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A WOMAN FROM the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles has offered to “fill up the hydrants myself” as she confronted California Governor Gavin Newsom over his response to the disaster.
Rachel Darvish, a lawyer who has lived in the Palisades all her life, was forced to flee her home along with many thousands of others because of the devastating flames.
Out-of-control wildfires are continuing to rip across parts of Los Angeles, leading to at least 10 deaths and the destruction of over 10,000 structures, as well as evacuation orders for nearly 180,000 residents across the city.
Despite the efforts of over 1,400 firefighters, the biggest blazes remain totally uncontained – with weather conditions and the underlying impact of climate change expected to continue fanning the flames for days to come.
'Can I hear your call to the President, because I don't believe it.'
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 9, 2025
This is the moment a woman in LA confronted the California Governor Gavin Newsom over the wildfires. https://t.co/g1yZAnHJkc
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/rMLDGfkRo4
In the video, LA-based mother Darvish approached Newsom, saying that her daughter’s school had burned down due to wildfires.
She demanded to know what action Newsom was taking in the battle against the blaze, and asked to join the phone call to President Biden that the governor was trying to make at the time.
Darvish questioned why fire hydrants in the Palisades ran out of water while firefighters were tackling the huge blazes. She told the governor that she would “fill up hydrants myself” and asked Newsom if he would do the same. “I would do whatever I can,” Newsom replied.
A spokesperson for Newsom has since told US media that the governor got through to Biden after speaking to the affected Darvish, with the US president announcing that the federal government would cover 100% of costs for the response to the Los Angeles wildfires for at least 6 months.
The spokesperson also told reporters that they later spoke with Darvish to connect her with recovery services and other information.
Governor Gavin Newsom has addressed the public several times in recent days, saying that the state and national government are “throwing everything at our disposal” to tackle the wildfires.
Newsom has also overseen the deployment of the National Guard service members in affected areas “to protect communities in the days to come”.
Los Angeles officials and Newsom continue to receive criticism from local residents and political figures such as President-elect Donald Trump over the preparation and response to the wildfires.
In a social media post yesterday, Trump took aim at Los Angeles Mayor Bass and Gavin Newsom – both Democrats – for what he described as “gross incompetence” in dealing with the fires.
“One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!,” he wrote, misspelling the governor’s name in an apparent jab.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has also faced questions about her leadership during the ongoing wildfires, which are still spread across Los Angeles.
Bass was away from the city on a planned diplomatic trip to Ghana when the Palisades Fire first erupted on Monday, and has been hit by critics for her leadership during the disaster.
Rick Carusoa, a Republican mayoral opponent to Bass in the 2022 elections, has accused her of “abandoning her post” in an interview with Politico.
The mayor, who did post a warning about the windstorm on social media Monday, declined to respond to a reporter earlier this week when why she did not return to the city “fast enough”.
On her return two days ago, Bass was confronted at the airport by a Sky News reporter, who asked if she owed Angelenos an apology for her absence during the fires.
Bass refused to answer as the reporter followed her down the gangway.
At a press conference yesterday, Bass stated that her “number one focus” was to “save lives and save homes”.
“When that is done, when lives have been saved and homes have been saved, we will absolutely do an evaluation to look at what worked, and what didn’t work, and to correct or to hold accountable any body, department, individual, etc.,” Bass said.
“But my focus right now is on the lives and on the homes.”
According to US media, it is unclear when Bass was informed about the fires and decided to return to California.
Bass had left Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as mayor pro tempore in her absence.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, Harris-Dawson acknowledged the work of the first responders doing “heroic work in the face of grave danger.”
“Last night was one of the most devastating and terrifying nights that we’ve seen in any part of our city, at any part of our history,” he said.
On Wednesday night, Bass told reporters she had been in “constant contact” with local, federal, and county officials marshaling the response to the fires as she made her way back to the United States.
“I took the fastest route back which included being on a military plane which facilitated our communications. So, I was able to be on the phone the entire time of the flight,” Bass said, adding she also had phone access during her commercial flight “like most people do.”
“I was on the phone on the plane almost every hour of the flight. So, although I was not physically here, I was in contact with many of the individuals that are standing here throughout the entire time when my flight landed, immediately went to the fire zone and saw what happened in Pacific Palisades.”
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna announced several measures yesterday to ramp up security in areas that have been evacuated because of devastating fires in the area.
