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The wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County in California have devastated homes and misplaced longtime residents as firefighters battle the blazes. The community of Altadena, which has a significant number of Black residents, is suffering from the damages of the wildfires as they forge a path forward.
Several outlets have covered the damage from the wildfires in Altadena and the town of Pasadena, including Pasadena Star-News and CBS News. The Eaton fire has damaged around 4,000 structures according to the Star-News, adding that 18 percent of Altadena’s residents are Black along with 7 percent of Pasadena residents.
“This will (displace) a lot of Black people, said Sheila Foster, who lost homes in both Altadena and Pasadena. “Some of them are elderly, some were barely holding on before the fire, trying to keep their property because it was going down from generation to generation up here.”
As seen in Yahoo! News by way of TheGrio, the Eaton fire is among four blazes which include the Palisades fires, and as seen both burning over 30,000 acres of land and over 10,000 structures total. There is a multinational effort made by firefighters from the north in Canada and to the South in Mexico. This is especially interesting to note considering the aggressive tone towards the named countries from President-elect Donald Trump.
On X, formerly Twitter, some are mentioning the devastation endured by the residents of Altadena and Pasadena, while also noting efforts of spectacular scope are being made to support those displaced by the blazes. Those reactions can be viewed below.
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Photo: Getty
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Remy Ma and Eazy The Block Captain have become a central focus in the battle rap scene after details were revealed regarding their relationship and commentary from Papoose about their union. In a recent Chrome23 battle event, Eazy Tha Block Captain enacted a lyrical scheme asking Remy Ma if she loved him during the heat of the battle against his opponent, Shotgun Suge.
Over the weekend, Chrome23 hosted the “Read The Room” battle with Eazy The Block Captain, and Shotgun Suge as the main event. As is the custom in the battle rap arena, private details, and jarring insults are par for the course. In that regard, Suge took some of the strongest shots possible at Eazy, with several angles centered on his relationship with Remy Ma.
Fans are largely saying that Suge vanquished Eazy on his home turf of New Jersey but the Philadelphia native has never ducked any sort of smoke on the stage. During a scheme where he names the alphabet, thought largely to be a dig at Remy’s estranged husband Papoose’s “Alphabetical Slaughter” song, Eazy flipped bars asking Remy if she loved him and in the back, a resounding “yes” could be heard in the clips that surfaced online.
Eazy The Block Captain asked Remy Ma “Don’t you love me?”
Remy: Yes. pic.twitter.com/LoRm4fsqLO
— VideoMixtape.com (@VideoMixtape_) January 6, 2025
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While the moment got a big pop from the crowd, fans who study the culture said that Eazy has used this scheme before and are accusing him of recycling. Others thought the dig was clever but the consensus is that Shotgun Suge emerged victorious.
In the aftermath of the clash, fans on X have their comments on Remy Ma professing her love for Eazy The Block Captain in battle rap fashion. Check out the replies below.
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Residents in the Westside, Los Angeles neighborhood of the Pacific Palisades, are threatened by a raging wildfire, leading Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency, and officials are looking to tame the blaze. The Pacific Palisades and other neighborhoods in California are under evacuation orders while the images from the wildfire have sparked both concern and debate online.
All across social media, the California wildfire has been discussed widely with users posting stirring photos and videos of the blaze. According to various reports from the likes of CBS News and the Los Angeles Times along with local outlets.
The fire began in Northwest Los Angeles on Tuesday (Jan. 7) morning and led to the evacuation of around 30,000 residents of the Pacific Palisades, which is nestled in the Westside region of Los Angeles County. High winds throughout the day spread the brush fire and CalFire reports that the blaze grew to a size of nearly 3,000 acres. Damages from the blaze are still being tallied along with the number of injuries, with widespread reports of heavy traffic and the like as residents look to flee to safety.
A second blaze broke on in Eaton in the Northern Los Angeles County neighborhood of Altadena and has reportedly torched over 1,000 homes according to CalFire officials. There was also a blaze titled the Hurst Fire that broke out in Los Angeles’ Sylmar neighborhood on Tuesday and touched several hundred acres.
