Latest on Mountain, Frenchman Fires
Firefighters are slowly making progress with the Mountain Fire after another day of dangerous and extreme conditions in Ventura County, destroying and damaging more than 200 structures and forcing thousands to flee. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Ventura County after meeting with first responders Thursday. As it stands, the Mountain Fire is at 7% containment, and now stretches more than 20,000 acres. Southern California is also experiencing what’s been named the Frenchman Fire, which stretches 94 acres across the Angeles National Forest, with fire authorities having contained 20% of its impact. Joining us to share the latest on both fires is LAist reporter Makenna Sievertson.
With files from LAist; read our reporting on the Mountain Fire here, and Makenna’s reporting on the Frenchman Fire here
How California is positioning itself as the leader of resistance to Trump administration
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, has called for lawmakers to convene a special session later this year to safeguard the state’s progressive policies on climate change, reproductive rights and immigration ahead of another Trump presidency. The move — a day after the former president resoundingly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race — effectively reignited California’s resistance campaign against conservative policies that state Democratic leaders started during the first Trump administration. We want to hear from you. What areas would you be willing to see the CA government compromise on in order to avoid an all-out war with the Trump administration? Call us 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com. Joining us this morning on AirTalk is Dan Walters, political columnist at CalMatters.
What would a second Trump presidency mean for Southern California? We asked experts.
With former president Donald Trump set to return to the White House, state and local leaders in California say they’re determined to use their political office to resist his policies. But what has Trump proposed to do on key issues facing Californians like housing, the environment, health care and the border? And what could local leaders do in overwhelmingly Democratic cities like Los Angeles to thwart his campaign promises? LAist interviewed experts on these topics to get a sense of what’s in store for L.A.
With files from David Wagner and Makenna Sievertson at LAist.com. You can read their full story here.
L.A. is full of stars, but this restaurant only serves favorites of the Lone Star State
They say home is where the heart is. But for Texas transplant Briana Valdez, home is where the breakfast tacos and flour tortillas are. After moving to L.A. post college, Valdez struggled to find anywhere in the city that offered the homestyle comfort food she grew up with. So, in 2013, she decided to open up her own slice of Texas in Hollywood with the restaurant HomeState. Now, more than ten years later, Valdez continues to share her home state of Texas with Angelenos across eight locations, giving the flour tortilla taco the respect it deserves. Joining us today on AirTalk to talk about Texas' unique style of food is HomeState founder and owner, Briana Valdez.
You can also join HomeState in giving back to the community with their Band Taco Program, a collaborative project with musicians where limited edition tacos are created and sold with proceeds donated to local charities. Right now through January, HomeState is collaborating with LCD Soundsystem and their The American Dream taco. One dollar from every taco ordered will go directly to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund that provides financial assistance to members of the music industry facing health issues and disabilities.
