Rebuilding homes destroyed by wildfires in the Los Angeles area could take more than a year to even begin — and that’s if everything goes smoothly, according to Rick Caruso , a billionaire developer and former mayoral candidate who says city leaders failed to protect lives and property. “Can the public rely on our leadership to set the right priority?” Caruso, who ran unsuccessfully for LA mayor in 2022, said in an interview. “What’s been, unfortunately, proven to be true is the answer is ‘no.’ The priority of government is...

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso is stoking speculation about his political future as he becomes one of the most vocal Democratic critics of the handling of the wildfires that have ravaged parts of the region. Caruso has taken part in a local and national media blitz, telling Bill Maher over the weekend that he predicted the catastrophe. The former candidate has also seen public support from President Trump’s adviser Elon Musk on the social platform X, which Caruso has reshared. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), who is...