Winds reached as high as 99 mph in the Altadena region and 84 mph at Hollywood Burbank Airport according to the National Weather Service. Santa Ana winds are typical in California but not usually this intense according to officials covering the weather event.
On X, formerly Twitter, residents enduring the wildfires are sharing their accounts of what they’re facing and giving detailed photos and video footage of the spreading damage. Those replies can be viewed below.
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WWE Raw is entering a new era and made its splashy debut on the Netflix platform this week, with the early reactions from fans largely staying favorable. WWE Raw was packed with surprises as Triple H, The Rock, John Cena, and Hulk Hogan all showed up at varying intervals.
We’re CHANGING THE GAME on Monday nights! 💥#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/1xWCPSAW2D
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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The WWE Raw and Netflix deal stirred up plenty of interest among pro wrestling fans and the anticipation for Monday’s (Jan. 6) event was high from the moment the partnership was announced in 2024. It’s clear that the deal is a lucrative one with the opening video montage getting fans both new and established up to speed about the history of professional wrestling.
FINALLY… 🎤#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/OuwTKNl1a5
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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Triple H, who is the WWE’s chief content officer, opened up the show at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles before giving the center of the ring to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who sits on the board of TKO Group, the company behind the UFC and WWE. Johnson gave praise to Netflix, his cousin Roman Reigns, and Cody Rhodes in a promo moment that seemed to win some fans over.
It’s getting EMOTIONAL right here and now.#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/wg7g1lKniz
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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John Cena, who is currently on his path to retiring from pro wrestling, kicked off his farewell tour in a quick promo for his Feb. 1 Royal Rumble match. After the announcement, the matchups were visually entertaining and full of spectacle as expected.
WE’VE GOT COMPANY!!!#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/YNnPhGYSD3
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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RHEA RIPLEY DID IT!!!#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/CHctDf2qaP
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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Roman Reigns, alongside his trusty manager Paul Heyman, took down Solo Sikoa in the Tribal Combat match for the Ula Fala and recognition as Tribal Chief of the Anoaʻifamily. That was followed by the Women’s World Championship bout between Rhea Ripley, who defeated Liv Morgan for the title.
Hulk Hogan, at one time one of the most popular stars in the pro wrestling world, was on hand to promote his Real American Beer brand but faced the boos of the crowd despite trying to thank WWE and his supporters. It could be assumed that Hogan was targeted due to his connection to President-elect Donald Trump.
🗣️ LET’S GO ROLL-INS!
🗣️ CM PUNK!#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/KvnaxFSw5U
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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After Hogan was swiftly moved to the side, Jey Uso, also part of the Anoaʻi wrestling family, took on Drew McIntyre and won the match. Afterwards, the main event, CM Punk and Seth Rollins ended with Punk emerging victorious.
In all, it appears that WWE Raw’s partnership with Netflix will be a fruitful one as it remains one of the top ratings cash cows in all of sports and entertainment.
On X, reactions to the event were all over the map with some not pleased with the show while others said they’re back on the bandwagon. We’ve got them listed below.
WWE’s Chief Content Officer @TripleH narrates the official Cold Open for the debut of #RawOnNetflix streaming live TONIGHT at 8PM ET nationwide!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/35eCNT1Moa
— WWE (@WWE) January 6, 2025
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Source: @OG2Low / Instagram
OG 2 Low, a rapper who reportedly has ties with Rap-A-Lot Records, was a guest on a recent podcast discussing the finer points of his career, which dates back to the 1990s. During the chat, OG 2 Low is seen in a clip adjusting his fireman in his pocket, which suddenly goes off and narrowly misses the rapper’s leg while sparking a flurry of comments online.
As reported by Chron, OG 2 Low sat down with the One on One Wit Mike D podcast, also known as the Tha Dirty 3rd podcast, hosted by Mike D of the Screwed Up Click and one-third of the Southside Playaz group.