More than 20 arrests have been made on suspicion of looting over the last few days.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has officially requested the support of the California National Guard for both fires,” Luna said. “They will be assisting us with traffic control and critical infrastructure protection.
“Having additional resources, having the National Guard with us,” he added, “will help send a stronger message, keep people out of the impacted areas, so we don’t continuously victimize the people who have already been victimized.”
The sheriff also said the agency was working to implement a curfew that would run from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. “within the specific impacted areas around the two fire areas,” he said, referring to the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fire, the worst of the five blazes impacting the city.
He said he hoped to have it in place by this evening.
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger emphasized that the curfew was not to punish residents but to keep the area safe.
Newsom also spoke out strongly against those taking advantage of affected areas.
“And to those who would seek to take advantage of evacuated communities, let me be clear: looting will not be tolerated,” the state governor said.
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So knowing how things work in this country, it’s envisioned to be on the app around the 19th July but in reality, it will be sometime next year before it’s added.
@Keith Ellis: Covid App has been widely recognised as being excellently delivered. So has our vaccine programme. But I’m sure Keith Ellis from the Journal with his cool shades would do a better job
@Anthony Keenan: Kimda ironic having a dig at a dig. It’s only in the last fortnight that the Covid app has been updated with figures since the computer hack. The information loaded in the last few days doesn’t tally either with what the figures released from the Dept of Health.
@Keith Ellis: Disappointing at such negative begrudging attitude. HSE App in use Ireland has been highly regarded, very cost effective and delivered very speedily. In fact much better than UK equivalent.
@Keith Ellis: Not sure whether you’re technical or work with computers, but the hack was a HSE hack – not got to do with the app. The app/data hub feeds its figures from HSE sources (which is the part that’s affected) nothing got to do with the app whatsoever. Could be worth actually looking into what you’re spouting about rather than just talking nonsense. Again, the app was rolled out pretty quickly and many other countries have used our opensource code to create their own.
@Anthony Keenan: Any figures there in how many close contacts were traced with the app? Hasn’t been a word about it since it launched. Do they even ask people who test positive if they have the app anymore?
@Anthony Keenan: Got my digital cert this morning by email.
@Keith Ellis: Exactly
@Breda Kelly: Got my DCC e-mailed at 11.38am today. My second vaccination was on 20th June.
@Breda Kelly: That person in the HSE is going have a sore finger pressing ‘send’ 1.8 million times. I hope they don’t miss me!
@Keith Ellis: never lose an opportunity for a good moan. I suppose you’re pi55ed off we have the 20th highest full vaccination rate.
@Paul Furey: nope Paul. Anything to get back dining indoors and away from the smokers. But I suppose that’s just me moaning again.
@Keith Ellis: to be fair, they didn’t say 19th July in which year…
@Keith Ellis: I got my 2 vaccines efficiently and on time! I got my cert by email this morning! I’m livid because this is NOT what I’m used to! I need to complain! On social media! Constantly!
@DK: it’s in the app. 25k people have been notified using the app.
2m / 25k = 80 working days. So basically end of October. Target set by EU was this day next week.
Joke of a government now swanning off for 7 weeks after 4 pay rises in 1 year and god knows how many extra advisors and made-up positions for their FF and FG pals.
@Peter McGlynn: What? Don’t understand the first half of that. Also, could you send a link/source as to where it states there were 4 pay rises in one year? Thanks.
@Anthony Keenan: “The Government expects to issue up to 25,000 Covid-19 digital green certs for travel each day from the middle of this week after an initial block of nearly 2 million is approved for those already vaccinated.” Irish times.
@Peter McGlynn: What’s that got to do with pay rises? That’s what he asked for.
@Séamus Heffernan: said he didn’t understand the first part. I tried posting links to articles but seems to be filtered out. But google td par rises and you’ll see 2 x from mid last year together and one in feb and one in last month. Thanks.
@Peter McGlynn: You mean the pay rises that came as part of a wider public sector pay restoration that you’ve nicely click-baited to stir the outrage of a particular section of the commenters here?
@Peter McGlynn: no they are issuing 2 million certs in the initial block, once those 2 million are issued then the rate would drop back to 25k certs per week.
In fairness the wording wasn’t massively clear but that’s my reading of the text you quoted
@Peter McGlynn: before being so critical, you might want to read the article you are commenting about. 160k certificates have already been delivered and they expect to have 1.8m delivered by next Monday.
