At least 10 people are dead and 9,000 buildings destroyed as Eaton and Palisades fires continue to rage. Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in his hush money case. And the Supreme Court will hear arguments about the law that could lead to TikTok’s ban.
Here’s what to know today.
Death toll rises to 10 as crews keep battling Palisades and Eaton fires
At least 10 people have died in the wildfires ravaging the greater Los Angeles area, county officials confirmed last night, as crews continue to battle the fires that have burned thousands of acres and forced nearly 180,000 people from their homes.
The Palisades Fire is at more than 19,900 acres (almost 27 sqaure miles) with 6% containment — a small sign of progress against the massive wind-driven blaze. At least two deaths are linked to that fire, officials confirmed, and an estimated 5,000 buildings have been destroyed . Some residents have been allowed to temporarily return to find piles of ash where their homes once stood. Drone video and photos show the scale of destruction.
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The Eaton Fire is 13,690 acres and 0% contained, and at least 4,000 structures are believed to have been destroyed. Officials have confirmed four people died in the fire. Atladena resident Briana Navarro fears her 83-year-old grandmother was among the people killed. Navarro evacuated with her husband and two daughters as the fire approached their home, but her grandmother refused to go with them.
A new brush fire emerged yesterday afternoon. The Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles grew to more than 900 acres, but crews were able to stop forward progress. It was 35% contained as of last night. The Lidia Fire near Acton is about 394 acres and reached 75% containment Thursday night. And the Sunset Fire that broke out in Runyon Canyon on Wednesday night has been 100% contained.
Strong Santa Ana winds picked up again and are expected to blow through today, with red flag warnings are still in effect in Southern California. The combination of strong winds and low humidity could complicate the firefight.
President Joe Biden announced that the federal government would cover “100% of the cost” of firefighting for the next 180 days after Gov. Gavin Newsom requested an increase in funding. Meanwhile, organizations have started seeking donations to assist in relief efforts.
Follow our live blog for updates.
More coverage of the L.A. wildfires:
- This week’s wildfires could become the costliest in U.S. history.
- Experts said the fires are the “entirely foreseeable” worst-case scenario they feared.
- 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.
- From a school featured in “Freaky Friday” to an iconic bunny museum, see some of the landmarks damaged in the fires.
- 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
President-elect Donald Trump is set to be sentenced this morning in his hush money case despite attempts to make sure it wouldn’t happen before his inauguration in 10 days. After failed appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the proceeding in a 5-4 ruling yesterday evening. Had the sentencing been postponed until after Trump’s inauguration, his lawyers would have been able to argue that presidential immunity and his duties as commander in chief should bar the proceedings from happening.
New York state Judge Juan Merchan isn’t expected to give Trump any jail time and said he would most likely give him an unconditional discharge, which allows the conviction to stand with no further penalties. Trump, in remarks after the Supreme Court’s eleventh-hour ruling, alluded to the possibility of further appeals. He’s expected to attend today’s sentencing remotely.
Read the full story here. And follow our live blog for updates during the hearing.
Trump was also dealt another legal blow in a the battle to block the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report about his election interference case when a federal appeals court ruled that the report can be released. The ruling clears the way for Trump to ask the Supreme Court to block the report’s release.
Supreme Court weighs looming TikTok ban
The conservative-majority Supreme Court will hear arguments today as justices weigh whether to allow a law to go into effect that bans social video app TikTok unless its China-based owner, ByteDance, divests itself of the company by next weekend. A preliminary decision is likely in days, if not hours.
The ban was signed into law by President Joe Biden with bipartisan support in Congress. President-elect Donald Trump, who threatened a ban during his first administration but has since flip-flopped on the issue, has asked justices to temporarily block the law so that he can “pursue a political resolution” to the dispute when he takes office.
The government has defended the law on national security grounds over concerns that the Chinese government could exert influence over the platform and could access data about American users. TikTok and some of its users have sued to block the measure, saying a ban violates their free speech rights. Read the full story here.
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
- 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
To see how Los Angeles wildfire evacuees are faring, I traveled to two shelters on opposite ends of the city — the Westwood Recreation Center and Pasadena Convention Center — to visit those who have been displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires. Many temporary residents brought only a handful of essentials with them. In the midst of tragedy, goodwill prevailed, as people in nearby neighborhoods volunteered and dropped off supplies for those in need. — Angela Yang, culture & trends reporter
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
If you’re looking to stock up on clothing for enduring cold weather, the Uniqlo Heattech sale is a great solution, with discounts on T-shirts, tights and more. Plus, one reporter tested and reviewed the Stakt foldable exercise mat, which exceeded their expectations.
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