California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law to protect the privacy of brainwave data on the same weekend he vetoed a controversial bill intended to curb abuses by powerful generative artificial intelligence models
AFP

California Governor Gavin Newsom sounded alarm on a threat compounding chaos of the Los Angeles wildfires; a surge of misinformation.

Speaking alongside President Joe Biden during a call Friday, Newsom described the current state as a dual battle against both flames and the falsehoods circulating online.

"We have 150,000 people still under mandatory evacuation orders. These fires are not out, though," Newsom said.

Newsom acknowledged significant progress in containment efforts but pivoted to discuss misinformation. "We've faced hurricane-force winds of lies and disinformation," he said. "People want to divide this country, and we need to confront that head-on."

President Biden, who pledged federal support during the briefing, expressed solidarity.

"This is complicated stuff," Biden said. "You're going to have a lot of demagogues out there trying to take advantage of it, but you're doing the right thing. God bless you. Stay strong. We're not going anywhere."

Biden added his administration would "keep working 24/7" to help state and local officials extinguish the fires as quickly as possible.

Ten people have lost their lives in the wildfires, with countless others displaced. The fires, fueled by bone-dry conditions and strong winds, have reduced entire neighborhoods to ash.

Some of the victims died while trying to protect their families or because they were unable to evacuate, including a father who stayed behind to care for his son with cerebral palsy, reported NBC News. The death toll, officials warn, is expected to climb as crews continue recovery operations.

California Joe biden