Defense Distributed Founder, Cody Wilson joins Glenn to discuss the recent court ruling and how this will affect previous gun decisions. This is the most important conversation America should be having today.
RADIO
January 15, 2025
California Fire Chief Reveals BIG Issue with Federal Forest Agencies
It's not just California that needs to clean up its forests before more devastating fires break out. Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy tells Glenn that the United States Forest Service and the Department of the Interior BOTH need to clear more brush: "I've worked for both the USDA and USDI. Let's face it...we've got an unhealthy landscape out there. We need to start putting beneficial fire on the landscape.” But he warns that these agencies are losing firefighters FAST: “It doesn't matter how many millions or billions of dollars you throw at the problem if you don't have the people there to do the work."
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: As the gods of the copybook headings limp up to explain once more that fire will certainly burn us and water will wet us. They could learn that in California.
We have Brian Fennessy. He is the Orange County California fire chief.
To tell us a little bit about what's going on. And how is Orange County doing, Brian?
Welcome to the program.
BRIAN: Hey, thank you very much. You know, a little bit about the fires, just across from LA. You know, they're not spreading. As they were, I think both are kind of in a stable position. But there's certainly a lot of heat, you know, in those. And on those fires. In the new wind event approximately albeit. Not 80 miles an hour. One hundred-mile-an-hour gusts. Are still very concerning.
Those fires will be wind tested. Here in North Carolina, it's blowing hard. It was up last week. I think we here dodged a bullet.
But we're expecting that for another couple of days. I'm told there might be another Santa Anna wind event forecasted for next week. So we sure can't stand much more.
GLENN: So, Brian, this is totally predictable. Was it not?
BRIAN: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. When I started in 1978. We would usually have a few days notice.
You know, meteorology is not what it is today. We start to get notified about ten days out.
And then confidence builds at seven days.
And then when you're about four days out, we're pretty sure, you know, what's going to expect.
Yes. Forecasting predicting is far better than it's ever been.
GLENN: Right. So what should have been done in those four days before the fire broke out?
BRIAN: Well, I'll tell you what was done. And we have a program called prepositioning. About six years ago, the fire chiefs in the state, got the state of California to fund -- to put money behind this prepositioning meeting. If we go through a matrix, you know, county-by-county, and we meet certain criteria. I mean, there's a number of things. We are approved for prepositioning funding.
Which means, I can bring on additional aircraft, additional bulldozers, engines.
And the state will pay for them. So that not only are all my stations filled and ready to go.
But I might have two or three more strike teams, strike teams five engines. I might have additional helicopters, dispatch staff.
So all of the Southern California counties were approved for prepositioning. So we had definitely extra resources available, should they be needed.
And certainly, they were deployed very, very quickly.
GLENN: But that's Orange County.
BRIAN: No, that's every county -- every county of the state is eligible for it. But each county has to go through this matrix to meet it.
And so I don't know for sure. But I would expect that Santa Barbara county south, were all approved for prepositioning funding.
And, quite frankly, here in Orange County and when I was the fire chief in San Diego city, we didn't wait for prepositioning. If this weather was going to surface, we are going to staff up.
And if we go overbudget, we go overbudget.
Our job is to protect our communities. And the mayor I worked for at the time, understood that.
So it's nice to be reimbursed for it, but that's not a necessity. We are going to staff up, even beyond what the state approves, if we believe we need to do that.
GLENN: Right. Yeah.
So as we're watching this from Texas and all around the country, it seems as though, it was, A, known that it was going to happen. This is routine. You expect the Santa Anna winds, every year.
You expect forest fires.
And brushfires, in California. Every year.
So this was just one of the really bad ones.
Then it seems like incompetence of cutting the funding for the fire agencies. Not really, truly being prepared. And then on top of it, it seems incompetence to a level that is almost criminal.
And then the third part of this, as we see it, as I see it. Is there might be some actors after the main fire started, that are also, you know, setting fires. What they're -- what their motives are, are yet unknown.
There are also some arsonists involved in that.
Do I have that picture right?
VOICE: Partially. And maybe totally. I don't know for sure.
But I will tell you this. I live in -- I grew up in Altadena. That's one of the towns pretty well wiped out.
When you live that close to the foothills. You're used to Santa Anna winds.
You know they're coming, and they can be brutal right there in the foothills. And it's not uncommon for a strong -- we consider strong Santa Anna, forty or 50 mile an hour winds steady, with gusts maybe to 60, 70.
The event that was experienced last week. And you know this, was 60, 70, steady, gusts, 90 to 100. Something like that. We have a hard time dealing with the former.
Something like that. We're trying to manage expectations, as -- we can't stop that fire.
And I think that, you know, many times, you know, the public. Let me put it this way.
If this were a hurricane or a tornado. Firefighters aren't stopping those either.
GLENN: Right. But they do preposition.
You look at Florida. They've got the trucks lined up before that thing comes ashore.
BRIAN: Yep. They're the best. They get disaster preparations in advance. They get that moving. Florida is an amazing model.
And Texas is a good model as well.
But in terms of, I can't speak of LA city. I don't know what they're prepositioned or upstaffed. They could have another thousand engines. And we weren't going to stop this fire.
Now, having said that. Once the winds diminished. And the fire. This is no longer a wild land fire.
This became an urban conflagration.
House to house spread.
The fuel was structures.
And so, you know, once the wind diminished to a point where, you know, firefighters could get in there and start working on the structures.
There were just so many.
I mean, I drove those fires -- I've been doing this since 1978.
