Disney has officially notified California officials of forthcoming job cuts, using a creatively themed Mrs Incredible letterhead, as per a recent report.

On Wednesday, the legendary animation giant issued a layoff notice to 108 workers, indicating that their employment would conclude on September 26, according to public Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings.

Under the WARN Act, American companies must alert state authorities when planning mass layoffs involving more than 100 employees.

Recent filings disclosed that the job cuts are affecting staff at Pixar’s Emeryville studios in California. Among those losing their jobs, 71 were engaged in arts, entertainment, and recreation, the filing detailed.

SF Gate first obtained a copy of the notice, which revealed the comical letterhead that replaced the ‘I’ in Pixar with a silhouette of Mrs Incredible in her famous hands-on-hips position. 

The announcement triggered a wave of social media responses. One comment cynically asked, “I’m assuming it’s the regular company letterhead?” and went on to accuse the companies of prioritizing profit, stating, “They’re laying people off while Disney and Pixar are raking in billions. The rich need more money, I guess.”

‘Maybe it’s a *wink* (to those ‘in the know’) about the nature of (and reason for) the layoffs,’ another speculated, seemingly referring to the upcoming highly anticipated Pixar film, Incredibles 3, set for a 2028 release. 

The layoffs come after a major win for Pixar, as one of the company’s most popular franchises, Toy Story, raked in about $1 billion at the box office for its fifth film. 

The Walt Disney Company did not respond to a request for comment by SF Gate. The Daily Mail has also reached out to Disney for comment.

However, the first film Pixar released this year, Hoppers, underperformed at the box office. 

A source with knowledge of the layoffs told TheWrap that the film’s perceived underperformance was at least partially to blame. 

Hoppers followed the release of Elio in 2025, which clocked in at $154 million worldwide, less than its $200 million budget. Elio became Pixar’s second-lowest-grossing film.  

‘These changes are part of our continual evaluation of how we manage resources and reinvest across the company as our industry continues to evolve,’ a Disney spokesperson told TheWrap. 

Disney, which owns Pixar, has ruthlessly cut positions since new CEO Josh D’Amaro implemented a ‘One Disney’ initiative to condense operations. 

D’Amaro sent employees a memo earlier this year warning of the layoffs, explaining that they were meant to ‘streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney.’

‘Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs. As a result, we will be eliminating roles in some parts of the company and have begun notifying impacted employees,’ the memo concluded, according to the Hollywood Reporter. 

The initial cuts resulted in around 1,000 job losses. The layoffs have continued, with Deadline reporting that employees of National Geographic and ABC News have been hit. 

ESPN also laid off several high-profile names, including baseball broadcaster Karl Ravech, NFL analyst Ryan Clark and reporter Tom Pelissero.

Clark sensationally left the NFL Live broadcast mid-show on Monday, writing in an X post that he asked if he ‘should be done now’ and was told ‘yes.’ 

In the aftermath of two stabbings on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Jewish leaders in New York City are calling out Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of exacerbating division and hatred. The ongoing investigation into these incidents now considers them potential hate crimes.

New York Attorney General Letitia James reported that both victims from Thursday’s attack are in stable condition. Officials have identified the suspect as 51-year-old Raul Morales, who allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” while committing the stabbings.

Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York, expressed his concerns on Friday, stating, “When the mayor of New York continuously uses his platform to target and vilify Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, and labels its supporters as monsters, it fosters an environment that puts Jewish New Yorkers in danger.”

Goldstein urged, “Mayor Mamdani, cease fueling the fires of hatred and division. The repercussions are clear and present in our streets. However, let there be no doubt, our community will not retreat. The Jewish community of New York, the largest outside of Israel, will continue to inhabit the Upper West Side and all New York streets with pride and visibility.”

Rabbi Yosie Levine of The Jewish Center also said Friday that, “When public officials repeatedly cast the Jewish community as a stand-in for actions of the Israeli government, they create a climate in which Jews become targets.”

