Officials were warned of the water system failing before the Palisades fire. Fixes never happened. That is the explosive report from the Los Angeles Times this morning. The Times says officials "missed dozens of opportunities" to fix water infrastructure, some of which would have helped combat the raging wildfires. L.A. officials are denying this, but the evidence weighs against them. This report could be a flashpoint as Trump visits the region today, having already signed an executive order aimed at freeing water for California wildfires. Read more.

• Deportation flights have begun. The White House announced that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had sent a plane to Guatemala with 80 illegal immigrants on it. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested another 530 illegal immigrants on Thursday, most of whom have lengthy and violent criminal histories. Read more.
• The House has 19 work days until a government shutdown. The date for the next government shutdown is March 14, and Congress is already fretting about missing that deadline. Negotiators have yet to decide on a "top-line number" for the budget, and some are already calling to punt any shutdown to later in the year to get more negotiation time. Read more.
• Pete Hegseth clears a Senate procedural vote 51-49, advancing to a full floor vote. So far, Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine are the only defections. Based on those numbers, Hegseth can only afford to lose one more Senator. If the floor vote ties 50-50, Vice President J.D. Vance will get brought in to break the tie. Read more.

U.S. News: 

• Trump pardoned "peaceful pro-life" protestors who were arrested during the Biden administration. Read more.
• Liberal wildfire relief charity funnels millions to left-wing groups—explosive reporting from the Washington Free Beacon. Read more.
• A judge blocked Donald Trump's birthright citizenship order. Eventually, the Supreme Court will end up hearing this case. The Justices will likely strike it down. Read more.
• Former Politico reporters admitted their outlets quashed negative Biden stories. Orders from "on high" stopped Hunter Biden and other negative stories. Read more.
• Trump has declassified JFK, MLK, and RFK files. The nation waits to learn what is in those documents. Read more.

Pop Culture News

• Norah O'Donnell is out at CBS News. The network plans to retool the entire program to win back viewers and format it to look like "local news." Read more.
• "Captain America: Brave New World" is projected to a $95M box office. Marvel is closely watching the movie as it has struggled with its parent company, Disney. Read more.

What I'm reading...

• How Trump could make Greenland an offer they can't refuse. It's time to expand America. Read more.
• Trump is winning on the immigration argument. CNN's Harry Enten lays out the data showing a "massive shift" on immigration in America. Read more.
• What I saw at the National Prayer Service was disturbing. An account by Representative Josh Brecheen. Read it here.

Both the House and Senate passed the Laken Riley Act, which is headed to Donald Trump's desk as the first legislation of his second term. The final House vote was 263-156, with all Republicans supporting it and nearly 50 Democrats jumping on board. Read more.

• A new wildfire exploded in Los Angeles County, forcing more than 31,000 evacuations as firefighters struggled to contain it. This new blaze, the Hughes Fire, was 14% contained as of press and covered over 10,000 acres, or 15 square miles. The Palisades fire continues as well and is 70% contained. Read more.
• Donald Trump is sending 1,500 troops to the southern border in a crackdown on illegal immigration. He is weighing sending as many as 10,000 soldiers and using U.S. military bases to hold illegal migrants crossing the border. Read more.
• Democratic states are running "Bias Response Hotlines" for residents to report their neighbors for "offensive jokes." That's the explosive report from the Washington Free Beacon, which found Oregon running a phone hotline that allows anyone to report fellow citizens for things like "sharing offensive jokes." It is unclear what the state then does with the information, but it is tracking what people send it. Read more.

U.S. News: 

• Trump selected Sean Curran to lead the Secret Service. Curran is the agent who protected him during the Butler shooting. Read more.
• CNN announced layoffs of 6% of its workforce, or around 210 employees, in a memo to staff. NBC News is also laying off staff as news networks struggle for audience. Read more.
• Marco Rubio makes his first trip as Secretary of State. Rubio is headed to Panama, kicking off the Trump administration's new focus on Latin America. Read more.
• Gavin Newsom fired the top wildfire expert because he was Jewish. That's according to Jeffrey Magram, who led the CA National Guard's wildfire response team. He blames Newsom for what's happened in LA. Read more.
• Nancy Pelosi and her husband made $38 million in stock trades leading up to the Trump inauguration. Read more.

