When the Flames Came Close

Woods described watching the fire reach the edge of his property, a scene captured in a video he posted online. His neighbor, Robert Trenteller, risked his life to fight the fire near Woods’ deck before evacuating himself. This selfless act exemplified the essence of neighborly care during a crisis. Despite these efforts, Woods confirmed his house may have been severely damaged, though an official assessment hadn’t yet been completed at the time.

Woods emphasized how neighbors became lifelines for one another. Boundaries of wealth, political affiliation, or social status dissolved as everyone stood shoulder to shoulder, focused solely on survival. This crisis showcased that, ultimately, we are all human, deeply reliant on each other.

A Rescue Effort that Almost Failed

One particularly harrowing moment involved an elderly neighbor, a 94-year-old man with advanced dementia. His son, unaware of the fire’s proximity, mistakenly assumed his father was in the hospital rather than at home. Once Woods realized the man was still inside the house, he and others acted quickly to contact emergency services.

It took time to get through, but firefighters eventually rescued the man and his caregiver. The house burned down just an hour later. This narrow escape underscores the chaos and confusion that often accompany natural disasters and highlights the critical need for clear communication and preparedness during emergencies.

The Problem of No Water

A shocking realization during the fire was the lack of water in the area, leaving fire hydrants completely dry. Woods recounted the frustration of seeing fire trucks unable to operate due to empty reservoirs. He criticized state leadership, pointing out the failure to maintain essential fire prevention infrastructure.

California, known for its high taxes, should have the resources to support its residents in moments of crisis. Yet, as Woods noted, budget cuts and misplaced priorities seemed to have limited the fire department’s ability to act effectively. He questioned why emergency needs were neglected while leaders focused on initiatives disconnected from immediate safety concerns.

Witnessing Community Strength

Amid the devastation, Woods highlighted examples of extraordinary kindness. A former colleague offered his home as a refuge, providing keys, codes, and access despite being out of town. These gestures of generosity reminded Woods of the importance of relationships during times of need.

He urged others to cultivate genuine connections with their neighbors, pointing out that modern life often isolates people in their daily routines. In moments like these, knowing the people around you can be the difference between safety and tragedy.

The Larger Issues

Woods also expressed frustration with what he sees as systemic failures in California’s fire management and broader leadership. He criticized Governor Gavin Newsom and public officials for decisions he believes exacerbated the wildfire crisis. From understaffed departments to neglected infrastructures like empty reservoirs, he argued these failures directly contributed to the tragedy.

The actor also brought up the larger societal implications of leadership priorities that appear out of sync with public needs. He stressed the importance of competent leadership focused on practical solutions rather than political posturing.

Finding Humanity in Tragedy

While reflecting on the loss of his home, Woods dismissed personal attacks from individuals online, noting that their negativity held no weight in the face of real grief. Instead, he focused on the resilience and generosity of his neighbors, highlighting the strength found in community even amidst overwhelming destruction.

Through this tragedy, Woods reminded everyone of what truly matters — kindness, connection, and responsibility. As he aptly said, “Faith, family, and neighbors — those aren’t just words; they’re what hold us together.”

Conclusion

The Pacific Palisades fire has left scars far beyond the physical damage, exposing cracks in infrastructure and leadership, but also revealing the beauty of human connection during hardship. James Woods’ experience serves as a reminder to embrace the people in our communities and demand accountability from those tasked with protecting us. In times of crisis, neighbors, preparedness, and effective leadership are essential for survival and recovery. Let this be a call to not only reflect but to act and ensure tragedies like this are met with better solutions in the future.

Video summary generated with the assistance of AI.

According to the Missouri Republican, such a move would risk a “from now until forever” conflict with Russia.

Partial transcript as follows:

INGRAHAM: Well, the deal that Biden and company scotched at the beginning of this war, before the war started. That would have avoided the war. It looks like what they’re going to end up with is worse than they would have gotten had they not done this at all. That’s what it looks like at least. It could change. But now, Senator, Zelenskyy has a magic solution to end the war. Watch.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (VIA TRANSLATOR): If we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we should take on the NATO umbrella, the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control.

INGRAHAM: Your reaction, Senator.

HAWLEY: No, absolutely not. They should not put any part of Ukraine in NATO. And listen, this administration is already risking World War III by greenlighting the use of American weapons into Russian territory. What will happen if Moscow responds by sending a weapon, a missile, you name it, into the territory of a NATO country, we’ll all be at war. The idea that now we would expand NATO to include Ukraine is extremely dangerous. It is a recipe for constant conflict, including American soldiers boots on the ground in Europe from now until forever. It is a disastrous idea. It’s exactly the wrong thing to do.