“You know when I was growing up, the only time we saw security outside of my synagogue or outside of my Jewish day school was when the mayor came to speak. The police were there to protect him. Today, every time the mayor speaks, we need the police to protect us,” he added. “Jewish life in America is starting to feel like Jewish life in Europe. Armed guards, bulletproof glass, and the constant fear that yesterday’s rhetoric will turn into today’s assault.”

When asked by News Media for a response, Mamdani’s office highlighted remarks the mayor made to NY1 on Friday, in which he said, “There’s no tolerance for antisemitism or hatred of any kind in this city.”

“This is a city that believes in the beauty and the breadth of all of its five boroughs and everyone who calls it home. And if anyone is perpetrating this kind of a bigotry, that kind of hatred, they will be held fully accountable,” Mamdani told the station.

“When it comes to my comments about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they are critiques not based on my personal analysis but rather on objective facts,” he added. “They are critiques of a political leader not of people of a specific faith or a religion or a background and my responsibility as the mayor of this city is to keep every New Yorker safe, no matter where they come from, what they believe in, or frankly, even if they agree with my politics. My job is to keep them safe.” 

The victims were identified in media reports as Chok Sung, 57, and Moshe Grunhaus, 50.

“So many people know Moshe, so many people care about him. He was just trying to pray at his synagogue, and now we’re the ones praying for his recovery,” Levine said. “To have been stabbed 200 feet from the Jewish center evokes all the worst images of the Jewish past. If a Jew can’t feel safe walking home from shul in broad daylight on a Thursday afternoon on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, then something has gone profoundly wrong, not only for the Jewish community, but for our city.”

Goldstein added that Mamdani’s recent video in which he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” was “political grandstanding.”

“This is the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel. His words have profound real world consequences on us and shame on him. Shame on him for doing this for perceived political benefit when it has real world consequence for the Jews of New York. He must stop,” Goldstein said.

James said after speaking with the NYPD commissioner and local district attorney, “they have asked me not to draw any conclusions as a result of last night’s event.”

“What I do want to say is that it’s really critically important that individuals understand that anti-Semitic acts have been growing in the city of New York. It’s really critically important,” she said. “And then also acts against the Asian community have also been on the increase. So it’s important that I stand with my Jewish friends, that I stand with my Asian friends, that I let everyone know that there should not be any space between any of us, that we should stand together against any form of hate, any act of hate in the city and the state of New York, that it will not be tolerated.”

LeBron James has taken the basketball world by storm with his surprising choice to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers for an unexpectedly modest contract, raising several pressing questions across the league.

Foremost among these is whether the 76ers will consider orchestrating a trade to acquire LeBron’s son, Bronny James, who currently plays as a guard for the Lakers.

Speculation abounds about what a potential trade package between the Lakers and the 76ers for Bronny might entail.

According to an earlier report by the California Post, LeBron’s departure from the Lakers does not inherently signal that Bronny will follow his father to Philadelphia.

However, should the 76ers decide to pursue a deal for the talented 21-year-old guard, who is about to embark on his third NBA season, they have a variety of strategic options at their disposal.

A simple one: Bronny being traded for Dalen Terry or Jabari Walker and one of the several second-round picks the 76ers own (three in 2027 including their own, potentially three in 2028, their own in 2029, etc.).

Bronny is making $2.3 million in 2026-27 — less than both Terry ( non-guaranteed $2.6 million salary) and Walker ($2.6 million, $250,000 guaranteed) salary for next season. 

After acquiring Bronny, the 76ers would have to waive either Terry or Walker to get far enough under the first apron threshold they’re hard-capped at to sign LeBron. 

For the Lakers, they’d be able to acquire a real asset for Bronny (second-round pick) and could waive either Terry or Walker to have 15 players on their roster signed to standard NBA contracts with little to no impact on their cap sheet.

Since the Lakers drafted Bronny out of USC with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, making him and LeBron the first father-son duo in league history, the Lakers have developed the 6-foot-2 guard into a reliable shooter with defensive upside.

Bronny spent significant portions of his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers who have been rebranded as the Coachella Valley Lakers.

