End Times Headline News. January 17 2025

CA Power Plant Erupts in Flames. L.A. County Land-Grab Fears. Trump Inauguration Targeted. Trump Mulls Oil Sanctions Plan. UK Government Proposes Banning "Controversial" Conversations.

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Power Plant in Moss Landing, CA Erupts in Flames, Triggers Immediate Evacuation Order Over Toxic Air Hazard

A fire erupted at the Moss Landing Power Plant in Monterey County on Thursday afternoon, prompting evacuation orders and the closure of State Route 1.

The incident began around 3 p.m. at a battery storage facility operated by Vistra Energy, according to CBS News. In response, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders for areas south of Elkhorn Slough, north of Molera Road and Monterey Dunes Way, and west of Castroville Boulevard and Elkhorn Road to the ocean.

California Wildfires Remain Under 50% Containment

The intense winds fueling the devastating Los Angeles fires are expected to subside, providing firefighters a better chance to combat wildfires that have raged for over a week.

On Thursday, the National Weather Service declared that the “nine-day wind siege has finally ended,” forecasting a “significant cooling trend” and increased humidity through the weekend. However, they caution that high winds might return early next week. However, some of the largest fires remain largely uncontained as of publication. Currently, the Palisades Fire, having scorched 23,700 acres, is 21 percent contained, while the Eaton Fire, which has burned 14,100 acres, stands at 45 percent containment. Despite warnings of a “particularly dangerous situation” due to winds on Wednesday, firefighters managed to keep the fires from expanding further.

Armed LA Residents Patrol Neighborhoods In Violation Of Evacuation Orders

32 years after LA's Rooftop Koreans became legends...

With police forces overwhelmed by the enormous scope of devastation in Los Angeles County, residents are starting to take matters into their own hands, defying mandatory evacuation orders to instead guard their homes and their neighbor's property with firearms. As we reported yesterday, losses from the wildfires in Los Angeles county are poised to reach $250 billion or more. Property isn't only being destroyed -- it's also being stolen by brazen looters. The neighbor of one LA county resident gave a disturbing description of what was going on on their street: "There were like a hundred people that came up on scooters and were trying to get into any and all houses on this street."

L.A. County Land-Grab Fears Ignite: "They're Going To Turn Altadena Into One Big Apartment Complex"

"As we start rebuilding, starting to relax some of the zoning laws, especially in a more working class neighborhood like Altadena. So that rather than putting up single-family residences, we could allow..."

Fears of a land grab have erupted across fire-ravaged areas of Los Angeles County, as local and state officials have already begun discussing plans for "LA 2.0." One user on X commented, "Tell me this was a planned demolition without telling me this was a planned demolition."

Biden claims that climate change is responsible for the fires in California

Joe Biden claims that climate change is responsible for the fires in California and the hurricane in North Carolina.

Joe Biden's Bizarro World Of Foreign Policy "Achievements"

Biden’s farewell boasts ring hollow as his foreign policy missteps - from emboldening Iran and Hamas to the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal - undermine his claims of global achievement...

Departing President Joe Biden offered a farewell brag this week to his State Department about how his tenure had improved America’s stature abroad. In his now accustomed weird mix of whispering and fiery shouting, Biden apparently felt he had to lie or mislead about almost every one of his “achievements.”

Biden Warns of Tech Oligarchs’ Power in Farewell Speech, Ignoring His Own Role in Expanding Digital Censorship

His own record on censorship casts a shadow.

Outgoing President Joe Biden concluded his presidency with a farewell address on Wednesday night, sharply criticizing what he termed the “tech-industrial complex” while urging tighter accountability for social media platforms. Ironically, Biden’s remarks highlighted the decline of free press and the dangers of “misinformation,” even as his administration has often been linked to censorship efforts and suppression of dissenting viewpoints. During his speech, Biden drew parallels to President Dwight Eisenhower’s famous warning about the “military-industrial complex.”

FBI & Secret Service Warn Of Major Terror Threat, Trump Inauguration Targeted

FBI Scraps DEI Office Days Before Trump’s Inauguration

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has officially closed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) mere days before President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration. “In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), effective by December 2024,” the agency confirms.

