The LA Fire is Crazy & Raging Out Of Control, 9-Year-Old Trump Tattoo Scandal, & Today's Wild News
PDS Published 01/08/2025
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Los Angeles is on fire and tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes; hoping they’ll have one to come back to.
The fires are in almost every direction of the LA-Metro area, with coastal Pacific Palisades, eastern Pasadena, and even the Valley to the north all experiencing blazes that are quickly growing and encroaching on the densely populated area.
Something that can be clearly seen from this photo of a flight pulling into LAX last night.
And so far 2 have died and over 1,000 homes, businesses, and other structures have been destroyed across the area. []
Now with all this let’s start off with the first blaze, the Palisades Fire.
This one was first reported around 10:30 am yesterday in the Pacific Palisades and according to NBC Los Angeles, it was started by a backyard fire in the small, affluent suburb north of Santa Monica. []
However, it didn’t take very long for the fire to go from a small thing to burning more than 2,900 acres by last night and over 5,000 as of recording.[]
(compared to some California fires that burn nearly a million acres this might seem small, but it’s right in the middle of a major city).[]
It’s not considered to be contained at all and just keeps growing as hurricane-strength Santa Ana winds just fuel it.
In the Palisades and other areas -- like Malibu and parts of Santa Monica we’ve seen that in full effect.
So much so that Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties -- both of which straddle the Santa Monica Mountains and where the fire seems to be moving.
So far over 10,000 homes are under mandatory evacuation orders and the photos and footage coming out is crazy.
Like these two dudes who left a home AS the fire was closing in:
[video]
It seems like they got out okay but as you can see everything around them is burning.
It should also go without saying that please… don’t do this.
If you’re facing down a fire just get out. You’ll be shocked at how fast these things move.
(essentially they move as fast as the wind goes… which is having gusts of up to 80mph) []
It’s expected that this fire will get far worse as it grows, although it does seem to be moving westward towards Malibu and Ventura Counties.[]
That’s obviously bad for the people living in those parts of the Santa Monica Mountains, but they’re FAR less densely populated than if the fire moved south into Santa Monica or West LA itself.
All that is just ONE fire out of several burning through LA.
The second biggest is the Eaton Fire, which is the San Gabriel Mountains and has already killed two.
(These two are the only reported deaths across all the fires so far. Hopefully it stays that way). []
This blaze is threatening Pasadena and its suburbs. []
(also if you’re unfamiliar with LA, the fire being “in the mountains” doesn’t mean they’re not close. These mountain ranges cut right through the cities).
Just like the Palisades Fire this one seems to have started yesterday and quickly blew up, burning just over 2,000 acres so far. []
And unfortunately that’s not where the similarities end.
It’s also led to forced evacuations for tens-of-thousands and homes burning down with thousands more in danger.
(and so far over 100 structures have been destroyed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean homes).[]
Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused this fire, but as you can imagine they also have bigger things to worry about in the short term.
Especially because fires just keep popping up
In Santa Clarita, there’s the Hurst Fire which went from like 50 acres at 10:10 pm last night to over 500 just 4 hours later. []
All of this has led to its own mandatory evacuation orders that push into the city itself
One of the biggest issues facing firefighters is manpower.
These fires all propped up very quickly and one-after-another.
And the cities here just don't have enough manpower, with northern California and Arizona all sending firefighters to try and help out.
That help will be sorely needed because officials are warning that the worst is yet to come as the weather isn’t expected to get much better over the next day[]
(Although this is really hard to predict because blazes can make localized weather conditions that help feed the blazes).
That’s actually a common theme you’ll see with these fires and most So-Cal fires.
The region is always very dry with a lot of vegetation in the nearby mountains and hills, making it a prime candidate to burn.
In the areas there’s not plants to burn, well… There are homes which are particularly susceptible because of their almost all-wood construction.
A necessity in the earthquake-prone California.
Add dry, fast Santa Ana winds carrying embers all over the place and it’s a recipe for disaster.
So we’ll have to keep an eye on this and just hope that while the fires may grow they don’t actually affect people more than just bad air quality.
Insurance:
One thing people are super worried about is what will happen to those whose homes or businesses were damaged from these fires?
Right, for years now, fire insurance has been increasingly more expensive… if you can even get it.
