NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-11-2025 8AM EST

Episode Date: January 11, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. In Southern California, firefighters are said to be making gains on the wildfires that have devastated neighborhoods, but the fire danger is not over. There were fresh evacuations last night, and winds are expected to pick up again today. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Fire Department says budget cuts are affecting efforts to contain the flames, as NPR's Windsor Johnston reports. Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley says she warned last month that budget cuts would affect the response to large-scale emergencies, adding that the department needs to be properly funded.

I was directed to develop a plan as part of a budget reduction exercise and that could equate to $48.8 million. And I warned, I rang the bell that these additional cuts could be very, very devastating. This week, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said there were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation that the city is now dealing with. Much of the devastation is occurring outside LA city limits. Windsor-Johnston NPR News. California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered an investigation into water shortages that have hampered firefighters' ability to fight the devastating fires, water supply problems

of fire hydrants running dry. The short video app TikTok, waiting to hear from the Supreme Court after the court heard arguments yesterday on a law that could ban the app in a little more than a week. MPR's Bobby Allen reports that lawyers for TikTok are calling the ban an unprecedented violation of the First Amendment.

TikTok's lawyers pleaded with the court to step in and block the law banning the app. The company's legal team argued TikTok is cordoned off from China, and therefore they say suppressing the speech of 170 million American users is not justified. But Chief Justice John Roberts said as long as bite dance is TikTok's corporate overlord, Americans are vulnerable to Chinese propaganda and spying. It seems to me that you're ignoring the major concern here of Congress, which was Chinese manipulation of the content and was Chinese manipulation of the content

and acquisition and harvesting of the content. The court is expected to rule soon on whether the start date will be delayed and whether the ban is constitutional. Bobby Allen, NPR News. Now to Georgia, where crews are working to restore power to tens of thousands and state officials urging drivers to stay off the roads

following that winter storm that ripped across the South. Patrick Saunders of Member Station WABE reports. Atlanta Police Chief Darren Scheierbaum says drivers on the roads create emergencies and make it harder for the city's police, fire, and public works departments to do their jobs. If you have the opportunity to stay home, enjoy time with your family, your friends, your favorite pet, you should do so because these streets are slick. And driving conditions could get worse according to the National Weather Service. Significant ice accumulations are expected across metro Atlanta. For NPR News, I'm Patrick Saunders in Atlanta. And you're listening to NPR News.

A publication by the Islamic State does not claim responsibility for the New Year's attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people. It does, however, affirm that the man behind the operation was inspired by ISIS materials. Here's 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 Soufan 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. With questions lingering over security lapses following the New Year's truck

attack. City officials are working to reassure the public about New Orleans safety for the Super Bowl on February 9th. New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell. Our unified command has been working for over two years now on plans and activations in preparation for Super Bowl 59. So we know that we're ready. Officials say hundreds of city police officers will be deployed along with other local, state and federal authorities. And the New Orleans police chief says the NFL is confident in the city's plan.

Next month's Super Bowl expected to draw some 100,000 visitors. I'm Trials Snyder. This is NPR News.