The closure of the ODI aligns with the end of Joe Biden’s government, with President-elect Trump set to assume office on Monday. Critics of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including Trump, argue that they divert the FBI and other government bodies from their core missions. In the case of the FBI, Secret Service, and related law enforcement and security agencies, this potentially compromises national security in favor of left-wing ideology.

Confronting China, winding down Ukraine: Rubio outlines priorities of Trump White House

The Secretary of State nominee has advocated a bold shift away from Biden administration’s foreign policy vision

The US president-elect’s nominee to serve as Secretary of State delivered some home truths to the assembled public representatives on Wednesday in the Senate. In his confirmation hearing before the Foreign Relations Committee, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, laid out the incoming administration’s foreign policy agenda. Rubio emphasized a sharp pivot toward confronting China, curtailing US involvement in Ukraine, and reprioritizing America’s national interests. Rubio, a Republican senator from Florida, opened his remarks by framing the challenges the US faces today as a continuation of the post-World War II struggle to create a stable global order. However, he criticized past bipartisan efforts, stating, “The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us.”

Trump Mulls Oil Sanctions Plan Which Leaves Room For Russia Deal While Squeezing Iran, Venezuela

EU also awaiting Trump's direction on the future of the sanctions regime...

The Trump administration is currently formulating a sanctions strategy for Russia which might be better able to foster a peace deal in the Ukraine war. "Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump are crafting a wide-ranging sanctions strategy to facilitate a Russia-Ukraine diplomatic accord in the coming months while at the same time squeezing Iran and Venezuela, people familiar with the matter said," Bloomberg reports. Ironically the three countries named happen to be among the world's top oil producers - Russia, Iran, and Venezuela - and Trump's team will want to carefully avoid major supply and price disruptions.

UK and France secretly discussing troops for Ukraine – Telegraph

London is reportedly hesitant about the idea, according to government sources

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have discussed sending soldiers into Ukraine as a peacekeeping force, the Telegraph has claimed citing anonymous sources. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky first mentioned the idea last week, and said he would discuss it with Starmer when he visits Kiev. According to the British outlet, however, Starmer is not fully on board yet. “There are challenges over what we could support, what would we want to support, and the broader question about the threat that those troops may be under and whether that is escalatory,” the Telegraph quoted a Whitehall source as saying on Wednesday evening.

Kremlin unveils topics for Putin’s talks with Iranian president

The leaders are expected to discuss several “key issues,” including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Tehran’s nuclear program

Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss a wide range of regional and global issues with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, during their meeting in Moscow on Friday, the Kremlin confirmed on Thursday. The leaders are expected to sign the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, which the Kremlin described as a “framework” for the long-term development of bilateral relations between Russia and Iran.

Iran says it is not supporting or training Yemen's Houthis

Iran’s UN ambassador says Iran is not involved in or supporting the training of the Yemeni Houthis, responding to a recent report by the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen.

In a letter sent to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the Security Council on Wednesday, Amir Saeed Iravani criticized the report’s conclusions, describing them as lacking credible evidence and relying on unreliable sources. A confidential report seen by Reuters in September said that Yemen’s Houthis had grown into a powerful military organization with external support from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hezbollah, and Iraqi specialists.

Hardline media pillories president for denying Trump assassination plot

Iran's ultraconservatives condemned President Masoud Pezeshkian for his comments to NBC News, in which he denied Iran’s intention to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump.

In an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, Pezeshkian dismissed accusations that Iran planned to avenge the January 2020 targeted killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, which Trump ordered. This stance diverges sharply from multiple threats Iranian officials have made against Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Senior Hamas Official Khalil Al-Hayya Upon Signing Ceasefire Agreement: October 7 Will Continue To Be A Source Of Pride; Our People Served As An 'Impenetrable Shield' For The Resistance; Israel's Supporters Will Be Punished, Even If It Takes Time

On the backdrop of a deal between Israel and Hamas that will include a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of Israeli hostages captured and taken to Gaza during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led invasion and massacres in southern Israel, Hamas Political Bureau member Khalil Al-Hayya said in a January 15, 2025 statement aired on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar):

"We salute our martyred leaders, whose body parts were scattered all over in this war." He said that Hamas will continue in their footsteps until victory or martyrdom are achieved, and he described October 7 as a "miracle and accomplishment" that will remain a "source of pride" for the Palestinian people and their "resistance" for generations to come.

