AFP USA

In a city often maligned for its self-absorption and superficiality, residents of Los Angeles are rallying together to help wildfire victims, with shelters forced to turn away a surplus of volunteers and donations.At a converted parking lot in Arcadia, around 600 people showed up in a single day this weekend to distribute donated supplies to evacuees, organizers said.Many had been redirected from other shelters that also could not accommodate the extra help. “It gives me goosebumps,” said Kellie Krievs, a 38-year-old communications director.”It’s insane. It makes me emotional… LA is showing up,” agreed caterer Vanessa Abad, 30.This particular donation center sprung up organically last Tuesday from one resident’s TikTok post asking for food.It was forced to move to three different locations as it outgrew its surroundings each time, eventually settling on a sprawling lot next to the Santa Anita racetrack.On Monday, hundreds of people were sifting through boxes and stacks of everything from clothing and kids’ toys to bottled water, sanitary products and face masks — the latter of which are needed to combat the pervasive smoke from still-raging fires.Volunteer food stalls cooked up hot dogs and tacos, while a man played “Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles on an acoustic guitar.The blazes, which have killed at least 24 people across Los Angeles, have not discriminated by wealth, race or age. Neighborhood blocks where residents have for decades assumed they were safe from wildfires have been reduced to ash.”It’s a very different experience than any other volunteering that I typically do. Because there’s really no difference between the people that are helping and the people that are being helped,” said 19-year-old student Gianna Karkafi. “It’s just, like, luck.”- ‘Heartwarming’ -Though Los Angeles is home to a plethora of food banks, community centers and charities, the explosion in volunteer activity contradicts the usual stereotypes of a city best known for its glamorous entertainment industry and dire homeless problem.One volunteer observed that many of those coming to collect free clothes and food were likely not in fact evacuees, but people who were already struggling to make ends meet long before the fires.But they were still welcome to make the most of the city’s outburst of generosity, said Elaine Hoang, who had made the hour-and-a-half drive up from Orange County to assist.”If they need it, we’re here for you guys,” said the 26-year-old pharmacist.The generosity also starkly contrasts with a spate of burglaries and fraud that has cropped up around the disaster-hit districts.Nine people have been charged over looting, with other arrests, including one man who dressed as a firefighter to break into homes.”Many of the shelters are being inundated with offers of help from the community, which is just so heartwarming,” said California Senator Adam Schiff.”There’s a lot to be inspired by in this time of trial. There’s also a lot to be infuriated by.” Several volunteers told AFP that the usual stereotypes about Los Angeles — deserved or not — had gone out the window in this time of extreme crisis.”Everyone’s so self-absorbed some days, but when it’s natural disaster and it’s so close to home, I feel like everyone’s like, ‘Oh yeah, no, we gotta go,'” said restaurant worker Alicia Carreon, 31.”We’re people, just like people in Florida who band together and help each other,” she said, referring to the recent hurricanes that hit the southeastern US state.”California’s home. Los Angeles is home. Palisades is home.”

