Elon Musk makes special delivery for first responders battling Los Angeles wildfires
FIRST ON FOX: SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk is donating Starlinks to those in need of Wi-Fi in California amid devastating wildfires that have left residents without internet or cellphone service.
Nonprofit rescue group Grey Bull Rescue met with Musk and first responders over the weekend to help set up the Starlink devices, which connect to satellites, in the Los Angeles area.
“Effective communication is essential in any crisis, war, or disaster—especially in remote and devastated areas where communication infrastructure is destroyed like we see here in California,” Grey Bull Rescue Chair Bryan Stern told Fox News Digital in a Monday statement. “Yesterday, Grey Bull Rescue was honored to assist the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) by securing Starlink mini units to provide them with critical communications in areas devastated by wildfires.”
Stern noted, however, that LACFD and other emergency services agencies in California “have been asking for Starlink for quite some time for expressly this type of scenario,” but red tape got “in the way of this mission-critical need of effective disaster communications for first responders.”
HELP PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES HERE
Musk announced the Starlink donations on Jan. 9. On Sunday, the billionaire Tesla founder and CEO said that he would be donating Cybertrucks to impacted areas as well.
“Apologies to those expecting Cybertruck deliveries in California over the next few days,” he wrote on X, which he owns. “We need to use those trucks as mobile base stations to provide power to Starlink Internet terminals in areas of LA without connectivity. A new truck will be delivered end of week.”
ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM
Grey Bull Rescue said LACFD had requested help with a “mission-critical gap” for internet.
“This is where the private sector shows its number one capability: SPEED.”
“[Six] hours later, via Grey Bull Rescue, the problem was solved with the gold standard in austere environment communications: Starlink,” Stern said. “Hearing about the need, Elon Musk then visited with Grey Bull Rescue and the LACFD at their staging site and personally delivered hundreds more additional Starlink minis, demonstrating his commitment to supporting rescue efforts.”
SALTWATER USED TO COMBAT FLAMES COMES WITH IMMEDIATE BENEFITS BUT LONG-TERM RISKS
Grey Bull Rescue volunteers rely on Starlink internet for their missions “in some of the most communication-denied environments in the world,” Stern said.
Musk also donated numerous Starlinks in the western North Carolina region after Hurricane Helene in late September left thousands without power or internet for days, making it difficult for survivors to contact first responders and loved ones.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WATER DROPS IN CALIFORNIA DURING WILDFIRES
“In addition to improving connectivity for first responders, the Grey Bull Rescue team has been on the ground since [day one] of the wildfires, working side by side with first responders to support them in the safe evacuation of residents and delivering critical humanitarian aid,” the Grey Bull Rescue chair explained.
“In moments like these, every action and every minute counts. We are committed to helping wherever we can, in any way we can, to assist those who have been impacted by this catastrophic disaster.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The wildfires that have been burning for a week in Southern California have reduced entire neighborhoods to ash and killed at least 24 people. The Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire and the Hurst Fire were the three active wildfires in L.A. County as of Monday.
Nonprofit chapter accused of breaking law to help Harris, Walz during election
A Planned Parenthood chapter in Florida allegedly violated its tax-exempt status by providing workspace for the Harris-Walz presidential campaign, according to an IRS complaint filed by a pro-life organization.
40 Days for Life, one of the country’s leading pro-life organizations, filed the IRS complaint in December. It claims to have information about “potentially prohibited political activities that may impact the tax-exempt status” of Planned Parenthood Florida.
“This is one of the many violations we’ve seen Planned Parenthood do, because we’re physically at these abortion facilities, holding peaceful vigils and offering medical alternatives to abortion. And so because we’re out there, you know, at over 1700 locations, we see a lot of things that Planned Parenthood does,” 40 Days for Life CEO Shawn Carney told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out several times to Planned Parenthood Florida, but did not hear back by the publication deadline.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OFFERING FREE ABORTIONS, VASECTOMIES AT DNC
“This was clearly noticeable. They were giving out flyers that said Tim Walz Tuesdays, which doesn’t sound like the greatest time in the world, but nevertheless, they were promoting all these events of hosting Walt Harris campaign events and providing their space to do that, which, of course, they did not do for the Republicans. And you just can’t do that as a 501c3. This is very, very basic.”