And that trend really escalated after the massive fires in 2017 and 2020 where insurance companies got completely wrecked.
(And it’s been argued that part of the reason insurance companies took such a beating those years is because they didn’t properly take into account the risk of wildfires, leading to CA having some of the lowest insurance rates).[]
Like just last year, StateFarm announced that it was cutting the policies of 30,000 homes and 42,000 other buildings across the state.[]
For Californians without insurance, they’ll need to rely on the FAIR plan, which is kind of an insurer of last resort.
Its day-to-day operations are run by private insurance companies, but it allows those who can’t otherwise afford things like fire insurance to get it.
But the plan can still be prohibitively expensive, leading many to just forgo the coverage completely.
And even those who are “covered” may be in for a bad surprise as the plan is super underfunded -- especially after ballooning since 2020 to cover 452,000 homes.
One attempt to “fix” this was a new regulation passed in December that requires private insurance companies to offer insurance to those in wildfire-prone areas.
Although it doesn’t necessarily address it being prohibitively expensive.
Airbnb:
Speaking of companies doing less-than-ideal things in this situation, here’s Airbnb.
They got a lot of shit online after it came out that they seemingly wouldn’t be refunding Airbnb visits to Pacific Palisades.
She did add some more context, saying:
“To clarify, I called Airbnb to request help with rebooking accommodations farther from the danger zone. As always, their policies failed to account for context. The fires keep getting worse, and unfortunately, many others are probably stuck explaining bushfires to someone in another country right about now.” []
All this to say that she would not be getting any refund for cancelling her visit.
As you can imagine a lot of people came to her defense and wrote things like:
“A similar thing happened to me as a host during hurricane Beryl. My airbnb lost power for 8 days. Day 1 after the hurricane Airbnb was super helpful. Day 2 they were basically like "why can't you host your guest? if you can't we're going to penalize you for cancelling last minute.” []
And “I had a similar experience when hurricane Helene hit. You could turn on the news and see it rolling in. My property had no power or internet and had to tell the guest "good luck"
The Airbnb staff said "we have to wait for (X person) to approve that this is a covered event" before taking any action.
Beyond disappointing and pathetic.” []
However, Airbnb has since backed down and said that the areas being affected by the fires are now covered under their Major Disruptive Events Policy and added:
"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the fires, and we have issued a full refund.”
Budget cuts
And the last thing we need to talk about with all this is how mad some people are at Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the city’s decision to cut the LAFD’s budget by $23 million back in June for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Many are claiming this is partially why the department is struggling to contain the fires.
However, the $23 million claim isn’t completely true… although pointing this out is splitting hairs a bit.
That’s because the budget was slashed by $17.5 million.
When she signed the budget, Bass assured people that the department would continue hiring and expand training for medical training -- since being paramedics is what firefighters mostly do in LA.
And in a statement she added:
"This budget serves as a reset, in part by continuing to hire for critical positions including police officers and firefighters while eliminating some of the department's vacant positions, thereby prioritizing our City family over empty desks.”
The LAFD hasn’t responded to multiple media outlets asking for a comment about whether the budget cuts affected their readiness.
But it should be noted that while $17.5 million is a lot of money… It's just about 2% of the department’s annual budget of about $820 million.[]
There’s more nuance there too, considering the fact that the LAFD is hardly the only department dealing with this.
Like most wildfires in the state, many agencies are responding, including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection alongside the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
And the resources keep expanding, with Governor Newsom announcing that the California National Guard would have resources deployed to try and help.
So is it fair to say the budget cut led to this? I’ll leave that for you to decide.
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This artist gave a little girl a permanent tattoo!
Right, this is Sosa and in a recent Instagram post, he told the story of how he tattooed a 9 year old girl.
According to the original post, this girl walked into Sosa’s shop called Black Onyx Empire Tattoo in Yuma, Arizona with her parents.
Notably, in Arizona, it’s legal to tattoo children with the permission and in the presence of their parents.
So this girl initially said that she wanted a portrait of Donald Trump tattooed on her neck but Sosa’s post says he talked her down to an American flag on her upper arm. []
And he adds that he tried to scare the parents away by overcharging by several hundred dollars - quoting them $500 on what would otherwise be an $80 tattoo. []
But he says the parents were all for it and jumped at that price.