The United States unveiled new export rules Monday on chips used for artificial intelligence, furthering efforts to make it tough for China and other rivals to access the advanced technology in Joe Biden’s final days as president.The announcement of the restrictions drew a fiery pushback from Beijing and prompted US chip industry criticism, while the European Union expressed its “concern” over the approach.In recent years, Washington has expanded its efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, which can be used in AI and weapons systems, as Beijing’s tech advancements spark concern among US policymakers.”The US leads the world in AI now — both AI development and AI chip design — and it’s critical that we keep it that way,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters.The new rules update controls on chips, requiring authorizations for exports, re-exports and in-country transfers — while also including a series of exceptions for countries considered friendly to the United States.If a country is not exempted — and most are not — they will face a cap on imports of advanced chips.AI data centers meanwhile will need to comply with enhanced security parameters to be able to import chips.The restrictions also tighten rules around the sharing of cutting-edge AI models.China’s Commerce Ministry called the new policy “a flagrant violation” of international trade rules, vowing that Beijing would “firmly safeguard” its interests.The European Union meanwhile expressed concern about US measures and stressed that Europe did not represent a “security risk.”- US competitiveness -The latest move drew industry criticism and warnings that it would hurt US competitiveness.Semiconductor Industry Association chief executive John Neuffer said: “We’re deeply disappointed that a policy shift of this magnitude and impact is being rushed out the door days before a presidential transition and without any meaningful input from industry.”He added in a statement that the rule could cause “lasting damage to America’s economy and global competitiveness” by ceding key markets to rivals.Chip titan Nvidia said in a blog post that “while cloaked in the guise of an ‘anti-China’ measure, these rules would do nothing to enhance US security.”In a white paper released Monday, OpenAI said the federal government should help the AI industry grow, adding that “responsibly exporting” cutting-edge models to allies and partners will help them stand up their own AI ecosystems.- Trump decision? -The rules make it “hard for our strategic competitors to use smuggling and remote access to evade our export control,” White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.They also create “incentives for our friends and partners around the world to use trusted vendors for advanced AI,” he added.The new rules will take effect in 120 days, Raimondo said, giving President-elect Trump’s incoming administration time to potentially make changes.Freezing the rule, however, could risk allowing China to stockpile US hardware, a senior US official told reporters.And the Computer & Communications Industry Association cautioned that the rule will hamper the ability of US firms to deploy advanced semiconductors in data centers abroad.In its post, Nvidia stressed that the first Trump term showed how the United States “wins through innovation, competition and by sharing our technologies with the world — not by retreating behind a wall of government overreach.”Trump put heavy tariffs on China during his first presidential term.But his backers in Silicon Valley could also see the rules as an undue burden on their ability to export products.On Monday, Nvidia shares lost around two percent.The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) said that pressuring countries to choose between Washington and Beijing could alienate partners and boost China’s position in global AI.”Many countries may opt for the side offering them uninterrupted access to the AI technologies vital for their economic growth and digital futures,” said ITIF vice president Daniel Castro.

The special counsel who prosecuted Hunter Biden accused US President Joe Biden on Monday of undermining public confidence in the justice system with his criticism of the investigation into his son.Hunter Biden, 54, was convicted of gun and tax crimes in cases brought by special counsel David Weiss but was pardoned by his father in December.Weiss, in his final report on the case released Monday, noted that the president, in announcing the pardon, had criticized the prosecution of his son, calling it “selective,” “unfair,” “infected” by “raw politics,” and a “miscarriage of justice.””This statement is gratuitous and wrong,” Weiss said. “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.”The special counsel said the prosecutions of Hunter Biden were “the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics.”Calling those rulings into question and injecting partisanship into the independent administration of the law undermines the very foundation of what makes America’s justice system fair and equitable,” he said. “It erodes public confidence in an institution that is essential to preserving the rule of law.”Biden pardoned his son prior to his sentencing in the two criminal cases.”No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” the president said at the time.The release of Weiss’s report comes shortly before the expected release this week of another special counsel report — that of Jack Smith, who brought two criminal cases against former and now future president Donald Trump.Smith accused Trump of seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Biden and mishandling top secret documents after leaving the White House.Neither case came to trial and Smith, in line with a Justice Department policy of not prosecuting a sitting president, dropped the charges after Trump won the November presidential election.- History of personal pardons -Smith’s report on the election interference case is likely to be released this week but his report on the documents case may be withheld because charges are pending against two of Trump’s former co-defendants.Hunter Biden was convicted last year of lying about his drug use when he bought a gun — a felony — and he pleaded guilty in a separate tax evasion case.His father had repeatedly said he would not pardon Hunter but that he decided to do so after he “watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.”US presidents have previously used pardons to help family members and other political allies.Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother for old cocaine charges and Trump pardoned the father of his son-in-law for tax evasion, though in both cases those men had already served their prison terms.Trump has vowed to pardon supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a bid to reverse his 2020 election loss.

