California officials are facing intense scrutiny in the wake of the devastating wildfires that broke out in Los Angeles, causing widespread destruction. The fires, which resulted in the loss of dozens of lives and thousands of homes, have sparked a wave of criticism directed at key figures, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, and Janisse Quinones, head of the state’s Water and Power Department.
Bass left for a trip to Ghana on Jan. 4, just two days before the National Weather Service issued warnings of critical fire conditions and strong winds. The Palisades Fire broke out on Jan. 7, and Bass was en route back to Los Angeles five hours later, according to the Mayor’s office, returning to the city on the afternoon of Jan. 8.
The mayor’s absence, combined with recent budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department, amounting to over $17 million, drew significant criticism.
Critics, including the L.A. Fire Department chief, questioned whether the city’s response to the fire could have been more effective. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley expressed frustration over several issues, such as low water pressure from fire hydrants and a lack of adequate resources to tackle the blazes. When repeatedly asked if the city failed the community, she responded “yes.”
Point phone camera here
Some reports highlighted that three one million gallon water tanks brought in to aid firefighting efforts ran dry after 17 hours, and a nearby reservoir holding 117 million gallons of water had been out of service for nearly a year due to safety regulations.
Janisse Quinones, the head of the L.A. Water and Power Department, is facing scrutiny over these issues. According to city documents, the empty reservoir was designated for firefighting purposes, but had been taken out of service in February 2024 to “meet drinking water safety regulations.” Quinones, who receives a salary double that of her predecessor, has also been criticized for her previous statements about prioritizing equity in the department’s operations. Some reports noted that Quinones was aware of the water shortages months before the fires.
Newsom, who has been on the ground in Los Angeles to oversee the firefighting efforts, has also come under fire. While Newsom has posted video updates about the state’s response, his remarks on a podcast about the fire response have sparked backlash. Newsom acknowledged the lack of clear answers he was receiving, adding that the state had launched an investigation into the fire response. However, he has faced criticism for appearing to shift blame to local leaders during his Pod Save America podcast appearance.
“You’re ultimately responsible as the governor of the state,” the podcaster, Jon Favreau, said.
“Of course, I want to know the answers,” Newsom replied. “I’ve been asked that question by so many people. ‘What happened?’ People on my own team are asking me, ‘What happened?’ And I want to get the answers. I’ll be candid — I wasn’t getting straight answers.”
“You weren’t getting straight answers?” Favreau asked.
“No,” Newsom said. “I was getting different answers.”
What has right-leaning media been saying?
The coverage of the fire response and the political fallout has drawn significant attention from both left- and right-leaning media outlets. Right-leaning outlets have focused on the perceived failures of Democratic policies, including budget cuts to the fire department, and concerns over water resources, while also pointing to state policies they argue contributed to the fire’s severity.
Fox News reported, “Democratic lawmakers are claiming the severity of the Los Angeles wildfires was a result of climate change, despite reports that the city’s fire hydrants ran out of water and the fire department’s budget was slashed just weeks before the Palisades fire destroyed thousands of homes and burned more than 15,000 acres. As the fires gained national attention, Democratic lawmakers across the country began to claim it was climate change rather than state policies that caused the disastrous fire damage.”
The Washington Examiner similarly reported, “Critics said state policies about brush and debris removal fed the fires and argued Newsom ignored years of warnings to change course and avoid the latest disaster. Some furious Californians also said Newsom’s water policy left firefighters without the tools they needed to stop the crisis.”
What has left-leaning media been saying?
In contrast, left-leaning outlets have highlighted the role of Republican figures, including President-elect Donald Trump, in politicizing the situation, with some arguing that Trump and his allies are using the disaster to attack Democratic leadership.
The Washington Post reported, “As California continues to battle catastrophic wildfires consuming entire neighborhoods and taking lives, state and local officials are also fending off President-elect Donald Trump and his allies’ efforts to blame them for the destruction. Instead of offering words of sympathy or pledges of rebuilding, Trump, his billionaire ally Elon Musk and top Republicans have spent much of the past several days blaming Democratic leadership in the state for the crisis.”
CNN similarly reported, “Walls of fire devoured neighborhoods, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee for their lives. But as a cataclysm fueled by windstorms charred swathes of Los Angeles, Donald Trump spotted an opportunity…The conceit of a state and city inflicting self-defeating environmental policies is a perfect fit for Trump’s narrative that liberal governance in blue states and cities invites chaos, crime and misery.”
The political framing of the wildfire response has varied significantly across news outlets. The Washington Post criticized efforts by Trump and his allies to shift blame to state and local officials, while Fox News focused on California’s policies, particularly regarding fire prevention and water management. CNN suggested that Trump was exploiting the situation to promote a narrative against liberal governance, while The Washington Examiner pointed to state policies on brush and debris removal as contributing factors to the fire’s intensity.
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As the investigation into the fire response continues, the debate over the role of Democratic leadership and the politicization of the crisis persists. Both local and state leaders are facing questions about their handling of the disaster, and the national conversation is shaped by differing political perspectives on the causes and responses to the wildfires.