Last summer, Carney’s group filed a separate complaint about Planned Parenthood’s mobile abortion bus that was operating a few miles from where the Democratic National Convention was taking place. On day one of the DNC, abortion took center stage. Several speakers spoke at length about it being one of the central issues of the Democratic Party’s 2024 platform.
MASSACHUSETTS LAUNCHES $1 MILLION TAXPAYER-FUNDED CAMPAIGN WARNING OF ‘DANGERS’ OF PRO-LIFE PREGNANCY CENTERS
“The pro-abortion angle of running on celebrating abortion was a dismal failure for the Harris-Waltz campaign, but when we filed that, we did get a response that they had received it, and we are hoping and pushing the Trump administration to take up that investigation, because now we have two violations, both of which were obviously against the Trump administration and were heavily politically partisan towards the Democrats, which, of course, as nonprofits, you just can’t do,” Carney said.
The 42-page IRS complaint also alleges “Planned Parenthood’s activities, in this case, are starkly different from permissible lobbying.”
MISSOURI LAW BANNING GENDER-CHANGING TREATMENTS FOR MINORS TAKES EFFECT
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“The provision of office space juxtaposes its tax-exempt privilege against a politically charged environment, serving as a clear indicator of political endorsement or opposition of particular candidates and parties,” the complaint reads.
Included in the complaint are photographs of campaign staffers walking inside what appears to be the Planned Parenthood office in Sarasota, Florida.
Major news outlet taps left-wing journalist to cover Trump’s second term
Left-leaning journalist Yamiche Alcindor announced Monday that she will be returning to the White House to cover the incoming Trump administration for NBC News after an extended hiatus.
“I’m heading back to the White House beat for @NBCNews to cover the second Trump administration. It’s a true honor to be a journalist and I welcome all news tips and story ideas,” Alcindor wrote.
Alcindor was accused of glaring liberal bias as a PBS White House correspondent and New York Times reporter during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, where she regularly sparred with the president in contentious public exchanges.
She was first named White House correspondent of PBS “NewsHour” in 2018. NBC News hired her to be their Washington correspondent in 2021, but Alcindor’s history of alarmist, anti-GOP commentary persisted with her new roles.
Months before joining NBC News, Alcindor made headlines when she revealed she considered it her duty to use journalism to bend the “moral arc toward justice.”
Throughout her career, she has garnered a reputation for frequently peppering her reporting with liberal commentary and editorializing to advocate for liberal causes.
While covering Trump, Alcindor was lauded by liberal compatriots in the press for her combative approach to his administration. Trump’s broadsides against her as well – he once ripped her for asking “a racist question” – only bolstered her fandom in the press corps.
Once President Biden took office, Alcindor’s radical change in tone was unsurprising – but noteworthy. She frequently heaped praise on White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the administration, raving over Biden at his first press conference as a “moral, decent man,” and asking Biden how he would heal the “scars” in Europe left by Trump.
“One of the things that Biden administration officials have been underscoring when I talk to them is when you look at American democracy, whether it’s Republicans or Democrats, they still had this feeling of America being a leader and America valuing our European allies, and that was lost, for a large part, when it comes to President Trump, who is just openly hostile and was so mean in some ways to our European allies,” she said in June 2021.
Alcindor also often added “context” on Twitter when she reported on remarks by Trump, while generally not affixing such asides to those by Biden. Fox News Digital reported in 2021 that Alcindor’s anonymous sources often pushed talking points reminiscent of the Democratic agenda and favorable to the Biden administration.
She was once accused of “propagandistic” comments showering Biden with over-the-top praise after a press briefing that garnered negative attention.
In 2022, the then NBC News correspondent and PBS host worried that if Roe was overturned by the Supreme Court, poor women would be “forced to have pregnancies” that “will then turn into children, they cannot afford.”
That same year, Alcindor said people were “very worried” about Trump or another Republican “stealing” the 2024 election.
In an appearance on MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” around that time, Alcindor claimed that Georgia’s voting law passed because Republicans think Black people don’t deserve access to citizenship.
Discussing Trump’s relationship with the press in 2020, Alcindor said, “Covering President Trump you have to add context. You have to tell people here’s when he’s wrong and here’s when he’s right.”
