Agoura Animal Shelter Pet of the Week, Meet Muncy: Thursday, January 22
Meet Muncy!
Muncy (A5729210) is a 4-year-old pittie mix, volunteer favorite, who’s finally available for adoption after being on hold since September. She’s sweet, spunky, and LIVES for her stuffies. Looking for a running or hiking buddy? Muncy’s your girl! She’s been waiting patiently for her forever home—come meet her today.
Care Center Hours:
Monday-Saturday 11am-5pm
Closed* on Sunday and holidays
29525 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, CA 91301
agoura@animalcare.lacounty.gov
Letter to the Editor: Tokenizing Malibu real estate and the US $100 trillion market
Dear Editor,
December 2025 may enter the history of global finance as a turning point in how securities are owned, settled, and protected.
Malibu is home to many investors, entrepreneurs, retirees, and family offices who understand that changes in global financial infrastructure eventually shape personal and generational wealth. A recent regulatory decision in Washington, D.C., signals a meaningful shift in how securities may be owned, settled, and protected in the future.
On Dec. 1, 2025, BlackRock, the world’s largest assets manager with nearly US$14 trillion asset under management, whose CEO Larry Fink and COO Rob Goldstein argued that tokenization could mark the most significant transformation in capital markets since the 1970s, described a future where stocks, bonds, private credit, and real estate exist on a unified digital platform, enabling near-instant settlement, fractional ownership, and continuous trading.
On Dec. 11, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a three-year pilot program allowing the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) to tokenize securities. Through a limited no-action letter, the SEC granted DTCC regulatory space to test blockchain-based recordkeeping and settlement for highly liquid assets, including Russell 1000 equities, major ETFs, and U.S. treasuries — cornerstone holdings in many local investment portfolios. DTCC’s longer-term ambition — potentially extending blockchain infrastructure across its nearly US $100 trillion securities depository — signals a structural evolution rather than a speculative experiment. Crucially, this initiative does not weaken investor protections. Tokenized securities will retain the same legal ownership rights as traditional DTCC-held assets, including established custody, compliance, and recovery mechanisms. If an asset is misdirected or compromised, it can still be frozen or reclaimed. Tokenization modernizes the rails beneath the market, not the legal framework that supports it. A bond remains a bond, even if it exists on a blockchain.
For Malibu investors, the tangible benefits are threefold:
1. Faster settlement reduces counterparty risk. Lower operational friction can improve net returns. Consolidated digital wallets could simplify asset management, replacing today’s fragmented system of brokerage, custodial, and alternative investment accounts.
2. Fractional ownership — the potential expansion of access — could make historically illiquid or exclusive asset classes — such as private real estate, infrastructure, or private credit — more accessible, while maintaining institutional-grade oversight. Tokenization is not about replacing traditional finance with decentralized finance, but about thoughtfully integrating new technology into trusted systems.
3. Tokenization does not eliminate financial risk; it reshapes how that risk is managed and transmitted. Technology alone is not a solution; both regulators and industry leaders emphasize the importance of guardrails, including digital identity verification, investor protections, and clear risk standards, to preserve market integrity.
Like the early internet, blockchain infrastructure is emerging first within regulated environments before broader adoption. If successful, it could deliver faster, more efficient, and more inclusive capital markets — upgrading the plumbing of finance without dismantling the trust that underpins it. For Malibu long-term investors, tokenization is not a call to speculate, but a reminder that the quiet evolution of market infrastructure can matter as much as markets themselves.
Alyce Su, Malibu
Malibu Investor Reference:
(1) Blackrock (2025 Dec. 1): blackrock.com/corporate/literature/article-reprint/larry-fink-rob-goldstein-economist-op-ed-tokenization.pdf
(2) U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — SEC (2025 Dec. 11): sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-121125-tokenization-trending-statement-division-trading-markets-no-action-letter-related-dtcs-development?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Waves men’s volleyball dominates early matches as tough season looms
Behind dominant serving, towering blocks, and balanced offense, Pepperdine men’s volleyball rolled past Daemen 3–0 for its second straight sweep
The Pepperdine Waves men’s volleyball team had a one-point lead over the Daemen University Wildcats when 6-foot-10 outside hitter Grant Lamoureux stepped up to serve in the second set of their match at Pepperdine’s Firestone Fieldhouse on Jan. 11 — their advantage was about to increase in a big way.