Tags: California, disaster, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, Los Angeles, Media Bias, Wildfire
[Karah Rucker]
LOS ANGELES MAYOR KAREN BASS.
THE HEAD OF CALIFORNIA’S WATER AND POWER DEPARTMENT “JANISSE QUINONES”.
AND CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM.
THESE ARE THE CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS CURRENTLY TAKING THE MOST BLAME FOR THE BLAZES’ MASS DESTRUCTION.
MAYOR KAREN BASS LEFT FOR A TRIP TO GHANA ON SATURDAY JANUARY FOURTH –
TWO DAYS PRIOR – THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STARTED SENDING WARNINGS OF “CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS” WITH “STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS” –
AND A FIRE WEATHER WATCH WAS ISSUED. THE DANGER LEVEL CONTINUED TO BE UPGRADED UNTIL TUESDAY MORNING THE PALISADES FIRE BROKE OUT.
FIVE HOURS LATER – THE MAYOR WAS “EN ROUTE” FROM GHANA AND THEN BACK IN L-A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON – ACCORDING THE MAYOR’S OFFICE.
BASS’ ABSENCE – PAIRED WITH RECENT BUDGET CUTS TO THE L-A FIRE DEPARTMENT TO THE TUNE OF 17 MILLION DOLLARS – HAVE LED TO HEADLINES LIKE THESE.
“Mayor Karen Bass faces fierce criticism for overseas trip, budget cuts”
“With her city in flames, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ political future hangs in the balance”
“125K sign petition demanding Karen Bass resign over fire response”
SOME OF THE CRITICISM HAS COME FROM WITHIN THE L-A FIRE DEPARTMENT –
INCLUDING THE CHIEF HERSELF –
AND THE OWNER OF THE “LOS ANGELES TIMES” SAYING THEIR PRIOR ENDORSEMENT OF BASS AS MAYOR “WAS A MISTAKE.”
“Did the city of los angeles fail you and our city?? Its my job as a chief to stand up and say what our dept needs to meet the demands of the community.
did they fail you? Yes.”
“At the la times, we endorsed karen bass.ithink right now up front that was a mistake and we admit that.”
“Maybe we should think about how we elect people.”
ONE OF THE GREATEST HINDRANCES FOR FIREFIGHTERS IN THE FIELD –
IS A LACK OF WATER – HOOKING UP TO FIRE HYDRANTS AS BUILDINGS WERE ABLAZE –
TO FIND LITTLE TO NO WATER PRESSURE.
A PROBLEM THE FIRE CHIEF CONFIRMED HER CREWS KEPT RUNNING INTO.
EMPTY HYDRANTS.
THREE “ONE MILLION GALLON” WATER TANKS BROUGHT IN – ALSO RAN DRY AFTER 17 HOURS.
AND A NEARBY WATER RESERVOIR THAT HOLDS 117 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER NEAR THE FIRE ZONE – HAD SAT EMPTY FOR NEARLY A YEAR BEFORE THE FIRE BROKE OUT.
THE L-A WATER DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THAT RESERVOIR IS USED “FOR FIRE FIGHTING PURPOSES” BUT WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE LAST FEBRUARY “TO MEET SAFE DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS.”
NOW THE STATE IS INVESTIGATING SHORTFALLS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
SITTING AT THE HEAD IS L-A WATER CHIEF JANISSE QUINONES –
WHO IS NOW RECEIVING CRITICISM IN HEADLINES OVER THE CITY’S WATER WOES –
HER SALARY THAT IS DOUBLE THAT OF HER PREDECESSOR – AND PREVIOUS REMARKS SHE MADE ON A PODCAST ABOUT PRIORITIZING EQUITY IN THE CITY’S WATER DEPARTMENT.
A REPORT READ “LA WATER CHIEF **KNEW about empty reservoir, broken hydrants months before fires
ANOTHER HEADLINE HIGHLIGHTING HER 750 THOUSAND DOLLAR ANNUAL SALARY.
AND FOX NEWS: “FLASHBACK: LA WATER CHIEF SAYS HER WORK IS GUIDED THROUGH ‘EQUITY LENS’ –
WITH THIS PODCAST CLIP ATTACHED TO THE ARTICLE.
“Its been really important for the dwp to put an equity lens on everything. Yes, and that’s the number one thing that attracted me to this role. Its important to me that everything we do is through equity lens and social justice and we right the wrongs of the past.
GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM HAS BEEN ON THE GROUND IN L-A’S FIRE ZONES –
POSTING VIDEO UPDATES ON X OF RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL FIGHTING SOME OF THE STATES MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES EVER RECORDED.
BUT WITH HIM BEING AT THE HELM OF LEADERSHIP IN THE STATE –
QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED AT NEWSOM –
TELLING THE PODCAST “POD SAVE AMERICA” HE’S BEEN TRYING TO GET ANSWERS HIMSELF. AND HAS LAUNCHED A STATE INVESTIGATION.
“You’re ultimately responsible as the governor of the state.”
