Florida Man Charged With Starting LA's Most Destructive Fire
Plus: Q&A with Dr Jessica Knurick. Pritzker tells Trump "come and get me." Comey pleads not guilty. Kristi Noem confronts "army of Antifa." And how to buy an original Bob Ross painting.
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Recently I’ve been on the road talking to people about the future of news, so it’s been a minute since I’ve done a Q&A. I’m glad to get back into it with someone I like and trust, Jessica Knurick, PhD, RDN.
Jessica is a PhD nutritionist who’s become a trusted voice on public health policy. She’s also a fellow content creator and a friend.
In this conversation, we interview each other. She asks me about what’s happening in Chicago: ICE firing rubber bullets at protesters, federal troops from Texas deployed to Illinois over the governor’s objections. I ask her about the government shutdown and why the expiring ACA subsidies could double healthcare premiums for millions of Americans. And we both get real about how we’re coping with this moment.
I don’t know if it’s right to say “I hope you enjoy this conversation,” but I do hope it gives you some context and a sense that we are all facing these challenges together.
Find that interview below.
Also in today’s newsletter: Investigators say the Palisades fire was lit days before the inferno — so why wasn’t it stopped? Former FBI Director James Comey pleads not guilty in a case already full of holes. Trump calls for the arrest of Illinois’s governor and Chicago’s mayor — they’re not backing down. We’ve got updates on the shutdown, a few off-the-grid surprises in News That Doesn’t Suck, and how a public TV icon may yet save PBS and NPR.
Q&A With Jessica & Jessica
Here Are Your Headlines:
No Accident: A 29-year-old suspect was arrested in Florida on Tuesday and charged with starting the Palisades Fire, the most destructive fire in LA’s history. It burned almost 24,000 acres, destroyed several thousand structures, and killed 12 people. For more on the extensive investigation which snared the suspect — who allegedly generated AI images of a dystopic burning city — see here.
More Questions: The suspect allegedly lit the fire around midnight on New Year’s Eve. But as you may remember, the blaze didn’t enter the Palisades until January 7. So what happened? Well, firefighters responded to the initial fire; by January 2 they apparently believed it was fully extinguished and packed up their equipment. But strong winds reignited the fire and whipped it into one of the deadliest infernos in state history. The area was under an extreme fire weather watch the day the blaze spread, and there are questions about the LA Fire Department’s actions. This new information is renewing scrutiny of the city’s preparation for and response to the fire; the LA Fire Department has denied dozens of public records requests and officials have maintained what the LA Times calls “an extraordinary secrecy” around the disaster.
Fighting Back: Former FBI Director James Comey today pleaded not guilty to making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding. His lawyer further signaled that he will seek to dismiss the case on two grounds: first, that Comey is a victim of vindictive or selective prosecution; and second, that Lindsey Halligan, the administration’s prosecutor, was unlawfully appointed. Remember, Halligan was appointed after her predecessor raised concerns the case lacked sufficient evidence; she had no prior prosecution experience. The trial is set for January 5. Catch up on the case here.
Shaky Case: Bad news for Bondi. Federal prosecutors reportedly determined their central witness would be “problematic” — because he apparently told investigators that Comey never authorized him to leak information to a reporter, as the prosecution claims, and in fact repeatedly told him not to talk to the media.
War of Words: Trump today said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers.” “This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested,” Johnson said. “I’m not going anywhere.” Pritzker similarly said, “If you come for my people, you come through me. So come and get me.” He pointedly asked if Trump means to arrest “elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”
Culture Clash: Hundreds of National Guard troops from Texas and Illinois have arrived in the Chicago area. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) called this violation of state power “almost criminal.” Despite Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s boast that troops from his state are “elite,” one picture of seemingly overweight members arriving in Chicago has gone viral.
Playing Chicken: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem braved “war-ravaged” Portland for a photoshoot of her (and right-wing influencer Benny Johnson) staring down what they called an “army of Antifa” — about a dozen protesters, including one in a chicken costume. Noem said Tuesday that she’s demanded Portland’s mayor add more security and a larger buffer zone to the city’s ICE facility, threatening to send “four times the amount of federal officers” if he doesn’t comply.
