Today on AirTalk, we give the latest update on the Tick Fire and the other wildfires burning throughout California. Also on the show, our political panel gives an impeachment roundup and explains the Department of Justice's criminal probe into its own investigation.
Latest On The Tick Fire
Firefighters continued to face difficult weather conditions overnight and into Friday, as they fought to draw containment lines around the Tick Fire near Agua Dulce.
Authorities reported early Friday that the fire had jumped the 14 Freeway, which was closed in both directions through the area. They also expanded mandatory evacuations overnight to all of Sand Canyon. The blaze has burned roughly 4,300 acres and was 5% contained as of 7 a.m.
The fire, named for Tick Canyon Road where it sparked, has displaced about 40,000 residents. The next briefing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday. Los Angeles County fire officials said shortly after midnight that they hoped to be able to take advantage of favorable conditions overnight. But whatever grace the weather brought overnight was expected to last through Friday.
For updates on the Tick Fire, go to Laist.com
Guests:
Captain Tony Imbrenda, PIO, County of Los Angeles Fire Department
Sharon McNary, KPCC correspondent, she tweets
Tom Fisher, Information Technology Officer at National Weather Service
Officer Amber Wright, PIO, California Highway Patrol’s Southern Division, which oversees Southern California
Emily Guerin, KPCC reporter; she tweets
Eric Menjivar, PIO with Cal Trans District 7, which encompasses Los Angeles and Ventura Counties
DC Round-up: Impeachment Latest, Plus DOJ Opens Criminal Inquiry Into Mueller Probe
Republicans briefly brought the Democrat-led impeachment investigation to a halt when around two dozen GOP House members stormed into a closed-door deposition with a Defense Department official. Democrats said the move compromised national security because some of the Republicans took electronic devices into a secure room.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has shifted its review of the Russia probe to a criminal investigation, a person familiar with the matter says. It’s a move that is likely to raise concerns that President Donald Trump and his allies may be using the powers of the government to go after their opponents.
The revelation comes as Trump is already facing scrutiny about a potential abuse of power, including a House impeachment inquiry examining whether he withheld military aid to pressure the president of Ukraine to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
We get the latest on impeachment and the DOJ’s criminal inquiry.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Josh Gerstein, senior legal affairs contributor for Politico; he tweets
Matt Zapotosky, national security reporter covering the DOJ for the Washington Post; he tweets