California boosts wildfire funding amid concerns over federal disaster aid

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has expanded a special legislative session to include $2.5 billion in wildfire aid as Los Angeles County faces devastating fires and potential federal relief delays under the incoming Trump administration.

Blake Jones reports for POLITICO.

In short:

Newsom’s wildfire package includes $1 billion in emergency aid and $1.5 billion for wildfire preparedness, with the potential for FEMA reimbursement.
Democrats criticized Trump’s threats to withhold federal disaster relief, while Republicans opposed tying wildfire aid to legal defenses against the White House.
The proposal also allocates $50 million to fund legal defenses for immigrants and support local legal services ahead of Trump’s inauguration.

Key quote:

“California is organizing a Marshall Plan to help Los Angeles rebuild faster and stronger.”

— Gavin Newsom, California governor

Why this matters:

Intense wildfires and political tensions over disaster aid could leave vulnerable communities in California without essential recovery funds. The situation also reflects broader conflicts over federal-state cooperation on climate-related disasters and immigration policies.

www.politico.com

California boosts wildfire funding amid concerns over federal disaster aid

The next deluge may go differently

The hidden devastation of hurricanes

The last frontier of empathy: why we still struggle to see ourselves as animals

Opinion: How a Texas shrimper stalled Exxon’s $10bn plastics plant

Two ways of knowing: How merging science and Indigenous wisdom fuels new discoveries

Is ‘imagination activism’ the antidote to climate doom we’ve been looking for?

Cop30 draft text omits mention of fossil fuel phase-out roadmap

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.