NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-13-2025 4AM EST

Episode Date: January 13, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Residents of Pasadena, California are returning home after an evacuation order was lifted this weekend. The community had been threatened by one of the wildfires burning around the Los Angeles area. While their homes were saved, their neighborhoods were covered in debris that could ignite from embers. So neighbors pitched in this weekend to help each other. Jose Madera was one of them. Right now we know the city doesn't have the capacity right now to help with the cleanup So that's why the workers have raised their hand to uplift the community Los Angeles firefighters Meanwhile expect conditions to worsen as they continue to fight those deadly wildfires throughout the area

Officials are investigating at least 16 deaths in connection to what California Governor Gavin Newsom says could end up being the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Elise Hugh has the latest from Los Angeles. Two of the largest fires burning, the Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena and the Coastal Palisades Fire, remain largely uncontained ahead of windier conditions expected to move in by Monday. Aerial firefighters have laid down fire retardant over the mountains, painting the peaks in red lines.

Crews from other states, Mexico, and Canada have joined in the firefighting effort. Governor Newsom said more than 14,000 personnel are involved in the effort to control the fires. LA County Fire Chief Anthony Maroney said Sunday, crews have the resources they need in the days ahead. For NPR News, I'm Elise Hue in Los Angeles. Ceasefire talks underway in Qatar were the focus of Sunday's phone call between President

Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The negotiations are aimed at bringing about a ceasefire in Gaza after more than a year of fighting there. The latest talks would see Israeli hostages released in exchange for Palestinian detainees NPR's Kat Lonsdorf has more from Tel Aviv The two leaders discussed quote progress in the negotiations according to a brief statement from the prime minister's office a Readout from the White House after the phone call said that Biden quote Stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid.

The call was just a day after President-elect Trump's new envoy to the region, Steve Whitkoff, made a surprise visit to Israel to meet with Netanyahu. Whitkoff had been attending the talks in Doha. Meanwhile, fighting in Gaza remains deadly. At least 28 Palestinians were killed in the past day, according to health officials there. Four Israeli soldiers were also killed, according to the military.

Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. The space company Blue Origin called off the launch of its new Glenn rocket this morning. That happened after what it called the appearance of a few anomalies during the mission countdown. Its liftoff was scheduled for 1 o'clock this morning. That liftoff has now been pushed back till at least tomorrow. The 30-story tall rocket is Blue Origin's attempt to take launch business away from Elon Musk's SpaceX, which dominates the commercial market.

This is NPR News. Asian stocks have retreated after US stocks dropped on Friday, although the markets in Japan were closed for a holiday. U.S. futures dropped while oil prices soared by more than a dollar. And China's trade surplus expanded for the eighth consecutive year, driven by exports that surged to a record high. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister says she's considering all options when it comes to countermeasures against the tariffs threatened by President-elect Donald Trump. As Dan Karpanchuk reports,

that's the message Canadian leaders will take to Washington next week. During an interview with CTV News, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Jolie was asked if she would cut off energy exports to the US in response to tariffs. Jolie said, quote, everything is on the table, adding it's a conversation she would have with Republican decision-makers. Canada's leaders say Trump's threat of a 25% tariff on Canadian products would be devastating for the economies of both countries. Some premiers are against cutting off energy exports to retaliate. The premiers are to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week to

formulate a Canadian response to the tariffs. Jolie says she's calling on every political leader in Canada to be on board because this is no time for division. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpanchuk in Toronto. Lionsgate's film Den of Thieves II, Pantera took the number one spot in movie theaters on its debut weekend with $15.5 million in sales. January is usually a quiet month in theaters, and this weekend sales were hurt by the closing of about 10 theaters in Los Angeles because of those wildfires. The Robbie

Williams biopic Better Man flopped with just $1.1 million in ticket sales. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.