If I understand correctly, the Santa Ana wind, when blowing through a gap in the mountains east of Los Angeles – a gap that essentially functions as a wind tunnel – the wind gusts can actually reach hurricane strength.
yes-- I saw this described on The Weather Channel. The meterologist was standing on the Pacific Coast Highway where there was rubble of numerous homes right on the Pacific, then the narrow highway, then the hillside with mountains behind. He described in detail how the fierce winds of up to 100 mph basically blew a wall of fire down the mountains and hillsides, across the highway and toward the ocean, immediately destroying everything in its path. Also sounds to me like descriptions that Japanese described when the two atom bombs hit.
The "Politics Girl" -- Leigh McGowan -- has an excellent YouTube on the situation.
Fires in the urban areas of LA were going to be fought with planes dropping water. The urban fire hydrants could not match the worst of such blazes. Even though the reservoirs are full to capacity -- the planes can't fly due to the high winds.
One of the successes of the Kamala Harris Campaign was their Rapid Response Team, @KamalaHQ. This was excellent, hard-hitting and wildly popular social media.
As Axios reports, the Democratic National Committee is tapping veterans of this social media team for a new rapid response push ahead of Donald Trump's return to office. The new rapid response @FactPostNews initiative will combat online misinformation and respond to Trump administration actions by pushing out memes, videos and graphics.
Worth noting: @FactPostNews will start on X, Threads, and Bluesky and will eventually expand to TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
DNC should also hire whoever's been posting to Bluesky for the Consumer Products Safety Commission. They've done great and entertaining work. May already have found another job in anticipation of the CPSC being Doge'd, to our detriment.
. "Musk's Dept. of Government Efficiency Cuts Position of Vice President"
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) — Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has eliminated the position of vice president of the United States, Musk announced on Monday.
“The job of the vice president is to fill in for the president if he falls ill,” Musk said. “This seemed unnecessary since I’m in superb health.”
Musk added that he was inspired to cut the VP position “because JD Vance hasn’t been seen in weeks and no one’s missed him.”
According to sources within DOGE, Vance will immediately be reassigned as a used Tesla salesman.
314 Action, an advocacy group that supports electing progressive doctors and scientists to office, is launching a six-figure campaign against RFK Jr.'s nomination for HHS.
Have you determined how we can support the North Carolina Dems who are fighting an onslaught of Republican legislative measures as well as law suits to undermine the impact of or even reverse Democrats' wins for state offices including State Supreme Court?
Thank you for highlighting this dangerous attempt at overturning an election. Despite NCDEMS and groups like Bull City Indivisible, so very many people are unaware of this and many unaware that their name is on the list of 60,000 challenged votes/voters. Please amplify. We are the Repugs testing ground for voter suppression. Let’s stop it here now. Thank you.
Here’s a link to the 60,000 voters whose votes are being challenged. It’s organized so that you can find names quite easily. Please share with your friends and family across NC.
To encourage anyone on the list whom you may know to get in touch with their Board of Elections to fix the problem of a missing Social Security # or Driver License # on their registration. (Never mind that there was a new GOP-passed law that we had to show such ID to vote this year!). It was NOT the voter's fault, it was a bureaucratic error several years ago.
Your favorite young NC Dem leader, Anderson Clayton, is leading this fight, very impressively. And it's diverting $ from party-building and GOTV efforts this year and next.
The NC Democratic Party hosted a YouTube presentation last night viewed by about 800 people and featuring Justice Allison Riggs, the state party chair Anderson Clayton, the party voting protection director Cat Lawson and others. They said it is costing $2.5 million to employ 3 law firms, often for emergency court filings, to battle the lawsuits and legal maneuvers of the GOP and its authoritarian power grab. You can donate $ at www.ncdp.org/protect and watch the presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5sBo6HQMyI
My subscription to the Washington Post ends on January 27. I have been a long- time subscriber and my favorite writers are Jen Rubin and Dana Milbank. It is a shame that Bezos ruined WaPo. I hope Dana Milbank goes to substack too.
On Wednesday, Jen Rubin will host a chat at WaPo. Readers have been invited to submit questions and comments in advance. Here’s mine:
"Would you please detail your reasons for leaving The Washington Post? Best of luck with Contrarian!"