I couldn't believe the structures, the businesses, that were burning so far, from the mountain, that it came off of.
I mean, it was even incredible for me. In terms of the water. I think that's being sorted out. I'm probably hearing the same things that you are. The reservoirs may not have been as filled as they needed to be.
Yes. A draw in the system, can cause some decrease in pressure. But I've never heard of anything that -- where there actually wasn't pressure.
I do know. And I've shared this with people.
In 2003, in San Diego, at the time, the largest fire in California history. We lost pressure.
But that was because pump houses. Pump stations had been burned.
And we didn't know they existed. Had we known, we would have protected those pump houses, as much as we protect a house.
To ensure that we have pressure.
GLENN: Right.
BRIAN: So I'm confident in the city of LA, and I'm hearing the governor is ordering an investigation. That's going to get sorted out. That's going to get public.
And, yes, it could be quite embarrassing and life-changing for a few people, involved in whatever decision made by both parties.
GLENN: Good. Good. We have to learn from our lessons. You know, learn lessons from our mistakes.
BRIAN: Totally agree.
GLENN: You are being talked about going into the Department of Interior.
You had not heard that?
BRIAN: Oh! Well, I'm hearing rumblings. People asked if I was interested in perhaps even becoming the new US forest service chief. And I have served with others that should I be approached at some point. I would certainly consider it.
Because, quite frankly, that agency is a mess, when it comes to fire fighting.
GLENN: Yeah.
BRIAN: They -- you know, paying benefits for -- the firefighters are leaving in droves.
They are so underpaid and underbenefited, that they're leaving, you know, to go to work for state and local government agencies, like mine.
And like L.A. Counties. And this isn't anything new.
You know, I used to work for them, for 13 years. Both the USDA foresters, and the Department of Interior. BLM. And I left as a crew superintendent. And I ran crews. And back then, you know, we were significantly underpaid.
I left the municipal department in 1990. Went to San Diego, because of it. And it's gotten worse.
And it's not managed or organized like a fire department. And if they're going to be in the fire business, you know, they need to be organized and led like a fire department.
Yes, there are resource agency. And, yes, they have things beyond fire, but if you look at the forest service budget, primarily now, it's fire being funded.
GLENN: Sure.
BRIAN: And they definitely need some help in their firefighters. Quite frankly, Glenn, they will be without a fire department very, very soon.
GLENN: Jeez. I have to tell you, it was the national forest service that helped save my neighbor's ranch and probably mine. If we would have had high winds, it would have been over. But the local fire came out. And immediately, the forest service had already positioned.
Because they looked at my canyon and went. This is dry. This is just a disaster waiting to happen.
And they were ready for it.
And they saved it. They did a great job there.
BRIAN: They have amazing firefighters.
GLENN: Yeah. They do.
BRIAN: Spent 13 years in a hotshot group.
I know the business. And I know the people that are out there now. Their firefighters are amazing. Their smoke jumpers. Their hotshots. Their engine cruiser.
Unfortunately, you know, again, they're organized in such a way, that nationally.
They don't -- it would take too long to speak.
But it's just sad to see.
I mean, here in California, I'm told that they're -- we're only able to staff the stations at 60 percent. In my own county. I have three forest service stations.
And they can only staff one of those stations.
Two on occasion. Eight to ten all summer.
We had a fire. We had a fire.
The airport fire, earlier this summer. That burned 100 homes.
And the station closest to that fire was not staffed
And so, you know, I made Congress aware.
And others aware.
And right now, I don't think the forest service is happy with me.
Because I'm being very public about things they should be very public about.
GLENN: So would it be the forest service or the department of interior, that would be responsible for getting under brush cleared?
MIKHAIL: Well, I think it's both. I worked for both the USDA and the USDI.
And let's face it. At least out in the west, the firefighters for decades did such a great job, suppressing fires quickly. That it caused this growth.
And we had an unhealthy landscape out there. And we need to have beneficial fire back on the landscape.
Here's another thing, Glenn. The same firefighters that were losing, those are the people that were going to do the work.
GLENN: I know.
BRIAN: So if you don't have the workforce to do the work, that needs to be done. How will you get it done? It doesn't matter how many millions or billions of dollars you throw at the problem, if you don't have the people, there to do the work.
But, yes. I mean, we need to do something about this unhealthy -- and people are working hard at it.
Certainly, Cal fires are showing amazing, incredible success with it. But you're years behind them.
GLENN: Oh, I know.
BRIAN: This is decades of not treating the fuels and the landscape. And it's going to be decades to fix it.
But we've got to do something. And we have to have a workforce to be able to do it. And like I say, if asked -- and I haven't been asked by anybody officially.
Jut informally. People have suggested and asked, is that something I would consider?
And absolutely.
And, you know, certainly, pay is less of an issue. It would be a pay cut for me. But it's not about that.
It's about -- it's about, you know, what we as firefighters, you know, have sworn to do, and we need to fix that organization.
GLENN: Quickly. Quickly. Can I ask you, am I up against a network break? Can I just ask you about the safety inspections about the Oregon fire trucks and everything.
That is not to make sure of the missions.
That's to make sure that we could function, correct?
Which seems insane too, but go ahead.
GLENN: You know, I'm unaware of what you're talking about.
I know we do expect. Not we. But the state or the feds will inspect, you know, engines or what not. When they arrive. And then before they leave to make sure they're safe.
So I'm not familiar at all, with the situation you're talking about.
GLENN: All right.
Brian, thank you so much.
I hope you're called up. Because we need to take all of our agencies.