Israel and Hamas sign hostage-ceasefire deal in Doha after mediators iron out final kinks

Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams have signed a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Doha, an Arab official from one of the mediating countries confirms to The Times of Israel.

The deal was announced Wednesday, but the negotiating teams continued meeting afterward in order to finalize implementation details, the official says. A particular point of dispute was over the identities of the Palestinian security prisoners slated for release, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issuing a statement early on Thursday accusing Hamas of reneging on its commitments.

Thousands protests against ceasefire deal in Jerusalem

Right-wing organizations, hostages families, and bereaved families demonstrate against deal they say will lead to more attacks and abandon most of the remaining hostages.

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Jerusalem this evening Thursday) against the ceasefire deal. The protest was led by the Tikva Forum, an organization of families of hostages held in Gaza and by the Gvura Forum of bereaved families. During the rally, participants called on the government: "Don't abandon the hostages, don't abandon Israel's security." Tzvika Mor, chairman of the Tikva Forum, whose son Eitan was kidnapped by Hamas, said, "The issue of the hostages is a national issue. If the hostages are not released in the right way, then other citizens pay the price, just as I paid the price for the Shalit deal. The hostages must be released in such a way that only the enemy pays the price."

Ben-Gvir: If Gaza ceasefire is implemented, Otzma Yehudit will leave gov't

The right wing minister called the deal 'reckless' and claimed it emboldens Hamas.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced on Thursday evening that if the Gaza ceasefire is implemented, his Otzma Yehudit party will leave the government. "The deal that is taking shape is a reckless deal," Ben-Gvir said in a televised statement, saying it would "erase the achievements of the war" by releasing hundreds of Palestinian militants and withdrawing from strategic areas in Gaza, leaving Hamas undefeated. “This deal teaches them (Hamas) that they can take hostages and attack, and at the end of the day, they can get what they want," the Otzma Yehudit leader said.

Syria's de facto leader says country ready to welcome UN forces in buffer zone with Israel

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, said on Thursday his country is ready to welcome UN forces into the UN-established buffer zone with Israel.

"Israel's advance in the region was due to the presence of Iranian militias and Hezbollah. After the liberation of Damascus, I believe that they have no presence at all. There are pretexts that Israel is using today to advance into the Syrian regions, into the buffer zone," he said, answering a Reuters question.

South Korea's Yoon refuses questioning again as detention deadline looms

South Korea's arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend a new round of questioning by investigators on Friday, his lawyer said, as authorities face an imminent deadline to obtain a warrant to extend his detention or release the embattled leader.

In order to hold Yoon in custody for longer, investigators are expected on Friday to ask a court to approve a detention warrant for up to 20 days, legal experts said. On Wednesday, Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested, over a probe into whether he committed insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law in early December. He is being held at the Seoul Detention Centre.

China's Vice President Han Zheng to attend Trump inauguration

China's Vice President Han Zheng will attend US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, Chinese state news agencies said on Friday, with Beijing ready to enhance dialogue with the new US administration.

Han's participation in the Washington, DC event comes at the invitation of the US side, China's national television broadcaster reported. "We are ready to strengthen dialogue and communication with the new US government, properly manage differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations," China Central Television (CCTV) said.

French PM Bayrou survives no-confidence vote

PARIS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou passed the first test of his new minority government on Thursday as he survived a vote of no-confidence called by the hard left after the centre-left Socialist Party did not back the motion.

The far-right National Rally (RN) party of Marine Le Pen had already signalled it would not support the motion. It means President Emmanuel Macron's government lives to fight another day without being solely reliant on the far-right's grace. But Bayrou's administration remains weak, and still faces an uphill battle to pass the 2025 budget that led to the ouster of his predecessor, Michel Barnier.

AfD Distributes 'Deportation Tickets' to Migrants, Offering a One-Way Trip to Their 'Home Country'

The AfD’s “deportation tickets” campaign urges illegal immigrants to leave by election day, igniting outrage from the left while spotlighting Germany’s migration crisis.

The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has distributed leaflets in Karlsruhe styled as airline tickets, urging illegal immigrants to return to their countries of origin. The tickets designate February 23, 2025—the day of Germany’s partial legislative elections—as the departure date. By handing out these “deportation tickets,” the AfD has shifted the national conversation to the out-of-control migration crisis that continues to devastate the country.