"Dear Jen, Please share your thoughts candidly!
"You have long been my main reason for still subscribing to The Washington Post. Your columns are insightful and crystal clear – a refreshing and reassuring contrast to the paper’s slide away from its once-proud editorial integrity and journalistic values."
I am able to read WaPo until January 27, then I am cancelled. I hope many others here and other places join in on the call. If WaPo cancels Jen, then we know "democracy died in darkness" at the Washington Post. It is just another Faux News or Pravda.
UPDATE from WaPo: "Jennifer Rubin is no longer writing for The Post. Her live chat, including this week's, and her subscriber-only newsletter will not continue."
I really would like to know the circumstances under which she left.
Perhaps she'll do some version of the live chat on The Contrarian? It sounds like she and colleagues plan to be multi media there, podcast, etc as well as columns.
From very Red Indiana: I just called Representative Spartz (again) to oppose the 4 nominees. The person who answered the phone has been instructed to note their names only, and not the reasons. So this Republican elected has been getting tons of calls. Senator Todd Young, on the other hand, provides only an automated line for any message relating to nominees or legislation. Have others been able to speak with a real human being at their Senate DC offices?
Some Senators have real people answering, some do not. I don't think it matters much how you leave your message. The offices that using answering services usually have a staffer listen daily (sometimes more often) and make lists of the issues voters raise. In my experience they pay a good deal of attention, especially if there is a high volume of calls and a surge of opinion going in one direction.
Not me. I have already contacted my TX senators, and I can't reach a live person, either. But they do have an option where I can leave a message and speak my opinion on issues of importance. I did and left my contact info as instructed. They'll hear from me again--and again.
As a former Tampa resident, I was hoping the Bucs would win but that was not to be. Anyway, I just want to let readers here know that listening to the recording of the candidates for DNC chair was very worthwhile. You can scroll through the recording until you get to the chair candidates. I encourage you to do so. I'll be going back next to listen to the Vice Chair candidates.
Very detailed and substantive interview with Newsom and Jon Favreau re: efforts to combat the fires and to counter the deliberate MAGA misinformation campaign.
Please don't forget to hammer home the statement by 47 that he would refuse to send any help to California because they vote blue..that combined with his climate change denialism is something that should be held up high right now..and of course..fighting the unacceptable 4 and positioning our party going forward. Thanks for all you do Simon!
I also called my two Democratic Senators here in Minnesota. No live person, but I forcefully and politely left my message about the four absolutely NOT acceptable choices.
Please pardon if this is a duplicate..when i edited it dissapeared! Please don't forget to hammer home 47s comment that he would refuse to send any aid to California because they vote blue. That combined with his calling climate change a hoax should be held up high right now. It wouldn't hurt to mention that we only have FEMA because President Carter created the agency.
Just called my senators again. Will be volunteering for a day of service in Richmond on January 20th and ignoring the other event completely. Signed up for VA Democracy Day on the 21st. Simon, thank you for info about great opportunities to listen and learn. Good for Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Rubin. Fight MAGA.
Lawrence O'Donnell is calling it a hurricane with fire rather than water
If I understand correctly, the Santa Ana wind, when blowing through a gap in the mountains east of Los Angeles – a gap that essentially functions as a wind tunnel – the wind gusts can actually reach hurricane strength.
Thank you for putting this in perspective – and for sharing your amazing personal experience.
yes-- I saw this described on The Weather Channel. The meterologist was standing on the Pacific Coast Highway where there was rubble of numerous homes right on the Pacific, then the narrow highway, then the hillside with mountains behind. He described in detail how the fierce winds of up to 100 mph basically blew a wall of fire down the mountains and hillsides, across the highway and toward the ocean, immediately destroying everything in its path. Also sounds to me like descriptions that Japanese described when the two atom bombs hit.
The "Politics Girl" -- Leigh McGowan -- has an excellent YouTube on the situation.
Fires in the urban areas of LA were going to be fought with planes dropping water. The urban fire hydrants could not match the worst of such blazes. Even though the reservoirs are full to capacity -- the planes can't fly due to the high winds.