In a clip posted by @CollinRugg over the weekend, OG 2 Low, 45, is seen on the set of One on One Wit Mike D fumbling around in his pants when viewers suddenly hear a loud pop and a pained look on OG’s face. Mike D asks if anyone was shot while the podcast producer is heard in the background with some light commentary. Taking the moment in stride, Mike D took a quick pause and resumed the chat with OG 2 Low, who did appear to be okay despite blasting a hole in the left thigh portion of his jeans.
The video, which has been viewed over 2 million times and clipped by other content creators and outlets, is continuing to make its rounds with some saying the moment reminded them of the time former NFL star Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg while carrying a gun in his pants. Others online preached about gun safety while others just went in for the jokes.
We’ve got a few reactions below, avoiding those that bordered on racist with some tough guy gun owners acting like they’re John Wick online and using it as an excuse to dump on the perceived intelligence of rappers.
NEW: Rapper 2 Low accidentally fires his gun while reaching his hand in his pocket during an interview, finishes the episode anyway
The incident happened during the 1 on 1 With Mike D podcast.
After taking a quick break, the two continued their highly intellectual conversation. pic.twitter.com/UeGlOw2hFH
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 4, 2025
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Photo: Screenshot/IG
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January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol was attacked by a mob of largely white domestic terrorists operating under the orders of Donald Trump as part of his “Stop The Steal” movement. On the fourth anniversary of the heinous attack on democracy, many on X are remembering the January 6 insurrection just as Trump is gearing up for a second term in the White House.
The events of January 6 were an example of how unchecked power in the White House could be dangerous, and how the lack of checks and balances might essentially doom our democracy. Under Trump’s guidance and fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories from the darkest corners of the Web, the mob of Trump supporters swarmed the Capitol under the veil of misguided justice in the name of their leader.
The group, sparked by politically motivated bloodlust, was sent to attack Vice President Mike Pence for failing to block the confirmation and there were clear intentions to harm any elected official who was a perceived enemy of Trump. This mob felt ordained to carry out Trump’s justice as wayward vigilantes fighting under a false flag.
Given the level of meddling Trump engaged in on the state level regarding losing votes over what he thought would be shoo-ins for his reelection, the weaponizing of his base to enact a coup of sorts should have had its day in court before winning the election last fall. Even members of Trump’s party sought a path where the president-elect would face the facts of his actions.
However, procedural delays, political hand-wringing, and an unprecedented move by the United States Supreme Court empowered Trump and will most likely allow him and the January 6 insurrectionists to sidestep justice unscathed. The embers of hope that Trump would have his day in court were effectively snuffed out after Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith filed to have felony charges against Trump dropped.
The election interference matter Trump has been accused of was marred by the typical tug-of-war of politics, with Trump supporters stating that the DOJ was on a “witch hunt” and a true denial of any sort of accountability from Trump. It is sobering that Donald Trump yet avoided penalties for his actions yet again, and the populace at large is bracing for another four years under Trump’s reign.
On X, formerly Twitter, many are remembering the January 6 insurrection attack, and the reactions are centered on the truth of what happened, not centering on any political side.
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A bombshell lawsuit brought by a former hairstylist for the Fox Sports network is alleging that former network host Skip Bayless offered to pay her a high sum for sex while accusing an FS1 executive of sexual misconduct. Further, the lawsuit named network co-hosts Emmanuel Acho and Joy Taylor, with claims that Taylor slept with several key figures at the network for advancement.
Front Office Sports reports that Noushin Faraji, who worked at Fox Sports from 2012 until August 2024, named Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, Fox Sports Executive Vice President Charlie Dixon, Skip Bayless, and FS1 host Joy Taylor as defendants in the lawsuit that was filed last Friday (Jan. 3).
Source: Travis P Ball / Getty (Dixon is to the right in the photo)
Among the more explosive claims, Faraji says that Bayless offered her $1.5 million to have sex with him after working with the host on the set of Undisputed and allegedly faced sexual harassment and unwanted advances from Bayless. In addition, the suit says that Bayless accused Faraji of sleeping with his former Undisputed co-star, Shannon Sharpe.