Her announcement about her White House return was met with criticism online, with some scolding NBC for selecting a “far-left activist” to fill the coveted role.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Wow, good to see @NBCNews has learned— *checks notes* —nothing. They’ve learned absolutely nothing from their mistakes,” conservative writer John Hasson wrote on X.
‘Ridiculous. You were terrible & extremely combative,” former GOP congressional candidate Kim Klacik agreed. “It’s as if @NBCNews wants to go out of business.”
Hunter Biden report, protection of ‘Biden Crime Family’ ripped by Comer, IRS whistleblowers
House Oversight Chairman James Comer ripped Special Counsel David Weiss’ final report on his years-long investigation into Hunter Biden as “incomplete” due to President Biden’s sweeping pardon of his son.
“Special Counsel David Weiss just released an incomplete 27-page report because President Joe Biden issued his son an unprecedented pardon. This sweeping pardon prevents the Special Counsel from holding Hunter Biden accountable for the international influence peddling racket only made possible by Joe Biden,” Rep. Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement Monday evening following the release of Weiss’ final report.
“Let’s be clear: the Biden DOJ was never going to prosecute the Biden Crime Family. The House Oversight Committee’s investigation of the Bidens’ influence peddling schemes revealed how Joe Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family cashing in on the Biden name,” Comer continued.
The Department of Justice released Weiss’ report to Congress on Monday evening, which detailed his roughly six-year investigation into first son Hunter Biden’s taxes and purchase of a firearm in 2018 while he was addicted to controlled substances – namely, crack cocaine.
WEISS REPORT: HUNTER’S DRUG USE CAN’T EXPLAIN AWAY NOT PAYING TAXES ON MONEY EARNED BY ‘LAST NAME’
Hunter Biden was convicted in both cases last year, with a jury of his peers finding him guilty of three felony firearm offenses, and entering a surprise guilty plea regarding the failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes across a four-year period.
DOJ RELEASES SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS’ REPORT ON HUNTER BIDEN
Amid the legal saga, President Biden repeatedly vowed he would not pardon his son, but reversed course last month when he announced he would grant his son a blanket pardon that applies to any offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden “has committed or may have committed” from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024.
Comer continued in his blistering response to the report by citing two IRS whistleblowers who sounded the alarm on Hunter Biden’s tax issues and said they were handcuffed from “following evidence that could have led to Joe Biden.”
HUNTER BIDEN: A LOOK AT HOW THE SAGA SPANNING OVER SIX YEARS UNFOLDED
“Two brave whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, blew the whistle on DOJ’s misconduct and politicization in the Hunter Biden criminal investigation and revealed they were prevented from following evidence that could have led to Joe Biden. Joe Biden will be remembered for using his last few weeks in office to shield his son from the law and protect himself. The president’s legacy is the same as his family’s business dealings: corrupt,” Comer continued.
The two whistleblowers, who previously slammed Biden for pardoning his son last month, also took issue with the Weiss report and again blasted Biden for the pardon.
BIDEN PARDONS SON HUNTER BIDEN AHEAD OF EXIT FROM OVAL OFFICE
“The Weiss report leaves too many questions unanswered, and the American people deserve answers. DOJ, FBI, and IRS leadership should have done the right thing from the beginning. We should not have had to risk our careers to end the preferential treatment being given to the President’s son. Years later, we are still facing whistleblower retaliation,” Shapley and Ziegler wrote in a message shared by Empower Oversight, the legal group representing the whistleblowers.
“Why are we the only ones suffering any consequences? It’s time for a serious investigation and it’s time for accountability,” they concluded.
BIDEN WON’T PARDON HUNTER, WHITE HOUSE REAFFIRMS, BUT CRITICS AREN’T SO SURE
Weiss’ report also took issue with the president’s pardoning of Hunter Biden, specifically with how President Biden characterized prosecutions of Hunter Biden as “selective” and “unfair.”
“This statement is gratuitous and wrong,” Weiss wrote in his report. “Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations.”
HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN GUN TRIAL
“Politicians who attack the decisions of career prosecutors as politically motivated when they disagree with the outcome of a case undermine the public’s confidence in our criminal justice system,” Weiss wrote in another section of the report. “The President’s statements unfairly impugn the integrity not only of Department of Justice personnel, but all of the public servants making these difficult decisions in good faith.”