And especially all of our services that are protecting us.
Seriously again, we haven't for a long time.
Brian, thank you so much.
BRIAN: Yep. We need change. So thank you.
GLENN: Yep. Brian Fennessy, orange County Fire Chief. All right
RADIO
January 14, 2025
Why California Officials Shouldn’t Get a DIME of Wildfire Aid Without MAJOR Conditions
House Speaker Mike Johnson has caused some controversy by suggesting that any wildfire aid given to California MUST come with conditions. But should this be controversial … or common sense? Glenn reviews 3 reasons that the Californian government shouldn’t receive a DIME from U.S. taxpayers without major restrictions. If the REAL “science deniers” like Governor Gavin Newsom can’t admit that their own policies helped fuel this disaster, Glenn argues that we can’t trust them with our money. California was warned days before the fires that conditions could cause a blaze. And there are fires in the state EVERY year. So, why wasn’t California prepared?
If you would like to help the PEOPLE - not the government - of California, you can donate at https://MercuryOne.org
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: But let me go into first, what is happening in California. The fires are still burning.
And, you know, good for them. Good for them.
Meanwhile, we have Newsom, talking about his marshal plan to rebuild Los Angeles, and let's go to cut three there, please.
VOICE: Over the course of the next several years in Los Angeles, will be hosts to the World Cup, and then the Super Bowl. And then the Olympics.
With this rebuilding effort, needing to take place, is LA going to be ready for all those global events?
VOICE: All that opportunity, that pride and spirit, that comes from not just hosting those three iconic games, but also the opportunity I think to rebuild at the same time. And that's why we're already organizing a marshal plan.
We're already looking at a team, looking to reimagine LA 2.0. And we're making sure everyone is included, not just folks on the coast.
People here, that were ravaged by this disaster.
VOICE: You just said, you're organizing a marshal plan for the rebuilding of California. What is that marshal plan? Tell us about this marshal plan.
VOICE: We're starting to lay out.
We're still fighting these fires. We're already talking to city leaders. We're already talking to civic leaders. We're already talking to business leaders. Nonprofits.
We're talking to labor leaders.
We're starting to organize, how we can put together a collection of individuals on philanthropy on recovery.
How we can organize the region. How we can make sure that we are seeking federal assistance, for the Olympics more broadly.
But also federal assistance for the recovery efforts, and how we can galvanize the community.
GLENN: Okay.
So I'm glad he's talking about the future. This brings us to Mike Johnson.
Something that I haven't talked about. Haven't had a chance to talk about yet. He wants to put some restrictions. His aid proposal for California. Is that he's trying to put conditions on the aid sent to California. And people are saying, that's insane! You don't do that. Where is your compassion?
I want to talk to you about how compassion is sometimes difficult.
Compassion. True compassion is sometimes the hardest thing to muster.
Because you want to give, until you can't give anymore.
You want to help.
You want to be there. But you have an alcoholic. In California.
California is the political system is an alcoholic.
And it is destroying the entire state. And you don't say when an alcoholic is suddenly, you know, in the hospital, or, you know, really, really down, and, you know, out on the streets. You know what, I'm going to give you all the need to get back into your house. Because the alcoholic will spend that, and just end up in the same place, if not worse. Sometimes, you have to have tough love. You know this with your family. Any kind of aid, that goes to California, I think it is only responsible to aid the people, as quickly as possible. Aid the homeowners, as quickly as possible. Help them make sure that they have a place to go. Make sure that they -- like the government wasn't doing in North Carolina. Making sure that they have hotel rooms for as long as they need them, within reason. Now, within reason, many of these people are wildly wealthy. Some are very poor. There needs to be some understanding that the wildly wealthy. You know, we're not going to put you up at the Beverly Hills Hotel. That's just the way it is. Sorry.
But we're going to help the people. But when it comes to the state, if they cannot admit that this is not climate change, that this happened because of their policies. If they cannot admit that, they shouldn't get a dime.
I'm a taxpayer. I want to help California. Just like I want to help all the other states, when they have a problem, that they cannot handle. That is too big for their state.
But they took all of their resources. And honestly, you could make the case. I'm not. But you could make the case, this was intentional sabotage. Pragmatism now, I want to tell you about the three-fold problem in California, as I see it.
There are three things that are happening in California.
One, the Santa Anna winds, low humidity, and uncleared brush always causes fires. Always.
They are known to cause fires. They have been known throughout history.
Do you know why the great redwoods and the sequoias have grown for a thousand years? Do you know how those trees got so big? They're in California. How is that possible? How have they not been wiped out by fire?
We have to protect the sequoias. To an the sap in sequoias is fire retardant. That's why they can grow for a thousand years. God gave them.
God knew, there would be fires in California. Those trees have fire retardant as part of their life's blood. That's why they haven't burned down over and over and over again.
Normal trees don't have that. That's why fires burn all the time. And if you don't have regular maintenance on your forests and on your property, you are going to have a brush fire. And a brush fire turns into a forest fire.
And if you add 75 to 100-mile-an-hour winds. You could burn down the entire state!
Except, it seems for the sequoias and the redwoods. What this government of California has done, has stopped people in the name of the good of the forest and the good of the land, is to deny science. They have been denying science, for decades! They have been playing God for over a century!
They want to tell you, that a woman can be a man, and a man can be a woman, and a man can have a baby!
That's not true! That's denying science!
To say, that we can prevent the forest fires is a lie. That is as arrogant as saying, we can change the weather!
Now, don't think our government and governments all over the world, aren't trying to change the weather.
