A review of last year's California state budget shows California Gov. Gavin Newsom cut funding for wildfire and forest resilience by more than $100 million.
The budget, signed in June and covering the 2024-25 fiscal year, eliminated $101 million from seven "wildfire and forest resilience" programs, according to a report from Newsweek.
The California fires, responsible for destroying more than 10,000 buildings in the Los Angeles area, are still not contained.
Cal Fire had a $5 million reduction in spending on fuel reduction teams, including funds used to pay for vegetation management work by the California National Guard, the report noted.
"The governor has doubled the size of our firefighting army, built the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet and the state has increased the forest management ten-fold since he took office," she wrote. "Facts matter."
His office attached statistics that refer to the overall increase in spending and personnel over a number of years since he took office in 2019, as opposed to commenting on the most recent cuts.
Cal Fire did not immediately respond to a request for comment as of 8 p.m. Friday.
The Toronto Blue Jays reportedly signed an All-Star pitcher only after he agreed to a $40 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles and failed their physical.
Jennifer Garner is reflecting on the difficult situation facing Southern California.
The Alias alum got candid about the inner turmoil she has faced after experiencing a loss due to...
Hoda Kotb has shared many life milestones — both triumphant and difficult — with TV audiences for years.
Kotb notably missed several episodes of the Today show in early 2023. Her cohosts Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones announced that March that her absence was due to a “family health matter,” which Kotb later revealed involved her youngest daughter, Hope.
“[Hope] was in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week,” Kotb shared during a March 2023 episode of Today. “I’m so grateful she’s home. … I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.”
Kotb, who left Today in January 2025, coparents Hope and her eldest daughter, Haley, with her ex-fiancé, Joel Schiffman, They called it quits after eight years together in January 2022. At the time of Hope’s health scare, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Schiffman had “been by their side.”
The insider added: “Hoda has dropped everything and focused on being there for her youngest — by her hospital bed — and taking care of anything she could need. Hope is better now and recovering at home.”
Keep scrolling to see Kotb’s ups and downs through the years:
Kotb was secretly married to Burzis Kanga for three years before things went public amid their divorce in 2008. Her former Today cohost Kathie Lee Gifford later outed Kotb’s split during a Valentine’s Day episode of the morning show — much to Kotb’s chagrin.
"I was telling her that I was married once before and I met my husband on Valentine's Day, and I got the divorce papers on Valentine's Day and it was Valentine's Day," Kotb said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2018.
"We go out to the set. It's all decorated with flowers and hearts, and I go, 'Good morning! Happy Valentine's Day!' And [Kathie Lee] looks at me and she goes, 'Not for you!'" Kotb was shocked at her costar’s gall. “I go, 'What are you doing?' But I remember that grenade fell right on the table. I didn't know what to do. I was so new, I didn't know what to say. I said, 'That was makeup room talk. That wasn't for out here, because we're happy out here.’”
One year before her divorce from her ex-husband, Kotb began her Today show reign by cohosting Kathie Lee and Hodawith Gifford. The former Regis and Kathie Lee cohost was replaced by Jenna Bush Hager in 2019.
Kotb revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. Cancer and the specific types of treatment she underwent meant that freezing her eggs was “pretty close to a dead-end,” Kotb recalled to Good Housekeeping in 2022. She was devastated by the fertility news.
“I was in my room, and I just sobbed. I thought, ‘Well, that’s that, isn’t it?’ Like, you almost blame yourself. ‘Why didn’t I do this? Why didn’t I do that?’” she shared. “So I just pushed it away, because the reality seemed impossible to bear. How do you survive knowing you can’t have what you desire and what you feel like you actually physically need?”
The couple got engaged after six years together, with Kotb excitedly sharing the news via Instagram at the time. She posted Schiffman’s beachside proposal with a photo of her showing off her engagement ring while at dinner and another snap of rose petals scattered in the sand.
The parents of two called off their engagement, Kotb announced on the Today show at the time, revealing her romance with Schiffman was over after more than eight years together.
"Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays and we decided that we're better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple, so we decided we are going to start this new year ... on our new path as loving parents to our adorable, delightful children, and as friends," she shared at the time.
Two months later, Kotb exclusively told Us that coparenting was going well. “He sees the kids,” she shared in April 2022. “He takes them to school some, and he sees them on weekends. We’ve got a really nice, easy situation. … We make sure the kids get plenty of him and plenty of me.”