First, there was a block assist by the Waves’ 6-foot-5 outside hitter Ryan Barnett, and then a block assist by 6-foot-7 middle blocker James Eadie. Barnett, a redshirt senior, registered a kill right before the towering Lamoureux, a redshirt freshman, smacked two consecutive service aces.
Yes, Pepperdine was rolling.
Lamoureux then committed a service error, but 6-foot-11 outside hitter Cole Hartke, a sophomore, quickly answered Daemen’s serve with another kill, giving Pepperdine a 23-17 lead. The Waves won the set 25-17 after the Wildcats committed two straight attack errors. Pepperdine controlled the entire match as they defeated Daemen 3-0.
It was Pepperdine’s second sweep in two days. They began the season with a 3-0 home win over St. Thomas Aquinas College on Jan. 9.
Waves head coach Jonathan Winder said the victories over the two New York teams — both conference champions in 2025 — were good measuring sticks for how well Pepperdine was ready for their 2026 campaign.
“It was nice to see the level of play for our team,” Winder said. “Our serving and blocking were pretty strong in both matches. That’s a good sign for us because it is something we think we can be good at this year.”
Hartke, 19, was satisfied with the wins, but said the Waves still need to strive to get better.
“We are trying to learn and come out to do the best we can,” he said.
Hartke and Barnett led Pepperdine with nine kills each in the victory over Daemen, while Lamoureux added seven. Barnett and Lamoureux also each had three aces. Six-foot-six junior setter Andrej Polomac totaled 24 assists and eight digs for the Waves. Six-foot-seven freshman middle blocker Noe Matthey and Eadie had five blocks apiece, Hartke had four, and Lamoureux and Barnett had three.
After Pepperdine had a 3-0 lead in the first set, Daemen battled back. The squads traded points before the Wildcats committed three straight errors. Matthey and Polomac then had back-to-back kills, giving Pepperdine an 11-6 lead, which the Waves increased to 17-9 when Hartke smacked a kill. Pepperdine — powered by Eadie, Lamoureux, Polomac, and Matthey — maintained at least a five-point advantage before Barnett’s service ace gave them a 25-17 win.
The Wildcats had a 7-3 lead over the Waves in the second set before Pepperdine trimmed the margin and tied the game 10-10. The teams scored back-and-forth until a service error by Daemen’s Patrick Mullen gave Pepperdine a 17-16 lead. Lamoureux then stepped up to serve and sparked an 8-1 scoring run to close the set.
The Waves jumped to an early lead in the final set and never trailed. The score was knotted 8-8 when Pepperdine scored five unanswered points, which began with a kill by Barnett and ended with a service ace by Barnett.
Pepperdine later rattled off another five-point run, capped by a service ace from Matthey, and never let Daemen back into contention. Barnett hit a kill, giving the Waves set point. He then served up a service ace, cementing Pepperdine’s 25-14 victory.
Winder noted how well his team played defensively in the match — especially compared to last season. He said Pepperdine traditionally excels offensively but explained that standout serving and blocking will be key against the talented squads they will face this year.
Pepperdine’s 22-man roster features only three players listed under 6-foot-4, so the coach expects the Waves’ size and athleticism to be a huge advantage and for them to play smart volleyball.
“Against the top teams, we have to be big and physical, as well as be good at executing all the small details,” Winder said.
Hartke also noted his team’s positives, while admitting there is room for improvement.
“There’s nothing we can’t improve on,” he said. “A big thing about volleyball is playing to your strengths. You can’t be great at everything, but you can be great at the things at which you are great.”
Pepperdine finished last season with a 21-10 record en route to winning the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament and advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships.
Their 28-game schedule this season features matches against opponents who had impressive campaigns a season ago.
