Today: After the Fire, the ‘Pool People’ Find Kindness

Dec. 19, 2017 5 AM PT

Firefighters will be battling the Thomas fire into next month; Congress is looking to send relief money; and one couple who survived a blaze in Santa Rosa is discovering how to start all over again.

TOP STORIES

After the Fire, the ‘Pool People’ Find Kindness

You may recall the story of Jan and John Pascoe, who spent six hours in a neighbor’s frigid swimming pool while flames whipped around their Santa Rosa neighborhood in October. Since columnist Robin Abcarian first wrote about them, the Pascoes have been deluged with kindness, sometimes from strangers who know them only as “the pool people.” At times, such charity has been hard to accept. Though they lost nearly all their material possessions, the couple has developed a keen sense of what is important and what is not.

Firefighters Have ‘Never Seen Anything Like This’

Firefighters in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are beginning their third week of battling the Thomas fire, which has burned 271,000 acres, destroyed more than 1,000 structures and prompted the largest deployment of fire resources in California history. So far this week, they’ve gotten a break from the Santa Ana winds — but it’s not expected to last long. “We’ve been firefighters for decades,” says 24-year veteran Antonio Negrete, “and have never seen anything like this.” Officials don’t expect to have it contained until January.

-- Plus: Congress is set to consider an $81-billion disaster aid package that includes wildfire recovery and hurricane relief. Precisely how much of the money would go to help California and other Western states was unclear, as House leaders did not release a detailed geographic breakdown of the spending.

A Deadly Derailment in Washington State

At least three people are dead after a train making its first trip along a new rail route from Seattle to Portland, Ore., careened off a bridge and onto Interstate 5. The Amtrak Cascades Train 501 was 40 miles south of Seattle when passenger Chris Karnes detected “a rocking and creaking noise, and it felt like we were heading down a hill. The next thing we know, we’re being slammed into the front of our seats, windows are breaking, we stop, and there’s water gushing out of the train.”

Cars from an Amtrak train that derailed hit vehicles on Interstate 5 in Washington.

Trump Flips the National Security Script

In a speech unveiling his administration’s first comprehensive national security strategy paper, President Trump described the U.S. immigration system as a threat, slammed his predecessors and called Russia and China “rival powers.” But as The Times’ Brian Bennett notes, Trump’s words and those in the 53-page paper diverged in key areas, most notably when it came to Russia. Here’s how Trump is breaking from the policies of Barack Obama and George W. Bush — and why his comments on Vladimir Putin once again raised eyebrows.

More Politics

-- The Republican tax bill is worrying many in the healthcare industry. The House is expected to vote today, with the Senate to quickly follow tonight or by Wednesday.

-- Matthew Petersen, the Trump judicial nominee who was unable to define basic legal terms during his Senate confirmation hearing last week, has withdrawn his nomination.

-- A federal judge ruled Trump administration officials must allow two pregnant teenage immigrants being held in detention facilities to see doctors about having abortions.

The Pacific Crest Trail: A Biker’s Paradise?

A group of San Diego mountain bikers looking to ride in protected areas of the great outdoors has found an unexpected advocate: Republicans set on rolling back environmental protections. The alliance is taking aim at the Wilderness Act of 1964, and if it succeeds, bikes could soon be rolling over the Pacific Crest Trail. More than 100 environmental groups oppose the idea, along with the International Mountain Biking Assn.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- My Favorite Room: Actress Molly Sims invites us into her kitchen.

-- How to make Tahini shortbread cookies. See a winning recipe from our Holiday Cookie Bake-Off finalist Deana Kabakibi.

CALIFORNIA

-- Judge Alex Kozinski, who had become known for his brilliant legal mind and provocative writing on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, retired abruptly in the face of more than a dozen reports of sexual misconduct.

-- Lawmakers in Sacramento have fought sexual misconduct on military bases, farms and college campuses. Will they police their own house?

-- The city of Hawthorne’s industrial areas are becoming hip. Yes, really.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Tavis Smiley and PBS are feuding after the network dropped his show over sexual misconduct allegations. He said PBS made “a huge mistake.” The response: “Smiley needs to get his story straight.”

-- “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” writer-director Rian Johnson discusses the evolution of the Force in the film. Did we say “spoiler alert”? Yes, we did.

-- Zac Efron and Zendaya, who both found fame on the Disney Channel, star in the new movie musical “The Greatest Showman” and sing a duet that is sure to become a karaoke standard.

-- The Rolling Loud Festival in San Bernardino put an exclamation point on a big year for hip-hop.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

“There are a lot of things wrong on this planet. It’s important to put the emphasis on the positive aspect. I have learned that music helps a lot of people survive.” That’s how Maurice White saw his mission as co-founder and leader of the ensemble Earth, Wind & Fire. White was born on this date in 1941 and died last year in February.

NATION-WORLD

-- Documents filed in an Alaskan court allege Track Palin, eldest son of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, broke into his parents’ home and beat his father.

-- At a remote border crossing area in Texas, locals are selling T-shirts and handkerchiefs embroidered with a message: “No wall.”

-- Honduras erupted in new street protests after President Juan Orlando Hernandez was officially declared the winner of last month’s bitterly contested presidential vote.

-- A study has found there is no magic bullet for preventing dementia after age 80, but there are several things you can do that could probably help.

BUSINESS

-- Harris Faulkner, anchor of Fox News Channel’s “Outnumbered Overtime,” sees herself as being “part of the solution” at the network.

-- More change at Disney: ESPN President John Skipper has resigned, citing substance addiction. The move stunned the sports media business.

SPORTS

-- The Lakers retired Kobe Bryant’s jerseys — No. 8 and No. 24 — at Staples Center. “For one night, it was as if he had never left,” columnist Bill Plaschke writes.

-- In the NFL, four teams have clinched their divisions, meaning four spots are still up for grabs. Columnist Sam Farmer looks at what the Rams and Chargers have to do be among them.

OPINION

-- The Times’ Editorial Board finds the GOP tax bill will offer a short-term buzz with a killer hangover.

-- Worried about Trump firing Robert S. Mueller III, even though he said he wasn’t considering it? This former U.S. attorney says there are several reasons why now is the perfect time.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Trump aide Thomas Bossert writes that the WannaCry ransomware attack was carried out by North Korea. (Wall Street Journal)

-- A monk and a neuroscientist discuss meditation and the brain. (The Atlantic)

-- Why did paranoia and conspiracy become the hallmarks of today’s TV shows? (The Baffler)

ONLY IN L.A.

To save the mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains from inbreeding and becoming roadkill, conservationists want to build a bridge across the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills. The price tag: $60 million, with roughly 80% expected to come from private philanthropy and corporate donations. That’s set off a debate between those who see it as a noble cause and others who think it is a bridge too costly.

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