So Sosa tattooed this little girl and said that she should think on that Donald Trump portrait for a year and if she still wants it, then she should get it.
Now, a year later, the girl is 10 years old and she came back - but just for touch-ups on her flag.
Sosa says the girl told him that she did end up changing her mind about the portrait. []
And this story absolutely blew up - getting a bunch of headlines and sparking a LOT of backlash against Sosa.
With people online saying things like,
And Sosa told a local news outlet that the backlash wasn’t limited to him, saying,
“I’m getting a lot of hate from it. My employees are getting hate from it. My business, I’m getting so many bad reviews on Google.” []
He went on to say that this situation was an exception - saying he usually cuts off at 15 with parental consent but in this case, there was more to the story than what was in his original post. []
He said that the girl and her parents are from Turkey and after listening to their story and hearing how important this was to them, he decided to give her the ink, saying, []
“They were just very grateful to be here in the United States. They were just being grateful. They said they saw Donald Trump as a hero.” []
And adding to the New York Post,
“It was like a cultural thing. Would I do it again? Probably not. However, I was moved by the story they had.” []
But even with all this backlash, Sosa is standing by his decision even as he says there should be more regulations on tattooing minors, saying,
“I don’t think tattoos on kids is the right thing to do. I think laws should be made. I think a ‘Sosa Law’ should be made, because I posted it. There should be an age limit.” []
However, that hasn’t stopped even those within the tattoo industry from criticizing Sosa’s decision here.
Like Ben Shaw with the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, telling WBTV that while tattooing a kid may be legal with parental permission in Arizona, that doesn’t make it ethical, saying
“It can give us professionals a bad reputation. If you see a 10-year-old child with a professional tattoo and they say they got it at a tattoo shop, that degrades us as a whole.” []
It is also worth noting, though, that amid the conversation here, there is a lot of criticism towards the parents of this girl.
With people online saying things like,
“…no NINE YEAR OLD should ever be getting a tattoo in the first place!! the parent of that child is so irresponsible and does not deserve their kid at all!!” []
But with that, I will pass the question off to you - what are your thoughts here?
Is Sosa in the wrong? Are the parents?
How young is too young to get a tattoo with parental permission?
If you are an artist yourself or even just have tattoos, how young were you when you got your first professional ink and how young would you agree to tattoo someone?
Let me know in those comments down below.
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The Las Vegas attacker used ChatGPT to help plan his explosion!
Right, in our first show of the year we touched on the New Year’s Day cybertruck explosion at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
Which was reportedly carried out by a highly decorated soldier who had been deployed to Afghanistan twice and was struggling with PTSD, among other issues. []
With the authorities saying he took his own life just before the explosion.
And the police have just released some additional information about both the attack and the attacker.
Specifically, they say that this guy used ChatGPT to work out some details of his plan. []
The police say their investigation uncovered searches on ChatGPT for information on explosive targets, the speed at which certain rounds of ammunition would travel, and whether fireworks were legal in Arizona. []
And the sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department called the use of generative AI here a, quote, “game-changer” - adding,
“This is the first incident that I’m aware of on U.S. soil where ChatGPT is utilized to help an individual build a particular device. It’s a concerning moment.” []
Now, OpenAI did respond to this situation - saying in a statement that they are committed to seeing their tools used responsibly and that they’re designed to refuse harmful instructions. []
Adding,
“In this case, ChatGPT responded with information already publicly available on the internet and provided warnings against harmful or illegal activities. We’re working with law enforcement to support their investigation.” []
But it wasn’t just AI - police also shared some more information about this attack that we previously didn’t have.
Like during the drive to Vegas, the attacker is said to have stopped to pour racing-grade fuel into the truck, leaving it dripping. []
And the truck itself was loaded with 60 pounds of pyrotechnic material and another 70 pounds of birdshot.
They also released journals this guy had used - one of which he’d labeled “surveillance” and it reportedly showed he believed he was being tracked by law enforcement.
Though the authorities say he wasn’t on anybody’s radar. []
The journals also reportedly show that he considered carrying out his plan in Arizona at the Grand Canyon’s glass skywalk but we don’t know for sure why he changed his mind. []
And the writings also reportedly show that he was concerned about being labeled a terrorist or the public thinking he wanted to kill other people besides himself.
