Nearly 150,000 people have so far signed an online petition demanding the immediate resignation of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass over her "gross mismanagement" and a lack of leadership during the devastating wildfires in the region.
The Change.org petition with still-increasing signatures accuses Bass of mishandling the wildfires, noting that she was not even in the country when the fires first broke out.
"In the wake of these catastrophic fires, our city has been left in crisis. Water supplies have been severely strained, billions of taxpayer dollars have been misallocated or left unaccounted for, and countless lives have been lost. Families have been displaced, homes destroyed, and livelihoods shattered -- yet Mayor Bass has been absent from the frontlines, choosing to travel abroad while her constituents suffer," reads the petition, which was started last Thursday.
"Despite the tireless efforts of our first responders, the city has been woefully unprepared to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents. Basic resources, such as water and emergency services, have been inadequate, and leadership has been nowhere to be found when it was needed most," the petition adds.
According to media reports, Bass was on a diplomatic visit to Ghana when the devastating wildfires erupted. Prior to her trip, the local meteorological agency had issued multiple warnings about the extreme fire risk posed by strong winds following a prolonged dry spell.
In June 2024, Bass approved a budget cut of more than 17 million U.S. dollars to the local fire department. A report from the Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley in Dec 2024 stated that these cuts had significantly weakened the department's ability to effectively respond to wildfires and other emergencies.
Upon Bass's return to the U.S., a reporter confronted her, asking whether she owed an apology for her absence and if she regretted the decision to slash the fire department's budget. The mayor refused to respond.
As of Wednesday, fierce wildfires across the Los Angeles area had killed at least 25 people and destroyed more than 12,300 structures. Local authorities confirmed that at least 26 people were still missing in the ongoing wildfires. Twenty of the missing are believed to be in the Eaton Fire area and six in the Palisades Fire area.
Nearly 150,000 sign petition demanding LA mayor's resignation over fire response
Nearly 150,000 sign petition demanding LA mayor's resignation over fire response
Nearly 150,000 sign petition demanding LA mayor's resignation over fire response
Nearly 150,000 sign petition demanding LA mayor's resignation over fire response
International students from Asian countries call for more concrete actions, from energy-saving habits in daily life to organizing new campaigns, to promote a greener future ahead of the upcoming Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025.
The conference, scheduled for March 25 to 28 in Boao, South China's Hainan Province, has the theme "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future. " It will focus on development, foster dialogue, explore innovative formats and value tangible outcomes.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), several Asian youths studying in China shared a raft of measures people can take daily to promote green development.
"I think a simple way of making an impactful step for our environment is definitely try to use more public transportation instead of using private vehicles, but I definitely also think that we need to improve on our public transportation as well," said Celia Annetta from Indonesia.
"I believe young people can make big differences by making little actions every day, like reducing waste, saving energy, so turning off the lights and unplugging devices when not in use and spread awareness about it, but also be more eco-friendly," said Adel Baktygulova, a student from Kyrgyzstan.
"By reducing waste, recycling and choosing eco-friendly products, we can minimize our environmental footprint, embracing sustainable habits like conserving energy and water, using green transportations and supporting renewable energy," said Do Pham Ngoc Die, a student from Vietnam.
The youths also shared their views on the roles that international students in China can play in promoting green development and addressing global challenges, including climate change and resource shortages.
"In the context of global changes, I believe that we as the young people can be very powerful. One of my friends from Malaysia is actively involved in many environmental awareness campaigns and he was also one of the executives in the Net Zero Future Association here at Tsinghua. Last year I was one of the hosts to host his campaign and we made a video that showcased how waste materials could be transformed into souvenirs like keychains and also the video highlighted how many creative ways for the waste materials to be repurposed. So this is the idea to spread a message of sustainability and also encourage others like the people around us to take actions and to promote a greener lifestyle," said Cheong Chee Wah from Malaysia.
"As international students in China, we can share our cultural perspectives on green energy, share how our governments, our countries are working towards a green and sustainable future. This can spark new ideas, new dialogues and new initiatives," said Adel Baktygulova.
"We can organize awareness campaigns, participate in campus sustainability activities and use social media to educate others about environmental issues. By collaborating on research, volunteering for local eco-projects and advocating for green policies, we can inspire other students and communities to adopt eco-friendly habits", said Do Pham Ngoc Die.
Int’l students on more concrete actions for greener development ahead of Boao Forum
