NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-13-2025 10PM EST

Episode Date: January 14, 2025

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Okay, so does this sound like you? You love NPR's podcasts, you wish you could get more of all your favorite shows, and you want to support NPR's mission to create a more informed public. If all that sounds appealing, then it is time to sign up for the NPR Plus bundle. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. In Los Angeles, firefighters are working to contain two major wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and buildings and acres of land as winds are forecast to pick up again, with wind gusts up to 70 miles an hour forecast through Wednesday. At least 24 people have died in the fires

and officials expect that number to rise. CAL FIRE Battalion Chief David Acuna says he knows people want to get in to see if their home survived and possibly retrieve personal items. But he says it's not safe with downed power lines that could still be live and. We have open gas lines.

We do not know if they're secured or not. There are structures where half of the building is standing, which means it could collapse at any moment. And overall, there's toxic ash out there made from the petroleum products in all of our homes that is out there not safe for families to be out of. Speaking there to CNN, the Justice Department has released the final report from the Special Counsel investigation into President Biden's son Hunter. The prosecutor who led the probe is defending his work and rejects the president's claims that the investigation was politically motivated. And Pierce Ryan Lucas has more. The report from Special Counsel David Weiss

details his years-long investigation into Hunter Biden. Weiss's team brought felony gun charges against the president's son in Delaware where a jury convicted Biden on all counts. The president's son later pleaded guilty to tax charges in a separate case brought by Weiss in California. Both convictions though were wiped away when President Biden pardoned his son in December. The president said the cases were politically motivated and a miscarriage of justice. In his report, Weiss rejects the president's allegations. He says the prosecutions were thorough and impartial. Hunter Biden was prosecuted, Weiss says, because he broke the law. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. President Biden says diplomats

are on the brink of a ceasefire deal for Gaza, and he says he's pressing hard to finalize a deal before he leaves office next week, as NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports. In a wide-ranging speech at the State Department, President Biden touched briefly on a deal he's tried to reach for months. It would get hostages held by Hamas out of Gaza and much-needed aid to Palestinians, who Biden says have gone through hell. Palestinian people deserve peace and the right to determine their own futures. Israel deserves peace and real security.

And the hostages and their families deserve to be reunited. Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is reaching out to mediators in Qatar in Egypt. An envoy for the incoming Trump administration has been in the region working on this too. Michelle Kelliman, NPR News, the State Department. U.S. futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Supreme Court is refusing to let Utah file a lawsuit to get control of vast areas of public land and its resources from the federal government and put it under state control.

The court's decision came in a brief order with no explanation. The GOP-controlled state is known for its rugged mountains that are popular with skiers, along with red rock vistas that draw scores of tourists. Federal agencies control almost 70 percent of the land, and Utah argues that local control would be more responsive and allow access to revenue from taxes and development projects. A federal judge has ordered a white nationalist group to pay $2.7 million for attacking a Boston musician in 2022. The judgment is winning praise from those who counter violent extremism in the U.S.

And Piers O'Dette Youssef has more. On July 4th of 2022, Charles Morel, a black man, was violently attacked by Patriot front members who were marching in Boston. Boston police were monitoring the march at the time and offered medical assistance to Morrell after the attack, but no criminal charges were filed. So Morrell pursued civil remedies. Amy Spitalnik of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs helped advise the plaintiff's team. Bringing this case makes very clear that this sort of violent extremism, no matter where it comes from, will face consequences.

Patriot Front is an offshoot of another group that was found liable for organizing the fatal 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Odette Youssef, NPR News. And I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington. What's in store for the music, TV, and film industries for 2025 NPR News from Washington.