Politics: 2025Talks - January 13, 2025
Politics and views in the United States.
FEMA addresses its strategy to fight the California wildfires. With Trump inauguration a week away, more groups are worried about his nominees. And Minnesota's legislative session could be indicative of attitudes toward the two national political parties.
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to 2025 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.
I know that you continue to face these fires as they are still working to bring them under control and unfortunately this will probably be a life-changing event for so many of you.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell tells California officials high wind forecasts mean there's no end in sight for the LA area wildfires that have burned thousands of homes.
The largest fire is about a seventh contained.
In spite of life-saving efforts, at least 16 people have died with a similar number missing and an estimated $50 billion in damage.
President Joe Biden has approved funding for FEMA to remove debris and support local and state emergency activities.
California Governor Gavin Newsom suspended environmental rules to make it easier to rebuild, but on social media, President-elect Donald Trump falsely blamed Newsom-backed environmental regulations for restricting water to the affected areas.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has reposted related conspiracy theories about Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, although experts on California weather and water say climate change is much more to blame.
Meanwhile, Newsom's latest budget could cut services for the mental health impacts of the fires, zeroing out groups like the California Parent and Youth Helpline, which provides emotional support at evacuation centers.
Dr. Lisa Pye on Berlin with Parents Anonymous says the budget might need to be changed because with whole neighborhoods wiped out, the need is greater than ever.
Because they no longer have their community.
They don't have their school.
They don't have the safe place they lived in.
They're displaced and the impact is devastating.
Attention in Congress is shifting to the nominees for Trump's administration.
Critics are raising objections to his choice of Project 2025 co-author Russ Vogt to lead the crucial Office of Management and Budget.
When he served in that role during the first Trump administration, Vogt delayed hurricane aid to citizens.
And David Kiva with EDF Action says Vogt supports the controversial idea an administration can refuse to spend money appropriated by Congress.
Congress still has the right to say, yeah, you can spend this money, but that the president can decide, actually, no, I'm not going to do that.
Russ Vogt has demonstrated in his actions in office.
He's on board with this theory.
And then he's further espoused on them in his writing since he left office.
The Lake and Riley Act mandating detention for illegal immigrants arrested on some minor charges has advanced in the Senate with bipartisan support.
Meanwhile, the White House is extending protection from deportation for some migrants from four strife-torn nations, Ukraine, Venezuela, Sudan and El Salvador.
Minnesota's new legislative session could be stalled by a stalemate over control of the House.
After the election, the seats were split evenly, but a Democrat was disqualified over a residency issue, giving the GOP a temporary edge.
The parties are disputing how House organizational rules will be written, and Hamline University's David Schultz says if they act in a partisan way, it could compound the trend of turning off voters.
There is a possibility that longer term we could see the support for the two major parties decay and does that open up a possibility for redefining the parties, creation of a new party that could provide some possibility for more compromise.
I'm Edwin J. Vieira for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.
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