Weiss’ report also determined that the first son’s previous and well-documented addiction to substances such as crack cocaine could not explain why he failed to pay taxes on millions of dollars of income earned off of his “last name and connections.”
“As a well-educated lawyer and businessman, Mr. Biden consciously and willfully chose not to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over a four-year period. From 2016 to 2020, Mr. Biden received more than $7 million in total gross income, including approximately $1.5 million in 2016, $2.3 million in 2017, $2.1 million in 2018, $1 million in 2019 and $188,000 from January through October 15, 2020,” Weiss wrote in his final report, which was released Monday.
DOJ RELEASEES FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S REPORT ON INVESTIGATION INTO TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE
“Mr. Biden made this money by using his last name and connections to secure lucrative business opportunities, such as a board seat at a Ukrainian industrial conglomerate, Burisma Holdings Limited, and a joint venture with individuals associated with a Chinese energy conglomerate. He negotiated and executed contracts and agreements that paid him millions of dollars for limited work,” Weiss continued.
Weiss continued in his report that Hunter Biden “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills,” and that he “willfully failed to pay his 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 taxes on time, despite having access to funds to pay some or all of these taxes.”
TRUMP CALLS JACK SMITH ‘DESPERATE’ AFTER SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORT IS RELEASED AFTER MIDNIGHT
“These are not ‘inconsequential’ or ‘technical’ tax code violations,” Weiss wrote. “Nor can Mr. Biden’s conduct be explained away by his drug use – most glaringly, Mr. Biden filed his false 2018 return, in which he deliberately underreported his income to lower his tax liability, in February 2020, approximately eight months after he had regained his sobriety. Therefore, the prosecution of Mr. Biden was warranted given the nature and seriousness of his tax crimes.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the report and Comer’s response, but did not immediately receive a response.
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, released a statement Monday evening following the report, “David Weiss’ 27-page report continues to ignore some of the major mysteries of his 7-year investigation.”
“Mr. Weiss conveniently omits his proposal to resolve this investigation in 2023 with a pair of misdemeanors and a diverted gun charge recommended by career prosecutors. Mr. Weiss also fails to explain why he reneged on his own agreement, a reversal that came at the 11th hour in court as he and his office faced blistering attacks from Republicans and his then filing unprecedented charges for someone with no aggravating gun factors who had paid his taxes in full years before the charges were filed,” Lowell said in the statement.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Finally, and most curious, Mr. Weiss fails to clarify why he and his prosecutors pursued wild – and debunked – conspiracies about Mr. Biden by a Russian agent that prolonged this investigation and ultimately cost taxpayers millions of dollars. What is clear from this report is that the investigation into Hunter Biden is a cautionary tale of the abuse of prosecutorial power.”
North Korean troops fighting in Russia resort to drastic measures to avoid capture
North Korean soldiers fighting in Russia’s Kursk region against Ukrainian forces have begun resorting to drastic measures to evade capture, including suicide, a report by Reuters on Tuesday said.
Following a battle this week, Ukrainian special forces reportedly scoured the snowy terrain where more than a dozen North Korean soldiers lay slain before they came upon one who was still alive. The North Korean soldier apparently pulled out a grenade and detonated it, killing himself, though without injuring the nearby Ukrainian troops.
UKRAINE HAS CAPTURED 2 NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS, SOUTH KOREA’S INTELLIGENCE SERVICE SAYS
The news of the self-sacrificing tactics being employed came just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that, for the first time, two North Korean prisoners of war had been captured by Ukrainian forces.
Zelenskyy confirmed the capture in a Saturday address to the nation, saying “it was not easy” and claiming that North Korean and Russian forces apparently “finish off their wounded Korean” troops to prevent their capture.
Ukraine has repeatedly claimed that Russia has issued military IDs to North Korean forces in a move to conceal evidence that foreign troops have entered the war in support of Moscow, though Western nations, including the U.S., have confirmed for months Pyongyang’s deployment of forces to Russia.
As many as 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia, an estimated 11,000 of whom have been stationed in Kursk to fend off Ukrainian advancement.
Zelenskyy, as well as South Korean intelligence, have said North Korean troops in Kursk have seen some 3,000 casualties since they entered the fight in mid-November.
