International
The Los Angeles fires caused losses of more than 30 billion in real estate
The devastating fires that devastated Los Angeles County for more than three weeks last January caused real estate losses that could exceed 30 billion dollars, according to an analysis published this Friday by the Los Angeles Times.
The report, which compares the assessments of the California Fire Department of Fire (CalFire), estimates that government agencies could suffer economic damage of $61 million or more per year while the areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires, the two most virulent foci, are rebuilt.
The fires destroyed structures in 56% of all properties that make up the wealthy Pacific Palisades neighborhood, while almost half of the properties in Altadena, the most affected by the Eaton flames, were reduced to ashes, LA Times added.
Among the more than 16,000 structures affected by the fires were at least 79 single-family homes valued at more than 10 million dollars in this neighborhood, while more than 2,400 homes in Altadena, Los Angeles, amounted to over 1.5 million dollars, the document specified.
Although the study estimates losses of $22 billion in Palisades and another $7 billion in Altadena in homes classified by the authorities as “destroyed or damaged by up to 50%”, these data are only a fraction of the total cost of the worst forest fire disaster in the region, estimated at up to 272 million dollars.
The fire wave, which began on January 7 and took more than three weeks to completely extinguish, left at least 29 dead, 150,000 evacuated, more than 16,000 structures destroyed, and will go down in US history as one of the most expensive natural disasters.
International
Trump alleges “massive fraud” in California redistricting vote without evidence
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday — without providing evidence — that “fraud” is taking place in California’s referendum on the redrawing of electoral districts, one of the key votes held nationwide alongside mayoral elections in cities such as New York.
“The unconstitutional vote on redistricting in California is a MASSIVE FRAUD, because the entire process, particularly the voting itself, is RIGGED,” the president wrote on his social network, Truth Social.
Trump — who in 2020 also alleged widespread fraud in the presidential election he lost to Joe Biden — argued that Republicans have been “shut out” of mail-in voting and claimed the process is “under very strict legal and criminal investigation.”
Proposition 50, the measure being put to referendum in California, proposes a temporary redrawing of the state’s congressional districts in favor of the Democratic Party. Such a change could jeopardize the Republican majority in the House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The proposal was introduced by California authorities, where Democrats hold majority power, as a response to a similar Republican-backed initiative in Texas aimed at reshaping districts to boost Trump-aligned candidates in next year’s House elections.
International
Four suspected PCC members killed in Police shootout in Florianópolis
At least four armed men, allegedly linked to an organized crime group, were killed Sunday night during a shootout with police officers at Ponta das Canas beach on the island of Florianópolis, capital of the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, local media reported on Monday.
According to the Santa Catarina Military Police, one of the men killed was a native of the state of São Paulo (southeast) and identified as a leader of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), a gang that controls drug trafficking in the Papaquara community in northern Florianópolis, one of Brazil’s most popular tourist areas.
Police said officers were conducting a patrol in the Ponta das Canas neighborhood when they noticed a man entering a house in a hurry, raising suspicion. Upon entering the residence, they encountered four heavily armed individuals.
During the police operation, one of the suspects reportedly attempted to seize an officer’s rifle, triggering the exchange of gunfire. “Faced with the imminent threat and the criminals’ high firepower, the officers responded to stop the aggression,” the Military Police said on social media.
International
U.S. uses $4.65 billion in emergency funds to sustain SNAP benefits amid shutdown
The U.S. government will use $4.65 billion from an emergency fund to finance payments under SNAP, the country’s primary food assistance program, covering roughly “50% of benefits for eligible households,” according to a Department of Agriculture official in court filings.
The administration, however, does not plan to make up the funding shortfall through other resources, as noted in documents submitted to a federal court in Rhode Island.
This announcement follows a federal judge’s order in Providence — one of two issued last week — requiring the government to tap emergency funds to ensure the program remains operational.
The Trump administration argues that SNAP is running out of money amid a month-long federal government shutdown, triggered by a budget standoff between Democrats and Republicans who continue to blame each other for the crisis.
President Trump said on Friday that he was willing to release the necessary funds if the courts required it and emphasized that he does not want “Americans to go hungry.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives, accused Trump and the Republican Party on Sunday of “weaponizing hunger” during the political dispute.
Trump alleges “massive fraud” in California redistricting vote without evidence
Four suspected PCC members killed in Police shootout in Florianópolis
U.S. uses $4.65 billion in emergency funds to sustain SNAP benefits amid shutdown
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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