Pepperdine, who finished last season ranked fifth in NCAA rankings, plays 13 road games this season and takes on 19 of last season’s top 20 teams in the country.
After hosting UC Irvine on Friday at 6 p.m., Pepperdine travels to Chicago to face Loyola Chicago, who Pepperdine beat in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament last season, on Jan. 23. The Waves play at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. the following day — six days before hosting reigning national champions Long Beach State on Jan. 30. (Long Beach ended Pepperdine’s season last May.)
Pepperdine’s campaign also includes games against BYU, Hawai’i, Stanford, UCLA, and USC.
Winder would have the Waves’ slate no other way.
“We have a team we think can be pretty good,” he explained. “If you want to be the best at the end of the season, you have to push yourselves during the season. We are going to have to win on the road against some of the best teams in the country.”
“It’s going to be relentless,” Winder added.
Hartke said Pepperdine’s practices are as competitive as any match they will play this season.
“Practices are very tough with a lot of competing going on,” he added. “It gets pretty chippy.”
Hartke expects Pepperdine to be national championship contenders at the end of their tough schedule.
“That is the goal,” he said. “That is the standard for Pepperdine men’s volleyball. That is what we come here to do. We have a group that can do it.”
Letter to the Editor: Use of Insulated Concrete Forms
Dear Editor,
There was a story on CBS’s Sunday Morning today interviewing a lady building with fireproof block in Malibu. People seeing her interview might be compelled to build with the material she is using without understanding what they are getting into.
She stated that she was instrumental in getting the approvals for using the block in Malibu instead of typical stick-frame construction.
Newsflash..I got approvals and built with Rastra block almost twenty years ago on Decker Edison Rd.
She stated that the block was cheaper than lumber. What an oversimplification. The block might be cheaper, but the block has to be reinforced with large amounts of rebar. Then the cells are backfilled with concrete. Depending on the house design, the entire structure may need to be waterproofed because the block is porous like concrete. The block is fireproof, but more than likely, the roof is plywood.
Electrical and plumbing have to be channeled through the inner walls with chainsaws. The construction process isn’t cheap.
Having said all of that, I wouldn’t hesitate to build with it again. It’s a fantastic material with an R value that is off the charts, and you can plaster and stucco without any mesh.
If she is going to recommend building with ICF, she needs to discuss the negatives as well as the positives.
Bruce Lett, Rimforest, CA (formerly Malibu)
Mike Mulligan’s enduring legacy: Building champions, character, and a water polo dynasty at Malibu High
Longtime coach leaves a lasting mark on Malibu — proving success is measured as much in life lessons as in league titles
When Coach Mike Mulligan started Malibu High’s first boys water polo team in 1991, the players refused to wear swim briefs — the teenagers instead preferred to wear board shorts.
So, when Mulligan scheduled a scrimmage between the high school squad and a group of Agoura High water polo alumni, he directed the older players, a group he coached as high schoolers, to do as much physical maneuvering as possible under the water’s surface.
“I told them to keep pulling on those board shorts,” recalled Mulligan.
Malibu Sharks water polo players have worn swim briefs ever since — and the program has consistently been recognized as one of the best around due to Mulligan.
Mulligan, 61, coached the Malibu boys water polo teams to 20 league titles, four CIF championship matches, and the 2014 CIF Division VI Championship during his years as the team’s head coach. He also won at least 10 coaching awards, including CIF Southern Section Division VI Coach of the Year, Southern California Water Polo Coach of the Year, and California Coaches Association Water Polo Coach of the Year.
It was announced in October that Malibu High’s new pool would be named after Mulligan, who also started the school’s girls water polo and swim teams.
Mulligan, a physical education teacher and experienced lifeguard, credited Malibu’s players and their supportive parents for his coaching success.
“All of the athletes have made me look really good,” he said. “I know I coach, but in the end it’s the kids who are out there running the plays, playing the game. I give them the confidence, fundamentals, and skills, but they have to carry it out. They have done an outstanding job from day one.”
Mulligan turned over the head coaching reins of the boys and girls water polo teams to former Malibu player Hayden Goldberg, his assistant coach, in 2018.