Pop Culture News

• CBS is ordering a spinoff of the drama "FBI," which is supposed to be about the CIA. CBS is calling this new series - we are not making this up - "FBI: CIA." Read more.
• Rapper Nelly is looking for Donald Trump to 'step up, serve, and lift us all,' respond to critics who blasted him for performing at the inauguration ball. Read more.

What I'm reading...

• NYC Mayor Eric Adams says The Democratic Party "Left Me." In a wide-ranging interview with Tucker Carlson, the mayor accused Democrats of leaving him and the working class behind. Read more.
• Coleman Hughes: The End of DEI. Trump is ending racial preferences, and America will be better because of it. Read it here.

One of Donald Trump's first executive orders sought to overturn birthright citizenship. As soon as the ink dried, 22 Attorney Generals from Democratic states sued the Trump administration. This is one of the earliest legal tests of Trump's second term, inevitably headed for the Supreme Court. Read more.

• Pete Hegseth's nomination got hit with last-minute allegations in an affidavit by his ex-sister-in-law that Hegseth was abusive towards his ex-wife. If true, it's an explosive allegation. There's one problem: Pete Hegseth and his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, deny the accusations. Read more.
• Donald Trump announced 10% tariffs on China, potentially starting February 1, 2025, and further tariffs on the European Union. Whether these are real threats or openings for negotiations is anyone's guess, but markets are jumping. Read more.
• A once-in-a-lifetime winter storm raced across 1,500+ miles of the Gulf Coast, blanketing beaches from Galveston, Texas, to Orange Beach, Alabama, with up to a foot of snow in some locations. All-time snow records dating back to the 1800s shattered across the region with blizzard conditions. Did Donald Trump reverse global warming after one day in office? See the historic aftermath here.

U.S. News: 

• Biden's last pardons betrayed the country and his oath of office. Read more.
• Trump's State Department instituted a "One Flag" policy. Foreign embassies and outposts will no longer be able to fly flags for left-wing causes. Read more.
• Former Marine Stuart Scheller is joining the Trump administration. Scheller was relieved of duty early in Biden's term after he criticized the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in a viral video. Read more.
• A radical Episcopal bishop used her prayer during the National Prayer Service ceremony to blast Donald Trump and JD Vance. The Bible disagrees with her. Read more.
• Israeli intelligence shows that Hamas was holding the recently released hostages at a Gaza hospital while the UN stood by and did nothing. Read more.

Pop Culture News

• Actor Josh Gad claims he was denied a role in James Cameron's "Avatar" movies because Gad "looked like a tall overweight smurf" when put in CGI alien form during auditions. Read more.
• Netflix announced it is raising prices... again. The new prices apply to both the ad-supported and no-ad tiers of service. Read more.

What I'm reading...

• It's Not Just Red Dye No. 3. It's All Our Stuff. Joshua Lachter has an essential read on all the chemicals impacting the American diet. Read it here.
• Despite Biden Pardon, Fauci Still Faces Legal Perils. Here They Are. RealClearInvestigations published a deep dive into how Republicans in Congress can still challenge Fauci. Read it here.

Donald Trump's first day in office continues the flurry of executive orders and activity that defined inauguration day. His first full day includes actions on infrastructure and a continuing purge of the federal agencies to "Drain the Swamp." Read more.

• Speaking of flurries, the newly minted Gulf of America is experiencing its first-ever BLIZZARD WARNING as a historic winter storm slams the Deep South. States like Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida will see their largest snow storms in 50+ years. Read more.
• Donald Trump held a stunning impromptu press conference at the White House. He signed executive orders while chatting with the press; nothing like it has ever happened, and it stands in stark contrast to the Biden White House hiding from the press. Philip Wegmann had a front-row seat. Read his account here.
• Joe Biden's final act in office was to pardon his family. They claim this is to shield the family from Trump. That's not true. Outside Hunter Biden, federal investigators have been sniffing around the "Biden Crime Family" for years. Read more.

