Month: February 2025

Evacuation orders were in effect Thursday for thousands of residents in areas of Los Angeles as forecasters warned that California’s most powerful winter storm this season may cause flash flooding in the land scarred by the massive wildfires last month. According to the National Weather Service, flash flooding risk is expected across the Los Angeles region with the highest risks “in and near recent burn scar areas in Southern California.”

According to NBC News, the operation is huge with 319,00 sandbags, over 240 fire engines and 400 personnel in eight counties; nearly 120 miles of flood barriers have been put up in an effort to mitigate flooding and stop or reduce or stop the expected runoff from burn scars into rivers and lakes.

The warnings, which come into effect at 7 a.m. PT (10 a.m. ET) and last until Friday afternoon, cover areas affected by the huge Palisades Fire last month, as well as the communities hit by the Eaton, Hurst, Franklin, Bridge and Sunset fires. Statewide preparations for the large storm include distribution of sandbags and clearing of storm drains.

Portions of the Palisades, Sunset and Hurst fire zones as well as burn zones parts of the Sierra Madre (affected by the Eaton Fire) were in the evacuations zones,  with warnings also in effect for parts of San Bernardino County affecting residents in the Bridge and Line fires burn zones as heavy rain was expected.

The Los Angeles Fire Department wrote in a statement: “Evacuation orders for specific addresses and evacuation warnings or several areas will be in effect from 7 a.m. PST Thursday to 2 p.m. PST Friday, due to high mudslide and debris flow risk. These areas are recently burned and especially susceptible to heavy rain.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna warned residents during a news conference: “remember, if you’re ordered to leave, you may be gone for several days. I cannot stand up here and tell you will be gone for 12 hours, 24 hours. We don’t know. It depends on the weather and the post-weather events that will impact your specific neighborhood.” 

Road closures included Malibu Canyon Road, Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon; with some schools in Malibu closed Thursday.  A voluntary evacuation warning also went into effect Thursday morning for parts of the Airport Fire burn scar in Orange County.

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The Senate voted on Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services secretary, a victory for President Trump after Kennedy faced weeks of scrutiny over his controversial views.

Senators voted 52-48 to confirm Kennedy, which fell largely along party lines, with only one Republican — Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — joining Democrats in opposing the nomination.  In his statement explaining why he voted against Kennedy, McConnell cited his history with polio, saying that in his lifetime he’s “watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world… and will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures.”  McConnell added: “Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America’s largest health agency. As he takes office, I sincerely hope Mr. Kennedy will choose not to sow further doubt and division but restore trust in our public health institutions.”

The 71-year-old Kennedy — the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy — is a longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist, with no health care experience. As HHS secretary, he will now lead a wide range of federal health care agencies that include healthcare coverage for the elderly and poor, drug approval, food industry along with examining potential worldwide health threats such as outbreaks and pandemics. The HHS department includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration.

Kennedy worked for two decades as president of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a nonprofit. He also founded Children’s Health Defense, which has launched legal challenges against vaccine requirements and approvals, and served as its chairman beginning in 2016. Kennedy is married to actor Cheryl Hines, and has six children.

Kennedy launched his own White House bid in 2023, initially seeking the Democratic nomination before changing his bid to independent. He later dropping out of the race to endorse President Trump in August 2024.

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