Migrant Gang Attacks Young Couple in Milan: Girl Sexually Assaulted, Egyptian Arrested, 9 Still at Large – City on High Alert

In a shocking incident, a 19-year-old student from Puglia and her boyfriend were targeted and viciously attacked by a gang of at least 10 North Africans outside the Alcatraz nightclub in Milan. The attackers attempted to rob the couple and then committed a serious sexual assault on the young woman. One suspect, a 36-year-old Egyptian man, has been arrested with the help of nightclub security, while the remaining assailants are still on the run.

A Premeditated Attack: Violence Outside Alcatraz. The assault occurred in the early hours of Saturday, January 11, at approximately 4:25 AM. The young couple had just stepped out of the nightclub and decided to stop briefly in a courtyard near the venue. In the darkness, they were approached, encircled, and attacked by a group of at least 10 North Africans.

Far Left UK Government Proposes Banning "Controversial" Conversations

Critics warn of "Big Brother thought control"...

The leftist Labour government in Britain has proposed radical reforms to the rights of workers that could include classing ‘sensitive’ topics of conversation in the workplace such as religion, women’s rights, or transgenderism as ‘harassment’. The proposed legislation would force employers to prevent workers from being subjected to such subjects by third parties, such as customers. If they are found to have failed to do so, they could face lawsuits under the legislation. Watchdog The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned that if it comes into the force next year, the proposed law could significantly impact freedom of expression and even be applied to “overheard conversations” such as those between two or more people in a pub.

UK Labour Caves, Makes Limited Concessions on Grooming Gangs — But Critics Want Much More

Britain’s far-left government has begun buckling to pressure to hold a fresh public inquiry into mainly Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs responsible for raping, pimping, and killing thousands of mostly white working-class girls in England and parts of Scotland.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper—roughly equivalent to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary—has backed five local inquiries into the gangs. However, this falls well short of the national inquiry demanded by the great majority of the British public. The inquiries will reportedly involve five local reviews with a budget of £10 million (~$12.2 million). These will focus on understanding the cultural and ethnic factors involved in child sexual exploitation gangs. Police and prosecutors have, up to now, denied any racial or religious element to the abuse and refused to charge their offenses as hate crimes.

UK-wide 'Armageddon alert' to be sent to millions of Brits' phones causing loud alarm

Those who receive the emergency alert do not need to do anything other than swipe the message away or click "OK" on the home screen.

Another "Armageddon alert" will be sent to millions of Brits' phones during a nationwide test of the emergency alarm system. The Government warning will be sent to all 4G and 5G phones within range, causing them to vibrate and emit a loud siren for up to 10 seconds. This is estimated to affect 87 million devices. The alert system was first trialled in 2023 and has since been used in emergencies such as Storm Darragh in December, which hit over 3 million people with stay-at-home warnings to avoid the dangerous 90mph winds.

Outgoing Canadian PM Trudeau Meets Provincial Premiers To Plan Response to the Expected Trump Tariffs

While outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau enjoys his slow-motion resignation, the country remains rudderless, with a lame duck government trying to rally all the provinces against their new perceived foreign threat: the Trump tariffs.

Yesterday (15), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the provincial premiers met in ‘high-stakes talks’ over the strategy against the incoming US administration. Should they use oil and other commodities as a weapon in this potential regional trade war?

Trade war with US could fuel Alberta separatist movement: Lorne Gunter

Edmonton Sun columnist Lorne Gunter tells The Ezra Levant Show that a pending trade war between Canada and the United States could fuel a separatist movement in the Prairie provinces, particularly Alberta.

TRUDEAU, CARNEY, AND THE SINISTER WEF CONNECTION

More than 74,000 Canadians have died on health-care wait lists since 2018: report

At least 15,000 Canadians died while waiting for surgery or a diagnostic scan over the course of a year, according to government data collected by public policy think tank SecondStreet.org.

The true figure for the fiscal year 2023-24 is likely nearly double owing to a “huge hole” in the data, said SecondStreet president Colin Craig. Missing are data from Quebec, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador and most of Manitoba. The government health bodies that did respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests represent 62 per cent of the population. “If the findings from the provinces that did give us data are extrapolated across provinces that didn’t, the total rises to closer to 28,000 people,” Craig said.