When asked whether she and Schiffman remained “close friends,” Kotb replied, “Yeah, we are.”
Several months after announcing her split, Kotb told People that she can “see” herself dating someone else in the future.
“I haven’t really thought about who I would see myself with, but I do have to say something. My sister even said and asked me at one point, ‘Are (you) afraid to be by yourself?’” she recalled. “And I said to her, ‘I’m not going to be by myself.’ And I don’t know why I said it so clearly, but I actually knew that my heart is open. I have an open heart.”
Kotb praised Hope on Today upon returning to the series after her daughter’s health scare. “She's vibrant and brilliant,” she told Bush Hager. “I’m over the moon that she’s home.”
In addition to thanking the doctors and nurses who “stood by [Hope] all the way,” Kotb shared a sweet moment she had with Hope amid her recovery. “The other day ... she had in her hand two little confetti stars, and she said, 'I got two, Mom. One for me and one for you,’” Kotb recalled. “And I thought to myself, ‘Even when she's not feeling good, she's still giving everything away.’”
One year later, Kotb looked back on the scary time in an interview with People but did not give specifics about Hope’s condition. “Any parent who’s been through a scary thing with their child understands. It’s like you just can’t believe that your child’s sick,” she said in March 2024. “You can’t believe that there’s nothing you can do. You can’t believe that no matter what you do, you can’t will it away or protect her, or all the things that we’re supposed to be doing as parents. And it’s a position I’ve never found myself in.”
She went on to note that she doesn’t want Hope to be defined by her health issues. “It’s really tricky, because I don’t want Hope to get labeled,” she explained at the time. “She’s a kid who is so vibrant, and most days everything is totally fine. I don’t want people to look at her differently.”
Five months after revealing she went on her first date in two years, Kotb confirmed her relationship with her mystery man was over after three dates. “I did go on the third date, but I did kind of decide in that space — because this person who’s a lovely human being has a lot of … things that are being worked out — that I think I’m looking for more … simplicity,” she explained during an episode of “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” podcast.
She continued: “That has been tabled beautifully, like, nothing funky, all good. He’s very cute, by the way, extremely handsome. I’ll show you a picture after, but [things are] tabled for now.”
Several months after Kotb announced her plans to move out of New York City with her daughters, the family were settled in the suburbs.
“Everything changed like that. I have a whole new town and a whole new school and all the new things,” Kotb said of the move during a September 2024 episode of Hoda & Jenna. “We went for our first day of school, I carried a coffee and I had sneakers [on], and I walked my kids to school like normal people. It was awesome.”
Kotb surprised Today viewers by announcing her plans to leave the show in January 2025 after working 26 years at NBC. “I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old because I started thinking about that decade, like, what does that decade mean? What does it hold? What’s it gonna have for me?” she tearfully shared on the morning series. “And I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new.”
Kotb noted that she came to the decision shortly after celebrating with special 60th birthday episodes one month prior. “I remembered standing outside, looking at this beautiful bunch of people with all these gorgeous signs, and I thought, ‘This is what the top of the wave feels like for me,’ and I thought, ‘It can’t get better.’ And [I] decided this is [the] right time for me to, kind of, move on,” she said.
Her kids also played a big role in her decision to step down from the show. “I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking they deserve a bigger piece of my time, the pie that I have. I feel like we only have a finite amount of time,” she noted. “And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.”
Despite leaving Today, Kotb assured fans she would remain a part of the NBC family in the future.
Kotb’s final week at Today was filled with celebrity guests, emotional tributes and reunions with past guests whose lives Kotb touched over the years. Her last episode, which aired on January 10, featured appearances from Gifford, Jimmy Fallon, Gayle King, Simone Biles, Maria Shriver and Walker Hayes.
“16 years ago, I sat next to Kathie Lee and she changed my life. She chose me. And truth be told, I was scared. I’d never done anything like this before,” Kotb reflected in a “love letter” she wrote to fans during her last Hoda & Jenna episode. “I ripped off that news corset, we poured ourselves a glass of wine, and so it began.”
She recalled how cohosting with Bush Hger felt like a “new era started,” adding, “Six unforgettable years, uncontrollable laughter and pure friendship,” she gushed. “I can hardly even say her name without laughing out loud, but that is not the part I fell in love with. I fell in love with her tears, her vulnerable, lovable self.”