But let me ask you honestly. How do you think that's going to work out in the end?
How do you think cloud seating and putting gases and different things up into the atmosphere, or giant shades in space, to block the sun.
How do you think that's going to work out in the end?
Well, or will it end the same way our arrogance always ends?
There are things that we can do.
To mitigate natural occurrences.
For instance, if you were -- let's say, you got on December 2nd.
Can we get that weather warning up from the National Weather Service. It's January second, next Tuesday through Thursday. January 7th through the ninth.
A chance of moderate, to strong Santa Anna winds.
This is for -- is from the National Weather Service. Ready, set, go.
Readyforwildfire.org. Impacts. Extreme fire growth behavior possible, if a fire starts and power outages. Use extra caution with potential fire sources.
Now, this was added the week before the fires!
Now, that's the National Weather Service, giving a warning to the people of California. You can bet, that government agency, let other government agencies know, at the same time.
Continually didn't go up to your house.
It went out to everybody's house.
It went to the firehouses. It went to the governor's house. It went to the mayor's house. They knew in advance!
So let me ask you, in a nonprogressive state, what would somebody like Ron DeSantis do? What do we do for hurricanes? Hurricanes are like fires in California. You know you're going to have them, every single year. Am I wrong?
Okay. If you have them and you get a warning, one is potentially coming, that could be record-setting. What do you do? Well, I'll tell you what a nonprogressive state like Florida, with a governor who is -- is embracing reality. What he does, is he prepositions all of the utility trucks. Prepositions all of the lifesaving trucks. He makes sure that we have plenty of chainsaws. He makes sure that the -- the state is ready and literally waiting. So what should Gavin Newsom have done? When he got that warning, 100-year warning of a fire. He should have said, make sure all the reservoirs are full. Make sure that we have all of the fire trucks. Positioned. Put them in the high-risk areas. Just let them sit there. Have the firemen sit there in really dangerous areas. Make sure that if you see a fire or smoke, that thing is out right away. You can't get up these hills with fire equipment quickly. If you've ever been to California. It's honestly, like navigating the Appalachia. It's like going to North Carolina. Why? Were so many people trapped? Because it's impossible to navigate those hills and those mountains quickly! The same thing in California. Did they do that? No. Do they make sure that they had things in advance? No!
What is the one given if you're living in California? What is the one thing that you know is going to happen in California, besides political insanity. You know there's a chance of an earthquake? So what do you do? You build your building stronger, right? You know there's a chance of a mudslide. So what do you do? You make sure that you -- you have your foundations deep. But then you also, when you buy it, know, I'm gasping here. My house could slide down the side of this mountain. You're charged extra for insurance. But the one thing you know is going to happen every year, is fire. Why wouldn't California be the number one fire ready and resistant area in the United States? I'll tell you with why, in 60 seconds. Let me tell you about JASE Medical.
It's kind of been a terrifying past several months. At least when it comes to summer blockbuster level disasters from wildfires to hurricanes, sea to shining sea.
We've witnessed the danger that nature and mismanagement can bring. How many times last year and this year, so far have people been stranded without access to medications that they might need?
That doesn't have to be your family, or you. Because you know about it. And hopefully, you have the JASE case, by now.
It is a simple, reliable, emergency room supply. Of lifesaving medications to put control in your hands.
There's no way to prepare for literally every single thing that could go on.
But there's lots of ways to prepare for everything that you know could go wrong. The JASE case is a must have for that! This isn't about fear. It's about responsibility.
Being prepared, California, is the best way to protect your family and your future.
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(music)
Okay. So I think there are three things happening in California, and this is why we're having this conversation today. And we're having to make tough decisions.
One, fires are natural, especially in California. They're going to happen due to global warming or not. When you have out of control homeless problems, your risk of fire increases. Why?
Because people who take meth, one of the side effects is, you like to see things burn. Also, you have homeless people, who start fires, maybe to stay warm.
Maybe just to eat.
But when you have huge homeless problems, your risk of fire goes up. You also have the Santa Anna winds. And the natural history of California.
They were unprepared. That's number two. Number one is, it's going to happen.
Any moron could see this happen. This wasn't 9/11 where, wow! We never thought planes could fly into the buildings. This is a wildfire in California!
It happens every year, just like the sun comes up every morning. Two, they were not prepared. They knew it was going to happen. They were not prepared.
Okay. Next thing: Their incompetence is borderline criminal. What they've done, not just in their incompetence, but by shifting funds away from fires. Away from preparedness. For something you knew that was going to happen, to I don't know.
To give more job opportunities for equal opportunity for lesbian lizard cults. By doing that and taking money away from the state, I'm sorry.
That's not just incompetence. That's borderline criminal. And, three, you have people who are now just joining in! What a surprise!
It looks as though, you have foreigners, here illegally, on our streets! Setting fires!
Who could have seen that one coming?
That's what's happening, in California it's natural!
It happens every year. They didn't prepare. They went the opposite direction. You have people joining in to help.
Now, I believe this fire started naturally. And then it's been helped by forces that I don't understand yet.
I don't know if this was a plot. Or just, you know, lone wolves, setting fires.
But also, nature helped by Santa Anna winds. Which he with understand.
And the incompetence.
Why would we give California a dime, without restrictions?
I'm not talking about the people, who are suffering right now, and have no money, and no place to go.
I'm talking about rebuilding in California.
Every dollar should have restrictions on it, to the government of California. Because I'm not paying for this twice. I'm not doing it!
They need to learn their lesson. Not the people.
