President Trump has announced an executive order to allow victims of the Los Angeles wildfires to rebuild without dealing with “unnecessary, duplicative, or obstructive” permitting requirements. The order calls on the Homeland Security secretary and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to “preempt” state and local permitting authorities. A December review by The Times found that the permitting process in Altadena and Pacific Palisades was moving at a moderate rate compared with those after other major fires in California. A spokesperson for Newsom, Tara Gallegos, called Trump a “clueless idiot” for believing the federal government could issue local rebuilding permits. Newsom said that the federal government needed to release funding, not take over control of the permitting process.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 27, 2026 19:26 UTC