The suit also shares a depiction of an exchange between Faraji and Bayless where she attempted to rebuff Bayless by mentioning his wife and Bayless allegedly mentions Faraji’s Muslim faith and the assumption that her father had more than one spouse. Faraji told Bayless that her father was dead.
Faraji added in the suit that Dixon, who was the head of content for FS1, allegedly grabbed Faraji’s bottom at a West Hollywood birthday party. Faraji claims she went to Taylor to report what happened and Faraji said that Taylor allegedly told her to “get over it.”
According to Faraji’s account, she believed that Taylor and Dixon began their affair in 2016 despite both being married. Taylor allegedly invited Faraji out for a drink in Santa Monica, Calif. and when arriving to the bar, she found Taylor sitting with Dixon. Faraji claimed that the body language between the pair suggested a sexual connection. The suit also states that Taylor’s slot on Undisputed was a “reward” for sleeping with Dixon.
Source: ETIENNE LAURENT / Getty
The lawsuit also points to allegations that Taylor used sex to get herself in the door for some of the coveted time slots in the FS1 and Fox Sports space, including sleeping with Acho. Faraji claims she warned Taylor about sleeping with Dixon and Acho at the same time, a warning that was allegedly dismissed by Taylor who believed she had enough leverage to get whatever she wanted out of Dixon.
Faraji is seeking unspecified monetary damages and wants to take the matter to trial. Fox Sports has released a statement regarding the matter while Bayless, Taylor, and Acho have yet to respond to the claims.
On X, the news of the lawsuit have spread wide with reactions going all over the place and zeroing in on the more salacious aspects while largely ignoring the harm Faraji claims to have endured. We’ve got those reactions listed below.
For those who want to go through the 47-page lawsuit, click here.
[h/t Daily Mail]
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Lil Baby last dropped a full-length album in 2022’s It’s Only Me which was a solid outing from the southwest Atlanta rapper and was thought by many to be the next step in his burgeoning stardom. Three years later, Lil Baby dropped his fourth studio album WHAM (Who Hard As Me) and the early returns on X are in with fans giving their knee-jerk opinions as expected.
Hype for Lil Baby’s latest project bubbled at a steady rate in 2024 with Young Thug dropping cryptic tweets suggesting that the pair were soon to cook up something for the masses. As the months rolled on, LB dropped a series of teasers, including sharing a partial tracklist on social media before he officially announced his new album at his birthday concert last month.
Now that the project is here, our first listen to the album reveals that LB hasn’t lost his gift for melody while keeping the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” approach to the music. The guests on WHAM are also perfectly hand-selected with Young Thug and Future showing up for the early standout track “Dum, Dumb, and Dumber” and GloRilla put on a scene-stealing show on “Redbone.”
Other features include “By Myself” featuring Rylo Rodriguez and Rod Wave, and Travis Scott shows up for the “Stuff” track. What many fans online are zeroing in on is 21 Savage’s feature verse on the track “Outfit” with some believing the Slaughter Gang star is shouting out Drake while throwing a slight shot toward Kendrick Lamar.
Lil Baby should get most of the credit for carrying the project as his mix of sing-song trap anthems and some rare moments of vulnerability highlight how well-rounded an artist he’s become over the years. However, and we’re not sure why, but the reactions are mixed with some believing the production doesn’t match LB’s talent while other fans are enjoying the output.
On X, the reactions to WHAM are still coming in and we’ve got them listed below.
Where I’m from, your heart and your hustle is everything.
WHAM | 1-3-25 | Pre-Save https://t.co/znTirK9Gho pic.twitter.com/HcnTYhpRcl
— Lil Baby (@whamcbfw4) December 30, 2024
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Photo: Prince Williams / Getty
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Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have been vocal proponents of the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump and their proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) office along with their stances on H-1B visas. After feeling the wrath of the MAGA faithful, Elon Musk shifted his tone while Donald Trump showed support for the visa program for foreign workers which has angered the many figures within the GOP and the wider base.