Mulligan, now the team’s assistant coach, called Goldberg a wonderful coach, while Goldberg, a 2004 Malibu graduate, praised his coaching mentor.
“He is the absolute water man,” Goldberg said. “I’ve been lucky enough to coach with him since 2006, and I have learned and continue to learn from him.”
The Sharks have remained competitive under Goldberg, with both the boys and girls teams consistently posting winning records. The girls squad has an 8-5 record heading into its Jan. 13 match against Foothill Tech. The squad was on a three-game winning streak at press time — the latest a 17-3 victory over Villanova Prep.
Mulligan’s water polo life began his freshman year at Agoura High in 1979. He was then the goalie for Valley College’s nationally ranked water polo team and a reserve outfielder on the school’s baseball team. Mulligan transferred to California State University, Los Angeles, in 1984 and played water polo there for two years. He was a graduate assistant coach in his third year before he graduated in 1987.
Mulligan was 22 when he began coaching water polo and teaching physical education at Agoura. He accepted the same roles at Malibu a couple of months before his 28th birthday in 1991.
The coach started the boys water polo team as a club initially. It appealed to athletically minded students and parents because it was the only sport boys could play in the fall and matches were done in 50 minutes.
A benefit for Mulligan coaching in Malibu?
“Every kid could swim,” he said.
The Sharks dove in the water wearing swim briefs their first season as a high school team in 1992 and finished the year with an 8-8 record. Malibu had a winning record the next season and then won the Frontier league in 1994.
“That solidified water polo as a dominant sport at our school, so we always had good kids coming out for the team,” Mulligan remembered. “Winning that league title gave them the confidence and reassurance we could battle with all the big schools and be competitive. We are always one of the smallest enrollment schools in the area playing water polo, but we can compete with the big schools.”
Joshua Watts, a former Malibu water polo player and 1996 graduate, described Mulligan as a talented and respectful coach.
“I haven’t kept up with any teachers from high school except Mike Mulligan,” he said. “He will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Mulligan shifted his coaching philosophy — which emphasized hard work and mastery of water polo’s fundamentals — early in his Malibu coaching tenure. He wanted the team to practice in the morning and afternoon, but the players resisted because they wanted to surf in the mornings. The coach relented and has asked players for their input ever since.
“That makes us so strong,” Mulligan said. “It’s not just the coach. It’s not just the players. It’s the combined group working together to a common goal.”
Mulligan, once a fiery coach, said occasional days off from grueling training help strengthen trust.
“Whether it’s a surf day or, ‘Hey guys, it’s your day,’” he said, “the flexibility is good.”
Mulligan led a talented Malibu squad to a victory over Segerstrom to win the CIF Division VI final in 2014. The Sharks were runners-up in 2008, 2010, and 2013.
Mulligan recalled that 2013 squad as one of the best Sharks teams he coached.
“That team was a machine,” he stated before noting the 2001 bunch who reached the semifinals “played really well together.”
The coach steered the Sharks boys swimming team to a runner-up finish at the CIF Division IV finals in 2015. Mulligan offered Goldberg the head coaching spot because he wanted to have the opportunities to watch his daughters, Makenzie and Madie, participate in their sports while they were in high school and to keep the talented Goldberg at his alma mater.
“Hayden is such a good coach,” he said. “I’m so impressed with what he has done with these kids.” Mulligan admitted the coaching switch was difficult initially because he is such a vocal coach, but he has learned to wait for Goldberg to ask for his input. He now focuses more on coaching up individual players instead of the entire team during a match’s tougher moments. “I’ll remind the kid, ‘You are doing fine. This is what you have to do. You will get another chance,’” Mulligan explained.
He said the Malibu water polo program teaches players how to be good people and work with others along with water polo skills.
Mulligan established Malibu’s annual alumni game in 1998. The spectacle features previous members of the boys and girls teams playing the current Sharks teams in friendly matches nearly every Saturday after Thanksgiving. Last November, around 60 alumni participated in the spectacle. It is Mulligan’s proudest coaching accomplishment.
