NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-10-2025 11PM EST

Episode Date: January 11, 2025

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What's in store for the music, TV, and film industries for 2025? We don't know, but we're making some fun, bold predictions for the new year. Listen now to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. The largest of the fires burning in Los Angeles is now 8% contained. The Palisades Fire has already burned more than 20,000 acres. As Steve Futterman reports, at least 11 people have died from the multiple fires burning in the region. The Palisades fire on Thursday had 0 percent containment. The winds, for the most part since then, have not been that intense. And fire officials have taken advantage, going

on the attack with helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, dropping water and fire retardant on hot spots. Even with the progress, however, the Palisades fire is still burning, still expanding and damaging some structures. This lull in the winds is expected to continue until Saturday. Fire officials hope to make as much progress before the winds begin to increase. Some evacuation orders have been lifted as several of the smaller fires have basically stopped expanding. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Pacific Palisades, California. President-elect Donald Trump was given what's called an unconditional discharge today for

his felony conviction in New York. While the verdict remains, under the discharge there is no prison sentence or any fines. MPR's Andrea Bernstein says prosecutors were not pleased with the outcome. They accepted the sentence, but they did take the opportunity to issue a warning. Prosecutor Josh Stein glass said, quote, instead of preserving, protecting and defending our constitutionally established system of criminal justice, the defendant, once and future president of the United States, has engaged in a coordinated campaign to undermine its legitimacy. That's NPR's Andrea Bernstein reporting. A publication by the Islamic State does not claim responsibility for the New Year's Eve attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people.

It does, however, affirm that the man behind the operation was inspired by ISIS materials. We have more from NPR's Odette Youssef. An editorial in the Islamic State's weekly newsletter praises the attack, but it indicates that the organization had no knowledge that it was coming. Colin Clark, a counterterrorism expert with the Sufan Group, says this is highly concerning because it means online ISIS materials were sufficient to inspire the attacker to think of the operation on his own. This is set it and forget it.

This is the realization of exactly what they're hoping to achieve. Clark says this model is really difficult, if not impossible, to stop, especially if a would-be terrorist has good operational security, as he says the New Orleans attacker did. Odette Youssef NPR news Observers say the Supreme Court appears likely to uphold a law that will ban tick-tock in the US Unless the social media company is sold by its China based parent company in arguments today The government said tick-tock was a national security threat because of its connections with China

Oral arguments before the court lasted for more than two and a half hours. Wall Street finished on a down note today with the Dow down 1.63%. You're listening to NPR News. Hiring in December was unexpectedly robust with employers adding 256,000 jobs. It's more evidence that the economy remains resilient in the face of high interest rates. But the news hammered Wall Street where traders expressed concern that the Good Jobs Report will keep both inflation and interest rates high. Entertainer turned anti-gay activist Ann Anita Bryant has died.

She was 84 years old. She became an iconic promoter for Florida orange juice in the 1970s. She was later known for opposition to LGBTQ rights. And Piers Walter Ray Watson has more. Anita Bryant's public career and national attention began when she was Miss Oklahoma in the 1959 Miss America pageant. She then released this pop single. Paper roses, paper roses. Paper roses was a hit in 1960. By the early 1970s, she became the pitchwoman for the Florida Citrus Commission.

Bryant later gained national prominence, leading efforts to overturn a local ordinance in Florida, protecting some LGBTQ rights. But her activism mobilized the gay community around the country to boycott Florida Orange Juice. Bryant eventually lost sponsors and money, but she was unwavering in her position. Walter Ray Watson, NPR News. Two baseball fans have been banned from attending any major league baseball games. Austin Capobianco and John Hanson interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during a World Series game last year. The game was being played at Yankee Stadium.

The two men were sent a letter informing them of the league's decision this week. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. The Indicator is a podcast where daily economic news is about what matters to you. Workers have been feeling the sting of inflation. So as a new administration promises action on the cost of living, taxes and home prices, the S&P 500 biggest post-election day spike ever, follow all the big changes and what they mean for you. Make America affordable again.

Listen to The Indicator, the daily economics podcast from NPR.