Nine people have been charged in connection with looting in evacuation zones around huge fires burning in Los Angeles, the area’s chief prosecutor said Monday.The charges include for one burglary that netted $200,000 and one in which an Emmy statuette was stolen, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters.One of those charged faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted, Hochman said, adding the legal action should serve as a warning to potential wrongdoers.”The question is not if, but when, you will be caught if you engage in these crimes,” Hochman said.”Do not commit any of these crimes in which people are trying to profit from the tragedy of the people who have suffered from these various fires.”Around 92,000 people remain displaced seven days after huge fires erupted around Los Angeles, killing at least 24 people.Evacuation zones in which 12,000 structures lie in ruins have been declared out of bounds as police work to reassure residents that their property will be safe from looters.But arrests continue to mount, and on Monday the first charges were announced.Two suspects were caught on a Ring doorbell camera invading a home in the affluent Mandeville Canyon area, which was threatened by the Palisades fire over the weekend.Hochman said Martrell Peoples has previous serious convictions and, under the so-called “three-strike” rule, could be imprisoned for life.His alleged accomplice, Demari Bell, could be jailed for more than 22 years. A third man was arrested for hit-and-run as police hunted down those responsible for the burglarySix other suspects have been charged with a number of home burglaries in Altadena, including the theft of an Emmy Award from one home.No details were given about who owned the statuette.Blake Chow of the Los Angeles Police Department said officers across jurisdictions were working together to bring criminals to book at a difficult time for the community.”Isn’t it bad enough we have (thousands of) people that have been evacuated from an area, and then we get a handful of people that want to… go victimize them,” he said.

US President Joe Biden announced Monday that two of the Navy’s future aircraft carriers will be named for former commanders-in-chief Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.”The future USS William J. Clinton (CVN 82) and the future USS George W. Bush (CVN 83) will begin construction in the years ahead,” Biden said in a statement issued just a week before he is replaced in office by Donald Trump.”When complete, they will join the most capable, flexible, and professional Navy that has ever put to sea,” Biden said. The United States has a long tradition of naming some of its aircraft carriers — massive warships that are crewed by thousands of sailors and carry dozens of planes — after former presidents.The latest line of US carriers is named for Gerald R. Ford, and another of the multi-billion-dollar ships bears John F. Kennedy’s name — the second time he has been honored in that way.Clinton — who did not serve in the military — was president from 1993 to 2001, a period that saw US warplanes carry out strikes in Iraq and Yugoslavia, and American troops battle Somali militiamen in the infamous Black Hawk Down incident, among other conflicts.Bush, who served as a pilot in the Air National Guard, held America’s highest office from 2001 to 2009. His presidency was defined by the so-called “War on Terror” that he launched in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, a military effort that spanned the globe and included the devastating, long-running wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that left tens of thousands of people dead.US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hailed the choice of the names, saying that the ships “will serve as lasting tributes to each leader’s legacy in service of the United States.””Like their namesakes, these two future carriers, and the crews who sail them, will work to safeguard our national security, remind us of our history, and inspire others to serve our great republic,” Austin said in a statement.

A dozen Los Angeles professional sports teams pledged $8 million toward wildfire relief on Monday and outlined plans for three events to distribute supplies to those affected by blazes still ravaging the United States’ second-largest city.The NFL’s Rams and Chargers, the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, MLB’s Dodgers and Angels, MLS’s Galaxy and LAFC, the NHL’s Ducks and Kings, the WNBA’s Sparks and the NWSL’s Angel City FC said the funds would go to multiple organizations including the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, World Central Kitchen and various local animal rescue organizations.Apparel manufacturer Fanatics has also partnered with the teams to distribute $3 million in merchandise to families that have been evacuated from their homes.Clothes, hygiene kits, school supplies, shoes and other items would be distributed on Friday at Dodger Stadium, the Ram’s SoFi Stadium and at BMO Stadium — home of LAFC and Angel City FC.More than 90,000 people remained displaced Monday, seven days after multiple wind-driven blazes erupted.At least 24 people were killed and thousands left without homes, and authorities warned that winds forecast to intensify again on Tuesday could lead to “extreme fire behavior and life-threatening conditions.”In order not to divert public resources from the fires the NFL moved the Rams’ playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings to Arizona on Monday night.Two Lakers games and one Clippers game were postponed, but both teams were scheduled to host games on Monday, with the Lakers encouraging fans to bring donations of supplies to their downtown arena.The Lakers said in a statement that Monday’s game would be “dedicated to the Los Angeles community and Southern California’s first responders”.

