Before Trump-time, a bit more about the Los Angeles County wildfire, which is approaching 30,000 acres.    How bad is that in the history of California?    Tiny, but, location, location, location!  This fire destroyed an expensive portion of  the state.  Damages have already exceeded anything in the past, so far estimated to exceed  $150 billion .  The 2018  Paradise fire was #1 in damages at only $12.5 billion .   Over 10,000 structures destroyed, placing the LA fire at #2.   The 10 so far killed could well reach and exceed the 2020 #5 North Complex fire with 15 deaths. The  2003 Lahaina  wildfire on Maui covered 3,453 acres, with  100 deaths ., exceeding the #1 85 killed in the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County, California. Note below that most of the worst have occurred in this first quarter period of the 21st century. The five largest wildfires in California history August Complex fire (2020) in far no...

The  U.S. Congress finally passed that budget bill  shortly after the deadline to prevent a government shutdown.  President Joe Biden signed it.  Merry Christmas.  Next brinksmanship date, 14March2025.  On 3January2025, the House re-elects a Republican as Speaker of the House.  The Constitution leaves the door open on who can become speaker.   This person need not be an elected member of Congress.   He could well be Elon Musk. About that  mass killing at the German Christmas Market  I posted on yesterday, the number of deaths rose to 5, with more than 200 injured, some so seriously that more could be added to the kill list.  The assassin was a 50-year old Muslim doctor, Taleb A. (full name cannot be announced at this time), who emigrated from Saudi Arabia in 2006.  No motive yet reported. If you're wondering what channel that first NCAA championship football playoff game is on, don't bother.  On TNT, TBS and truT...

Donald Trump met with President Joe Biden at the White House today .  Four years ago, Trump was the first president in a long time not to have invited the incoming president.,,,Biden.  Worse, Trump did not bother to show up for Joe's Inauguration, the first absentee outgoing president to do this since Andrew Johnson's skipped Ulysses Grant's 1869 swearing-in ceremony.  Apparently all went well today. Senate Republicans voted on their new majority leader and picked  John Thune  of South Dakota. John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida also ran.  Mitch McConnell was the longest serving leader in Senate history.  Scott was the only MAGA endorsed candidate, so Thune might not be what Trump will desire. One significant change to be instituted by the re-elected President Donald Trump will be to create at least one new department to allow for only true loyalists to serve in his bureaucracy.  This new one will be called the  Department of Gover...