The authorities said that he left behind cell phone notes saying he needed to “cleanse” his mind, quote, “of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.” []
And while investigators have been working to determine whether this attack was politically motivated, law enforcement says that it seems this guy didn’t have any ill will toward Trump or Elon Musk. []
In fact, one of the notes he left behind reportedly said that the country needs to “rally” around them.
And that’s on top of what the authorities said last week - that the attacker had left notes saying that the explosion was meant to be a “wake up call” to the troubles in the US, writing,
“Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?” []
However, this isn’t everything there is to know - the authorities say there is still a six-page document that they’re reviewing with the Defense Department so they haven’t released it yet. []
And they’re also still looking through a laptop, a mobile phone, and a smartwatch.
So we’ll have to keep our eyes out for that information as it comes out.
In the meantime, let me know your thoughts about this - especially the AI stuff - in those comments down below.
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And then we might be getting special counsel Jack Smith’s findings on Donald Trump, or, at least some of them.
Right, Smith’s report had two volumes: one on the case regarding Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 election, and the second on Trump's handling of classified documents.
And the Trump-appointed judge in the classified documents case temporarily blocked the release of the whole report just this week.[]
But today, the Justice Department said it intends to still publicly release part one, on the election, while holding back the part on classified documents to avoid any prejudice as a case plays out against two of Trump’s co-defendents.
With Attorney General Merrick Garland arguing that, because part one of the report has nothing to do with the defendants in the ongoing case, an injunction blocking part one’s release is not needed.[]
Though, the filing did say that officials still intend to share a version part two to members of the House and Senate judiciary committees upon request.
With lawyers saying that:
"This limited disclosure will further the public interest in keeping congressional leadership apprised of a significant matter within the Department while safeguarding defendants’ interests."
As for when we will get the election section of the report, that is unclear, it is still blocked, and as The Guardian explained the DOJ’s efforts to get it out will face hurdles. []
Though, the department is arguing that they have authority to at the very least release that first section.[]
So that is something that still has to play out.
But regarding the second volume, you had the AP explaining:
“The announcement lessens the likelihood that the report on the classified documents investigation, which of all inquiries against Trump had once seemed to carry the greatest legal threat, would ever be released given that the Trump Justice Department almost certainly will not make the document public even after the case against [the co-defendents] is resolved.”
But of course, we will have to see where any of this goes, and what the election volume says when and if we do finally get it.
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In international news, the situation in South Korea is just getting more wild by the day.
And now, we’re just waiting to see if all hell is gonna break loose as law enforcement gets ready to take another crack at arresting President Yoon.
Right, because Yoon? He’s under criminal investigation for insurrection over his failed attempt to impose martial law early last month.
That whole dumpster fire led to his impeachment on December 14th, with the man who took over as acting president – the former prime minister – also being impeached on December 27th.
But with all that, while Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended, he technically remains in office.
Right, the country’s constitutional court has roughly six months to decide whether to remove him and hold a new election or reject the impeachment and restore his powers.[]
And in the meantime, as president, Yoon retains immunity from most charges except insurrection or treason.
But of course, insurrection is exactly the charge being levied against him.
With a South Korean court actually issuing warrants to arrest Yoon and search his office and residence at the end of last year.
With that then leading to a nearly six-hour standoff last week in which authorities were kept from executing the warrant by a human chain of hundreds of presidential security service and military guards
Notably, this was all happening at Yoon’s residence in the an upscale district of Seoul known as the city’s “Beverly Hills” –
Except, now, it’s not just a luxury villa, it’s a fortress and potential battleground.
Right, I mean the Presidential Security Service has actually been fortifying the compound this week with barbed wire and barricades using buses to block access to the residence. []
And of course, you also had investigators asking for an extension of the warrant to arrest Yoon.
With a court actually re-issuing a warrant yesterday.
And now, as of recording, we’re waiting to see what the second attempt is gonna look like.
With us seeing yesterday the head of the office leading the investigation even apologizing for failing to arrest the president after the standoff last week.[]
But also saying:
"We'll do our best to accomplish our goal by thoroughly preparing this time with great determination that the second warrant execution will be the last.”[]
Though, with that, he didn’t specify how many days the court had given before the new arrest warrant expired.[]
Also, while he didn’t object when members of parliament called for more aggressive action to execute the arrest warrant, he didn’t discuss exactly what options were being considered to achieve that.[]
But of course, given the potential involvement of hundreds of armed men on either side, there’s some concern about how this could end up.