He improved significantly during his second season, upping his field goal percentage (50.5% from 41.9%), 3-point percentage (37.6% from 33.6%) and assist-to-turnover ratio (4:2.6 from 4.6:3.3).

Bronny played 42 regular season games for the Lakers in 2025-26, and was a full-time rotation player after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered their regular season-ending injuries. 

He averaged 5.6 points and shot 35.7% on 3s in the final 10 games of the regular season. 

Bronny also played in eight of the Lakers’ 10 playoff games, with the highlight being the 10 straight points he and LeBron scored during the second quarter of the Lakers’ Game 3 win in their first round series victory over the Rockets.

If the Lakers keep Bronny on the roster going into the season, he’s expected to compete with newcomer Collin Sexton, rookie Cameron Carr and recently-acquired Jaden Hardy for reserve backcourt minutes.

In an unprecedented move, Bahrain and Kuwait have orchestrated airstrikes targeting military sites within Iran, according to insider reports. This marks the first known instance of these Gulf nations directly engaging Tehran through aerial combat operations.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, and based on information from unidentified sources, the strikes focused on Iranian drone and missile storage facilities, among other strategic locations.

These covert attacks were launched after Tehran allegedly conducted numerous retaliatory strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait. Both countries, which host United States military bases, reportedly reached a consensus that further inaction might embolden Iran to continue its hostilities without repercussions.

Adding another layer to this military collaboration, the United Arab Emirates is said to have contributed with critical intelligence related to potential targets, as well as offering defensive air support. This cooperation highlights an evolving and more assertive stance against Iran among Gulf Arab nations.

In spite of the military efforts, the UAE has publicly reaffirmed its commitment to de-escalating regional tensions. This paradoxical stance was highlighted in a statement referenced by The Wall Street Journal, emphasizing diplomatic avenues.

Spokespeople for the Bahrain and Kuwait governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In Walnut Creek, California, an eye-catching rental listing has become a hot topic online. It’s not the house raising eyebrows, but rather an unusual clause tucked into the agreement.

Advertising a modern, fully-furnished one-bedroom accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for $3,250 per month, the deal sweetens the pot with inclusive utilities and Wi-Fi. However, the listing throws a curveball, demanding an extra $200 monthly if the tenant chooses to work from home.

This unconventional stipulation has sparked intrigue and surprise among potential renters, with many expressing that they’ve never encountered such a condition before.

“That’s crazy,” reacted Samara Wondimu, a Bay Area renter, voicing a sentiment shared by many.

Christopher Williams, a remote worker based in Chicago, echoed the disbelief. “Work-from-home fee? Nah, I’ve never heard of that,” he remarked, highlighting the novelty of the situation.

Another renter, Cody Hall, called the idea “ridiculous.”

The listing advertises a 535-square-foot furnished cottage in Walnut Creek’s Northgate neighborhood. It includes utilities, internet, a private patio and parking. The additional charge appears to be aimed at tenants who regularly work from home.

“Rent is already so expensive!” Williams said.

He’s right. According to Zillow, the average rent across the Bay Area is about $3,650 a month, roughly 81% higher than the national average. For some renters, the possibility of paying another $200 each month only added to the sticker shock.

While unusual, housing experts say the fee is not necessarily out of bounds.

“It’s almost like a utility cost recovery or environmental conservation fee,” said Derek Barnes, CEO of the East Bay Rental Housing Association.

Barnes said someone working from home throughout the day could use more electricity, water, internet and air conditioning than someone who leaves for an office. He also said ADU owners may have more flexibility than larger apartment buildings, depending on the location and which rent regulations apply.

Barnes does not expect work-from-home fees to become widespread, but said the listing could start a broader conversation about utility use and conservation.

“You’re not likely, you know, to be aware of your usage of these precious resources if you don’t see a bill,” Barnes said.

Our sister station KGO stopped by by the Walnut Creek property and called the person who posted the listing, but did not receive a response.

For now, renters say they hope the idea does not spread.

“If my landlord suggests that, I actually don’t work from home,” Hall joked.

