Wildfire evacuees eligible for $770 in aid
Tomo Chien
January 15, 2025
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, and I hope you’ve had a good start to your semester. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
Angelenos forced to evacuate their homes because of LA’s wildfires are eligible to receive a one-time $770 payment, federal officials said. The cash is meant to fund essentials like temporary shelter and medical expenses. Evacuees can apply here after first settling with insurers.
2.
The LA Fire Department chose not to predeploy roughly 1,000 firefighters and over 40 available engines in vulnerable areas before the Palisades fire broke out last week. The revelation adds to a growing blame game as officials accuse one another of bungling the city’s disaster preparation.
3.
Congressional Republicans have suggested that any wildfire aid to “woke” California should come with “strings attached.” Except, California contributes more income tax than any other state, paying far more than it receives back in federal funding. The aid “can accurately be described as California’s money in the first place,” wrote columnist Philip Bump.
4.
The Undergraduate Student Government has an ambitious plan to offer students discounted Waymo rides within USC’s current free Lyft zone. Senators said they’ve discussed the prospect with USC and will soon meet with the self-driving ride service. “We believe that Waymo is the future,” one senator said.
5.
In a wacky lawsuit, an Inglewood couple is suing JetBlue, alleging a watermelon-sized block of ice fell from a commercial airliner then smashed through their roof, landing inches away from their bed. The couple is seeking $1 million in damages in part because they now "cringe in fear” when planes fly over their home.