The abortion law builds on legislation passed in 2010 that represented a major shift for a traditionally Catholic country, transforming Spain into one of the most progressive countries in Europe on reproductive rights. Spain's constitutional court last week rejected a challenge by the right-wing Popular Party against allowing abortions in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
The debate will be heated in Spain, I imagine, as the conservative opposition pushes back. My daughter had horrible menstrual pain during her adolescence and young adulthood. I'm certain that she would have benefitted from that time.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that state water and firefighting officials will independently investigate the cause of water pressure loss that rendered Los Angeles' municipal utility's fire hydrants unusable during the Palisades Fire this week.
While water supplies from local fire hydrants are not designed to extinguish wildfires over large areas, losing supplies from fire hydrants likely impaired the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors,” Newsom wrote in a letter to Los Angeles Department of Water and Power CEO Janisse Quiñones and Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works. "We need answers to how that happened.”
Within a day of wildfires igniting in Los Angeles, right-wing media and influencers began blaming the scale of the destruction on efforts to reduce systemic social inequality, notably diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Billionaire Elon Musk helped circulate screenshots of the Los Angeles Fire Department's four-year-old 'racial equity action plan,' writing "They prioritized DEI over saving lives and homes.".....
"When you focus your government on diversity, equity, inclusion, LGBTQ pet projects, and you are captured by environmentalists, we have been warning for years that you are worried about abstractions, but you can't do the basic stuff," Charlie Kirk, founder of the Trump-aligned nonprofit Turning Point USA, said on his podcast this week. He's one of many critics amplifying what's become a common refrain on the right when all kinds of disasters and tragic events hit, including the Baltimore bridge collapse last March and the Secret Service's performance during the attempted assassination of now President-elect Donald Trump over the Summer.
You and @nursej22 missed the point. It doesn't seem like either of you even read the article.
LA and in this case the fire department seem to have an agenda that encompasses some woke issues that seem detract from what their priorities should be.
I got it that was the point and gave my thoughts. I just happen to lean into a woke agenda myself. I don't think it's a systematic problem in LA that caused problems with this fire, but I could be wrong.
I said, they might need to look onto what might have happened and could be improved. Hurricane Katrina caused similar thoughts. The year I moved here a huge hurricane destroyed South Florida. Lots of problems were addressed.
I haven't seen Fox in a few days, so can't speak to that.
I have seen a lot garbage on social media.
After reading the article I mentioned above, I did check out the LAFD chief's bio. While she does seem well qualified, (if you assume she legitimately climbed each rung of the ladder), guess what "qualifications" were mentioned first in a whole separate paragraph from what I'd consider her real qualifications? Yep, first woman and first gay fire chief.
The fact that is somehow important is telling and is deserving to be mocked.
All of the pain and suffering going on and THIS is what the MAGA's think this is a relevant or worthy discussion? Disgusting.
Blaming wokeness when California has one of the most highly skilled force of firefighters in the country seems a bit lame.
Kick them when they're down. It's the MAGA way.
One of my coworkers said illegals started the fire. I just can't.
.
I agree. Now is the time to focus on putting the fires out and saving lives and property. If wokness has something to do with it there willl plenty of time to investigate why this complete failure occured.
The hellish fires tearing through the Los Angeles area are a preview of what's to come if politicians, ideologues and Big Oil continue to ignore climate change. The latest disaster "erupted following a stark shift from wet weather to extremely dry weather — a phenomenon scientists describe as 'hydroclimate whiplash,’” the Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday. "New research shows these abrupt wet-to-dry and dry-to-wet swings, which can worsen wildfires, flooding and other hazards, are growing more frequent and intense because of human-caused climate change.”
Quote
Gore was on the money when he dubbed climate change an "inconvenient truth.” That has created a media and political challenge for right-wing ideologues and their fossil fuel backers. Their solution, exemplified by President-elect Donald Trump's reaction to extreme weather events, be they storms in North Carolina or fires in California: Deride officials and invent conspiracies to explain how liberal politicians "failed.” And spare little sympathy for victims.
Quote
Meanwhile, Elon Musk (the "real" president, say Democrats trolling Trump) blamed Los Angeles's Black mayor, Karen Bass, for prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion policies over fire safety. And the right-wing media machine claimed Bass cut fire department funding. That was flat-out false, as ABC News and Politico reported.
Quote
In short, MAGA climate deniers and their fossil fuel backers cannot deal with the deadly and destructive effects of climate change, the massive costs it inflicts, and the untold human suffering in red and blue states alike. Confronted with the very outcomes Gore and others predicted, they resort to untruths and insults.
Enough. Democrats, independents, sensible Republicans, state and local officials, homeowners and the rest need to be blunt and consistent:Climate denial destroys lives; dishonest narratives and a lack of empathy for victims are repellent.
One industry that does acknowledge climate change, though, is insurance agencies. This is evidenced by rising rates and policy cancellations.
You saying this is very telling as well. We'll disagree that it should be mocked.
It should be mocked that LA is having a once in a lifetime devastating fire and people are bringing up it up and using this occasion to be mocking.
We are not the same.
Give me a break. Me taking a few minutes here and there over the course of several days to criticize or mock stupid policies doesn't equate to having any less sympathy or compassion than you or @subee. None of my thoughts that I express here make one bit of difference to what is going on there.