A staggering exodus of over 40,000 individuals has turned a luxury getaway in France into a scene of chaos, as British vacationers and others face an ‘apocalyptic’ wildfire crisis.

Throughout the day, thousands have been rapidly evacuated, some even by sea, from Cap Ferret in Southwest France. Here, relentless wildfires have blazed through vast expanses of forest and lavish villas, painting a picture of destruction.

Igniting in Saumos, Gironde, on Tuesday, these fires have raged for several days, with a fiery path devouring 10,000 hectares, equating to nearly 25,000 acres, leaving charred remnants in its wake.

Located just a 90-minute drive away from Bordeaux, this row of quaint fishing villages has long been a coveted retreat for the high society of Paris, drawing comparisons to America’s Hamptons.

Today, however, anxious tourists find themselves hurriedly escaping the once peaceful haven, taking either boats or the solitary roadway that connects the enclave to the rest of the land.

Ross Fitzsimmons and wife Natasha from Hampton in south west London were forced to leave their holiday villa in the village of Claouey on Thursday, when forest fires surged towards them as they had breakfast.

Mr Fitzsimmons, 70, who runs a bespoke picture framing business, had arrived last Saturday with his wife and their two children, meeting his sister and her husband and two children who had flown in from Dublin.

They had originally planned to stay a week but were forced instead to drive to Bordeaux.

Mr Fitzsimmons said: ‘It’s absolutely heartbreaking because the whole Cap Ferret peninsula is such a special place, the smell of the pine, the pristine beaches, the pretty villages by the bay, but to see the forests being destroyed by a wildfire 19 times larger than Richmond Park is devastating.

‘The region is nicknamed the Hamptons of France but it doesn’t do it justice, as it’s far less pretentious and much more beautiful.’

In southwest France, authorities sent boats to help the evacuation of around 63,000 people, many of them tourists, as two major, separate fires threatened homes and campsites.

Around 40,000 have been forced to flee from the Cap Ferret peninsula – which has the Atlantic on one side and the Bay of Arcachon on the other – while 23,000 were evacuated from Biscarrosse, 25 miles to the south.

Mr Fitzsimmons described how he could see the blaze around 12 miles away on Wednesday night from his local beach.

‘At that point we weren’t concerned all that much because we were here in 2022, and they had wildfires then. [They] had dug trenches and built fire breaks to help contain future outbreaks.

‘But by the following morning, smoke had replaced the clouds and ash was falling from the sky as we ate breakfast. We were getting increasingly nervous.’

‘It was clear that the fire was spreading and that we probably needed to move fast as there’s only one main road in and out of the peninsula, which was obviously going to close if the fire got worse.’

As the family was anxiously packing, they heard an official on a megaphone ‘driving around the village’, warning people to evacuate. 

‘We got out about 4pm yesterday in our hire cars and the whole village was deserted. All the shops were closed and there was hardly a soul around. We’d hired bikes but the hire shop was shut so we left them chained up outside.

‘There were gendarmes and other emergency workers lining much of the road out of the peninsula, it was eerie.’

They had planned to stay in Claouey, on the shore of Arcachon Bay, until Saturday before moving onto Bordeaux but were forced to leave the area as soon as was possible. 

‘We’ve since seen people having to flee on boat in dramatic fashion and it’s just awful. The locals are laid back and lovely and the forests, the beaches and villages are simply stunning.

‘I hope they contain these fires as soon as possible. The Cap Ferret peninsula is a really special place for us, we’ve been several times over the years and absolutely adore the place,’ he said.

‘A total of 80 homes have burnt, around 50 of which have been completely destroyed,’ French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez earlier told reporters.

Residents have described the inferno as ‘mega-fire’ and ‘apocalyptic’, while French President Emmanuel Macron has requested urgent help from the European Union as the country’s growing battle against wildfires intensifies. 

‘It breaks my heart. Because it’s such a pleasant place to live, seeing it go up in smoke is truly sad,’ said family caregiver Corinne Paillaube.

‘It’s totally apocalyptic,’ said Ambre Dubos, from the nearby Landes region.