“That proves to me the kids loved being in high school, they loved playing water polo, and they want to come back and still be part of it,” he stated. “If I was an ass, and they didn’t like me, they wouldn’t come back.”
Bradley Schmidt, a goalkeeper on Malibu’s first boys water polo team, said his high school coach is why he plays in the alumni contest each year.
“Mulligan built this tradition,” he said. “He built this organization, all the camaraderie — he built this program from the ground up.”
Mulligan wants to obtain another accomplishment.
“My goal is to help Coach Hayden win a CIF title as a head coach,” he said. “I’m here to do whatever I can to help that process along.”
California exodus continues in 2025
New data show a net loss of roughly 216,000 Californians, with LA leading the outflow
California once again led the nation in outbound migration in 2025, as more residents packed up and left the Golden State than moved in, continuing a trend that has now stretched six consecutive years. New data from U-Haul, combined with population figures from the California Department of Finance and policy analysts, paint a picture of a state still struggling to retain residents despite modest overall population growth.
In 2025 alone, California recorded a net loss of approximately 216,000 residents. That follows a net loss of about 239,000 residents during 2023–2024, and even larger losses during the pandemic years. Between 2020 and 2023, California experienced more than 400,000 net outbound moves, marking the most dramatic population decline in state history.
U-Haul’s annual migration report once again ranked California dead last among U.S. states for net migration in 2025. While the company logged more than 2.5 million one-way truck rentals involving California, the balance tipped slightly toward departures. However, according to U-Haul, 49.4% of one-way customers were moving into California, while 50.6% were leaving — a small percentage difference that translates into tens of thousands of residents.
Those leaving California are largely relocating to nearby states. U-Haul identified Arizona and Oregon as the top destinations, along with Nevada, Texas, and Washington — three states that do not levy a broad-based individual income tax. California joined Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois as the five states with the largest net population losses in the country.
U-Haul says its extensive network of roughly 24,000 rental locations nationwide allows it to capture near-real-time domestic migration trends, often months before official government tallies are released. By contrast, the California Department of Finance, which factors in births, deaths, and international immigration, reported that California’s population grew slightly last year — by just 0.05% — underscoring how overseas immigration and natural population growth are barely offsetting domestic losses. The truck rental company also points to what it describes as a continuing “blue-to-red state” migration, a trend it says began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. While U-Haul tracks only raw movement data, policy experts have studied the motivations behind the exodus.
Housing affordability remains the dominant factor driving residents out of California. Hans Johnson, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), said out-migration has been building for more than a decade, accelerating during periods of economic uncertainty. Family obligations and job changes also play a major role in relocation decisions. Politics may be another contributing factor. Eric McGhee, also a senior fellow at PPIC, has found growing evidence that political alignment is influencing migration patterns. Those leaving California are more likely to identify as Republicans, while new arrivals tend to be Democrats, reinforcing the state’s political makeup even as it loses population.
Economic pressures add to the push. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the cost of living in California is 12.6% higher than the national average. Housing is the single biggest burden, with home prices and rents running 57.8% higher than the U.S. average, placing ownership and even long-term renting out of reach for many middle-class households.
No city illustrates California’s population churn more clearly than Los Angeles, which continues to lose more residents than any other city in the state. High housing costs, long commutes, congestion, and quality-of-life concerns have driven tens of thousands of Angelenos to relocate in recent years, often to more affordable metro areas in neighboring states. Los Angeles County has been the single largest contributor to California’s domestic population losses since 2020.
Wildfires have also become a growing factor in Los Angeles’ out-migration. Repeated fire seasons, rising insurance costs, and concerns over air quality have pushed some residents to leave fire-prone areas of Los Angeles County, particularly in the foothills and wildland-urban interface zones. At the same time, job losses and industry contraction in the entertainment sector — long a cornerstone of the regional economy — have prompted workers in film, television, and related fields to seek more stable or affordable markets outside California.
