Wildfires & the Felon

 

Los Angeles officials expect the death toll from the wildfires in the county to continue to rise, as workers comb through incinerated neighborhoods with cadaver dogs.

Nearly 180,000 people have been evacuated and at least 10 have been killed in the fast-moving fires that have torn through the county, propelled by hurricane-force winds. The burnt areas now cover more than 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres), with about 10,000 structures charred by the two biggest blazes. Meanwhile, Santa Monica declared a curfew because of looting, officials said, with at least 20 arrests made.

After briefly easing on Thursday, the gales were expected to intensify again in the evening and into Friday. Even as officials expressed cautious optimism that the Sunset fire in the Hollywood Hills was now under control, a new fire, the Kenneth fire, erupted on Thursday afternoon in the San Fernando valley, triggering evacuation orders.

• How big are the fires? The Palisades fire is 8,085 hectares and just 6% contained; Eaton is 5,540 hectares and not contained at all; Kenneth is 405 hectares and 35% contained; Hurst, 312 hectares and 37%; Lidia, 141 hectares and 60%.

 

Donald Trump will be sentenced on Friday in his New York hush-money case. He is the first US president – former or sitting – to have faced a criminal trial, let alone a conviction and sentencing.

Despite the unprecedented guilty verdict, Trump appears unlikely to face the force of the law. The judge presiding over his case, Juan Merchan, has strongly hinted that Trump will not be punished for committing 34 felony counts in an effort to influence the 2016 election.

• Why is he unlikely to be jailed or fined? In July, a US supreme court ruling granted presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts. Merchan said that in weighing all the factors and concerns about presidential immunity, a sentence of “unconditional discharge appears to be the most viable solution”. That means that apart from being named a convicted felon, Trump won’t face any penalty.

-The Guardian