As firefighters try to contain the destructive fires, forecasters predict that Los Angeles will see another round of severe winds. Confirmation hearings for Trump’s Cabinet nominees are scheduled for this week in the Senate. and lessons learned from the NFL playoffs’ opening weekend.
What to know today is as follows.
High winds to strengthen as death toll rises to 24 in L.A. wildfires
As firefighters scramble to suppress fires ahead of another week of high winds, at least 24 people have been killed in the greater Los Angeles area.
As the Santa Ana winds that contributed to last week’s fires are predicted to return over the course of the next three days to portions of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, fire conditions in Southern California have entered a critical time. More than 12,300 buildings and towns have been destroyed by the wind-fed wildfires that have ravaged 40,000 acres.
Officials reported that 16 deaths are now under investigation in connection with the Eaton Fire in Altadena. Cal Fire estimates that the Eaton Fire may rank as the fifth most deadly in California history. After spreading over 14,117 acres, it is now 27% contained. The Palisades Fire, the biggest fire, is 13% contained and poses a threat to Brentwood, Encino, and Westwood. As a result, evacuation orders have been extended.
A public health emergency was proclaimed by Los Angeles County, alerting people to the potential for both short-term and long-term hazards from smoke and particulate matter. 105,000 inhabitants of Los Angeles are under evacuation orders, and 87,000 are in evacuation alert zones, meaning they could have to leave at any time.
For the most recent updates on the wildfires, subscribe to our liveblog.
More on the L.A. fires:
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Gov. Gavin Newsom
slammed Trump s response to the wildfires
in an exclusive interview on NBC News Meet the Press. Watch the full interview
here.
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The Santa Ana winds are expected to keep the fire threat high
until Wednesday evening,
according to officials.
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Take a look at the current
size and status of the fires.
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Small business owners
saw years of work and history go up in smoke.
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Here s what we know
about some of those killed.
Senate braces for train wreck as hearings start for Trump s Cabinet picks
In an effort to approve President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet choices as soon as possible after his inauguration on January 20, the Republican-controlled Senate is scheduled to hold over a dozen hearings this week.
Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, told reporters last week that the confirmation hearings next week will be a bit of a train wreck. However, I’m happy that those are being completed, and the FBI background check would logically be a component of that procedure. Certain confirmations, such as the appointment of Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, should be very straightforward. Others will encounter obstacles, such as Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News personality and member of the military running for defense secretary, who has been dealing with accusations of sexual assault, binge drinking, and financial mismanagement of a nonprofit veterans organization.
Hegseth, former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum for secretary of the interior, and former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., Trump’s choice for secretary of veterans affairs, will begin the hearings Tuesday.
Go here to read the entire story.
Highlights from NFL playoffs
In the NFL playoffs, Washington’s season-defining late-game heroics persisted. As time ran out on Sunday night in Tampa, Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez broke a deadlock and ended Washington’s 23–20 victory by bouncing a 37-yard goal off the right upright but somehow still going through. This was the fifth and final change in the lead. The Commanders had not won a postseason game since 2005.Andrew Greif, a sports correspondent for NBC News, analyzes the remaining NFL playoff highlights and what lies ahead:
In Saturday’s 28-14 wild-card victory over, yep, Pittsburgh, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson played up to his potential as MVP. The Ravens gained 299 yards overall, the most in Steelers playoff history, and Derrick Henry ran for 186, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said that Jackson was the hardest player to solve throughout the game. After ending on a five-game losing run, Pittsburgh enters an unpredictable offseason.Next up: Baltimore’s divisional round trip to Buffalo.
A stellar defensive effort led by four interceptions of quarterback Justin Herbert helped the Texans defeat the Chargers 32–12 in Houston. That Herbert had only thrown three interceptions over the season. Only six NFL quarterbacks have ever won a playoff game in each of their first two seasons, including C.J. Stroud of the Texans.The Texans will next travel to Kansas City, where quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a perfect record of 6-0 in the divisional round.
Will Buffalo finally make it to the AFC this year? The Bills, who defeated both of the top seeds in each conference during the regular season, began their postseason with a 31-7 victory against Denver after playing second fiddle to Kansas City for years. Buffalo is 9-0 at home, including during the regular season, and the team’s most recent victory wasn’t just due to quarterback Josh Allen’s yet another record-breaking box score. For the fifth straight season, the Bills advanced to the divisional round by running for 210 yards in addition to Allen’s 272 yards of passing.
The first play was where Green Bay’s problems against Philadelphia started. A botched first kickoff ultimately served as a premonition for the remainder of the game, which Philadelphia won 22–10. At times, Philadelphia appeared vulnerable, but is there anyone who can stop Saquon Barkley? 119 extra yards were gained on the ground by the only player in NFL history to reach 2,000 yards in the regular season.
Still to come: Due to the horrific wildfires in the Los Angeles area, Monday night’s Minnesota vs. Rams game was shifted to Phoenix.
Politics in Brief
Capitol riot: According to JD Vance, the vice president-elect, violent rioters on January 6 shouldn’t be pardoned.
Meet the Press: Despite Trump’s earlier remarks, GOP Sen. James Lankford asserts that the United States would not attack Greenland.
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Read All About It
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Negotiators made
significant progress
over the weekend in ongoing attempts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, multiple officials briefed on the talks said.
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The Philadelphia 76ers
will remain in South Philly
after a plan to build a new $1.3 billion arena was abandoned.
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Nearly five years since the pandemic hit, many people still haven t finished
refreshing their Covid-era closets.
Staff Pick:
The challenges schools and immigrant families face
Teachers are in a difficult situation as Trump’s proposal for mass deportations develops and is addressed in public. They don’t want to get involved in the contentious political topic, but they also want to keep their pupils safe. While answering questions on the topic, a number of instructors from six states told NBC News that they are stuck in a dilemma, leaving them confused of how to best assist their kids.Elizabeth Both, editor of associate platforms
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
To determine the best toothpaste to enhance your dental hygiene, NBC Select consulted with a number of dentists. We also tried a few brands and discovered which ones to stay away from. Additionally, Crest 3D Whitestrips Sensitive is available on Amazon for about 50% less.
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