U.S. News: 

• Donald Trump revoked the security clearances of the 51 intelligence officials who signed a letter claiming that Hunter Biden's laptop was Russian disinformation. Read more.
• The Laken Riley Act is passing Congress with wide margins. That should serve as a warning sign to the progressive left. Read more.
• Trump is imposing a federal government hiring freeze and ordering workers back to the office full-time. Read more.
• Vivek Ramaswamy is out in both DOGE and the Trump administration. Elon Musk and many others spurred the move. Read more.
• The untimely death of a Democratic Representative in Pennsylvania has left the house chamber in a deadlock. Read more.

Pop Culture News

• Hollywood lined up with Trump for this inauguration. This stands in stark contrast to 2016 or 2020. See the names here.
• John Sykes, of 'Whitesnake' and 'Thin Lizzy' fame, passed away. He was 65. Read more.

What I'm reading...

• CNN political commentator Scott Jennings had a good time on the network. On Trump's speech, he said, "Trump indicted these gangsters to their faces while they had to sit in front of him. It was glorious." See the whole segment.
• Salena Zito, the most essential Trump-focused journalist of her era, wrote a piece about her decade covering Trump. Read it here.

It's Inauguration Day as Donald Trump becomes the 47th President of the United States. As he assumes office, Trump is signing more than 200 executive orders covering "border security, energy, reducing the cost of living for American families, ending DEI programs across the federal government, and more." Read more.

• Joe Biden leaves office with a flurry of action, too. He issued preemptive pardons for retired General Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and "members of the House committee that investigated January 6." How many people the pardon covers, the time frame involved, or the legality is unclear. Ironically, in 2021, Democrats argued that any preemptive pardons by Trump were invalid. Biden also wasted no time, with 20 minutes left to pardon his brothers and sisters, one parting shot at the American public. Read more.
• The Los Angeles wildfires could grow as deteriorating weather conditions take hold. The Santa Ana winds are roaring back to life, gusting up to 100 mph. The infamous Palisades fire is only 52% contained. Read more.
• Elon Musk wins the race for the first lawsuit of the Trump administration. Within minutes of Trump taking the oath, Elon Musk and DOGE got sued by a group angry federal workers are getting fired. Read more.

U.S. News: 

• Joe Biden spent the waning hours of his presidency in a "dark mood" and "embittered" at those who forced him out. Here's the story.
• Speaker Mike Johnson said that after meeting him, Biden did not know what he'd done or signed as President. Here's the event that opened his eyes.
• Donald Trump vows to release JFK, RFK, and MLK assassination files as part of a broader "transparency push" in the federal government. Read more.
• Cecil Richards, former Planned Parenthood president, died from an aggressive brain cancer. She was 67. Read more.

Pop Culture News

• Lynne Taylor-Corbett, who did the legendary choreography for films like 'Footloose' and other Hollywood classics, passed away. Read more.
• Donald Trump named Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, and Jon Voight as ambassadors to Hollywood. Read more.

What I'm reading...

• The Quiet Lawlessness of Joe Biden. Why Biden has done more to damage the rule of law than any previous president. Read more.
• What CNN's defamation loss says about journalism today. Jonathan Turley is must read.

• It was a wild day on Capitol Hill as Donald Trump's cabinet nominations took center stage. Four hearings happened at the same time. The Latest.
• President Joe Biden delivered his farewell letter to the nation before his last major speech. I speak for the nation when I saw we're all awaiting the real president's farewell address, Jill Biden. Read more.
• Israel and Hamas have announced a ceasefire deal, which, if true, would pause the 15-month war in Gaza. I lay out why that could be a bad deal for Trump. Read more.
• TikTok, the popular video-based social network, is preparing to shut down in the United States. Sources said the shutdown could come as soon as this weekend. Here's why the shutdown is coming early. Read more.