“Of course, i want to know the answers. I’ve got that question by so many people. “What happened?” people on my own team, saying what happened and i want to get the answers and wasn’t getting i’ll be candid, i wasn’t getting straight answers….and you weren’t getting straight answers? I was getting different answers.”
NEWSOM’S APPEARANCE ON THE PODCAST AND THAT ANSWER – SPARKED THESE HEADLINES.
“Newsom Ripped for Going on ‘Pod Save America’ While L.A. Burns”
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom passes off wildfire response blame to local leaders, own team”
“California Governor Newsom deflects blame”
THE HANDFUL OF NEWS HEADLINES WE’VE SHOWN YOU OVER CRITICISM OF THE LA MAYOR, LA WATER CHIEF, AND CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR WERE A MIX OF LEFT AND RIGHT LEANING NEWS OUTLETS.
THE STORY IS GETTING WIDE COVERAGE NO MATTER POLITICAL LEANINGS –
BUT ITS THE WAY THE CRITICISM IS FRAMED FROM WITHIN SOME LEFT AND RIGHT LEANING ARTICLES THAT FITS A POLITICAL BIAS.
RIGHT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS ARE LEANING INTO fire response FAILURES AS DEMOCRATIC FAILURES.
WHILE LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS SAY THE CRITICISM IS BEING FUELED BY RIGHT-WING FIGURES – LIKE PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP.
THE WASHINGTON POST – A LEFT-LEANING OUTLET –
WROTE – “As California continues to battle catastrophic wildfires consuming entire neighborhoods and taking lives, state and local officials are also fending off President-elect Donald Trump and his allies’ efforts to blame them for the destruction.
Instead of offering words of sympathy or pledges of rebuilding, Trump, his billionaire ally Elon Musk and top Republicans have spent much of the past several days blaming Democratic leadership in the state for the crisis.”
IN CONTRAST – FOX NEWS – A NEWS OUTLET ON THE RIGHT –
FOCUSED ON STATE POLICIES.
“Democratic lawmakers are claiming the severity of the Los Angeles wildfires was a result of climate change, despite reports that the city’s fire hydrants ran out of water and the fire department’s budget was slashed just weeks before the Palisades fire destroyed thousands of homes and burned more than 15,000 acres.
As the fires gained national attention, Democratic lawmakers across the country began to claim it was climate change rather than state policies that caused the disastrous fire damage.
LEFT-LEANING CNN – FOCUSED AGAIN ON TRUMP.
Walls of fire devoured neighborhoods, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee for their lives. But as a cataclysm fueled by windstorms charred swathes of Los Angeles, Donald Trump spotted an opportunity…The conceit of a state and city inflicting self-defeating environmental policies is a perfect fit for Trump’s narrative that liberal governance in blue states and cities invites chaos, crime and misery.
AND THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER – A RIGHT LEANING OUTLET – FOCUSED AGAIN ON CALIFORNIA POLICY.
“Critics said state policies about brush and debris removal fed the fires and argued Newsom ignored years of warnings to change course and avoid the latest disaster. Some furious Californians also said Newsom’s water policy left firefighters without the tools they needed to stop the crisis.”
THE NARRATIVE MATCHES THE RHETORIC OFFERED BY NEWSOM AND FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS –
NEWSOM, SAYING TRUMP IS politicizing THE WILDFIRES.
AND DESANTIS – ANSWERING A QUESTION AT A PRESS EVENT – SAYING DEMOCRATIC POLICIES ARE BEING OVERLOOKED BY THE MEDIA.
“I hate to even ask this question, BUT PRESIDENT elect chose to attack and blame you for this.
“One can’t even respond to it…people are literally fleeing, people have lost their lives.
“This guy wanted to poltiicize it. I have a lot of thoughts and i know what i want to say. I wont.”
“Is it appropriate for a president elect or president to be criticizing…”
“Is it appropriate for people in your industry to try to create division and narratives anytime these things happen? No, you’re not interested in doing that because newsom is a D. if newsom was a republican, you guys would nail him to the wall for what they’re doing over there. <3:21- you guys sitting in judgment of donald trump? Excuse me, your track record of politicizing these things is very very bad.”
IN CONCLUSION.
YOU HAVE THE FACTS OF THE STORY –
THAT BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT OUTLETS ARE REPORTING.
FROM A POORLY TIMED TRIP TO GHANA BY THE MAYOR.
FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET CUTS AND A LACK OF WATER RESOURCES.
BUT ITS THE BIG PICTURE “BLAME GAME” THAT IS BEING POLITICIZED –
NOT JUST BY REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC POLITICIANS –
BUT BY LEFT AND RIGHT NEWS OUTLETS.
RIGHT NEWS OUTLETS CRITICIZING LEFT POLICIES AS THE ROOT OF THE WILDFIRES.
AND NEWS OUTLETS ON THE LEFT CALLING THE CRITICISM “ATTACKS” FROM TRUMP AND ALLIES.
AND THAT’S YOUR BIAS BREAKDOWN.
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