KIM JONG UN’S BIG GUNS SPOTTED ON RUSSIAN FRONT LINES: REPORT
In a Sunday post on X, Zelenskyy shared a video of the two captured North Korean soldiers receiving medical attention and being questioned about what they knew before they found themselves embroiled in the front-line-fight.
One of the soldiers said he did not know he was going to war against Ukraine to aid Russia, and instead believed he and his troops were being sent for training exercises.
However, by Jan. 3, one of the soldiers found himself in an active operation and witnessed North Korean soldiers dying before he hid in a dugout for two days. He was found on Jan. 5.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Western intelligence has repeatedly suggested that North Korean troops are unprepared for the fight they have been thrown into, and Zelenskyy said on Sunday, “It’s only a matter of time before our troops manage to capture others.”
“Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un’s soldiers to him if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia,” Zelenskyy said. “For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available.”
MSNBC boss Rashida Jones exits network days before Trump returns to White House
MSNBC president Rashida Jones stepped down from her position on Tuesday, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
Jones announced her decision on a call with most of the MSNBC staff, according to a source close to the outgoing boss who said talent paid tribute to Jones on the call.
Rebecca Kutler, senior vice president of content strategy, has been named the interim president of MSNBC. Kutler came to MSNBC in 2022 after a lengthy stint at CNN where she once served as Don Lemon’s executive producer.
MSNBC, NBC LEADERS WERE CAUGHT FLAT-FOOTED, OUT OF TOUCH WITH STAFF ON RONNA MCDANIEL FIASCO: INSIDER
Jones’ decision comes days before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House. She ran the liberal network for nearly four years.
“After four incredible years at the helm of MSNBC and 11 years at NBCU, I have made the decision to pursue new opportunities,” Jones wrote to staff.
“I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a team. This has been the most rewarding chapter of my professional career and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, which has been made possible only by you,” she continued. “I am more confident than ever that MSNBC is well-positioned for the future.”
Jones will reportedly stay on in an advisory capacity until March.
MSNBC PRESIDENT OPEN TO TRUMP TOWN HALL, ANGERING LIBERALS
MSNBC has been in the news frequently in recent weeks, particularly after “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski irked liberals when they met with Trump after his Election day victory. MSNBC has also seen a significant drop in viewership since Election Day, and the network recently announced Rachel Maddow would return to hosting her program each weeknight for Trump’s first 100 days in office, hoping for an accompanying ratings boon.
Late last year, Comcast announced plans to spin off MSNBC and other cable assets into a new company currently called “SpinCo” led by Mark Lazarus. As a result, MSNBC is no longer expected to be tied to NBC News and there has been speculation that a name change is on the table.
“Rashida has expertly navigated MSNBC through a years-long, unrelenting and unprecedented news cycle, all while driving the network to record viewership and making investments in nonlinear businesses. MSNBC is well-positioned for the future, and I am grateful that she will continue to support us during this transition,” Lazarus told staff in a memo obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Effective immediately, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Rebecca Kutler as the interim president of MSNBC, reporting directly to me,” he continued. “Rebecca is the ideal leader to guide us through this moment, and I look forward to collaborating with her as we shape our collective future together.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Actress highlights ‘harsh lesson’ the deadly wildfires are teaching far-left Hollywood
Patricia Heaton slammed California leadership, claiming officials “dropped the ball” regarding the response to the Los Angeles fires.
Heaton, who has teamed up with LA Dream Center to help residents in need, said city leaders were not prepared and questioned where taxpayer money had gone in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The “Everybody Loves Raymond” star called for change after the “very harsh lesson.”
CALIFORNIA FIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM
Heaton explained Los Angeles didn’t seem prepared for the fires, which began burning on Jan. 7 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Since then, multiple fires have burned in different areas of the star-studded city, destroying thousands of homes and businesses. The actress emphasized a need for forestry management and reservoirs actually filled with water.
“I know some of the officials were saying, ‘Well, the system was overwhelmed.’ Well, in case of a huge fire, of course it’s going to be overwhelmed,” she told Fox News Digital. “You should know that and have been prepared for that. So, I think there’s a lot of money spent in L.A. and we can’t figure out where it’s going.”
WATCH: ACTRESS PATRICIA HEATON SAYS WE ‘CAN’T RELY ON THE GOVERNMENT’ AFTER LA FIRES DESTROY CITY
Heaton insisted California residents “can’t just rely on the government to take care of things.”