Though, notably, acting president Choi Sang-mok (Chweh Song-mog *the “o” in mog is an “oh” not an “ah”) reportedly urged authorities to "do their best to prevent any injuries to citizens or physical conflict between government agencies" while executing Yoon's arrest warrant.[]
With one expert suggesting police should consider delaying the use of force in favor of so-called "cognitive warfare”
Right, for example, using loudspeakers to persuade presidential security agents they could face personal consequences by obstructing justice that could mean the end of their careers and possible criminal records.[]
Though, notably, with that, police have already reportedly ordered the head of the presidential security service to appear for questioning on potential charges of obstructing justice, which he has so far ignored.
With them also threatening to seek a warrant to detain him if he continues to defy summons.[]
With one big question raised by all this is whether the Presidential Security Service needs to be reformed.
With one South Korean lawyer, for example, arguing that the service has, quote, “turned itself into a private militia…”[]
And then, an opposition lawmaker claiming:
“The Presidential Security Service is a symbol of imperial presidency and a legacy of our authoritarian past.”
And adding: “We need to stop it from acting above the law and acting like an agency of absolute power.”[]
But with all that, of course, this isn’t just about politicians and law enforcement.
Right, the situation has divided the country’s people as well.
WIth pro-Yoon protestors facing off with anti-Yoon folks in competing protests near his residence.
And while surveys suggest the majority of South Koreans aren’t fans of Yoon, the supporters he does have?
Well, they're hardcore.
Right, one of them telling the New York Times:
“When I leave home for this rally every day, I tell my wife that this may be the last time she sees me alive, because I am ready to die for my cause.”
“This is not just about protecting President Yoon. It’s about saving my country for my descendants.”[]
And with that, one of the big things US media in particular have been highlighting? (1, 2, 3, 4)
That the scene might look pretty familiar to Americans.
With Yoon’s supporters chanting “stop the steal”; donning red MAGA-like hats, and even waving US flags.
And CNN reporting:
“For Yoon’s conservative supporters who have adopted the slogans and iconography associated with the MAGA movement, they see similarities between South Korea’s current political crisis and the US, where twice-impeached Trump is set to take office for a second term on January 20.” []
And with that, what’s also notable is that Yoon's own defence of his actions has had similarities to Trump's rhetoric –
With him, for example, making baseless allegations of voter fraud and talking about needing to defend the country from enemies within and without.[]
But despite that, Yoon’s followers have claimed the April 2024 national election, which the opposition won in a landslide, was stolen from them.[]
And many of Yoon’s supporters reportedly believe, without evidence, that the president is being removed from office because he was investigating the alleged election fraud.[]
Also, notably, as in the US, you have some blaming foreigners.
One protester, for example, reportedly holding a "Stop the Steal" sign with the Chinese flag claiming that "Chinese people have come to our country and stole our votes".[]
With some of them also hoping Trump will take action when he enters office, with one quoted by Reuters saying:
"I hope that Trump will take office soon and raise his voice against the rigged elections in our country plus around the world so as to help President Yoon to return (to power) swiftly.” .[]
Though, to be clear, Trump has not commented on Yoon's situation and there are no clear ties between his campaign and Yoon's backers.[]
But that said, as far as where these conspiracy theories come from?
Right, Yoon’s own talking points have reportedly echoed those of right-wing Youtubers in the country.
With a columnist for a conservative-leaning South Korean newspaper claiming last month that Yoon's "YouTube addiction" had caused him to fall "into a world of delusion dominated by conspiracy theories".
And then, a dozen participants in a recent rally interviewed for a New York Times article, for example, were reportedly all firm believers in the conspiracy theories, saying that right-wing YouTubers were their primary or only source of news.[]
One of them telling the Times:
“They speak the truth.”
“I no longer read newspapers or turn on TV. They are full of bias.”[]
And so, with all that, while we’re waiting to see how everything with Yoon’s impeachment and criminal case turn out over the next few days and months, we may very well be dealing with something that’s gonna shape South Korea’s future for years to come.
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