Lines Not Yet Crossed: Images of text messages provided to the Minnesota Star Tribune appear to show top administration officials discussing deploying the Army’s 82nd Airborne to Portland.
On Balance: An appeals court today ruled Trump may retain control of Oregon’s National Guard troops for now but may not deploy them in Portland. The three-judge panel will hear arguments on the case Thursday morning. On the one hand, Trump-nominated Judge Karin Immergut concluded the administration lacked any legal justification to seize control of the state’s troops; on the other hand, the administration’s lawyers argue Immergut “impermissibly second-guessed the Commander-in-Chief’s military judgements.”
Still Shut: The Senate once again failed to pass either of two partisan funding bills to end the government shutdown, which now enters its second week. The White House is now arguing the several hundred thousand forcibly furloughed workers aren’t entitled to backpay. Then the Office of Management and Budget — headed by Project 2025 alum Russ Vought — amended its shutdown guidance document to remove mention of a 2019 law that guarantees all federal workers receive backpay. Trump now says he may pick and choose which furloughed government workers would receive back pay. “We’re going to take care of our people,” Trump said. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of.” Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have said all workers should automatically get paid. Also, not doing paying employees for their work is illegal.
Back to Earth: Airports around the country are delaying or grounding flights amid staffing shortages caused by the shutdown. If you’re flying during the shutdown, check flight schedules.
Complication: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) this week spoke out in favor of Obamacare subsidies, which Democrats insist must be extended as part of a bill to fund government. “I’m absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year,” Greene wrote. “Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!”
Delay, Delay, Delay: House Republicans once again refused to allow Democrats to swear in newly elected Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) today. She warned that “this is an incredibly scary precedent to set. If you don’t agree with the politics of the speaker, then they can keep you out of your duly elected office.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Tuesday claimed his stalling has “nothing to do with” Epstein — remember, Grijalva is the final vote needed to force the administration to release all Epstein files — and claimed he would schedule Grijalva’s swearing in ceremony “whenever she wants.”
Quiet Part Out Loud: White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller appeared to mistakenly admit he believes Trump has “plenary authority” on a CNN interview. Miller abruptly stopped talking after saying the phrase, and the network blamed technical issues. Google searches for the term exploded after Miller’s strange behavior went viral. It means “power that is wide-ranging, broadly construed, and often limitless for all practical purposes.”
Case in Point: America First Legal, a nonprofit founded by Miller, argued in a court filing Tuesday that federal judges cannot question Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops.
Nightmare Scenario: Throughout war-torn Myanmar, refugees — including children — are weakened and dying of hunger and disease, in part due to the Trump administration’s devastating cuts to foreign aid. The Associated Press has a devastating story about this that’s worth your time. “The sorrow is so deep, I can’t even cry,” one man told the AP. “The entire world has forgotten the refugees and the people of Myanmar.” Perhaps someone could pass the message to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who months ago repeatedly testified to Congress that “no one has died because of USAID” cuts.
The Experts Have Arrived: US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner joined ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas today. Officials on both sides, including Trump himself, insist a deal is close. “We have a great team over there,” Trump said, “great negotiators, and they’re, unfortunately, great negotiators on the other side also.” He said he “may go there sometime toward the end of the week. Maybe on Sunday.” While Hamas has agreed it will not have a role in governing Gaza after the war, it has not addressed disarmament, and is demanding assurances a ceasefire will be permanent.
Pulse Check: No matter what Trump claims, polls increasingly show broad opposition to his administration’s actions.
General: 60% of adults say the country is on the wrong track, and pessimism increased between August and September.
Immigration: While a majority (54%) continue to support deporting immigrants in the country illegally, 53% believe the process of deporting people hasn’t been fair, 52% disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, 51% think his actions have gone too far, and 42% believe the government is deporting the wrong people.
Shutdown: 80% are concerned about the shutdown; more people blame Trump and the GOP.
Troops: 58% of Americans believe Trump should deploy armed troops only in response to external threats, and 48% think presidents shouldn’t be able to deploy troops into a state over its governor’s objection (compared to 37% who think they should).
News That Doesn’t Suck
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