NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-11-2025 7AM EST

Episode Date: January 11, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. More than 100,000 Los Angeles County residents remain under evacuation orders and the threat of fire there is not over. There were fresh evacuations last night and strong Santa Ana winds are expected to pick up again today. NPR's Elise Hugh reports that the Palisades Fire, which is the region's largest, has now burned more than 21,000 acres. That means just one of LA's many fires has destroyed an area larger than all of Manhattan. In Alta Dena, near the Eaton Fire, law enforcement is keeping residents from returning to what's left of their homes.

Residents are unable to survey damage there as search and rescue operations go on. Dangerous conditions continue to prevail. Though winds have died down for now, forecasters expect another Santa Ana wind event to blow in early next week. Gusts are expected at more than 40 miles an hour on Monday and Tuesday. For NPR News, I'm Elise Hue in Los Angeles.

The fires in the Los Angeles area are blamed for killing at least 11 people, and California Governor Gavin Newsom is now ordering an independent investigation into why firefighters face the challenges, getting water to fight the flames. Here's more from Marisa Lagos from Ember Station KQED. Crews in the Pacific Palisades and near Pasadena

have repeatedly been stymied by low water pressure and fire hydrants running dry. In a letter to local officials, Newsom wrote that while water supplies from hydrants are not designed for widespread blazes, losing supplies likely impaired firefighting and evacuation efforts. He directed state water and fire officials to investigate. State Attorney General Rob Bonta says it's the right move. You always want to do better, get to the root cause of any challenges that you have so that they don't happen again and that you're better the next time.

Newsom asked LA officials to conduct their own review and share information with the state. For NPR News, I'm Teresa Lagos in San Francisco. Republicans will be meeting at Mar-a-Lago this weekend with President-elect Donald Trump. They're expected to discuss cabinet nominees and upcoming reconciliation package and new policies. Imperial State for a Walsh reports that Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman will be the highest ranking Democrat to attend.

John Fetterman says he's the Senator for all Pennsylvanians, not just Democrats, and will meet with and have a conversation with anyone, quote, if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation. House Budget Chairman Jody Errington is also heading down, along with groups of House GOP lawmakers, to chart out how to move Trump's big list of agenda items through Congress.

I think he's said already, he's open to whatever process we end up with and wherever we land one or two bills. What he cares about is the outcomes. Congressional Republicans are crafting legislation addressing border security, tax cuts, and energy, using a process to get around a Democratic filibuster. Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, The Capitol. This is NPR.

The number of power outages in Georgia from that winter storm that's been socking the south with snow and ice is easing. Georgia Power said last night that more than 110,000 customers were without electricity due to freezing rain and downed trees. That number has now been cut to around 80,000 according to the tracking website poweroutage.us and they're mostly in the Atlanta area. State officials are urging people to stay off the roads until around midday a better than expected jobs report on Friday triggered a sharp sell-off in the stock market NPR Scott Horsley reports that all of the major stock indexes ended the

week in the red the Labor Department said Friday that employers added more than a quarter million jobs in December far more than forecasters had expected. The unemployment rate dipped to just 4.1 percent. While that's good news for workers, some investors were disappointed, since a healthy job market means the Federal Reserve will likely take its time in cutting interest rates. The central bank was already expected to hold rates steady when policymakers meet later this month. And with inflation hovering above the Fed's 2% target, investors now think rates may stay

higher for longer. That weighed on stock prices. For the week, both the Dow and the S&P 500 index fell about 1.9%. The Nasdaq dropped 2.3%. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. The College Football National Championship is set. Ohio State beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl 28-14 last night to advance to play Notre Dame on January 20th in Atlanta.

Ohio State will be looking to win its first championship since 2014. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.