Yet the story is not uniform across the state. Despite California’s overall losses, San Diego and San Francisco stood out in 2025 as the only California cities among the top 25 U.S. metros to record a net inflow of one-way U-Haul customers. Analysts attribute those gains to strong job markets, higher wages, and renewed urban demand following the pandemic.
New study released by Pepperdine predicts slow road to fire rebuilds
Report details rebuilding timelines lag behind public perception
A new report from Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy shows California’s wildfire recovery effort is far slower — and more fragile — than most people realize.
The information may not be news to those Malibu residents who lost their homes in the Woolsey Fire — with fewer than 50% rebuilt seven years later — but for the latest group of fire-affected in Malibu the report may be sobering.
The report titled, “Burned, Sold, and Rebuilt? The Long Road to Recovery After California Wildfires,” was written by Justin Niakamal, a research manager with Beacon Economics, along with Chris Thornberg. The authors partnered with Pepperdine on the project in response to the most destructive fire in California’s history — the Palisades Fire. Niakamal said the impetus behind the report is to take a historical perspective on the pace of rebuilding in the state after a decade of disastrous fires in California.
Looking at previous wildfires including the Tubbs, Lightning Complex, Glass fires and others, the study found that fewer homes are rebuilt after major wildfires than initially expected, with recovery stalled by structural barriers, not lack of will or funding. Key findings include: rebuilding timelines lag far behind public perception, often stretching years longer than anticipated; local tax revenues drop sharply after fires, straining public services during recovery; and permitting delays, labor shortages, and debris removal — not insurance alone — are the biggest bottlenecks.
Some fire ravaged communities have fared better than others though. The report cites a swifter rebuild in Sonoma County where the 2017 Tubbs Fire destroyed more than 5,000 homes and wiped out Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park. Today, nearly 80% of the homes lost there have been rebuilt. Not so for 2018’s Camp Fire and Malibu’s Woolsey Fire, which both fared among the worst for rebuilds. Following the Camp Fire, fewer than 30% of homes were rebuilt after five years “due partly to sizable delays and ongoing hardships related to the sheer scale of destruction.”
According to the report, the Woolsey Fire, which shares geographic and administrative similarities with the recent Los Angeles wildfires has been unusually slow. The report states: “This is indicative of systemic issues such as complex permitting practices, underinsurance, and financial difficulties for homeowners.” Niakamal added, “There’s some lessons to be learned there. There are a multitude of problems. Some of them are Malibu specific. Of course, the topography and infrastructure play a role, but then, there’s also local government response. With the Tubbs Fire, they created a resilient city permit center. They have their own zoning code. They guarantee you a quick turnaround. That helped to expedite the rebuild process. We can prepare for wildfires, but it’s not really clear if there’s sort of an emphasis on learning how to respond from past wildfires.”
The report’s author added, “The impression that you get when you look at the data is you think over time that the response will get faster, but only two homes have been rebuilt in Pacific Palisades in a year removed from the fire. You’d think that over time the response would be more efficient, but it doesn’t seem like that’s happening. It is a bit of a reinvent the wheel each time a major fire occurs.” In comparison, Malibu has issued only 22 building permits with no homes completed. Niakamal stated his report has examples of “successful responses, in particular, Sonoma.”
The report also touches on tax revenues in fire-ravaged communities. When structures are destroyed “you lose a large part of the tax base from when you don’t replace that structure. This is only the land that gets assessed, but the structure value is zero. So, the total assessed value for which your property taxes are determined are based on, the land and structure, you’re missing a big part of that,” Niakamal commented.
Overcoming the bottlenecks of navigating a rebuild, including the challenges of topography, infrastructure, and permitting have been vexing California fire victims for years, so Niakamal questions why the state is facing the same issues in more than a decade of fire response. “That’s one of the points of the report. This isn’t new. We’ve had wildfires before. But we haven’t necessarily learned from past responses and how to improve them.”
Finally, the report suggests policymakers take concerted steps to streamline permitting, invest in workforce development to counter labor shortages in the construction industry, fund debris removal and environmental testing or risk prolonging displacement for residents and creating lasting gaps in both housing supply and local property tax base.