‘France has requested the activation of the European Union’s civil protection mechanism. We will soon be able to count on reinforcements from two Croatian Canadair aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor planes, as well as two heavy Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia,’ wrote Macron on X on Friday.

Sophie Brocas, the prefect for the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, ordered the ‘final phase’ of the peninsula evacuation early on Friday morning.

People are being told to leave via the main D106 road towards Bordeaux while vessels were being made available for others between 7am and 10am local time (6am BST and 9am BST) from four piers. 

Aircraft from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are on their way to assist in the emergency, which the local prefect has described as an ‘XXL fire’.

The Cap Ferret peninsula has a year-round population of just under 8,000 but that can swell by 10 times that number in peak summer season. 

A firefighter was injured after a gas cylinder exploded in a burning house. Shocking footage shows the moment a reporter at the scene reacted to the blast. 

Headmaster David Morton, 53, from Gloucester had been on holiday with his wife and sons when they received an emergency text alert overnight on Thursday telling them to evacuate.

They were staying in a house in Petit Piquey, along the peninsula, when they were jolted awake at 3am local time (1am GMT) by emergency texts and an alert on the property’s landline.

‘We got in our car, packed everything up as quickly as we could… and then set off and joined a very long, slow-moving queue of traffic,’ he told the BBC.

‘Everyone was driving with their lights on, driving very slowly – there was lots of fire service people, ambulances, police on the other side of the road controlling things and we could see several fires in the distance as we drove.’

As they drove past the blaze near Lège, Mr Morton described the inferno as ‘enormous’.

‘You could see the whole forest was on fire and that really brought it home what a major fire it was.’

He said the evacuation was ‘well-controlled’ with people being ‘very respectful and sensible’.

‘It’s different from seeing it on the television… seeing it blazing out of control despite hundreds and hundreds of firemen and women helping.’

Some 20,000 people within the Gironde region had already been evacuated on Thursday, many of whom were visitors to campsites on the peninsula.

Patrick Martineau, a 69-year-old resident of Le Porge, south of Bordeaux, said: ‘The gendarmes came and knocked on every door, the fire was about 500 metres away – we grabbed some things and left.’

Further down the Atlantic coast, around the town of Biscarrosse in France’s Landes region, another major blaze that began on Thursday afternoon has triggered the evacuations of more than 23,000 people.

‘From our home, we had a view of the fires … We could see the clouds becoming darker and darker,’ said Yoan Urien, who left late on Thursday after police told everyone in his neighbourhood in the town of Biscarrosse to leave.

‘I was able to find somewhere to take shelter with my pets, but … it’s quite a shock,’ the 26-year-old told Reuters.

About 18,000 people in Biscarrosse and 5,000 in Parentis-en-Born had to flee from their homes, campsites, a nursing home and a summer camp.

Videos taken in Biscarrosse captured scenes of chaos, showing several cars rushing down roads to get away from nearing flames.

Separate footage showed horses frantically running down a street as a huge black cloud of smoke engulfed the town. 

Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez said on Friday that the fire in Biscarrosse is ‘difficult to control’, adding that around 100 homes had been burned or damaged by the flames. 

It comes as the Landes prefect, Gilles Clavreul, expressed concern due to the fire’s ‘exceptional intensity’, noting that the blaze had affected industrial areas, commercial zones and homes. 

Some 550 firefighters were battling the Biscarrosse fire on Friday and received support from two Canadair water bombers. 

Firefighters have also resorted to using bulldozers to ‘create lines of defence’, according to the local municipality. 

Meanwhile, residents of a Biscarrosse care home have been evacuated to Dax. 

The town’s mayor Julien Dubois on Friday welcomed evacuees in a Facebook post, saying: ‘As mayor of Dax, I want to tell our neighbours in the northern Landes region that they are not alone.’ 

The Cap Ferret peninsula, often likened to the upscale Hamptons in the United States, is home to expensive properties where wealthy Parisians and Bordelais come to sip white wine and feast on oysters. 

Lège is the only one of the peninsula’s 11 villages that is currently threatened by the fire. 