The people in government.
RADIO
January 14, 2025
Did Lip Readers DECODE Obama & Trump’s Conversation at Jimmy Carter’s Funeral?
Did Donald Trump and Barack Obama chat and laugh like old friends at Jimmy Carter’s funeral? Or was the footage misleading? Well, some companies have hired lip readers to figure out what they were talking about and they speculate that Trump wanted an urgent meeting with Obama. But maybe the lip readers aren’t as accurate as they seem. Glenn also reviews clips of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin News that tell you everything you need to know about them.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: All righty. I just -- to stop here real quick.
Just one more thing about Karen Bass, who is doing a bang-up job.
No. She is on fire. She is en fuego. Karen Bass. The mayor of Los Angeles.
She was given some information yesterday.
Cut 25, please.
She was fabulous.
Listen to this.
VOICE: Build stronger than ever. Right now, if you need help, emergency information, resources, and shelter is available. All of this can be found at URL.
Los Angeles together is how we move --
GLENN: Okay. I think we can stop there.
Stu, would you just find that information at URL for me?
STU: Yeah. Let me type on this.
URL. Got it. Perfect. Here it is.
GLENN: Wait. What?
STU: All the information I need is right here.
In fact, I will say --
GLENN: URL.
STU: All the information I needed about Karen Bass is in that clip.
It doesn't tell me anything about the fires.
GLENN: Nope. Nope.
All you need.
Can you imagine? People are at home.
If they don't know what an URL is, and who doesn't?
Honestly, at this point, who doesn't know what an URL is?
It's like, find all the information at www.dot, and they'll have all the information for you. I mean, oh, my gosh.
How can she possibly say that?
I mean, just not engaged in thinking at all.
But then again. It's hard to look back next to Newsom.
Did you see when Newsom was in the street? And some woman came up to him. And he's like, oh, I've got a -- I've got the president on the phone.
Really? Can I see it? Well, not now.
I mean, it's actually the King of England.
It's your husband I'm talking to right now!
He's really -- I've got somebody on the phone. I've got to go. Listen to this.
Cut 23.
VOICE: Governor, you've got a second? Governor.
VOICE: Nope, I don't.
VOICE: Governor, I live here! Governor. That was my daughter's school, Governor. Please tell me --
VOICE: Literally, talking to the president right now, to specifically answer the questions.
GLENN: He's literally -- stop. Stop. Stop. Hang on just a second.
He's literally talking to the president right now. Now, see how this lie falls apart. Go ahead.
VOICE: For you and your daughter.
VOICE: Can I hear your call? Because I don't believe it.
VOICE: I'm sorry. There's literally -- I tried five times this morning. I'm making --
VOICE: Why is the president not taking your call? Why?
GLENN: Hold on just a second. So he's literally not talking to the president right now. He's literally trying to talk to the president right now.
That's why he's walking around. He can't get cell coverage.
And, you know, honestly, what do you people in LA expect?
You know, phone coverage wherever you are?
I mean, you know, what are you -- there's a fire going on. What do you need cell coverage for?
Hello!
Oh, my gosh.
STU: It's incredible.
I was waiting for him to go, yeah.
And we'll help you as soon as -- oh, hold on.
That could be the president now. Hello!
Mr. President.
It's so bad.
GLENN: So bad.
STU: And I will say, it's really sad to see, the city of Los Angeles, go up in flames.
I'm not as sad to see Gavin Newsom 2028 go down in flames.
As we watch this go on.
How can this guy -- he wants to be your next president desperately.
He really does, wants to run no matter what.
But how can anybody put him in office after watching this?
GLENN: Well, you have to read the facts about him, and you can find the facts at URL.
Now, let me -- let me move on to the funeral yesterday, of Jimmy Carter.
I have never seen -- honestly, yeah. It was like the housewives of Washington, DC.
I have never seen the presidential squad with all the living presidents, look so crazy!
Let me just -- start with the video of them just walking in and being ushered in.
Because they're ushered in. One by one.
Bill Clinton looks like, you know. He's probably the next to go. I hate to say that. Melania was so stoic yesterday. Here's Mike Pence giving him a warm handshake to Melania and Trump. They're cordial to each other. Melania was so stoic. It was the one-year anniversary of her mother's death yesterday. So, you know, one year death of somebody like your mom is really tough.
And so she's at a funeral. And she's just -- I just think she's the classiest First Lady that we've had at least in my lifetime. I mean, I think she beats Jackie O. And she has pretty much the same kind of pressure on her that Jackie O did. And she's been classy all the way.
Then you get -- let's go to Obama cutting there with Donald Trump. They're at the funeral. The funeral I think is going on.
And play the video now of Donald Trump and Barack Obama.
(music)
Just sitting there, they're laughing.
I've got to get back into the lipreading thing here for a second.
But Barack Obama is laughing.
And my favorite part is, have you ever been -- you've been on one side of this.
One side or the other.
You know when somebody is talking and screwing around in a movie theater.
And there's that person, who doesn't want to say anything.
And is not going to say anything.
But they just turn around and give you a look like, die!
You know that look?
Usually comes from women. They just turn around and look at you like, stop it!
And they turn around, and they're in a handcuff.
Well, that's what happened with Kamala yesterday.
As Barack Obama is laughing. She turns around like that schoolmarm.
She turns around and looks at them, like die!
And then turns around and then picks up her program and pretends to read it.
And you know she's not reading it. She's just so angry, for some reason.
When they come in and they're seating. They seat the First Lady and -- and her -- the First Lady two, her husband.