Good news from the DNC!
One of the successes of the Kamala Harris Campaign was their Rapid Response Team, @KamalaHQ. This was excellent, hard-hitting and wildly popular social media.
As Axios reports, the Democratic National Committee is tapping veterans of this social media team for a new rapid response push ahead of Donald Trump's return to office. The new rapid response @FactPostNews initiative will combat online misinformation and respond to Trump administration actions by pushing out memes, videos and graphics.
Worth noting: @FactPostNews will start on X, Threads, and Bluesky and will eventually expand to TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
https://www.axios.com/2025/01/13/dnc-social-media-trump-kamalahq
Just followed them. No posts yet.
Thanks for this, I've followed them.
DNC should also hire whoever's been posting to Bluesky for the Consumer Products Safety Commission. They've done great and entertaining work. May already have found another job in anticipation of the CPSC being Doge'd, to our detriment.
On a lighter note:
. "Musk's Dept. of Government Efficiency Cuts Position of Vice President"
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) — Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has eliminated the position of vice president of the United States, Musk announced on Monday.
“The job of the vice president is to fill in for the president if he falls ill,” Musk said. “This seemed unnecessary since I’m in superb health.”
Musk added that he was inspired to cut the VP position “because JD Vance hasn’t been seen in weeks and no one’s missed him.”
According to sources within DOGE, Vance will immediately be reassigned as a used Tesla salesman.
https://www.borowitzreport.com/p/musks-dept-of-government-efficiency
"Since the DOGE duplicates the OMB, the first act of the DOGE should be to eliminate the DOGE."
– Diogenes on The Downballot
Update: Trump’s Unacceptable 4
314 Action, an advocacy group that supports electing progressive doctors and scientists to office, is launching a six-figure campaign against RFK Jr.'s nomination for HHS.
Here is a damning attack ad from 314 Action:
https://314action.org/watch-samoa/
Have you determined how we can support the North Carolina Dems who are fighting an onslaught of Republican legislative measures as well as law suits to undermine the impact of or even reverse Democrats' wins for state offices including State Supreme Court?
Thank you for highlighting this dangerous attempt at overturning an election. Despite NCDEMS and groups like Bull City Indivisible, so very many people are unaware of this and many unaware that their name is on the list of 60,000 challenged votes/voters. Please amplify. We are the Repugs testing ground for voter suppression. Let’s stop it here now. Thank you.
Here’s a link to the 60,000 voters whose votes are being challenged. It’s organized so that you can find names quite easily. Please share with your friends and family across NC.
https://terrymah.github.io/challenge/
(Simon, I hope this post is within the accepted boundary.)
Why would people want this information?
To encourage anyone on the list whom you may know to get in touch with their Board of Elections to fix the problem of a missing Social Security # or Driver License # on their registration. (Never mind that there was a new GOP-passed law that we had to show such ID to vote this year!). It was NOT the voter's fault, it was a bureaucratic error several years ago.
Your favorite young NC Dem leader, Anderson Clayton, is leading this fight, very impressively. And it's diverting $ from party-building and GOTV efforts this year and next.
The NC Democratic Party hosted a YouTube presentation last night viewed by about 800 people and featuring Justice Allison Riggs, the state party chair Anderson Clayton, the party voting protection director Cat Lawson and others. They said it is costing $2.5 million to employ 3 law firms, often for emergency court filings, to battle the lawsuits and legal maneuvers of the GOP and its authoritarian power grab. You can donate $ at www.ncdp.org/protect and watch the presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5sBo6HQMyI
Thanks!
My subscription to the Washington Post ends on January 27. I have been a long- time subscriber and my favorite writers are Jen Rubin and Dana Milbank. It is a shame that Bezos ruined WaPo. I hope Dana Milbank goes to substack too.
On Wednesday, Jen Rubin will host a chat at WaPo. Readers have been invited to submit questions and comments in advance. Here’s mine:
"Would you please detail your reasons for leaving The Washington Post? Best of luck with Contrarian!"
"Dear Jen, Please share your thoughts candidly!