Kotb concluded her message on a heartfelt note, stating: “I’ve become who I am on this hour of this show, and you were there with me every step of the way. So, as I sit here today in my final moments on this final day in this chapter of my career, I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my very full heart, for the ride of a lifetime. I love you.”
Her grand finale on Today ended with a clip of her and her kids riding away from the Today Plaza in her minivan.
The former reality star’s sprawling 6,788 square-foot mansion was first listed at $9.95 million through Tim Thompson of Tim Thompson Premier Realtors in August 2024. The original listing was taken down on Wednesday, January 8, and relisted that same day at a lower price point. (It was originally listed for $11 million in June 2024.)
Following a $1 million price cut, the four-bedroom, five-bathroom house is now listed at $8.9 million. The home, which she purchased for $3 million in 2020, sits on 28 private acres of land and features a barn, guest house and pool.
Cavallari revealed in October 2024 that she had moved into a new Tennessee home with her three kids, son Camden, 12, son Jaxon, 10, and daughter Saylor, 9. (The Laguna Beach alum shares her children with ex-husband Jay Cutler.)
“I am currently sitting in my half-empty kitchen, but actually there’s just boxes stacked everywhere,” she shared on her “Let’s Be Honest” podcast at the time amidst massive floor-to-ceiling windows and a lengthy wooden dining table. “Just moved into my new house a couple days ago.”
While Cavallari hasn’t shared too many details into her new abode, keep scrolling for a look inside the Nashville mansion that’s on the market:
It’s a conversation so many are having this week amidst the devastation.
According to Ashley Etheridge and Dandelion Family Counseling, it’s important to only “share just enough information.”
“If a child witnesses a fire, or the aftermath of a fire, it can be helpful to only share brief, factual, age-appropriate information,” Etheridge writes. “Children need a way understand scary or confusing news and integrate it into their brains.”
In addition to sharing what is necessary with your children, Etheridge adds that a parent should “validate” their children’s feelings.
“Validating a child’s feelings is always important. This creates safety and connection. You could reflect, ‘Learning news about a fire can be scary. My job as a parent is to keep you safe.’”
It can also be helpful to give your child purpose by helping out those in the community affected by the tragedy, Etheridge writes.
Courtesy of Jen Atkin/Instagram
“Sometimes children and individuals can feel powerless after a fire.” By making donations or bringing the fire fighters food and water can help kids “regain some sense of safety and control.”
“In chaotic or emotional times, it is critical for your child that you stay consistent with mundane routines, such as pick-up and drop-off schedules and family meals,” the IAFF reports, adding that giving children even more of your time and attention can be helpful as they cope.
“These rituals help convey a sense of normalcy to your child and send the message, ‘Even though this tragedy occurred, I am still here for you and your world is not changing.’”
And the City of Petaluma suggests encouraging kids to talk about what they are feeling.
“Let children talk about the disaster and ask questions as much as they want. Encourage children to describe what they’re feeling. Listen to what they say.”
And it’s important to stay together.
“While you look for housing and assistance, you may want to leave your children with relatives or friends. Instead, keep the family together as much as possible and make children a part of what you are doing to get the family back on its feet,” the City of Petaluma reports.
“Children get anxious, and they’ll worry that their parents won’t return.”
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
David Muir’s tailored wildfire ensemble was apparently short-lived.
Muir, 51, headlined the Thursday, January 9, broadcast of World News Tonight from Los Angeles, where he reported on the ongoing wildfires devastating the city. He wore a flame-retardant yellow jacket over a black T-shirt, leaving the coat unzipped and appearing to omit the now-viral clothespin he previously used to cinch the fabric.
On the Wednesday, January 8, broadcast, Muir had clipped the clothespin to the back of his safety jacket that appeared to make the fabric fit snug.
“Prayers for Los Angeles. We’ll be back out there today,” he wrote via Instagram several hours before Thursday’s programming.
While Muir hadn’t addressed the use of the clothespin, fans went wild trying to decide whether he should have omitted it on camera.
“People are losing everything they own, no one cares how you look,” one social media user wrote via X, with another adding, “David Muir is more concerned with his appearance than he is about the fires.”
A third social media user, agreed, chiming in, “California is burning and he doesn’t want his jacket to look baggy on camera. Priorities people!”
David MuirABC
Other fans were staunchly on Muir’s side and had his back.
“Y’all leave David Muir and his clothespin fire jacket alone,” an X user wrote. “A little waist snatchin’ ain’t hurt nobody.”