I visited that area several times in my life beginning when I was a teenager when I went to basketball camp at Pepperdine University. I used to dream of living there. It truly is a heartbreaking tragedy.
Give me a break. Me taking a few minutes here and there over the course of several days to criticize or mock stupid policies doesn't equate to having any less sympathy or compassion than you or @subee. None of my thoughts that I express here make one bit of difference to what is going on there.
I visited that area several times in my life beginning when I was a teenager when I went to basketball camp at Pepperdine University. I used to dream of living there. It truly is a heartbreaking tragedy.
Okay, I'll give you a break.
I'm sorry your takeaway is that I insinuated that you don't have sympathy or compassion to what is going on. I know you're not a monster, we just went off on a tangent.
What I am frustrated is with that DEI is even brought into the equation. During the floods in NC from Helene, did destruction of infrastructure there did anyone bring up that they were distracted by DEI to have protections. When the levies failed in New Orleans did anyone say they were distracted by DEI? Because it's California, a state reviled by conservatives it's brought up with the narrative "DEI kills people". Really?
Also frustrated with Trumps lies about the situation in California.
I also understand that while all of this is going on, all Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike are devastated and support the victims and their fellow Americans. We are united in that. This was just a presumption I didn't think I had to say out loud.
I also understand there's a lot of anger being thrown around. There's already class action lawsuits starting. Time will tell the failings of the California and LA policy.
I'm sorry your takeaway is that I insinuated that you don't have sympathy or compassion to what is going on. I know you're not a monster, we just went off on a tangent.
What I am frustrated is with that DEI is even brought into the equation. During the floods in NC from Helene, did destruction of infrastructure there did anyone bring up that they were distracted by DEI to have protections. When the levies failed in New Orleans did anyone say they were distracted by DEI? Because it's California, a state reviled by conservatives it's brought up with the narrative "DEI kills people". Really?
Also frustrated with Trumps lies about the situation in California.
I also understand that while all of this is going on, all Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike are devastated and support the victims and their fellow Americans. We are united in that. This was just a presumption I didn't think I had to say out loud.
I also understand there's a lot of anger being thrown around. There's already class action lawsuits starting. Time will tell the failings of the California and LA policy.
Thank you fir acknowledging I'm not a monster. LOL. I do appreciate that clarification of what you meant.
Yes, the difference of NC and NOLA is that it is California (wasn't Bush accused of being racist with NOLA? I digress).
California....it's not just DEI. It's the whole woke ridiculousness. Sorry that you lean into it. I'm not trying to be offensive.
LA mayor was the first of the defund the police movement. The current governor thinks they can outlaw selling gas cars in the next few years. Forest mismanagement has contributed to their fire problem. In some areas they often cut power during fire risk weather to reduce chances of sparks rather than cut down the trees around the lines like they do everywhere else. They've been short on water for decades, but have deconstructed reservoirs recently to make the fish more comfortable. And, have yet to begin construction on new dams that funding has been approved of. Governor's birthday party and Pelosi's hair appointment when everyone else was locked down. LA homelessness budget increased and is larger than the fire department budget that is decreased. In Jan 2021 I was asked by a hiking trail monitor to please put on my mask while walking a jeep-wide trail (the narrow trails were closed) in LA County.
I could go on.
I'll agree some of it is over the top and unfair. But much of the criticism and ridicule is warranted.
Forest mismanagement has contributed to their fire problem. In some areas they often cut power during fire risk weather to reduce chances of sparks rather than cut down the trees around the lines like they do everywhere else. They've been short on water for decades, but have deconstructed reservoirs recently to make the fish more comfortable.
to my understanding, power companies maintain the vegetation around transmission lines. I thought conservatives were against regulations and telling companies how to run their businesses.
The Klamath River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta do not supply water to the Los Angeles area.
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
nursej22 said:
to my understanding, power companies maintain the vegetation around transmission lines. I thought conservatives were against regulations and telling companies how to run their businesses.
Philadelphia Electric (PECO)/Exelon has mini-substation at bottom of my street. They have subcontractor Aspuldh trim trees along electric lines in my area 2x year. Last Thursday, saw them removing brush across street from substation while in November PECO had crews removing brush/fallen leaves, trimmed trees at major substation 1 mile away and replaced electric lines. This type work well documented in my yearly stockholder report -- been that way since 1970's when my Dad and his brother electric lineman worked for them. Thought all power companies operated that way to reduce liability??
Philadelphia Electric (PECO)/Exelon has mini-substation at bottom of my street. They have subcontractor Aspuldh trim trees along electric lines in my area 2x year. Last Thursday, saw them removing brush across street from substation while in November PECO had crews removing brush/fallen leaves, trimmed trees at major substation 1 mile away and replaced electric lines. This type work well documented in my yearly stockholder report -- been that way since 1970's when my Dad and his brother electric lineman worked for them. Thought all power companies operated that way to reduce liability?
They are responsible. They also have to follow local regulations and laws. Some local jurisdictions have catered to environmental groups and have made the utility companies job more difficult.
Tweety, BSN, RN
36,403 Posts
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/10/newsom-investigation-los-angeles-fire-hydrant-failures-00197639
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/10/nx-s1-5252757/california-wildfires-dei-diversity-influencers-firefighters
I take back what I said above, the Fire Chief apparently does happen to be female.