When they're sitting down, then they bring in Jill and Joe Biden.
I mean, I'm in the mountains of the West right now.
It's -- I don't know. Outside, it's probably one!
It was colder in that church, when those two saw each other, than it is right now!
I mean, it was brutal. Brutal.
Let me see. Let me go to the -- go back to the funeral thing.
Where they're -- they're talking back and forth.
And let me tell you about the -- the lip-reader. Did you read about the lip-reader? What they said?
STU: I haven't heard that. Yeah.
GLENN: Okay.
So they're talking back and forth.
And at one point, Trump. This is according to a lip-reader.
Trump leans over to Obama, and says, I've pulled out of that.
It's the conditions. Can you imagine that?
Now, I don't know if he was talking about Kamala, or -- I don't know what -- it might have been some sort of a deal, global warming.
I don't know what it was. But the speculation, maybe it's the Iran Nuclear Deal, or the Paris Climate Agreement.
And they don't know what they were discussing, but Obama laughs.
So I don't know how this relates to that. He laughs. And then Trump says, and after, I will. So we don't know what that means. The TV cool camera, cut away from the two guys.
And then when it comes back on, Trump says, call me at the foy after.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And maybe that was the foyer, or there's a little known hotel called the Foy.
At this point, I'm starting to question the lipreading. You know what I mean?
Maybe he meant the foyer, but only said the foy, and he wanted to call him when he was in the foyer. I mean, it just doesn't --
STU: Oh. A lot of people abbreviate foyer, to foy.
GLENN: Oh, it happens all the time.
STU: Very common.
GLENN: Where did you leave that? I left it in the foy. Okay. Right.
So he said, call me at the foy after. Then Obama said, can you just -- it should be good. Again, that doesn't work as a sentence.
It doesn't work. Okay?
STU: Sometimes, you have information that you don't need to communicate with other people.
If what you came up with as a lip-reader.
He said, I want to -- he had squirrel.
If that is what you came up with. Just don't tell people.
GLENN: You're probably not reading it right.
STU: Yeah.
GLENN: Then Trump said, I can't talk.
We have to find a quiet place sometime.
This is a matter of importance, and we need to do this outside. So we can deal with it.
Certainly, today!
Okay. What would Donald Trump beat -- and then Obama is laughing.
What would be important, that would make Barack Obama laugh, that they had to deal with, today, the two of them?
The lip-reader also interpreted Obama as saying, listen to me. It's a chore. It's a chore.
Yeah.
Trump replied. I can't think of anything, that is a chore.
That sentence doesn't even make sense.
STU: No.
GLENN: It doesn't make sense.
STU: Who did they hire for this job?
This is the worst --
GLENN: I'm a lip-reader!
I know what they're saying. Soup. Soup.
(laughter)
GLENN: Soup.
I don't think that's what they were saying. I mean, maybe -- I don't know who they hired as a lip-reader. Oh, here it is. Here it is.
STU: Sorry. I didn't want to interrupt. We do have a sentence for Donald Trump that has just come down.
GLENN: Oh, we do!'.
You mean, from the lip-reader or the sentence from the judge?
STU: No, I'm lipreading people on TV, as we do the show.
GLENN: Okay. All right. All right. I got a sentence from the lip-reader. Cake is good!
STU: They've sentenced him to balloons. I don't know what that means. Why?
GLENN: What is the sentence?
STU: This is -- this is not me misreading the lip-reader.
This is the actual sentence.
The judge has sentenced Donald Trump to unconditional discharge.
I swear that's --
GLENN: I've had that before.
It's nasty!
You take some medication.
STU: Yeah.
GLENN: And it clears up.
But that unintentional. Or unrelenting. Whatever it was. Discharge can happen.
STU: Unrelenting discharge. If you have antibiotic cream, you can get rid of it quickly.
GLENN: Get rid of it. Quickly.
STU: So unconditional discharge means, they just let them go. That's what it is.
He walks out without any conditions. That's what this built up to.
We spent millions and millions of dollars to say, hey, Don. See you later.
That's it. That's the whole thing?
Fitting process.
GLENN: If you have discharge of any kind, call your doctor.
(laughter)
Unconditional --
STU: Unconditional discharge lasts for four hours or more.
You need to see a physician immediately.
RADIO
January 13, 2025
The INFURIATING Reason Why Fire Hydrants Ran Dry in Los Angeles
The wildfires around Los Angeles are a historic disaster. But why was California so unprepared? Glenn reviews one of the biggest issues that has allowed these fires to spread: fire hydrants have dried up. At first, Governor Gavin Newsom, who loves big government, said this was a local issue. However, since then, he has started an investigation. But why, Glenn asks, did he first try to avoid the blame? Glenn reviews where California’s water situation came from: public-private partnerships between companies and unelected bureaucrats. “California, are you starting to understand?” Glenn says. “That’s why we say the Deep State is bad…no one is accountable.” So, will this tragedy be enough for Californians to wake up?
If you would like to help with the relief effort, you can donate at https://MercuryOne.org
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: So as of yesterday, yesterday afternoon, the LA Times reported that at least five people have died in the fires raging across Los Angeles.
Officials believe the actual numbers are much higher than that. Thousands of homes have been destroyed. There is zero containment at this point. Over 130,000 people are under evacuation orders. The freeways are parking lots. It's absolutely out of control.
With it not even contained and heading towards Los Angeles, it is projected to possibly the costliest wildfire disaster in history.
Now, I mean, there's a tendency when things like this happen, to rush to politics, and that's understandable. There are questions that need to be answered.