Another added, “Leave david muir ALONEEEEEEEE. He probably just clothes pinned it cuz the wind is insane there. Let him look snacky.”
A string of wind-caused wildfires broke out in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7, quickly causing mass devastation. Many residents have left the city limits under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
While some prepared to embrace a new experience in a Scotland castle, others were a bit hesitant to find out what the reality show would be about.
“When you go to Rome, you got to do what Romans do. Everybody is basic as f—. I got to be basic too,” Ayan, 46, shared via Instagram on January 3. “Why play fair, when I can play fabulous?”
Previously, The Traitors has featured Bravo stars like Summer House’s Kyle Cooke and Shahs of Sunset’s Reza Farahan. Season 2 also featured a powerful Bravo alliance made up of Sheree Whitfield, Mercedes “MJ” Javid and Kate Chastain.
As season 3 kicks off, get to know the Bravo stars entering the candle for an unforgettable adventure hosted by Alan Cumming:
Chanel Ayan — ‘The Real Housewives of Dubai’
Chanel AyanEuan Cherry/Peacock
Before The Real Housewives of Dubai was put on pause after season 2 in November 2024, Ayan brought the fashion, glamour and drama. As she begins The Traitors, the Bravo star admitted this experience will be a whole new ballgame.
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Ayan said via Instagram before the season 3 premiere. “As a model on Housewives, I don’t think so much. Here, I need to activate my brain so I can literally start getting into this game.”
Dolores Catania — ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’
Dolores CataniaEuan Cherry/Peacock
If there’s one thing The Real Housewives of New Jersey fans know about Catania, 54, it’s that loyalty is everything. No matter how much drama enters New Jersey, the Bravo star tries to see both sides and keep the peace.
While Catania can lose her temper — never forget her fight with Margaret Josephs about an alleged reunion meeting — the Jersey girl tries to keep it cool, until you cross her.
In August 2024, Catania had the support of Medley, 60, and Ayan at her annual charity softball game in Brooklyn, New York.
Robyn Dixon — ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac’
Robyn DixonEuan Cherry/Peacock
After eight seasons, Dixon, 45, said goodbye to The Real Housewives of Potomac in April 2024. While some costars questioned the state of her relationship with longtime partner Juan Dixon, nobody could doubt her friendship and bond with costar Gizelle Bryant.
While Dixon has proven to be a loyal friend in Potomac, fans are curious to see if she will continue to be trustworthy or choose to be reasonably shady.
Dorinda Medley — ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’
Dorinda MedleyEuan Cherry/Peacock
From 2015 to 2020, Medley did her best to make it nice on The Real Housewives of New York City. While she was put on pause by Andy Cohen, she returned to participate in The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip and became friends with Catania by playing softball together.
While Medley has been known for her iconic one liners, could her temper make her a threat in the house? Time will tell. Clip!
Ciara Miller — ‘Summer House’
Ciara MillerEuan Cherry/Peacock
Miller is exchanging weekends in the Hamptons for a new adventure at a Scotland castle. The Bravo star was a nurse who chose to put her career on the back burner to pursue a career in modeling.
In her last season of Summer House, Miller, 29, dealt with heartbreak when she developed feelings — and disappointment — for her costar West Wilson. With the fling in her past, Miller is ready to win the hearts of her Traitors cast — and some big money.
Tom Sandoval — ‘Vanderpump Rules’
Tom SandovalEuan Cherry/Peacock
As an original cast member of Vanderpump Rules, Sandoval, 42, has faced his fair share of OMG moments. Most recently, he faced the consequences of cheating on his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix with her close friend and costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss.
While the former SUR employee has tried to move on, some of his Traitors peers may not be so willing to forgive and forget.
Miller previously called Sandoval “annoying” when filming Winter House together. “The sound of his voice was annoying,” she shared on an August 2023 episode of the “Viall Files” podcast. “He talked a lot about himself, his business ventures … himself. That was just on an hour-long car ride to the mountain.”
The Traitors season 3 is streaming now on Peacock with new episodes premiering Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
A former Green Beret behind a clandestine invasion of Venezuela in 2020 to try and overthrow Nicolás Maduro says in court filings that he had authority from the highest levels of the government for the amphibious raid that ended with several combatants killed and two of his U.S. Special Forces colleagues in prison
The 2025 NFL Draft quarterback class may include one more big name.
Quinn Ewers considered leaving Texas after the 2023 season but said he wanted to gain more experience.