"You have long been my main reason for still subscribing to The Washington Post. Your columns are insightful and crystal clear – a refreshing and reassuring contrast to the paper’s slide away from its once-proud editorial integrity and journalistic values."
That's great. It will be at WaPo? Wow.
Unless it gets cancelled because Jen Rubin is leaving. If the chat does happen, I promise to post a gift link.
I am able to read WaPo until January 27, then I am cancelled. I hope many others here and other places join in on the call. If WaPo cancels Jen, then we know "democracy died in darkness" at the Washington Post. It is just another Faux News or Pravda.
UPDATE from WaPo: "Jennifer Rubin is no longer writing for The Post. Her live chat, including this week's, and her subscriber-only newsletter will not continue."
I really would like to know the circumstances under which she left.
Perhaps she'll do some version of the live chat on The Contrarian? It sounds like she and colleagues plan to be multi media there, podcast, etc as well as columns.
I'm rooting for the Washington Commanders and watched the wonderful win yesterday. I come from the awful Dallas Cowboys country.
From very Red Indiana: I just called Representative Spartz (again) to oppose the 4 nominees. The person who answered the phone has been instructed to note their names only, and not the reasons. So this Republican elected has been getting tons of calls. Senator Todd Young, on the other hand, provides only an automated line for any message relating to nominees or legislation. Have others been able to speak with a real human being at their Senate DC offices?
Some Senators have real people answering, some do not. I don't think it matters much how you leave your message. The offices that using answering services usually have a staffer listen daily (sometimes more often) and make lists of the issues voters raise. In my experience they pay a good deal of attention, especially if there is a high volume of calls and a surge of opinion going in one direction.
Not me. I have already contacted my TX senators, and I can't reach a live person, either. But they do have an option where I can leave a message and speak my opinion on issues of importance. I did and left my contact info as instructed. They'll hear from me again--and again.
As a former Tampa resident, I was hoping the Bucs would win but that was not to be. Anyway, I just want to let readers here know that listening to the recording of the candidates for DNC chair was very worthwhile. You can scroll through the recording until you get to the chair candidates. I encourage you to do so. I'll be going back next to listen to the Vice Chair candidates.
Great, thanks for the update.
Very detailed and substantive interview with Newsom and Jon Favreau re: efforts to combat the fires and to counter the deliberate MAGA misinformation campaign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKdioEFwQZw
Please don't forget to hammer home the statement by 47 that he would refuse to send any help to California because they vote blue..that combined with his climate change denialism is something that should be held up high right now..and of course..fighting the unacceptable 4 and positioning our party going forward. Thanks for all you do Simon!
Self-reporting: I called my senators about the unacceptable four. A-gain.
BTW, Jen Rubin's statement on her new substack platform was quite powerful. It feels good to be in the fight with her.
So did I here in Texas.
thank you!
thank you!
I also called my two Democratic Senators here in Minnesota. No live person, but I forcefully and politely left my message about the four absolutely NOT acceptable choices.
thank you!
Please pardon if this is a duplicate..when i edited it dissapeared! Please don't forget to hammer home 47s comment that he would refuse to send any aid to California because they vote blue. That combined with his calling climate change a hoax should be held up high right now. It wouldn't hurt to mention that we only have FEMA because President Carter created the agency.
Thanks for all you do Simon!
I saw an interview with a senior Republican senator (Barrasso) -- in which he said California would receive aid -- but with "strings attached."
Seems worse because it's the blue states that contribute more to the federal coffers.
Thank you, Simon!
Wishing Biden would declare a national emergency with all the devastating floods and wildfires and stay in the White House until things get better!
Just called my senators again. Will be volunteering for a day of service in Richmond on January 20th and ignoring the other event completely. Signed up for VA Democracy Day on the 21st. Simon, thank you for info about great opportunities to listen and learn. Good for Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Rubin. Fight MAGA.
Support the right MAGA – Mothers Against Greg Abbott!
https://mothersagainstgregabbott.com/
I wouldn't have to actually be a mom to join this group, would I?
I very much doubt they’re exclusionary. :)
Great. Thanks!
Welcome to Hopium Veronica! 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thanks, Irene!
thank you!