The flames later reached the edge of Lège, forcing the evacuation of several campgrounds and neighbourhoods close to the forest.

Camper Elizabeth Carron said she was having dinner when she saw the ​flames. 

‘The sky turned red. Black and red. Then little by little, we could smell it. There were ashes on the car, on the caravan, on my grandchildren’s little tent. Then two hours later, they advised us to leave.’

France’s southeast was also being hard hit, with dozens of fires flaring up and being fanned by the Mistral wind around the historic village of Cotignac.

Officials said around 25 houses had been destroyed since Tuesday. 

Two firefighters died on Tuesday tackling another blaze near Bordeaux airport.

Skies over Le Porge turned orange as smoke rose from charred and crackling pine trees, while helicopters made repeated runs over deserted neighbourhoods.

Fires in 2022 damaged a massive area of the same forest, forcing around 50,000 people to flee.

The authorities said the fire had been contained on its northerly flank but was not yet totally under control further south.

EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said Thursday that the bloc was providing three water-bombing planes to France.

 In Spain, the government declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region, where more than 10,000 people have been evacuated in recent days.

Emergency services said alert messages had been sent to people in Aldea de Fresno, a town west of Madrid, ordering them to leave.

It is the first time such a measure has been taken due to a wildfire. 

The last time Spain declared the same level of emergency alert was during a massive nationwide power blackout last year.  

Eighteen firefighting units with specialist troops were working to contain the blaze near the city of Toledo, close to another wildfire that forced the evacuation of several villages on Wednesday.

Firefighters battled through the night, and most residents were allowed to return Thursday.

Hundreds of firefighters and troops were still struggling to contain a much larger wildfire in Guadalajara province, north of Madrid.

In Navaluenga in Avila province, ​residents wearing masks because of the smoke stood watching firefighting helicopters scoop up water from the town’s ​river late on Thursday. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday morning that ‘Spain and neighbouring countries’ were experiencing a ‘dramatic situation’ due to the massive fires that spread simultaneously across western Europe. 

‘The forest fires are ravaging thousands of hectares and affecting numerous towns and villages,’ the Spanish leader wrote on X on Friday. 

He also urged Spaniards to ‘follow the instructions’ of officials. 

‘Climate change is what kills, what destroys our villages and our natural and cultural heritage,’ civil protection chief Virginia Barcones told Spanish radio.

She warned some fires become so intense that, despite the deployment of aircraft and ground crews, firefighters stand ‘no chance’.

Barcones said conditions at the Guadalajara blaze were improving but that strong winds and extreme heat remained a danger.

Thousands of emergency workers in Italy battled scores of fires in Sicily and in the Calabria region, where a local official said arsonists had started fires by tying rags soaked in flammable liquid to the tails of stray cats to spread the flames.

Along with the stray cats, investigators found candles and delayed ignition devices

Domenico Costarella, of Calabria’s civil protection agency, said: ‘These animals were released into the fields, running around and spreading the fire.’

The heat has also been blamed for thousands of deaths. 

France has been particularly hard hit, with the intense heat pressuring its capacity to handle the situation. 

‘Our security forces are engaged in a genuine battle against the wildfires,’ Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Thursday evening. 

‘The nation stands with you.’ The pressure on fire departments in southwestern France has been increased by another wildfire that began on Thursday afternoon near Biscarrosse, just 25 miles south of Cap Ferret. 

That fire, which is still not under control, has devastated 2,500 hectares, the prefect for the Landes area, Gilles Clavreul, said in a statement. 

He added that fighting arson would take a ‘shift in mindset… These are inhumane acts. Sadly, men are their own worst enemies’.

One firefighter died after falling ill while battling the flames in Sicily, the interior minister said.

Across Europe, three heatwaves in succession this season have intensified drought, strained water supplies, and left vegetation tinder-dry, helping wildfires scorch more land than the annual average over the past two decades. 

‘Winds are blowing, and the situation remains highly dynamic and unfavourable,’ he said. 

More than 23,000 people were evacuated from the Biscarrosse district, mainly in campsites and homes, and a children’s summer camp and a residential care home for the elderly were also evacuated. 

