California Democrats are attempting to make state oil and gas companies pay for damage caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, claiming that fossil fuel emissions are to blame for the deadly disaster.

A new Democrat-introduced bill, the Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act, if passed, would allow for "victims of climate disasters," such as the L.A. fires, and insurance groups to sue oil and gas companies for damages under the claim that their emissions fueled the raging fires.

Democrat state Sen. Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill this week, said that fossil fuel companies should pay for fire damage, because they are "driving the climate crisis."

"Californians shouldn’t be the only ones to pay the costs of devastating climate disasters. From last year’s floods to the fires in LA, we know that the fossil fuel industry bears ultimate responsibility for fueling these disasters," state Sen. Scott Wiener wrote in a post on X announcing the legislation. 

TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND

The bill, which received the backing of several state lawmakers, comes as Democrats have attempted to blame the recent fires on climate change rather than state and city policies, which have faced heightened criticism in the weeks following the deadly blaze.

Just months before the wildfire, the city of Los Angeles slashed the fire department funding by over $17 million. The L.A. fire chief said that there are "not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude."

NEWSOM THANKS TRUMP FOR COMING TO CALIFORNIA TO TOUR FIRE DAMAGE IN TARMAC FACE-OFF

"We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits," actress Sara Foster wrote in a post on X. "@MayorOfLA @GavinNewsom RESIGN. Your far-left policies have ruined our state. And also our party."

Trump used the power of his pen this week to sign an executive order to override the state's environmental policies in order to create more water availability in the L.A. area. 

In the executive order issued on Sunday, Trump called on federal agencies to override regulations potentially limiting water availability in the area, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which seeks to minimize water infrastructure to protect certain fish species, such as the Delta smelt. 

The order comes just weeks after Trump accused Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., of caring more about protecting an endangered fish species than the state's residents amid the wildfires.

• President Donald Trump wants to impose new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China.
• Many states had one of those three countries as their biggest trade partner in 2023.
• The expected tariffs may raise prices and lead to retaliatory trade moves.

President Donald Trump is planning to levy new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. Those countries are big international trade partners for many US states.

Trump listed on Thursday the "massive subsidies that we're giving to Canada and to Mexico in the form of deficits" as one of the reasons for the tariffs.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said on Friday that Trump will implement the 10% tariffs on China and the 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada as soon as Saturday.

Canada was the largest goods import trade partner for nearly half of the 50 states based on 2023 Census Bureau data. You can hover over the map below to see more about the top import trade partners for each state.

Trump talked about potential tariff plans before his second presidency started. One of Trump's Truth Social posts from November said the tariffs on Canada and Mexico would be in effect "until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!"

If Trump does implement his tariff plans, it could lead to retaliatory tariffs from the targeted countries, potentially harming US exports. Canada was the largest export trade partner for 36 states in 2023, while Mexico was the main export trade partner for several other states.

The new tariffs would likely affect US consumers.

"We'll see businesses deciding whether they're going to absorb those extra costs or they're going to pass them through to consumers," Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute, previously told Business Insider. "Given that consumer spending has been fairly buoyant and that the economy is doing well, we would expect them to pass a lot of it through to consumers."

Tiff Macklem, the governor of the Bank of Canada, recently talked about the economic effects of a trade conflict between the US and Canada.

"A long-lasting and broad-based trade conflict would badly hurt economic activity in Canada," Macklem, the governor at the Bank of Canada, said this week. "At the same time, the higher cost of imported goods will put direct upward pressure on inflation."

Phoenix's Devin Booker said he believes it's time for the NBA to expand rosters for the league's midseason showcase.

As Gemini is now readily available to Google Workspace subscribers, admins have found that the ability to disable the new AI features is hidden behind a conversation with Google support.

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Friday’s best deals on Android games and apps are now ready to go down below. Alongside the Google Play offers we are also tracking Galaxy Watch Ultra at $200 off for today only (or much less with an S25 preorder), as well rare deals on Samsung Galaxy Arc Pulse Bumper cases at up to 50% off, this 3-in-1 charging station at $37, and today’s deals on the Nest indoor smart cams starting from $65. As for the apps, highlights include titles like Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom, Tokaido, Homo Machina, Nerd Survivors,  Charterstone, and more. Head below for a closer look. 

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This fall, the iPhone lineup is getting a brand new model: the iPhone 17 Air. Apple plans to drop its Plus model in favor of an iPhone with a fresh form factor that could tempt a lot of Pro users. Here are seven features coming to the iPhone 17 Air.

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The tournament kicks off with a must-watch matchup between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic on Friday afternoon.

A meteorologist was let go from her job after criticizing Elon Musk on social media for his gesture that's been likened to a Nazi salute.

Midnight tonight is the deadline for eligible car owners to submit for part of a cash settlement in a recent lawsuit.

The running back legend made his voice clear on who he's supporting in Super Bowl LIX.

Snoop had to decide between greeting her owner after not seeing him for two weeks or start eating her food.

Some Beliebers can't believe their eyes after seeing new photos of the 'Baby' singer.

There is a potential for flooding in two counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, forecasters say.

A number of Republicans have broken with Trump since he suggested, without evidence, that DEI caused the fatal collision.

As Trump 2.0 kicked off last week, government and business leaders at the World Economic Forum's (WEF) 55th Annual Meeting in Davos discussed global risks that will shape the coming year.

Heavy rain and heavy snow are expected to affect Northern California this weekend as an atmospheric river arrives.

In Donald Trump's first week back in office, the U.S. deported about 7,300 people, some on military aircraft instead of civilian planes, driving up costs.

The supermodel is opening up about her new relationship and becoming a brand-new ambassador for Estée Lauder

In a viral TikTok, one American Airlines pilot tells his passengers that he has "no higher calling" than safely getting them to their destination

Flav has been working with the Black Music Action Coalition in the wake of the fires that've devastated Los Angeles since Jan. 7