NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-12-2025 6PM EST

Episode Date: January 12, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. California is sending an additional thousand National Guard troops to the Los Angeles region. Governor Gavin Newsom now says approximately 2,500 total service members are mobilized to assist communities devastated by fires. In fire ravaged Los Angeles, they're bracing themselves for a new series of Santa Ana winds. Steve Futterman reports. The increased winds, which are by far the biggest concern right now, are in the forecast through Wednesday. LA County Fire Chief Anthony Moroney.

These winds will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles County very high. Fire crews are getting ready for any new fires. Ryan Wimmer with CAL FIRE has been examining fire hydrants. I was just double checking, making sure that are getting ready for any new fires, Ryan Wimmer with CAL FIRE has been examining fire hydrants. I was just double checking, making sure that that hydrant here along the main road is in service and available for use. I want to make sure our people have the resources they need to be successful. The strongest of the winds are forecast for Tuesday.

For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. FEMA Administrator Dan Criswell says more than 24,000 residents affected by the Los Angeles wildfires have registered for federal financial assistance so far. She says she expects the number of applicants to rise. Mental health support is one of the critical resources that first responders are providing in Los Angeles for people affected by the fires. NPR's Katie Ariddle has more. The city set up at least three crisis centers where people can receive mental health care.

Miriam Brown is deputy director of the LA Department of Mental Health. She says she and her staff have been working hard at one of these locations, the Pasadena Center. We probably touched over 300 individuals who were at the Pasadena Center. We do whatever it takes to provide them that support. Experts say most people who endure a mass disaster like this will not develop post-traumatic stress disorder, but it's still important to meet people's basic needs in these early days and weeks. It can help prevent later trauma. Katie Riddle, NPR News. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to pardon January 6 protesters on his first day

in office. But Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, says violent protesters should not be pardoned. And PR's Luke Garrett has details on that. Vice President-elect Vance tells Fox News not all January 6 protesters should be pardoned. If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn't be pardoned. And there's a little bit of a gray area there. Federal prosecutors charged more than 1500 people with crimes in connection with the

January 6 attack. But Vance says nonviolent protesters should be pardoned. There are a lot of people we think in the wake of January the 6th who were prosecuted unfairly. We need to rectify that. Around 140 police officers were injured during the violent January 6th riot on the U.S. Capitol. Rioters tried to stop the certification of the 2020 election, which President Biden won. Trump still denies he lost in 2020 as he heads into the White House for a second

term. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. This is NPR. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested today that President-elect Trump's talk about making Canada a 51st state is distracting public attention from the harm of the steep tariffs that Trump has been threatening. Canada has said that if the incoming Trump administration follows through, Canada would consider retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, including orange juice toilets and some steel products. South Korean President Yoon Sang-yeol will not attend the first hearing of his own impeachment trial, according to his attorney. NPR's Anthony Kyun reports from Seoul that the first formal hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. South Korea's parliament voted to impeach Yoon for his brief declaration of martial law last month. Now it's up to the Constitutional Court to uphold or overturn the impeachment. But Yoon's lawyers say that because Yoon is wanted on separate criminal charges of insurrection,

attending the impeachment hearing could jeopardize his safety, implying that he could be arrested. Yoon remains holed up in his residence, protected by the presidential security detail, which blocked police and investigators from executing an arrest warrant. If Youn is absent on Tuesday, the hearing will be rescheduled for Thursday, and if he doesn't show up then, the proceedings can go ahead without him. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul. The Buffalo Bills scored a 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos in a wild-card playoff game. The five-time AFC East defending champions advanced to the

divisional round for a fifth straight postseason and they'll face the third seeded Baltimore Ravens. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.