The fires in Eaton and Palisades are still burning, destroying 9,000 buildings and killing at least 10 people. In his hush money case, Donald Trump is about to receive his sentencing. Additionally, arguments on the law that can result in TikTok’s ban will be heard by the Supreme Court.
What to know today is as follows.
Death toll rises to 10 as crews keep battling Palisades and Eaton fires
As firefighters continue to fight the fires that have destroyed hundreds of acres and displaced almost 180,000 people from their homes, county officials reported Wednesday night that at least 10 people have perished in the wildfires raging throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
At over 19,900 acres (almost 27 square miles), the Palisades Fire is only 6% contained, which is a tiny victory over the enormous wind-driven fire. Officials acknowledged that the fire was responsible for at least two fatalities and that an estimated 5,000 structures were destroyed. When some locals are permitted to temporarily return, they discover ash heaps where their houses used to be.Photographs and drone footage demonstrate the extent of the damage.
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At least 4,000 buildings are thought to have been burned by the 13,690-acre Eaton Fire, which is 0% containment. Four fatalities from the fire have been confirmed by officials. Brianna Navarro, a resident of Atladena, worries that her 83-year-old grandma was one of the victims. As the fire got closer to their house, Navarro, her husband, and their two girls fled, but her grandma wouldn’t accompany them.
Yesterday afternoon, a fresh brush fire appeared. Crews were able to halt the spread of the Kenneth Fire, which spread to over 900 acres in the West Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. As of last night, it was 35% contained. On Thursday night, the 394-acre Lidia Fire near Acton was 75% contained. Additionally, the Runyon Canyon Sunset Fire, which started on Wednesday evening, has been completely contained.
Red flag warnings are still in effect in Southern California, and strong Santa Ana winds are predicted to blast through today after picking up once again. Strong winds and low humidity might make fighting the fire more difficult.
Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for more financing, President Joe Biden declared that the federal government would pay for all firefighting expenses for the next 180 days. Organizations have begun asking for donations to support relief efforts in the interim.
For updates, check out our live blog.
More coverage of the L.A. wildfires:
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This week s wildfires could become
the costliest in U.S. history
.
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Experts said the fires are
the entirely foreseeable worst-case scenario
they feared.
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Officials have
vowed to crack down on looters
who drop in on vulnerable communities. So far, 20 people have been accused of stealing from wildfire-ravaged homes.
-
An evacuation alert
was mistakenly sent
to nearly 10 million L.A.-area residents.
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From a school featured in Freaky Friday to an iconic bunny museum, see
some of the landmarks damaged
in the fires.
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A species of small fish has found itself in the middle of
culture war finger-pointing
over the fires.
Trump to be sentenced in hush money case
Despite efforts to prevent it from happening before his inauguration in ten days, President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced this morning in his hush money case. Yesterday evening, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5–4 against blocking the proceeding following unsuccessful appeals. Trump’s attorneys may have claimed that the proceedings should not have taken place because of presidential immunity and his responsibilities as commander in chief if the sentence had been delayed until after his inauguration.
Judge Juan Merchan of New York State said he would probably grant Trump an unconditional release, which permits the conviction to stand with no additional consequences, and that he is not anticipated to impose any jail time on Trump. In comments following the Supreme Court’s last-minute decision, Trump hinted at the potential for additional appeals. He is anticipated to participate virtually at today’s sentence.
Go here to read the entire story.Additionally, for updates throughout the hearing, visit our live blog.
In the fight to prevent the publication of special counsel Jack Smith’s report regarding his election interference case, Trump also suffered another setback when a federal appeals court decided that the report could be made public. The decision makes it possible for Trump to request that the Supreme Court prevent the publication of the report.
Supreme Court weighs looming TikTok ban
The Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority, will hear arguments today as justices consider whether to uphold a statute that would outlaw the social video app TikTok unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, sells off its stake by the weekend. Days, if not hours, will probably pass before a preliminary decision is made.
With bipartisan backing in Congress, President Joe Biden signed the ban into law. Justices have been asked to temporarily halt the law so that President-elect Donald Trump, who has subsequently changed his mind about the matter after threatening a ban during his first term, can seek a political settlement when he takes office.
Because of worries that the Chinese government would control the platform and obtain information on American users, the government has defended the law on the grounds of national security. The measure has been blocked by a lawsuit filed by TikTok and a few of its users, who claim that a ban would violate their right to free speech.Go here to read the entire story.
More politics news:
-
Former President Jimmy Carter
was remembered as a compassionate Christian
and an ahead-of-his-time progressive at his funeral at the Washington National Cathedral. After a video went viral of Donald Trump and Barack Obama sharing a laugh at Carter s funeral, Trump remarked that
they probably do like each other
.
-
The Senate
will debate the Laken Riley Act
, a GOP-led bill aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration, but its final passage is uncertain as some Democrats suggest adding amendments.
Read All About It
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New data to be released this morning
is expected to show fewer jobs
added last month but the unemployment rate unchanged, adding to mixed signals about the labor market.
-
Notre Dame
clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff final
after beating Penn State 27-24 in a down-to-the-wire thriller.
-
The Pizzagate gunman who fired his rifle in a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant in 2016, acting on a debunked conspiracy theory,
died after police shot him
during a traffic stop.
-
What were the craziest airport confiscations of 2024?
TSA made a top 10 list.
Staff Pick:
Grief and goodwill at L.A. s emergency shelters
I visited those who had been displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires at two shelters on opposite ends of the city, the Westwood Recreation Center and the Pasadena Convention Center, to see how the wildfire evacuees in Los Angeles are doing. Only a few necessities were brought by many temporary occupants. Despite the tragedy, residents in the surrounding areas showed compassion by volunteering and delivering goods to those in need.Culture and trends reporter Angela Yang
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
With savings on T-shirts, tights, and other items, the Uniqlo Heattech sale is a fantastic way to stock up on clothes for the upcoming cold weather. Additionally, the Stakt foldable exercise mat surpassed the expectations of one reporter who tested and reviewed it.
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