On Christmas Day, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy made their case for the support of H-1B visas with the suggestion that the program allows business leaders to find the best engineering minds possible. Ramaswamy found himself in the thick of it when he casually suggested that Americans and the media they consume might be contributing to their lack of engineering or intellectual excellence. Musk, a recipient of an H-1B visa himself, likened the recruitment of the foreign workforce to selecting the best players of the NBA, which too has several foreign-born players who are near the top of their class.
Over the weekend, Trump joined the fray and expressed his approval of the aforementioned visa program.
“I’ve always liked the (H1-B) visas, I have always been in favor of the visas, that’s why we have them,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post. “I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program.”
This comment from Trump was an exaggeration of facts as reports came forth that many Trump staffers who work at his properties on visas did so through the H-2B visa program, which gives companies the ability to recruit foreign workers for temporary jobs such as hospitality work. According to a CNN report, Trump last used the H-1B visa program in 2022 in order to hire a data analyst for the Trump Media & Technology Group Corp.
This has sparked right-wing infighting with key figures such as former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer aiming at both Trump and Musk for walking back the campaign promises of the so-called America First agenda that focused on mass deportation and the hiring of more American workers at some of the top companies.
Elonn Musk has been defiant in his unique way and issued a profane reply on X towards Christian conservative Steven Mackey, who criticized Musk’s endorsement of the H-1B visa program.
“The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and F*CK YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend,” Trump wrote to Mackey.
The Tesla founder has since softened his rhetoric, writing on his X platform, “Please post a bit more positive, beautiful or informative content on this platform” which garnered several passionate and colorful responses. This also sparked a still unproven rumor that Musk is using X under the “Adrian Dittman” alias.
We’ve got X comments regarding Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, H-1B visas, and the MAGA kerfuffle below.
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Source: Andrew Harnik / Getty
Elon Musk‘s X is now firmly the main meeting space for all things MAGA, offering a safe haven for the hateful and belligerent who fell in line with the movement. However, “First Buddy” Elon Musk and his DOGE Bro Vivek Ramaswamy are catching MAGA wrath on Musk’s social media platform.
To illustrate what is happening with the proposed DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) coalition of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, we look into their recent activity on X as the impetus of the critique both are receiving. On Christmas Day (Dec. 25), Musk posted a missive on X shooting down the idea that more American engineers should be hired over foreign workers, sparking a testy debate.
“The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low. Think of this like a pro sports team: if you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. That enables the whole TEAM to win,” Musk wrote.
An X user fired back with, “There are over 330 million people in America. Surely, there must be enough among them to build your ultimate team? Why would you deny real Americans that opportunity by bringing foreigners here?” to which Musk fired back and doubled down with, “Your understanding of the situation is upside-down and backwards. OF COURSE my companies and I would prefer to hire Americans and we DO, as that is MUCH easier than going through the incredibly painful and slow work visa process. HOWEVER, there is a dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America.”
The H-1B visa, which allows foreign nationals to work for American companies in special capacities, has been criticized by President-elect Donald Trump in the past and he has shown his preference in hiring American workers first.
Ramaswamy added fuel to the proverbial fire by siding with Musk, who is an immigrant, and pushing the concept of hiring outside of the United States to bring a standard of excellence to the nation. It was a lengthy post from Ramaswamy and we’ll share a portion below.
From Vivek Ramaswamy’s X account:
The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over “native” Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if we’re really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH:
Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer). That doesn’t start in college, it starts YOUNG.
A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.
A culture that venerates Cory from “Boy Meets World,” or Zach & Slater over Screech in “Saved by the Bell,” or ‘Stefan’ over Steve Urkel in “Family Matters,” will not produce the best engineers.
The posts from Musk and Ramaswamy have created quite a firestorm of comments from the likes of Laura Loomer and other conservative figures who believe that the pair are getting this wrong. You can read one of Loomer’s X replies to Musk here.
On X, observers are taking note of the MAGA infighting and potential for implosion within the incoming Trump administration and he hasn’t even been sworn in yet. We’ve got reactions below.
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