NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-10-2025 4PM EST

Episode Date: January 10, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. At least 10 deaths are now linked to wildfires burning across the Los Angeles area. The Southern California fires have damaged or destroyed more than 11,000 structures, including homes. Diane Criswell, who leads the Federal Emergency Management Agency, says families will have to access rental resources given the scope of the destruction. Thousands of homes have been destroyed and we continue to hear the numbers change but know that this is going to be a long-term recovery for all of these individuals that

have been impacted. A firefighting plane is at a commission after colliding with a civilian drone. NPR's Joel Rose reports the plane was damaged but managed to land safely. The Los Angeles County Fire Department says the firefighting plane was struck by a civilian drone while it was operating over the Palisades fire on Thursday. The Super Scooper plane, which is on loan from Quebec, was able to land safely, but fire officials say it sustained damage to one of its wings and remains grounded. Flying a drone near a wildfire is a federal crime. But fire officials say it sustained damage to one of its wings and remains grounded.

Flying a drone near a wildfire is a federal crime. Unauthorized drones can force fire response agencies to ground their own aircraft to avoid collisions, allowing fires to grow larger. The Federal Aviation Administration says it is investigating. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. It's all hands on deck in the massive firefighting effort. In one Altadena neighborhood, people filled buckets with water from a swimming pool. About 20 men and women, nearly all Latino immigrants, showed up to try to save homes in one neighborhood today. But the power of the fires remains

overwhelming with thousands of structures having been damaged or destroyed. The Biden administration has extended temporary protected status for nearly one million migrants from Venezuela, El Salvador and Ukraine. NPR Sergio Martinez Beltran reports a TPS extension would allow them to remain in the country and renew their work permits. Nearly 600,000 Venezuelans, 234,000 Salvadorans, and 100,000 Ukrainians will benefit from Biden's actions. But President-elect Donald Trump could undo it. He tried during his first term to end TPS for six countries, including El Salvador, but was blocked by a court. The Trump-Vance transition team didn't respond to a request for comment, but Tom Homan, Trump's incoming border czar, has said the program could be ended.

Seventeen countries currently have TPS designation, a temporary status that can be granted on the basis of a humanitarian or security crisis in the home country. Sergio Martinez Beltran, NPR News, Austin. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down nearly 700 points or 1.6 percent to end the day at 41,938. This is NPR News. The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing a federal law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. starting in nine days unless it divests itself of Chinese ownership. The justice has heard oral arguments today.

U.S. officials have raised concerns about national security threats from the Chinese government through TikTok. The popular short video sharing app has more than 120 million users in the United States alone. TikTok's parent company ByteDance is citing free speech rights and challenging the law. Winter storm warnings and advisories are in effect from southern Maryland to Texas. Catherine Hobbs of member station KERA reports on conditions in Dallas. Light snow and a freezing drizzle are the primary threats as black ice accumulates across

the region. Dallas is seeing hourly crashes on the roads, doubling the number on any other given day. Among the most vulnerable populations are people who are homeless. The city has opened several temporary shelters. Unlike the 2021 statewide power crisis, the Texas grid has remained operational with only short-term regional power outages. State officials remain optimistic that the grid will function throughout the remainder of the storm.

The majority of school districts across North Texas are closed today and many flights have been canceled. College football's Cotton Bowl is scheduled to be played in Texas tonight. I'm Catherine Hobbs in Dallas. Free breakfast and lunch may be available to every student in New York no matter their family's income under proposal Governor Kathy Hochul announced today. Hochul cites research that links available school meals to better learning. Eight states have similar programs. This is NPR.