Southern California wildfire mostly contained as officials lift many evacuation orders

Source: SFGate

“A smoky wildfire in southern California that broke out a day earlier and prompted evacuation orders was mostly under control Saturday afternoon, fire officials said. Encompassing roughly 6.3 square miles (about 16 square kilometers) in Riverside County, about 64 miles (103 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, the Springs Fire was no longer growing and at least 75% percent contained Saturday, said Terra Fernandez, public safety information specialist for the Riverside County Fire Department. It was 25% contained on Friday. Fire officials also lifted evacuation orders for a large swath of neighborhoods Saturday morning. Fernandez said she expected the rest will be lifted by the end of the day. ‘It’s pretty much under control,’ Fernandez said. The fire was fueled by strong Santa Ana winds with gusts predicted to get up to 45 mph (72 kph) on Saturday. But winds had ‘dissipated a bit’ since Friday, helping the efforts of fire crews, Fernandez said.” (04/04/26)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/springs-fire-in-southern-california-reaches-45-22189079.php

Steve Trinward

The verdict against Meta and Google carries sinister implications

Source: Washington Post
by George F Will

“The most sinister idea in modern politics has received a California jury’s endorsement, and much applause. It contradicts democracy’s foundational belief in individual agency. This concept presupposes that individuals can, in common parlance, ‘make up their minds.’ They can assemble and edit their beliefs and convictions. When this idea is diluted, government expands its ambition to curate the public’s consciousness. … The California jury weighed the claims of a now 20-year-old woman who began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram when 9. She says her many emotional and social problems were caused not by her troubled family life but by those platforms. (Although one of her analysts said she did not talk about them.)” (04/03/26)

https://archive.is/nL8aR

Thomas L. Knapp

The Price of Empire and the Costs of War on Iran

Source: CounterPunch
by Eric Ross

“The costs associated with this latest criminal war, measured in human lives; the misappropriation of national resources; and the erosion of the rule of law will only continue to mount. Yet there is also a less visible, less immediate price tag for such wars. If the history of American interventions in the region offers any guide, the full bill will likely not become apparent for months, years, or even decades. When it finally arrives, however, it will carry a familiar name: blowback.” (04/03/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/04/03/the-price-of-empire-and-the-costs-of-war-on-iran/

Thomas L. Knapp

Trump seeks $1.5 trillion for military spending in 2027 budget request

Source: The Hill

“President Trump is seeking $1.5 trillion in [military] spending as part of the White House’s fiscal 2027 budget request, a roughly 40 percent increase from 2026 funding levels. The proposal released Friday said a base of $1.1 trillion will be specifically for the Department of Defense, while $350 billion will be requested through Congress’s budget reconciliation process for critical Administration priorities’ like more munitions and [military] industrial base expansions. It also mentions the president’s planned ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system.” (04/03/26)

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5814887-15t-defense-budget-request/

Thomas L. Knapp