German AfD leader Alice Weidel pledges to hold accountable those responsible for suppressing opinions during the Corona period, citing "vaccine deaths and side effects."

What Will You Do When You Can’t Buy Or Sell Anything On The Internet Without Your UN-Mandated Digital Identity Chip?

Imposing mandatory digital identification on every nation on the entire planet has become a primary goal for the global elite.

It isn’t going to happen tomorrow, but eventually the plan is to get virtually everyone in the world into the system. If the global elite get their way, a time will come when you will not be able to buy or sell anything on the Internet without logging in with your UN-mandated digital identity chip. You won’t be able to go to school, get a job or open a bank account without your UN-mandated digital identity chip either. In essence, you will become a complete and utter outcast from society. I have been astounded by what I have discovered. Leo Hohmann and a few others have been writing about this, but the general population has no idea what the global elite have planned. All the way back in September 2018, the United Nations established the “UN Legal Identity Agenda Task Force”…

Is The Catalyst For The Next Financial Crisis... Homeowners Insurance?

In October, two brutal hurricanes hit the US southeast. And last week, Los Angeles went up in flames and is still burning as this is written.

These natural disasters are, obviously, a nightmare for the people directly impacted. But they might be part of something much bigger and far-reaching. Migration and Inflation. Over the past half-century, tens of millions of Americans have poured into sunny states like Florida and California that are catastrophically unsuited for large populations. Specifically, the former is in hurricane alley and is guaranteed a direct hit from a Cat-5 one of these days, while the latter is a desert prone to droughts and raging wildfires (see today’s news).

Doug Casey on Trump’s Geopolitical Strategy (or Lack Thereof) in Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal

International Man: President Trump has openly voiced his interest in having the US government take control of the Panama Canal. He has even suggested that he wouldn’t rule out using military force to make it happen. What is going on here?

Doug Casey: Panama, like most countries, is an artificial construct; it’s not part of the cosmic firmament. It came into being when it seceded from Colombia in 1903, midwifed by US intervention. That was a “good” secession, unlike that of the Donbas from the Ukraine in 2014 or the South from the Union in 1861, which everyone knows were “bad” secessions.

Majority believe children will be economically worse off than their parents

Adults in 36 countries around the world, including the United States, hold a bleak view of what the future holds for their children economically, with more than half expecting that kids today will be worse off than their parents amid growing income inequality, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.

Data collected through the Pew Research Center’s Spring 2024 Global Attitudes Survey suggests that a median of 57% of adults expect children in their country to be worse off financially than their parents when they grow up. The study is based on telephone, face-to-face and online interviews conducted under the direction of Gallup, Langer Research Associates, Social Research Centre and Verian.

Death Camps, Hard Labor, Abductions, Executions And Burned Churches – 380 Million Christians Are Facing “High Levels Of Persecution”

Death Camps, Hard Labor, Abductions, Executions And Burned Churches – 380 Million Christians Are Facing “High Levels Of Persecution”

Joe Rogan in shock as whistleblower reveals US military has mastered 'alien anti-gravity' technology

Joe Rogan voiced 'genuine fear' after hearing whistleblower claims that the US military has mastered 'alien' anti-gravity technology.

The celebrity podcaster was joined by investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger, who said he has spoken to insiders with 'direct evidence' about the Pentagon's long-rumored UFO 'crash retrieval' and 'reverse engineering' programs. A staple of UFO lore dating back to the Roswell crash of 1947, these alleged efforts to reproduce the propulsion system of an alleged extraterrestrial spacecraft have long been linked to the US Air Force's 70-year effort to crack 'anti-gravity' power.

The planets are aligning in a rare phenomenon in January... here's what it means for YOU

A rare celestial event is set to take place this month, offering an eerie glimpse at a grouping of planets in total alignment.

Just days after the Wolf Moon – the first full moon of 2025, which took place on Monday, January 13 – stargazers should prepare for yet another exciting display in the night sky: a ‘planet parade.’ What is a planet parade? Leading up to January 21, six planets will be in a ‘planet parade’ with four of them visible to the naked eye. While ‘planet parade’ isn’t necessarily an official term used by scientists, it's the colloquial phrase for the simultaneous appearance of several planets in the sky. Essentially, the six planets will be in ‘alignment’ with each other, appearing somewhat like they’re placed in a line across the sky. However, according to NASA, this is a usual occurrence for planets.