View the report at: publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/institutes-initiatives/content/wildfire-papper-final.pdf
California congressman fights for more federal disaster funds for wildfire recovery
Representative from northern Los Angeles County leads California delegation in demanding more federal aid
Santa Clarita Congressman George Whitesides is demanding more financial support from the federal government to support wildfire-affected communities in Southern California and to strengthen long-term wildfire resilience.
Speaking on the one -year anniversary of the Palisades and Eaton fires, the representative from the 27th District of California said, “The message that we are sharing here in Washington, D.C., is that the recovery is far from complete, and we need more federal assistance to help rebuild our communities, to rebuild our homes, and help those who are affected, rebuild their lives.”
Whitesides is leading 42 members of the California Democratic congressional delegation by sending a letter to President Donald Trump asking for supplemental disaster assistance of $33.9 billion as requested by the state last month. The congressman said that aid was promised to assist with rebuilding homes, schools, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
“When the president came to the Palisades after the fires, he promised that help would be on its way. I think it is absolutely unacceptable that we are still waiting for that help one year later,” said the representative from northern Los Angeles County. “California is the biggest donor state in the Union. We pay more than $80 billion more into the federal government than we get back and when other states have suffered floods and hurricanes and tornadoes, we have voted without hesitation to provide them the supplemental appropriations that they need to rebuild their communities, because it’s the right thing to do, and when Americans are in need of assistance, we always step up. But right now, the administration has failed to put forward a supplemental appropriation of about $30 billion.
“It has to happen. Our communities need it to rebuild. And so, we are making a big push, a bipartisan push right now, to make clear that this is still absolutely required for the rebuilding effort in Los Angeles.”
Whitesides is also touting his effort in Congress to boost wildfire resilience efforts.
“I’m really proud of a very important bill that we’re pushing now called ‘Fix Our Forests’ which is going to help us clear the high intensity potential dangers from the wild lands,” he said. “It’s a bipartisan bill that has already passed the House and is now heading, hopefully, for passage in the Senate, and when we pass that, we’re going be able to make a substantial difference in the safety of our communities. The other thing we really need to focus on is hardening our communities. People really need to make sure that they’re establishing a clean zone zero around their house that makes a huge difference. And we also need to make sure that we’re putting in place supports for insurance so that we can keep folks on their insurance so that their prices don’t rise so much, and so that we can keep people from having to go on to the Fair Plan, which is a huge issue in my district.”
On the one-year anniversary since the Los Angeles wildfires, the Democratic congressman also supports the “Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act.” The bipartisan bill would create the first-ever respiratory protection standards for wildland firefighters. Whitesides said he backs the legislation after speaking with first responders to the Palisades and Eaton fires.
“This is a bill that has already been introduced in the Senate by our Senator Adam Schiff and supported by Senator Alex Padilla. We’re really grateful for their leadership on this,” he said. “Here’s the problem: While on the job, firefighters have to fight in smoke for days and weeks on end and up until this point, they really have had no protection for their lungs. And it’s crazy, because we know that there are many carcinogens in wildland smoke. It potentially causes over a dozen different types of cancer. So, this is a starting step. It won’t solve everything, but it’s a step towards establishing standards for wildland firefighters so that we can provide them the protection that they need, so that when they’re protecting us, their lungs are protected as well.”
The bill is intended to direct agencies like the Forest Service and Interior Department to develop and mandate respirators and adequate gear when smoke exceeds OSHA/NIOSH limits, addressing long-term health risks associated with toxic wildfire smoke.
One year after Palisades Fire, tragedy fuels reflection, reckoning — and a LA Mayoral challenge
As the community marks the anniversary of one of California’s most devastating wildfires, recovery continues and resident Spencer Pratt enters the Los Angeles mayoral race
One year after the Palisades Fire tore through the Santa Monica Mountains and forever altered the lives of thousands, the scars of one of the most destructive wildfires in California history remain deeply visible — in the landscape, in ongoing recovery efforts, and now, in the city’s political arena.
