At least five wildfires engulfed more than 45 square miles in the greater Los Angeles area on Thursday, continuing to burn mostly out of control. The flames, which have been fanned by dry conditions and strong winds, have claimed the lives of at least six individuals. Tens of thousands of acres are being burned in highly populated regions by the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires, among others, forcing more than 180,000 people to evacuate. Photographs of the catastrophe, which will probably go down as the most catastrophic in Los Angeles history, depict the cataclysmic level of devastation and misery it left behind.

In order to access ice that is believed to be at least 1.2 million years old, a multinational team of scientists reported Thursday that they had successfully drilled one of the oldest ice cores to date, reaching nearly 2 miles (2.8 kilometers) into Antarctic bedrock. It is anticipated that analysis of the ancient ice will reveal the evolution of Earth's climate and atmosphere. According to them, that should shed light on how Ice Age cycles have evolved and should aid in comprehending how atmospheric carbon altered the climate. Carlo Barbante, an Italian glaciologist and coordinator of Beyond EPICA, the initiative to acquire the ice core, stated that we would be able to comprehend the changes in greenhouse gases, chemicals, and dusts in the atmosphere because of the core. Barbante is also t...

This week, a baby girl was delivered on a migrant boat bound for Spain's Canary Islands, marking the end of a perilous voyage that has frequently meant death for asylum-seekers crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The newborn was seen resting in her mother's lap in a picture that showed the moment the people on the dinghy were saved. As Spain celebrated the Epiphany holiday, also called Three Kings Day, which commemorates the day the three wise men presented gifts to the infant Jesus, the boat was sighted off the island of Lanzarote on Monday, according to rescuers. "Christmas ends in the Canary Islands with the rescue of a baby born in the middle of a voyage on the sea," the Spanish government's marine rescue service, Salvamento Mar Timo, stated on X on Wednesday. The mother and her newborn kid w...

At President Jimmy Carter's funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, all of the current American presidents poured into pews to commemorate one another in a rare display of solidarity in these turbulent times. Even though his one tenure in the White House was viewed as a letdown at the time, Carter, who passed away late last month at the age of 100, is remembered as a kind Christian and progressive ahead of his time. Family members and dignitaries recalled acts of public sacrifice and private compassion under the soaring neo-Gothic nave's stained glass and stone filigree. They mentioned that Carter taught Sunday school at his Plains, Georgia, church "every Sunday from World War II to Covid." Carter had good vision. In a eulogy before his death in 2021, Carter's vice presid...

Santa Fe, New Mexico. At the state attorney general's request, the New Mexico Supreme Court on Thursday overturned conservative counties' and cities' bans on abortion. The state's reputation as having some of the most permissive abortion laws in the nation is strengthened by the unanimous ruling. The decision protects access to abortion services throughout a state that has grown to be a popular travel destination for those from other jurisdictions that have banned the procedure. Lawyers for the cities of Hobbs and Clovis, as well as Lea and Roosevelt counties in New Mexico, had contended in court that the Comstock Act's anti-vice sections could not be used to overturn local abortion regulations. Justice C. Shannon Bacon, who wrote the majority judgment, stated that counties and towns are...

Dry wind gusts that can produce watery eyes or runny noses, as well as occasionally be strong enough to stop traffic or topple trees, are experienced by Southern Californians every year between fall and spring. The terrain of the western United States allows for the natural occurrence of the so-called Santa Ana winds. When coupled with other climatic factors, like dryness, they become much more dangerous since they raise the possibility of wildfires like the ones that are raging right now in the Los Angeles region. This year's gusts were more widespread than usual and occasionally approached hurricane strength. They combined with an unusually dry winter to provide the perfect environment for fires to spread. The Palisades and Eaton fires, which started Tuesday, along with three minor fires...

"Carry-on" is being taken a bit too seriously by certain people. A list of the most outrageous banned things that people attempted to smuggle past airports in 2024 has been released by the Transportation Security Administration. 10. Marijuana in peanut butter jar Asheville Regional Airport This slick crook from North Carolina attempted to hide a bag of marijuana inside a Jif jar that had been hollowed out. It appears that neither creamy nor crunchy foods appeal to the TSA. 9. Knife shoved inside shoe Williamsburg International Airport After the traveler stuffed a knife in a shoe before passing through PreCheck and claimed not to be aware of its presence, the TSA and the traveler had a difficult start in Virginia. 8. Gun in ruby red combat boot, stuck in LEGO box Newark Libert...

Michelle Bowman, the governor of the Federal Reserve, stated on Thursday that she agreed with the recent interest rate reductions but did not see the need to go farther. In a speech to California bankers that was a combination of monetary policy and regulation, Bowman stated that she believes the quarter percentage point cut in December should be the final one for the current cycle because she is concerned that inflation has remained uncomfortably above the Fed's 2% target. In prepared remarks, the central banker stated, "I supported the December policy action because I believe it represented the [Federal Open Market Committee's] final step in the policy recalibration phase." Bowman went on to say that the present policy rate is close to what she considers to be neutral, meaning it neither...

It couldn't have come at a more dangerous time for California homeowners as officials attempt to contain what they acknowledge is a worsening "insurance crisis." The wind-driven wildfires that are burning out of control in the Los Angeles area. Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization located in California, said, "We were all thinking 2025 is going to be the year insurers regain their appetite for the market in California, but having this catastrophe hit us right out of the gate is really unfortunate." Go here to watch live broadcast. "Up until this latest disaster," she said, "we thought we might be turning a corner." Last month, the state Department of Insurance published a new rule that aims to change some of the biggest insurance ...

Los Angeles As Angelenos called loved ones on Thursday, ash began to fall from a gloomy sky and the air was heavy with the odor of smoke. The standard response: We're alright. We're secure. We're in a shelter. On Thursday, the evacuees paced outside the Westwood Recreation Center in West Los Angeles. In the impacted areas, it is one of four temporary locations for Red Cross wildfire refugees. Westwood Recreation, as some residents refer to it, is located less than two miles beyond the immediate evacuation zone surrounding the still-raging Palisades Fire, just off Interstate 405 as well. According to a Red Cross representative, more than 240 individuals were being accommodated there on Thursday. The figure was closer to 20 just two days ago. Johnnie Burman, 64, a Santa Monica evacuee who ...