Why does this keep happening in California? And why do the people in California, keep putting up with it?
Why is California never prepared?
You would think California would be prepared for wildfires. Right?
I'm going to address part of that, first. But first, let me tell you about Mercury One. As usual, one of the first responders there is Mercury One.
We are collaborating with multiple partners to get food and supplies to those who need it most. We are working with churches on the ground. Yes. There are some.
We are working with the nonprofits. If you would like to help the relief effort, go to MercuryOne.org. And contribute to the relief effort. A lot of work that needs to get done, and a lot of work that has to happen quickly.
By the way, so you know, and I'm going to give you all the information on this later. In North Carolina, while the president is saying that he's going to take care of everybody in Los Angeles. Don't worry about it. He's -- checks are on the way. The government will cover absolutely everything.
While he was saying that, Mercury One was on the phone, doing a transaction with several hotels, to pay for people who have nothing! And got their big 700-dollar check from the government. They were being kicked out. And I think we've -- I think -- I think we've put them up now for another six or seven weeks.
So, you know, what -- whatnots used in California, or they don't need in California, they still in need other disaster areas.
And we are there. So go to MercuryOne.org and help if you can. Now, many questions have to be asked and answered. Story came out yesterday, and I believe it was a pretty chilling example of what is to come in California.
If it continues to be as crazy. And it will be a blueprint for the rest of the country, if we don't all wake up. The story from The Daily Mail reads, quote, Governor Gavin Newsom's infuriating reaction after being asked why fire hydrants ran out of fire during the LA fires. Now, the fire hydrants ran dry. Right as firefighters were going to try to contain the breakout.
Now, this sounds like a conspiracy theory. But it happened!
And what was governor Newsom's response. I will read the quote. And try not to lose your breakfast when you hear it.
Quote, well, local folks will have to figure that out. That will be determined by local authorities.
Wait a minute. Hang on just a second. So the guy that holds the highest political office in California, who is constantly meddling in every single person's personal life. Who loves big government. More than comfortable with the phrase, trust us. We're the government. We know better. We're here to help.
The rubber meets the road. He's been doing all the deals with water. And he looks. Has the balls to look at the camera and go, what do you want from me? It's those guys. You talk to your local person, I have nothing to do with it. No, sir. That's not the way you guys have set California up.
California's water situation.
I mean, we've talked about this for years.
Years, we've talked about.
It is interesting to look at it. Because it's exactly what the Biden administration was doing with public/private partnerships.
It's all public/private partnerships. We talked about this before. We first saw this spoken out loud with places like the World Economic Forum
And then later canonized from the Biden administration. But what do public/private partnerships have to do with water in the Palisades.
Drying up in the middle of the most costliest wildfire disaster in American history.
Well, I recently saw Ana Kasparian send out a tweet on X.
Straight up dunking on Democratic leadership in California. She said, the Democrats were responsible for this disaster. No more passing the buck! She said.
Ana, quote, tweeted a video from an organization called, more perfect union. The tweet from the video states, quote, one billionaire couple owns all the water in California.
In 1994, the Resnicks, secretly seized control of California's public water supply. Now their companies use over 150 billion gallons every year.
While working class people suffer under drought conditions. Now, the video goes on to demonize Resnick and the family.
And the business conglomerate, for owning a vast amount of California water.
Now, I'm not letting this California company off the hook, okay?
But this is the response that always happens from the left. They treat corporations all across the spectrum the same way. And you see it in health care. Food production. Pharmaceuticals. On and on and on.
It's never the government's fault. It's those damn corporations.
It's always the corporation. Well, the corporations.
You know, a lot of people were mad when Donald Trump said, you know, the debate in 2016.
Well, how much taxes did you pay? He said exactly the amount I was supposed to pay.
Well, you didn't pay, you know, income tax on this or this.
And he's like, you want me to pay more taxes, then you have to change the law. I am operating in the system, you've gamed.
And everybody does this! So don't try to stick me out, because I'm rich. This is the way the income tax code works.
And he's right!
Well, they're doing the same thing with these corporations.
They make it so you can public/private partnership. They make it so you can go in and game the system.
And everybody has taken their share. All of -- you know why people aren't talking about Panama? The Panama Canal run by China now? You know why you never heard that?
Because all of the politicians. Most of them on both sides, were taking money from China. So they're never going to say anything. But now that China is bad, now that that's been exposed, I'm shocked that Donald Trump is actually exposing it. Because it's going to expose the graft on all sides.
And I'm happy about that. It's never the government's fault. May I propose, maybe there's a little bit more to the story here. Let's stick with California water here.
How did one family get into position where they hold the keys to a vast amount of the state's water. Well, the video goes into it. Listen.
VOICE: In 1994, state water officials, water infrastructure contractors, and agricultural land owners with water rights, arranged a secretive meeting at a resort in Monterey, California.
These groups, a mix of private companies and public agencies, rewrote California's water rules, without any input from voters, taxpayers or legislators. The new rules, called the Monterey Plus Agreement or the Monterey Amendments were devastating for working Californians and great for agricultural billionaires.
GLENN: Okay. This is going to make you very, very happy. Let's stop here for a second.
Is it really only good for the agricultural billionaires. And bad for the voters?
Were the giants of agricultures, the only ones at this, quote, secretive table.
No!
Now, they tried to make it sound, well, there was no legislator over there. There was no government officials.
Huh. Well, it's interesting.
Because corporations don't write laws. Or do they?
Can you get things done without your congressman or senator being involved at all?
