As firefighters combat fires that are still blazing a week later, the Los Angeles region prepares for another wave of strong winds. On January 6, special counsel Jack Smith makes a scathing defense of the Trump probe. Additionally, a CDC analysis indicates that childhood immunization rates are declining.
What to know today is as follows.
Heavy winds forecast in L.A. area as progress made against fires
The National Weather Service is warning of a wave of strong winds that present an extraordinary fire risk, one week after two large wildfires started in the Los Angeles area. Part of the Santa Monica Mountains, where the Palisades Fire is burning, as well as other areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, were expected to be affected by gusts of 45 to 70 mph that started at 4 a.m. local time and lasted until noon tomorrow. According to NWS, the wind event’s designation as an extremely dangerous situation is only applied to the most dire circumstances.
A weekday newsletter to start your day, here is Morning Rundown. To receive it in your inbox, sign up here.
The Palisades Fire was 14% contained and covered 23,713 acres as of last night. Santa Monica evacuation orders were removed after crews reported making great progress in the fight against the Palisades Fire.
At 14,117 acres, 33% of the Eaton Fire had been contained. In two lawsuits filed yesterday, utility firm Southern California Edison was accused of failing to de-energize its power equipment and clear brush where a fire erupted near Pasadena, while investigators attempt to identify the cause and origin of this and other fires.
For updates, check out our live blog.
More coverage of the L.A. wildfires:
-
California s century-old prisoner firefighter program
is drawing fresh criticism
as hundreds of incarcerated people have been deployed to fight the fires.
-
Displaced residents
face spiking rents
for short-term housing. One agent put a home on the market after the fires asking for more than double the rent it had been previously requesting.
-
President-elect Donald Trump s team
is discussing a trip to California
to view the devastation despite his repeated criticism of officials response to the fires.
-
What does it mean to contain a wildfire?
First thing to note: It doesn t mean that a blaze is completely extinguished.
Special counsel s biting defense of Trump Jan. 6 probe
Early today, special counsel Jack Smith released a 170-page report that detailed his investigation into President-elect Donald Trump’s attempts to stay in office following his defeat by Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Smith vehemently defended his choice to file charges in the report, claiming that if Trump hadn’t won the 2024 election, the investigation would have resulted in his conviction. In the 2020 election, Trump not only purposefully disseminated an objectively untrue story about election fraud. Additionally, he encouraged his followers to carry out violent acts on January 6, Smith wrote.
Following Trump’s victory in November, the charges in this case were dropped in accordance with a long-standing Justice Department regulation that prohibits the current president from being tried. Trump has stated that he is getting ready to pardon an unknown number of defendants from the Jan. 6 case.
For additional information from the report, read the entire story.
A final report by special counsel David Weiss, who accused Hunter Biden of tax and firearm offenses and criticized President Joe Biden for forgiving his son, was also made public by the Justice Department yesterday. Weiss said that the public’s trust in our criminal justice system was damaged by Biden’s choice.Study up on the Weiss report.
Hegseth faces the Senate
As hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet selections begin, members of Congress are anticipated to question Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News personality and Army combat veteran. Hegseth is Trump’s pick to be the secretary of defense.
In recent months, Hegeth has been the target of allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking, and financial mismanagement while running a veterans advocacy group. He has denied all of these claims. According to sources, neither of his ex-wives nor the woman who accused him of sexual assault were interviewed as part of the FBI’s background investigation.
Furthermore, some military leaders are concerned that Hegseth’s previous criticisms of the regulations regulating American troops in combat run the risk of weakening the values that form the American military. Hegseth has also come under fire for having previously opposed allowing women and openly LGBT individuals to serve in the military, stances he has now retracted.
For the most recent updates from his hearing, follow our live blog and read the entire article here.
Childhood vaccination rates are slipping
According to CDC data, the number of kindergarteners who were exempt from one or more immunizations increased in 40 states and Washington, D.C., during the 2023–24 school year, reaching the highest percentage ever recorded at 3.3%. As Americans’ opinions change, campaigners, physicians, authorities, and researchers are concerned that the decline in vaccination rates is erasing what was once a shining example of public health, particularly in places with poor health outcomes and shorter life expectancies.
According to a physician in Georgia, which has one of the lowest immunization rates, some families may not have access to a pediatrician, but state laws pertaining to exemptions are also crucial. The states with the greatest exemption rates—Idaho, Alaska, and Utah—permitted children to be exempt from vaccines for religious reasons. West Virginia and Mississippi had higher immunization rates because they did not permit exclusions for non-medical reasons. However, in 2023, Mississippi’s legislation changed, leading to further exemptions. Soon, West Virginia may also undergo a transformation.
Read All About It
-
The Los Angeles Rams
dominated the Minnesota Vikings 27-9
to advance in the NFL playoffs. They face the Philadelphia Eagles next.
-
Two federal prisoners requests to nullify their death row commutations, granted by President Joe Biden,
should be denied
, the Justice Department argued.
-
The risk and the number of people living with dementia
is expected to double by 2060
, new research shows.
-
President Joe Biden announced another round of student loan relief
for more than 150,000 borrowers
.
Staff Pick:
Fire reduces a diverse enclave to rubble
Black homeownership in Altadena, a minority-majority community in the Los Angeles area, is more than twice as high as the national average. NBC News’s Curtis Bunn and contributor Claire Wang reveal that Black and Latino families have actually stayed in the neighborhood for centuries.However, the welcoming, thriving artist community is now in ashes due to the Eaton Fire.Adonis Jones, 66, evacuated with almost little after living in a single house there for almost 20 years. He remarked, “I feel like I lost a part of my soul.” He and other community members will need to make decisions about whether and how to rebuild.Michelle Garcia, editorial director of NBC BLK
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Don’t pass up the new and noteworthy product launches from companies like Reebok, Anker, Hatch, and others that our NBC Select editors have chosen. Additionally, these editor-approved smartwatches are ideal for tracking your health if you want to get more exercise.
Subscribe to The Selection email to receive weekly updates on the biggest specials and discounts, in-depth product evaluations, and professional buying advice.
We appreciate you reading the Morning Rundown today. Elizabeth Robinson put together today’s newsletter for you. Please share a link with your loved ones if you’re a fan. They are able to sign here.