Amid a partial government shutdown that is headed into its third week with no end in sight, President Trump threatened to cut off federal funding for California – currently recovering from its deadliest wildfire in history. …Trump’s tweets appear to have been triggered by California’s newly sworn in Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, who yesterday outlined a $305 million budget plan to prepare California for wildfires. Newsom said yesterday he had sent a letter to the President asking the federal government to work with the state to tackle wildfires. …Glen MacDonald, Geography professor at UCLA, said there is a debate among experts in California on whether forest thinning is a viable solution. …“What I don’t understand is the President belittles the state in terms of our forest management, and yet then threatens to hold back the money to do that management on the federal land.”