U.S. News: 

• U.S. intelligence says that Donald Trump's inauguration is an "attractive potential target" for violent extremists. Here's who's targeting it.
• Jill Biden spoke out about Nancy Pelosi's role in forcing her husband out of the presidential race. Read more.
• The F.B.I. released more evidence on Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the man accused of murdering 14 people in the New Orleans terrorist attack. Here's what he was researching.
• A judge ordered CNN to apologize to the plaintiff during an ongoing defamation case against the network. Here's why.
• Iran's president denies the country has tried to assassinate Donald Trump. No one believes him. Here's why.

Pop Culture News

• The L.A. wildfires have brought Hollywood to a screeching halt, from productions to awards ceremonies. Read more.
• A Philadelphia Eagles fan was fired from his job after berating a female Packers fan. Here's what he did.
• Both police and the F.B.I. are visiting Ben Affleck's home. Here's the story

What I'm reading...

• California's Policies Laid the Groundwork for Wildfire Danger. Here's how.
• The Tradwife Dilemma - Christine Rosen lays bare the failings of modern feminism. Here's the story.

In a unique clash between festive spirit and city codes, Cherise Pfeifer of Wausau, Wisconsin, has been compelled to dismantle her controversial Trump-Biden Halloween setup to avoid a hefty daily fine.

After displaying a politically themed Halloween decoration for three weeks, the Wausau City Council ultimately fined Cherise Pfeifer for a municipal code violation, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Every October, Cherise transforms her property into a Halloween spectacle. This year’s display notably included various handmade haunted figures and tombstones. Among the decorations was a staged scene depicting a car crash with political figures represented in an unusual tableau.

The focal point of Cherise's display featured a real vehicle staged to look like it had crashed, complete with a dummy under the bonnet and effigies of Donald Trump as the driver and Joe Biden as the passenger. Consequently, local authorities scrutinized this elaborate setup staged on her lawn.

Over the years, Cherise has maintained this approach to decorating for a decade, becoming famously known throughout her city for its originality and scale, which is made all the more notable by her crafted decorations.

City Council Responds to Halloween Display

About three weeks into the display, which had been a part of her Halloween tradition for three years without issue, Cherise received a concerning letter. Specifically, the Wausau City Council informed her that she violated the municipal code by parking a car on her lawn, an activity that city regulations specifically prohibit.

Cherise, known in her community for her spectacular decorations, expressed her frustration with the city's enforcement.

Moreover, she stated that community members have always appreciated her decorative flair during the Halloween season. In response to the council’s letter, local supporters voiced their disappointment, describing the city’s actions as overly strict and detrimental to the festive atmosphere.

Furthermore, multiple residents took to social media to share their opinions, claiming the car was an integral part of the seasonal decor and posed no harm.

In addition, some comments criticized the city for what they deemed unnecessary regulation, noting that the vehicle would be removed post-Halloween anyway.

Wausau City Code Leads to Decoration Dilemma

The council threatened a fine of $122 for each day the car remained on the lawn. Consequently, facing escalating costs, Cherise made the difficult decision to comply and removed the car to avoid further penalties.

Despite this setback, Cherise's spirit remains unbroken. In fact, she plans to continue her Halloween celebrations with even more elaborate and perhaps provocative decorations, pondering ideas to both comply with and protest the council’s decision.

Moreover, she mentioned her determination to "go harder next year" and is even considering additional displays that creatively interpret city rules.

Among her ideas is placing a chair with a dummy atop her roof and a large sign to highlight the circumstances under which she had to alter her display this year.

Community Support and Future Plans

Many share glowing reviews of Cherise's Halloween decorations, which makes feedback on her work easy to find. Additionally, this confrontation with the City Council has only bolstered local support and caused many to question the necessity of certain municipal codes that interfere with seasonal festivities.

Furthermore, the city's citation sparked a broader discussion among Wausau residents about the right to decorate their properties and the community's desire to maintain festive traditions without overly stringent regulations.

Determined not to let this incident dim her creativity, Cherise is already brainstorming ideas for next year's display. In fact, she promises it will be unforgettable and comply with the codes, signaling both a challenge and a commitment to city officials.