@Peter McGlynn: you are some whinger. 90% of those fully vaccinated will have their cert by next monday. If they could do that many in a short period of time, do you not think they will increase the output when required.
As for googling TDs getting pay rises, how will that show you government getting 4 pay rises in a year. Maybe you should Google ministers not taking those rises and most of your beloved SF taking them.
@John Buckley: I put my hand up – it was indeed the wording of the Irish times article that was misleading and actually a little click-baity. I’ll wait and see so.
Btw – have fun ignoring all those pay rises and extra ministerial posts created without results.
@Peter McGlynn: where am I ignoring anything, I corrected your false information.
You seem to be the one ignoring a lot. Some of what you call pay rises are pay restoration and it is for the whole public service, not just TDs.
If you want to complain about abuse, why don’t you look at Louise O’Reilly moving house (shortly after getting elected) to claim an extra 18k a year in expenses. Compare that to her fellow Dublin SF TD, Eoin O’Broin, who does not claim travel expenses
@Peter McGlynn: The opposition get those pay rises as well. Don’t remember any of them coming out at the time and turning it down.
@Roy Dowling: all Sinn Fein tds returned the payments.
@Peter McGlynn: Did you miss the bit where it said “after an initial block of nearly 2 million”? Those are probably all sent out by now. There will be about 25,000 per day after that – i.e. the people who are going to get their final vaccination each day.
As someone who is a host in a bar this is going to be a nightmare.
@Stephen Nix: what will EP be like? Carnage to work at.
What is to stop you from taking a screenshot of your QR code and sending it to all your friends ?
@Barry Teehan: Common sense?
@Ajax Penumbra: Unfortunately lots of people don’t have common sense. They tried it here ( Netherlands ) and had a “test event” in a nightclub with 600 people who all were perceived to be all clear. A couple of days later over 160 had tested positive.
@Barry Teehan: It’s designed so businesses can reopen safely so maybe act like a decent human being by not taking the piss like that and sure if that doesn’t work the €2000 fine and possible prison sentence might
@Barry Teehan: There’s a Unique Certificate Identifier code on the cert (35 characters in length). It’s up to the premises/business to check the identity on the DCC against another form of personal ID.
@David A. Murray: I’m not suggesting anyone do it David, but there are obviously ways around the system if nearly a third of the people in that nightclub ended up with the virus.
@Barry Teehan: nothing, but hopefully a bit of common sense will tell you not to.
@David A. Murray: it is so easy to make a false cert. Unless you can scan the QR code for validity, the rest can be anything.
@Barry Teehan: It has your name and date of birth on it too
@Barry Teehan: Because your info is encoded in the QR code. And you can be asked for ID to confirm. So if four Barry Teehans rock up to the pub and try to get in with a fake QR code, they might some other fake ID too
@Barry Teehan: Are all of your friends called Barry Teehan?
@Barry Teehan: A €2000 fine?
Got mine’s in a Revenue envelope- near had heart failure!
Do we know how many cases of Covid19 have been found through the tracker App?
@Claude Saulnier: Email the HSE.
@Claude Saulnier: Loads.
@Tommy Berry: I expected investigation journalists to be on the case
16,492 who tested positive uploaded their random IDs for matching with app user IDs. 25,428 received a close-contact alert from the apo.
‘from the app’
@Fiona Fitzgerald: 25,428 from different households?
@Claude Saulnier: I don’t know that. You’d have to ask the HSE. I think it means that they were near another person for more than 15 minutes. I don’t know how you calculate households from that. They might have been working together for all I know, or in a taxi or train.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: given the range of bluetooth, the space between seats in trains or buses and other criteria, these figures can be read whichever way one decides to read them. And from the people who were close contacts, how many cought the virus.
Cute
If not vaccinated or recovered, will it be the case that you receive a pass alongside a negative test result (as an attachment in an email for eg)?
How will I know the email is the real thing.
I got a email the pdf link has the EU flag with EI on it but the E is backwards.
@Declan Carr: that’s the correct one alright. If you print the page, it prints as A4. You fold the page into a small four paged, little book. It fits in your wallet. Once that’s done the EI will look the way it’s supposed to. You don’t have to print it out though.
will that also have instructions on how to fold it ? hmm liberal use of the word digital.
@ed w: Some people have to print it, so instructed how to fold it.
@ed w: yes, it does have instructions on how to fold it
So who exactly is posting out letters to those vaccinated by GPs? HSE says its GPs, GPs say its not them…anyone know? SHAMBLES as ever!
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