And listen, here’s another point about the need to settle this conflict. What the Biden administration has been telling senators behind closed doors for literally two years now, Laura, is that there will have to be a negotiated peace. The Secretary of State was saying that two years ago. So out in public, they’re saying, war forever. Behind closed doors, they’re saying, well, we’re going to have to negotiate.

INGRAHAM: Yes.

HAWLEY: They just don’t want to make the hard choices to do it. And here we are. […]

— Read More: www.breitbart.com

Following Trump’s election win, the former president announced Homan as his new “border czar,” saying that the former ICE director would “be in charge of all deportations of illegal aliens back to their country of origin.” On “The Ingraham Angle,” Fox News’ Laura Ingraham played a clip of Democratic Tucson Mayor Regina Romero stating that she is “unwavering” in her commitment to “protecting and serving Tucsonans,” calling the deportation plans “cruel and immoral.”

“Well, first of all, what’s cruel about it? We have a massive illegal immigration flow on the border, historic flows that overwhelm the Border Patrol, sex trafficking up 600%, 250,000 dead Americans from Fentanyl. We got a record number of known suspected terrorists and people on the terrorist watch lists crossing the border,” Homan said. “We got children dying on the border every day. We got women being sexually assaulted by the cartels every day. Someone’s going to die on the border tonight. Women are being raped on the border tonight.”

“So what’s cruel about securing that border and saving lives, first of all? But I’ll give her the same warning I’m giving the rest of the sanctuary city mayors and the governors. You can not help us. That’s fine. You should get the hell out of the way. We’re going to do the job,” Homan added.

Homan went on to say that Trump has promised Americans that his first priorities will address public and national security threats, warning Democratic officials not to get in the way of the federal government.

“President Trump has said public safety threats and national security threats will be the priority right out of the gate. I can’t believe there’s any elected official that doesn’t want public safety threats out of their communities. Their number one responsibility is protecting the communities. So if they’re not going to do it, we’ll do it for them,” Homan said. “You can not help, but don’t impede us and don’t not knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien from ICE, because that is a felony.”

“We got one hell of an attorney general coming in, Pam Bondi. I think she will read that statute the same way I do it. I’m not a lawyer, but I can read. We’re going to have consequences of people who violate the law and try to prevent us from doing our job,” Homan said.

In addition to Romero’s warning to Trump, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston vowed Thursday to resist the president’s plans, claiming that the city’s police and residents will push back. Others, like the Los Angeles City Council, approved an ordinance on Nov. 19 declaring the city a “sanctuary city,” preventing the use of local resources for immigration enforcement and prohibiting city agencies from sharing information to federal authorities about illegal immigrants.

Despite the pushback, Trump confirmed on Nov. 18 that he plans to declare a national emergency, using military assets to assist in his deportation operation.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox News/”The Ingraham Angle”)

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) went on strike early Tuesday, affecting 14 major ports along the East and Gulf Coasts. On “The Ingraham Angle,” Scalia praised job creation under the Trump administration in response to Vice President Harris’ criticism of Trump while addressing the strike, noting the issue could become “severe” if Biden delays action. (RELATED: Union Boss Willing To ‘Cripple’ America Made More Than $900,000 Last Year)

“Of course he cares about workers, and I think that the Trump years were extraordinarily good for workers when it came to, you know, job creation, when it came to wage growth. They were good years. What I will say is I would like to see the administration step back a little bit. Avoid appearing to take sides in this dispute. What the ILA president said in that clip at the beginning of this segment, Laura, there is a lot of truth to it. These strikes can have just extraordinary consequences on the entire economy,” Scalia said.

“Most of the time, when you’ve had a coast-wide strike like this. Up and down the East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, if they have lasted very long, presidents, Republicans and Democrats, have decided they need to go to court and get an injunction,” Scalia continued. “That’s something, as the ILA president laid it out, you are looking at after two, three weeks, the consequences to the rest of the country become very severe. I think the president will need to give very serious consideration by next week to whether he needs to go to court. So I don’t think it’s constructive to take sides, I think we want the parties to come to an agreement.”

Harris voiced her support for union workers on strike Wednesday, stating the issue was about “fairness” and claiming former President Donald Trump wants to “pull us back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize.”

“This strike is about fairness. Foreign-owned shipping companies have made record profits and executive compensation has grown. The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits,” Harris said.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].