On Jan. 7, residents gathered in Pacific Palisades to mark the anniversary of the fire that ignited a week earlier and exploded under hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, ultimately killing 12 people, destroying more than 6,800 structures, and scorching more than 23,000 acres in a “They Let Us Burn” rally.
Among the speakers at the rally was longtime Palisades resident and media personality Spencer Pratt, who announced his candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles, directly linking his campaign to the fire and its aftermath.
“I chose Jan. 7 because there is a somber poetry in launching a new chapter on the anniversary of the worst day of my life — the day my town and everything my family owned burned to the ground,” Pratt said in a statement released after the rally. Pratt, 42, whose home was destroyed in the fire, framed his bid as a challenge to what he described as entrenched political leadership and systemic failures exposed by the disaster.
Pratt and his wife, Heidi Montag — both known for their appearances on the MTV reality series The Hills — documented the fire in real time, sharing videos of flames advancing toward their neighborhood and later showing the devastation left behind. Over the past year, Pratt has been a vocal critic of local and state leadership, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom, accusing officials of failing to adequately prepare for and respond to the blaze.
“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles,” Pratt told the crowd. “This isn’t just a campaign — it’s a mission.”
The Palisades Fire began in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2025, as a small brush fire near the Skull Rock Trailhead in Topanga Canyon. Initially dubbed the Lachman Fire, it burned less than half an acre and was declared suppressed. Investigators later determined that embers smoldered undetected for six days, buried deep in dry soil and root systems. On Jan. 7, powerful Santa Ana winds — forecast days in advance — reignited the fire, driving it rapidly through Pacific Palisades and into Malibu.
By the time the fire was fully contained on Jan. 31, entire neighborhoods had been reduced to ash, more than 100,000 residents were displaced, and economic losses were estimated to be the highest of any wildfire in California history.
In October, federal authorities arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht in Florida, charging him with arson in connection with the fire’s origin. According to federal affidavits, Rinderknecht allegedly ignited the initial blaze intentionally on New Year’s Day. Surveillance footage, cellphone data, and fire pattern analysis placed him at the ignition point shortly after midnight. Prosecutors allege his actions were reckless and malicious, and he now faces federal charges that could carry decades in prison if convicted.
The arrest brought a measure of closure for many residents, but it also reignited scrutiny of how the fire was handled in its earliest stages. On the same day as the arrest, the Los Angeles Fire Department released a 70-page After-Action Review Report examining the first 36 hours of the response. The report acknowledged that while firefighters performed heroic evacuations — saving tens of thousands of lives — procedural and systemic failures allowed the fire to resurface and grow unchecked.
According to the report, crews relied largely on visual inspections and manual checks to confirm extinguishment, rather than using thermal imaging technology that might have detected lingering heat underground. Staffing shortages, limited resources, and competing red-flag incidents across the region also contributed to the decision not to conduct extended monitoring of the initial fire area.
Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva described the incident as a “perfect storm” of human error, extreme weather, and environmental conditions worsened by prolonged drought. “While bravery and dedication were on full display, we must learn from what went wrong,” Villanueva said.
The findings have fueled ongoing lawsuits filed by fire victims against public agencies and utilities, alongside claims against the accused arsonist. Legal experts say responsibility could ultimately be shared, though arson remains the central cause under California law.
For residents, the anniversary was both a moment of remembrance and an expression of frustration. Malibu Mayor Marianne Riggins said the revelation that the fire may have been intentionally set added “another layer of pain” to a community already struggling to rebuild. “Our focus remains on getting families home and making sure this never happens again,” she said.
Against that backdrop, Pratt’s mayoral announcement underscored how deeply the fire has reshaped public trust and political discourse in Los Angeles. He joins a crowded mayoral field that includes incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, former LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner, and more than a dozen other candidates. The primary election is scheduled for June 2, with candidate filing set to open in early February.
Whether Pratt’s campaign gains traction remains to be seen. But one year after the Palisades Fire, the disaster continues to reverberate — as a symbol of loss, a test of government accountability, and now, a catalyst for political change in a city still grappling with how to protect its communities in an era of increasingly catastrophic wildfires.