Yes, you can!
Through the administrative state. Exactly what conservatives have been saying about the United States government. This way, there's no one to blame!
The members of the California assembly can all say, I didn't have anything to do with this.
And they didn't. They just set the system up. To be run by a bunch of bureaucrats. Who can make the deals for them. So who was joined in this secret table conversation?
State water officials. That's who. So in 1994, the Resnicks didn't twist their mess tash I don't see while simultaneously screwing over the state.
And I will tie Nel to the railroad tracks too. They were given this deal. They were made public/private partners with the lawmakers in California.
Now, after this deal was struck, water control, in times of shortage, went to the agricultural conglomerates, and first, then the urban areas like the palisades second.
You've got a problem with that? Well, who will you take it up with? The unnamed water officials that made this deal?
No! It should be with the elected officials. So there's someone you can go to and say, wait a minute. You made this deal.
This is a corrupt deal. Or this is a deal not in the best interest of the people. We're voting you out!
But see, progressives don't like accountability.
Progressives make it so the agencies have all of the power. California, is this starting to maybe come together for you?
You're starting to understand? That's why we say, the Deep State is bad?
Because they can get into all these public/private partnerships and do deals, and no one is accountable for it?
And then when it falls apart, then when people die, that's when all the government officials come out with their cronies in the media. And say, well, we had no idea.
This is wrong.
Those res nicks. Bad!
Well, they might be. I don't know. They might be bad.
But who sat at the table and put that deal together?
All right.
GLENN: So all the money that is exchanging hands here, isn't just good for the private businesses.
Oh, man, oh, man.
It's good for public lawmakers as well. Let's go back to the video.
Cut two.
VOICE: The Resnicks donate millions of dollars to politicians and research institutions, which help them secure control over water systems.
And even get more water and more taxpayer funding.
One important project is the proposed California Delta Tunnel, a taxpayer-funded project which would send water from Northern California to Central, where the Resnick's farms are.
They expend hundreds of thousands of dollars on state and federal legislation, and politicians who support the tunnel.
But their favorite politician is Senator Dianne Feinstein.
VOICE: You come in here and say it has to be my way or the highway.
VOICE: Chair of the energy and water subcommittee. She's a close personal friend of the Resnicks, attending their holiday parties in Aspen, and maintaining their financial interests.
A quick look through the bill she sponsored, shows several which would direct money to current adjacent water projects. The Resnicks even ask for things directly. When a pesky study about endangering salmon and fisheries, threatened the Delta Tunnel, Stewart wrote a letter to Feinstein, demanding a new study. She immediately forwarded it to the Obama administration, who agreed to spend 750,000 dollars on a new study.
GLENN: Yeah. A study came out the same way.
So we saved Chad Fishes. I don't know. I know one of the reasons why California is burning down is because we had to save the smelt. And who doesn't like a good smelt from time to time?
Okay. You buy the politicians. Then you buy off the experts.
You buy off the scientists. And you put it all together. And then you bring it to some bureaucrat. And they shut town the water.
That's what's happening in California. Oh, well, that and fact that remember, one of the last forest fires was blamed on the electrical companies.
Because they had a transformer blow.
And, well, that just never happens. And it started a wildfire. And so what did they do?
This time, when there was a wildfire, the electrical company said, we don't want to make this worse, shut down the power. Well, when they shut down the power, that also shut down the pumps, at the water pumping stations.
So they couldn't pump any water, if they had any water.
And the -- Gavin Newsom actually addressed this yesterday.
And he said, we've talked to the -- we've talked to the White House. And we're having generators shipped out here, as fast as we can get -- you don't even have generators at your water pumping station?
What the hell!
I mean, how did you not think this?
How?
What -- what was your plan? I would love to see their plan!
But this just explained. What you're seeing in California is exactly what is set up by the progressive left, all over the country.
It also explains how corrupt government officials and their crony relationships are destroying more than just California. It describes what's happened to American health care. It explains what's currently happening with big pharmaceutical companies.
Big food. The media. The border. The homeless problem.
In blue states all across the country see California?
That's what you're going to get. Public/private partnerships are poisoning the soul of our country.
They're also causing some to turn violent.
The stage is being set for the coming insurrection. If you know what that means, I don't use that lightly.
Taxpayers give their money to the government. The government then goes into business with private partners.
The money and the profit stays in their lucrative little circle.
But when anything goes south, who gets the blame?
It's not the government. They get off scot-free.
Progressive, leftists, they will pin the blame solely on corporations. Or when it comes to water, Gavin Newsom tries to pin it on the local people. I don't know. You will to have talk to the local people.
What does the local person have to do with the water coming out of the water fire hydrant?
What? What do they have to do with that?
They sit back and laugh over and over again.
I think it's country. We're going in deep on this. On Blaze TV very soon.
But I think -- I think this is a turning point.
You know, who had on their bingo card, the complete and total destruction, of the second largest city in the country?
As the turning point for progressives?
And if they don't turn on this one, man, what is it going to take?
The moon coming crashing through the roof of your house. That's been painted. Wake up!
Would that -- would that do it? Maybe. Space aliens. They took out their little drones. And they spray-painted the moon, wake up. And California still didn't wake up. So they just started dragging the moon closer and closer and closer to your house in California!
My gosh. Wake up, California.
I think they are. I think they are.
But will they just replace Gavin Newsom with somebody else exactly like this?
Or will they start to wake up and say, wait a minute.
Our government is corrupt. It's making deals that don't actually help or represent the people of California.
They may not have our best interest at heart.