As deadly flames swept closer and smoke poured into their Los Angeles home, Zahrah Mihm tried to calmly wake her two young children in the middle of the night.”We gotta go baby. We’re going on a fun adventure,” she told 4-year-old Ethan in her gentlest voice, scooping up her 18-month-old baby and fleeing their house in Altadena.The neighborhood would soon be totally razed by the inferno. At least 17 died in this community alone, with more bodies being discovered. The trauma has been severe for everyone, but is perhaps more acute among evacuated families with young children, many of whom are now desperately seeking diapers, milk formula and clothing.And then there is the question of how to explain this colossal disaster to children who may sense their parents’ panic, even if they do not fully grasp what is happening.”When we woke up at four in the morning panicking, he was shaking, scared,” recalled Mihm.”I was like, ‘Are you cold?’ He’s like, ‘No, mommy, what’s happening? Why is there fire?'” The Mihms are sheltering at a friend’s home after struggling to find a hotel.Even now, Zahrah is trying to distract her son, describing their visit Monday to a donation center in search of clean bedding and diapers as “a super fun party” packed with people, food and toys.As his mother — still wearing the slippers in which she’d fled — spoke to an AFP reporter, Ethan proudly displayed his new dinosaur pajamas and toy car. “I’m trying to take this moment out of his mind, and just be like, ‘It’s all good. Our house got a little owie, we are gonna fix it. It’s gonna be fine,'” she said, out of earshot of him.- ‘Traumatized’ -The donation center in nearby Arcadia — which sprung up organically from one resident’s TikTok post asking for supplies, and has drawn hundreds of volunteers — received so many donations it is turning some away, but baby products remain among the most pressing needs.”We desperately need diapers,” said Kellie Krievs, a 38-year-old communications director who is volunteering at the makeshift operation in the parking lot of the Santa Anita racetrack.”A lot of people, the first thing they ask for is diapers and baby formula,” Krievs told AFP.Beyond those products, mental health is an urgent concern.”The kids are not alright,” said Chessa Latifi, deputy director of emergency response for NGO Project Hope.”They’re acting differently and they’re under stress — they know that their friends have lost their homes, and they know that their school is closed.”She urged parents to maintain whatever normalcy they can, including setting up playdates with friends.”Just trying to make sure they understand that their community, whether it be physically or emotionally, is still there for them,” she said.”This entire city has been traumatized, whether your house was burnt down or not,” Latifi added.Thankfully for the Mihms, their home was only partially burnt.Neighboring homes on three sides of their property were totally destroyed, as the blaze miraculously swept in an S-shape around them.But they are still unable to return, with no electricity, powerlines dangling dangerously around the house, and National Guard soldiers sealing off the street.”We’re OK. We’re just devastated, that’s all,” Mihm said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused tech billionaire Elon Musk of spreading “lies” about the state’s response to deadly wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, escalating their online row over swirling misinformation.President-elect Donald Trump and Musk — the Tesla and SpaceX owner poised to play a key role advising the incoming administration –- have stepped up criticism of the governor’s handling of the devastating blazes that have killed at least 24 people and displaced tens of thousands.In a post on his social media platform X, Musk blamed the huge loss of homes in Los Angeles on “bad governance at a state and local level that resulted in a shortage of water.””(Musk) exposed by firefighters for his own lies,” Newsom posted late Sunday, alongside a video clip showing the tycoon asking a firefighter whether water availability was an issue.The firefighter replied there was water in “several reservoirs,” and added that battling large-scale fires required supplementing the effort with water trucks.In a separate spat over the weekend, Newsom accused Musk of “encouraging looting by lying,” after the billionaire amplified a post on X that falsely claimed the governor and his fellow Democrats had “decriminalized looting.””It’s illegal — as it always has been,” Newsom responded, amid concerns of a looting spree in areas where people were forced to flee the fires.”Bad actors will be arrested and prosecuted,” he added.- Viral, misleading videos -Musk’s personal account on X, which has more than 212 million followers, has become increasingly influential and has often courted criticism for amplifying misinformation.The platform — previously called Twitter, which Musk purchased in 2022 for $44 billion dollars — has seen an explosion of right-wing misinformation about the deadly wildfires, researchers say.Even though months of dry weather and strong winds created optimal conditions for the wildfires, narratives on X have singled out the state policies such as practices to increase diversity in the Los Angeles fire force as a culprit.One viral video debunked by the misinformation watchdog NewsGuard had falsely claimed fire department officials were desperately using women’s handbags to fight the flames because their resources had been diverted to “woke causes” and war assistance to Ukraine.But the water-filled pouches seen in the video were actually “canvas bags,” carried by firefighters because they were easier to use to extinguish small sets of flames than having to hauling out a hose, the entertainment news site TMZ cited local officials as saying.Wildfire misinformation was also swirling on other platforms including the Meta-owned Facebook.Authorities recently warned of a false Facebook post urging people to travel to California to join a clean-up crew in areas affected by the wildfires.”We would like to clarify that there is no such opportunity available,” the state’s fire protection department wrote on its website.Meta triggered a global backlash last week after it announced it was scrapping third-party fact-checking in the United States and introducing a crowd-sourced moderation method similar to X.Disinformation researchers have criticized Meta’s policy overhaul, which came less than two weeks before Trump takes office, warning that it risked opening the floodgates for false narratives.Facebook currently pays to use fact checks from around 80 organizations globally on the platform, as well as on WhatsApp and Instagram. AFP currently works in 26 languages with Facebook’s fact-checking scheme.