When ESPN's Pete Thamel asked Ewers in an interview broadcast before the Cotton Bowl whether he expected to "play college football next year," Ewers replied, "No, I don't."
That's not to say Ewers has officially declared for the draft. In fact, a recent report said Ewers has a $6 million NIL offer from another school to play there in 2025.
Ewers and his Texas Longhorns face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl Classic, whose winner will face Notre Dame in the national championship Jan. 20.
It's safe to say Ewers hasn't had the season he expected. Despite playing in one more game this season, he's thrown for nearly 300 fewer passing yards and has thrown five more interceptions. He's thrown 29 touchdowns compared to 22 last season.
Ewers missed some time due to injury, and Arch Manning slid in quite nicely. Manning has seen some more action even with Ewers active, but mostly as a runner.
The Cotton Bowl Classic marks Ewers' 37th collegiate game. But with Manning's commitment to Texas and emergence this year, some believe head coach Steve Sarkisian has left a long leash on his junior quarterback.
Nonetheless, Ewers is the player leading the way for what could be the school's first title since 2006.
Ewers and the Longhorns lost last year in a College Football Playoff semifinal to Washington, which lost to Michigan in the national championship.
Shows like "Goosebumps" and "The Traitors" returned this week.
New series like "American Primeval" and "The Pitt" also premiered.
A Jerry Springer docuseries and the final episodes of "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" are out too.
This weekend, you can watch a bloody Western drama, a deep dive into "The Jerry Springer Show," or a reality competition where pseudo-celebrities compete for money in a Scottish castle.
Here's a complete rundown of all the best movies, shows, and documentaries to stream this weekend, broken down by what kind of entertainment you're looking for.
For a new historical drama, check out "American Primeval."
Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin star in "American Primeval."
Netflix
If you like Westerns and can handle gore (this one is several levels of violent above "Yellowstone"), "American Primeval" is a great pick. Taylor Kitsch stars as a traumatized, rugged frontiersman, and Betty Gilpin plays a mother searching for a new life with her son out west.
Former "Bachelorette" Gabby Windey is part of "The Traitors" cast.
Euan Cherry/Peacock
The Emmy-winning competition series returned this week, with Britney Spears' ex-husband, Zac Efron's brother, and a former "Bachelorette" star among the new cast of "The Traitors" season three. And, of course, Alan Cumming and his fabulous outfits return to host.
"Goosebumps" returns too, which is good news for horror lovers.
David Schwimmer joins the cast of "Goosebumps" in season two.
Francisco Roman/Disney
The first season, a new adaptation of the beloved children's horror book series, was a surprise hit, with Justin Long as the lead. "Friends" star David Schwimmer takes over as the main adult for the show's second outing, subtitled "The Vanishing."
Unlike the 1995 "Goosebumps" show, which adapted individual books from the series in an episodic anthology format, the new one tells a cohesive story each season (though they're of course inspired by the original books). "The Vanishing" centers on twins who are sent to live with their divorced dad (Schwimmer) in Brooklyn for a summer and finds themselves entangled in the decades-old mystery of four teens who vanished in 1994.
Noah Wyle returns to the medical drama genre in "The Pitt."
Warrick Page/Max
There's no shortage of medical dramas on cable TV networks, but "The Pitt" is a standout for its hyperrealism. Starring "ER" alum Noah Wyle, this show takes the "24" approach, with each episode playing out in real time and the entire season representing a single 15-hour shift in an emergency room.
Streaming on: Max
Natalia Grace's wild saga finally concluded this week.
The Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism was adopted by American parents, who later accused her of being an adult posing as a child. Claiming she was a danger to their family, Kristine and Michael Barnett moved away to Canada, having Natalia legally re-aged and leaving her in an apartment on her own.
For another nonfiction pick, watch "Look Into My Eyes."
A psychic in "Look Into My Eyes."
A24
This 2024 documentary, which initially premiered at Sundance, follows of group of New York City professional psychics. It's a surprisingly touching look into what these people do; the National Board of Review named it one of the five best documentaries of the year.
There's also a docuseries exploring "The Jerry Springer" show.
Guests fighting on "The Jerry Springer Show."
Virginia Sherwood/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
"Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action" chronicles the rise of the controversial daytime TV show, which became a megahit in the 1990s with its sordid (and often violent) drama.
The docuseries features the show's producers recalling how they manipulated the guests (who were real people, not paid actors) behind the scenes for maximum on-air drama.
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