Month: July 2021

On Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Ilinois to serve on the select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Pelosi noted Kinzinger’s experience as an Air Force veteran and Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard, and said he “brings great patriotism” to the committee after vetoing two of five selections for the committee made by House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy.  Said Pelosi:  “On January 6th, insurrectionists attempted to overthrow the government during the worst assault on the Capitol since the War of 1812. It is imperative that we get to the truth of that day and ensure that such an attack can never again happen. That is why we established the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, which is bipartisan.”

Kinzinger tweeted that he has accepted Pelosi’s nomination:  “For months, we have searched for answers and what process we should use to get them. For months, lies and conspiracy theories have been spread, threatening our self-governance. For months, I have said that the American people deserve transparency and truth on how and why thousands showed up to attack our democracy, and ultimately, what led to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Complex on January 6, 2021.”

Kinzinger will join Pelosi’s other picks: Republican Rep. Liz Cheney; Reps. Zoe Lofgren, Adam Schiff, Pete Aguilar, Stephanie Murphy, Jamie Raskin, Elaine Luria, and Rep. Bennie Thomas, who will chair the committee nomination.

Editorial credit: Rich Koele / Shutterstock.com

Fire officials said Sunday that California’s Dixie Fire — the largest active blaze in California — has destroyed 16 structures throughout the state as multiple wildfires continue to burn on the West Coast.  According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 10,700 structures in Butte and Plumas Counties remain threatened by the Dixie Fire as it has grown to 190,625 acres and is just 21% contained

Officials deployed 5,022 fire personnel to combat the fire, but weather conditions have made efforts difficult.  The U.S. Forest Service said in a statement: “Atmospheric conditions are less stable and therefore large pyrocumulus clouds are expected to develop over the fire increasing the potential for spot fires and rapid fire growth.”

Firefighters in Oregon worked to improve containment on the Bootleg Fire, the largest active blaze in the United States, increasing containment to 46% as the blaze has burned 408,930 acres. Joel Hessel, incident commander for the Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team said: “The progress that we have made is due to the continuous, vigilant work by our crews. Severe fire weather conditions and extremely dry fuels continue to challenge us on this fire.”

Editorial credit: Trevor Bexon / Shutterstock.com