The Village People — the group behind “Y.M.C.A,” a staple of Donald Trump’s rallies — said Monday they have accepted an invitation from the president-elect to perform at events connected to next week’s inauguration.Singer Victor Willis said in a statement on Facebook the Village People would “participate in inaugural activities, including at least one event with President Elect Trump.””We know this wont make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” Willis continued. “Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost.”Therefore, we believe it’s now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump.”Trump’s campaigns have frequently played the 1970s-era hit at rallies during his multiple bids for office, with the Republican often dancing onstage to it.Also on Monday, famed country singer Carrie Underwood said she had accepted an invitation to perform during the inauguration slated for January 20.”I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said in a statement. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”The 41-year-old is scheduled to sing “America The Beautiful,” according to a schedule released by the Trump team.Historically the president-elect has had a rocky relationship with most figures in the entertainment world, many of whom have admonished him for playing their music at his rallies — including, at times, the Village People.During his first term several artists threatened to boycott their own induction ceremonies into the prestigious Kennedy Center pantheon if Trump attended those gala — which he ultimately never did.

A US court on Monday ordered a white supremacist group and its leader to pay $2.8 million in damages to a Black man its shield-wielding, masked members attacked while they rampaged through Boston two years ago. In July 2022, members of the Patriot Front group pinned musician Charles Murrell against a post and then kicked and punched him, in action the US District Court in Boston ruled was meant “to promote a white supremacist agenda.”Members of the mob reportedly also used a racial slur against their victim as they made their way down the East Coast city’s Freedom Trail during the incident.While police investigated the violence, and a detective concluded that the “incident appeared to be more likely than not motivated in whole or in part by Anti-Black bias”, no one was prosecuted, prompting Murrell to file a civil suit in August 2023.Murrell was on his way to play saxophone near the Boston Public Library over the Fourth of July weekend when he saw “Patriot Front moving towards him on the sidewalk, and observed signs that read, ‘Reclaim America’,” Judge Indira Talwani said in the ruling.”The group began shoving Murrell to the group’s right, into the street. When Murrell stepped back on the sidewalk, the group pressed him up against a concrete light post, knocked him to the ground, and hit and kicked him,” the court order said.To promote white supremacy, the group led by Thomas Rousseau has separately defaced a mural and statues of George Floyd, a Black man murdered by police as well as a mural of Black tennis star Arthur Ashe.  Talwani awarded Murrell $755,000 in damages for his injuries and lost earnings, and $2 million in punitive damages.Rousseau did not cooperate with the civil case and was not represented by a lawyer.