Key takeaways from the ongoing battle to contain the LA wildfires

Some smaller blazes have been contained or extinguished, but the Palisades fire threatens to spread west of the 405 The ongoing battle to contain wildfires around Los Angeles took several new turns on Saturday, as officials warned that while some smaller blazes had been effectively contained or extinguished, the Palisades fire threatened to spread west … Read more

Jack Smith resigns from US justice department as special counsel

Smith, who tried to prosecute Donald Trump over classified documents and US Capitol riot, stepped down Friday Jack Smith, the justice department’s special counsel assigned to oversee two criminal investigations into Donald Trump, resigned Friday from the department. Smith’s resignation came hours after the department asked a federal appeals court to move swiftly in reversing … Read more

Newsom invites Trump to California, urges against politicizing ‘human tragedy,’ disseminating ‘disinformation’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom invited President-elect Trump to visit the Golden State to witness the destruction wildfires have wrought, meet with victims and thank first responders. The governor’s message to Trump Friday came as fires continued ravaging parts of California. Newsom urged against politicizing “human tragedy” and disseminating “disinformation.” NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP’S CLAIMS ‘PURE FICTION’ … Read more

Politicians quibbling as LA burns: Gavin Newsom’s latest beef with Trump

California governor calls president-elect’s claim that water is being withheld from southern California ‘delusional’ Gavin Newsom, California’s Democratic governor, appeared briefly to put his long-running feud with Donald Trump to one side on Friday, when he invited the president-elect to Los Angeles to survey devastation from the wildfires and meet with first responders, firefighters and … Read more

Joe Biden got plenty right at home, but on the world stage he let himself be taken for a fool | Simon Tisdall

In another era, the outgoing president would have made a great cold war leader. Instead, his tenure was dogged by errors, naivety and overcaution In a week when the US bade a sad farewell to Jimmy Carter, presidential legacies came under particular scrutiny. Yet few presidents are widely remembered beyond their lifetimes, their “historic” achievements … Read more