“It’s people coming together in your community and insisting on getting stuff done. And sadly, this is a very, very, very harsh lesson.”
“But I guess that’s what it takes to kind of break apart that bureaucracy and get the stuff done that the government is supposed to do, which is take care of the infrastructure first and foremost,” Heaton said.
RORY SYKES, FORMER CHILD STAR, DEAD AT 32 FROM CALIFORNIA FIRES
Heaton is working with LA Dream Center to help with diaster relief efforts, and she’s not the only one. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kathie Lee Gifford and Chris Pratt have all donated needed items or money to the charity working to help those affected by the Los Angeles fires.
“They’ve stepped up. They’ve showed up. We’ve had advocacy,” Matthew Barnett, founder of LA Dream Center, told Fox News Digital about the celebrity support. “We have people like Snoop Dog the other day – like I’ve never met in my entire life – but he did a whole minute and a half, like, Instagram post of me just talking.”
WATCH: DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON, SNOOP DOGG HELPING OUT LA DREAM CENTER DURING FIRES
The LA Dream Center typically serves as a resource center focused “on providing support to those affected by homelessness, hunger, and the lack of education” through community programs, according to the website.
The charity has switched gears as multiple fires continue to burn in Los Angeles.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
While Heaton once called Los Angeles home, the actress knows moving to Nashville, Tennessee, was the “right decision” for her.
“My four sons still live in L.A., and we go back to hang out and take meetings,” she told Fox News Digital. “And we have many friends there and are doing business there, but Nashville seems to be welcoming a lot of people from our industry. So I’m not the only one that made this decision.”
“It is filling up,” Heaton noted. “And I have a feeling after this fire we’re going to get another huge amount … of talented, creative people who have decided, you know, they’ve had enough and are ready to live in a beautiful place with friendly people and where they can be creative without worrying about houses burning down and taxes going up and crime and all that stuff.”
For her part, Heaton has helped out friends in Los Angeles who have had to evacuate and opened her home in Nashville for those looking to “get out” of the city.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
The number of people who have lost their homes to the L.A. fires, which began Jan. 7 with the Palisades Fire, has continued to rise. The multiple fires have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, leaving 24 people dead so far.
Fierce Santa Ana winds have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the nation’s second-largest city, where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.
In less than a week, four fires have ignited more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
American retail giant updates its iconic logos for the first time in nearly two decades
Walmart is refreshing its logo for the first time in nearly two decades, highlighting its evolution while also serving as a nod to its past, the big-box retailer announced Monday.
The word mark on the redesigned logo was inspired by founder Sam Walton’s classic trucker hat and features a typeface in bold and a darker blue, the company said. The logo also retains the iconic yellow spark, which received its own subtle refresh.
“This update, rooted in the legacy of our founder, Sam Walton, demonstrates our evolving capabilities and longstanding commitment to serve our customers of today and tomorrow,” said William White, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Walmart U.S. “While the look and feel of our brand is more contemporary, our refreshed brand identity reflects Walmart’s enduring commitment to both Sam’s principles and serving our customers however they need us.”
The company said the brand refresh “will help Walmart build credibility and connection.”
HOW WALMART IS WINNING WITH HIGHER-INCOME SHOPPERS
“As our customers evolve, we will too,” White said. “Our Walmart will always be their Walmart, and our brand will always be a testament to how we innovate and change alongside them.”
Walmart plans to roll out the refresh across its website, app and in stores beginning in January 2025 and continuing throughout the year.
The last time Walmart redesigned its logo was in 2008, when the company dropped the star used to hyphenate “Wal-Mart,” and made it one word. It also incorporated the yellow spark.
WALMART ROLLS BACK DEI POLICIES, BECOMING LATEST US FIRM TO JOIN GROWING TREND
Walmart reported that its third-quarter revenue climbed more than 5% from the prior quarter to $169.6 billion, beating Wall Street’s estimate of $167.72 billion. Adjusted earnings per share also beat Wall Street estimates by 5 cents.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
In the U.S., the company operates just over 4,600 stores and employs about 1.6 million associates. That does not include the 599 Sam’s Club membership warehouses it also operates in the U.S.