NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-08-2025 5AM EST

Episode Date: January 8, 2025

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Okay, so does this sound like you? You love NPR's podcasts, you wish you could get more of all your favorite shows, and you want to support NPR's mission to create a more informed public. If all that sounds appealing, then it is time to sign up for the NPR Plus bundle. Learn more at plus.npr dot org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. In Southern California, the city of Los Angeles is under a state of emergency because of two wildfires burning out of control. NPR's Liz Baker says hundreds of thousands of people are under evacuation orders as strong winds push the flames into

more areas. A fire that started in Eaton Canyon rapidly expanded to threaten residents of Altadena and Pasadena, doubling in size in just one hour. And the Palisades fire has grown too, advancing on parts of Santa Monica and Malibu, vastly expanding the area under evacuation order. Firefighters are struggling to get any edge on these fires, especially as winds continue to grow stronger, complicating air operations. The National Weather Service has deemed this a particularly dangerous situation.

In other words, conditions are as bad as they can possibly get when it comes to fire weather. The City of Los Angeles has declared a state of emergency, and off-duty LA firefighters have been called back into service to help. Liz Baker, NPR News. A third smaller fire is also burning north of Los Angeles. The body of former President Jimmy Carter is lying in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. His flag-draped casket arrived at the Capitol yesterday on a horse-drawn carriage. The nation's 39th president was eulogized by Vice President Harris,

as well as leaders of the House and Senate as someone whose work to help humanity after leaving the White House spoke louder than words. Carter's funeral will be held tomorrow at Washington National Cathedral. A federal judge in Florida is temporarily blocking the release of special counsel Jack Smith's final report on his investigations into Donald Trump as an appeals court looks at the issue.

Smith investigated Trump's handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after leaving the White House and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Both cases were shelved after Trump won re-election last November. Democrats in Virginia will keep one-seat majorities in both houses of the state legislature as a result of yesterday's special elections there. Margaret Barthel with member station WAMU has more. The results mean Democrats in the General Assembly will likely be able to pass constitutional amendments on abortion rights, marriage equality, and voting rights restoration for people with felonies.

Delegate-elect J.J. Singh, who will be the first Sikh American to serve in the General Assembly, says another focus is gun safety. Gun violence is a very big problem. We cannot send our kids to school not knowing if they won't come back, period. Republicans held on to a state Senate seat outside of Richmond, but with Democrats in the majority, they'll have to rely on Governor Glenn Youngkin's veto pen to stop legislation they don't like. For NPR News, I'm Margaret Berthel in Arlington, Virginia. This is NPR News from Washington. This is NPR News from Washington. ExxonMobil is suing California's Attorney General

and several environmental groups for defamation. The company filed the lawsuit in Texas in response to State Attorney General Rob Bonta's suit alleging the energy giant deceived the public when it promised to recycle the plastics it produces. ExxonMobil has been selling off its oil and gas properties in California while criticizing the state's energy regulations.

The number of people in the US enrolled in healthcare plans under the Affordable Care Act has risen to a record high. NPR's Selena Simmons-Stefan says that total is up to 24 million. At the end of the first Trump administration, 12 million people were enrolled in health plans from healthcare.gov or the state-run marketplaces. Now at the end of the Biden administration, that number has just about doubled. White House Domestic Policy Council

advisor Neera Tanden briefed reporters. Nearly 24 million people have signed up for coverage, and we still have eight days to go before we hit the enrollment deadline. A big reason for the surge in enrollment is more affordable premiums because of extra federal subsidies. Those will expire at the end of the year unless Congress acts.

Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR News. Winter storm watches are in effect in more than a half dozen states, from Northeast Texas to southwest Virginia. The National Weather Service says snow, sleet and freezing rain are likely over the area tomorrow and Friday. This follows a major winter storm earlier this week that disrupted airline travel and slow drivers on the roads.

I'm Dave Mattingly, NPR News in Washington.