Naturally, the global warming alarmists screech and honk about human reliance on fossil fuels.
It is a gross and irresponsible assumption...
It is a gross and irresponsible assumption...
- Overshadowed by the tragic Los Angeles fires is the Arctic blast that dropped temperatures and snow in much of the country. This too, is man’s fault. But then when it doesn’t snow, well, man is to blame for that, as well.
- ...climate researcher Anthony Watts, “a closer look at history, meteorology, and land management reveals that these claims are often oversimplified by low-information journalists, and fail to address more immediate, actionable causes.”..
- Tony Heller helpfully points out that “Pacific Palisades was largely destroyed by fires in 1938 and 1961.” Yet we’re supposed to believe that our oil and gas needs set California on fire this time...
- Claims that wildfires have increased are false...
- In California, wildfires have fallen sharply since the late 1980s, from nearly 14,000 a year to about 7,000...
- The real reasons for California’s devastating fires aren’t “weather whiplash” or any other new theory. It’s human error, repeated mistakes made by California’s clueless progressive political class.
Gavin Newsom calls for investigation into who was responsible for low water at fire hydrants during wildfire crisis | Blaze Media
Gavin Newsom calls for investigation into who was responsible for low water at fire hydrants during wildfire crisis | Blaze Media:
"I have directed state water and firefighting officials to prepare an independent after-incident report examining the causes of lost water supply and water pressure in municipal water systems during the fire events, and to identify measures that local governments can implement to provide adequate water supply for emergency response during future catastrophic events," wrote Newsom.
As of Friday, officials said more than 10 people had died from the fires, at least 180,000 were forced to evacuate, and approximately 10,000 homes and businesses had been destroyed. The Palisades fire, the largest of the wildfires, was only 8% contained.
Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was excoriated for going on a trip to Ghana just as the fires kicked off despite having warned residents about the potentially life-threatening natural disaster.
Another Democrat, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, was lambasted for trying to blame corporations for the wildfires because of global warming.
Why the Deep State Can't Allow Government Shutdowns
The Lights Are on ... But Nobody’s Home - Erik Carlson
The American Government extorts Americans through fear and intimidation...
This is the American Government in a nutshell.Imagine for a moment, you are an undersized—even for your age—freshman in high school. It’s your first day at school, you are lost, intimidated, and maybe even a little scared. Eventually, you find your locker and start working on the lock. Across the way, a senior is scanning the hall for incoming freshman to bully, to extort.
As the bully looks over the sea of students, he eventually locks eyes with you. The look on his face says that he has found a victim to prey on, or maybe one of many. The bully works his way over to you and doesn’t waste any time; he tells you that you will give him your lunch money every day for protection, and he will be at your locker every morning to collect it. He tells you that you don’t want to find out what would happen to you if you missed even one payment. He says that high school can be a dangerous place without protection.
From day one, this is the high school experience that you know. Every morning, your mother puts your lunch money on the kitchen counter, and every morning you hand it over to the bully. After months of this routine, you forget your lunch money at home and come to school with nothing to give your bully.
The bully asks for the money, you say you forgot it at home. The bully knows he can’t allow a precedent to be set. He shoves you up against the lockers with all his might. As you hit the lockers, you realize the shove feels like it came from your eight-year-old sister.
As you quickly recover from the push, the bully can see a smirk in the corner of your mouth. There is a sparkle in your eye. The bully’s shoulders begin to hunch, and his face and eyes show defeat. He knows from this day forward, he will never be able to extort another dollar from you. His only hope now is that you won’t tell others that there is no need to fear him. He’s all bark and no bite.
The American Government extorts Americans through fear and intimidation...
History for January 12
History for January 12 - On-This-Day.com 
Rush Limbaugh 1951
- 1904 - Henry Ford set a new land speed record when he reached 91.37 miles per hour.
- 1908 - A wireless message was sent long-distance for the first time from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
- 1943 - The Office of Price Administration announced that standard frankfurters/hot dogs/wieners would be replaced by 'Victory Sausages.'
- 1949 - "Kukla, Fran and Ollie", the Chicago-based children’s show, made its national debut on NBC-TV.
- 1966 - U.S. President Johnson said in his State of the Union address that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there was ended.
- 1971 - "All In the Family" debuted on CBS-TV.
- 1998 - Linda Tripp provided Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's office with taped conversations between herself and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Michigan Republicans vow to investigate Whitmer admin using panel's subpoena power * WorldNetDaily * by George Caldwell, The Daily Signal
Michigan Republicans vow to investigate Whitmer admin using panel's subpoena power * WorldNetDaily * by George Caldwell, The Daily Signal:
Michigan Republicans are seeking accountability for what they consider gross mismanagement and corruption under Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration, taking advantage of their new majority in the state House of Representatives.
On Wednesday, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall gave the Republican-controlled oversight committee broad subpoena power to investigate alleged corruption and incompetence in a state that until recently was ruled by a Democratic trifecta of Whitmer and her state legislative majority.
Republicans contend that the subpoena power will bring a new level of transparency in the only state where the governor is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.
EVERY LIE About Jan. 6 Revealed - Glenn Beck
Over the past 4 years, government leaders and the Legacy Media told us that the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot was the end of “Democracy”, incited by Donald Trump, and the darkest day in American history. 
This narrative sent many Americans to prison, including many nonviolent attendees.
- But now, we know much more about the truth.
- Glenn goes down the long list of Jan 6 LIES that are quickly unraveling:
“It looks like this was all crafted NOT to protect “Democracy”, but to bolster an agenda.”
But there is still plenty that needs to be revealed under Donald Trump...
Transcript
GLENN: So here we are, four years -- four years ago was the events of January 6th, 2021. The darkest day in all of the republic. Well, what we thought was true is quickly unraveling now...
Early education may not bring better achievement, study says
‘No discernible long-term effects,’ says researcher - Jamie A. Hope 
Injecting more money into taxpayer-funded early education centers doesn’t necessarily bring better results, according to a recent study from the University of Virginia.
- Over the past 10 years, numerous public school districts in Michigan have asked taxpayers to permission to borrow money for new preschool centers.
- School leaders and taxpayers alike may be disappointed with how things turn out, however. “Preschool programs have long been hailed as effective interventions, yet our study reveals a more nuanced reality,”...
- “While many presume their positive impact, rigorous evaluations show a mix of outcomes, including both successes and setbacks and, in some cases, no discernible long-term effects...
Los Angeles officials KNEW they were unprepared to defend city from wildfires * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh
Los Angeles officials KNEW they were unprepared to defend city from wildfires * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh:
The letter warned the budget cuts on the fire department, imposed by the city during a time period when it was fulling embracing spending plans for "diversity" and the like, have "severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies including wildfires."
What we know so far with the Los Angeles wildfires
State to probe why Pacific Palisades reservoir was offline, empty when firestorm exploded 
- A large reservoir in Pacific Palisades that is part of the Los Angeles water supply system was out of use when a ferocious wildfire destroyed thousands of homes and other structures nearby, The Times found.
- Officials said that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed for repairs to its cover, leaving a 117 million gallon water storage complex empty in the heart of the Palisades...
LA wildfires point to a long list of failures by California authorities | Blaze Media
LA wildfires point to a long list of failures by California authorities | Blaze Media:
Los Angeles continues to be engulfed in flames as a number of wildfires raze various parts of the city.
As the destruction escalates, more and more information is surfacing about a number of failures on the part of California authorities.
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