He asked farmers to contribute with water tanks.

European droughts are now more severe, climatologists from the World Weather Attribution group said in a study published on Thursday.

The total area of land burnt so far this year in EU countries is the second largest on record, according to satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). 

According to a retired FBI negotiator, the latest developments concerning the alleged first ransom note in the Nancy Guthrie case raise doubts about its authenticity as a legitimate ransom demand. The details appear misaligned with typical kidnapping scenarios.

“The swift request to end communication suggests an ulterior motive that diverges from a genuine ransom demand,” explained Jason Pack, a former supervisory agent with the FBI. “It’s not consistent with the usual dynamics of a kidnapping.”

Pack elaborated that authentic kidnappers typically strive to maintain open lines of communication. This strategy facilitates negotiation for ransom payments and preserves leverage over the victim’s family. Therefore, the reported call to cease contact comes across as highly unorthodox.

Pack emphasized, “The demand for no further negotiations stands out as a red flag. Real kidnappers aim to keep communication flowing to better negotiate terms.”

The sender did, however, incorporate known pressure tactics, including setting a deadline, making threats and telling the family that Guthrie knew what would happen if they failed to comply, Pack said.

But cutting off communication before the deadlines passed was also unusual, he added.

Guthrie was taken from her home in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood in the early morning hours of Feb. 1, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. She has not been seen since, and no proof of life was ever provided.

In a second purported ransom note, the sender indicated Guthrie had died soon after she was taken and been buried “with nature.”

New excerpts from what is reportedly the first note received by local media shed light on why Pack believes the communication departed from a traditional ransom demand.

Briana Whitney, who was working for the Phoenix-based AZ Family news outlet when the case broke, joined “Crime Junkie” host Ashley Flowers on Wednesday to discuss the note her former outlet received. “Crime Junkie” declined to share copies of the text.

“Hello Savannah, we have your mother Nancy,” she began, reading from what she said was the first note sent to local media. “She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of seven days.”

As previously conveyed by authorities, the sender gave two deadlines with increased money demands the longer it took.

“Once payment is received to the Bitcoin address below, she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop-off location back in Tucson,” Whitney read. “If the payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 p.m., she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this, and her life is in your hands.”

The sender left no room for further dialogue.

“It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible,” the note reportedly continued. “You will not be able to contact me from here on out. There will be no negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you.”

The note also included details that may have only been available to investigators and the suspect at the time, including the location of Guthrie’s Apple Watch and details about the smashed floodlight in her backyard — but even that is not enough to pin down kidnapping for ransom as a motive, Pack said.

“The details about the security camera and the spotlight that was out, that proves that they know what the home was like, what the environment may have been like, but it’s not a real proof of life,” he said.

In most ransom kidnappings, he said, the abductors will want to prove they have possession of the victim and that the victim is alive.

“All these things put together don’t seem really like they go with the kidnapping for ransom,” he said.

Investigators appear to be split on the notes’ authenticity. While one person has already pleaded guilty to sending an impostor ransom note to Guthrie’s other daughter, Annie, and her husband Tommaso Cioni, that case is not believed to be connected to the notes sent to local media stations.

“The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes over the course of this investigation,” the FBI’s Phoenix office said in a statement in June. “Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such. This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case. The FBI has and will continue to offer all assistance possible in the investigation — however local authorities remain the lead.”

Some investigators said they were confident that the ransom demands are all bogus, while others are cautious about reaching that conclusion while Guthrie’s whereabouts remain unknown, federal law enforcement sources told Fox News and News Media. Still, the two notes that Whitney mentioned have been deemed potentially authentic by investigators and by the Guthrie family.

The only known suspect remains publicly unidentified — a masked intruder who appeared on Nest doorbell camera video that the FBI recovered with help from Google.

He is described as standing between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall with an average build. He was wearing a black Ozark Trail backpack. It remains unclear whether he acted alone.

The sum of rewards in the case is over $1.2 million.

Anyone with information is asked to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Tucson’s Crime Stoppers affiliate at 520-88-CRIME.