NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-13-2025 6PM EST

Episode Date: January 13, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. Firefighters are working to contain two major wildfires in Los Angeles that have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and acres of land, as the Santa Ana winds are predicted to return soon. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning 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. Search crews are out in what's left

of the neighborhoods with cadaver dogs looking for victims. And CAL FIRE Battalion Chief David Acuna says he knows people want to get in to see if their homes survived and possibly retrieve personal items. But he says it's not safe without power lines that could still be live and... We have open gas lines. We do not know if they're secured or not. There's 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. Cal Fire's David Acuna speaking there to CNN. Meanwhile the fire's effects are far-reaching with untold consequences for the entertainment industry. In the near term Hollywood's awards season is on hold. And Piers Mondolito Barco has more. The announcements for this year's Academy Awards nominations were supposed to happen this Friday. Now actors, directors, cinematographers, and many others will have to wait until January 23rd

to find out if they're on the shortlist for an Oscar. The Academy has extended the nominations voting period. The wildfires prompted productions of TV shows and films to pause, but so far the show will go on for the Grammy Awards February 2nd, with the telecast set to raise money for wildfire relief. And the Sundance Film Festival will still begin in Park City, Utah next week, though some filmmakers and film lovers may not attend. Mandela Dalbarco, NPR News, Los Angeles.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is calling state lawmakers into a special session to help carry out President-elect Donald Trump's promises for a swift crackdown on illegal immigration. DeSantis says he's prepared to suspend elected officials from office if they quote, neglect their duties under Trump's new immigration mandates and there also needs to be measures to hold people accountable who are violating our anti-sanctuary policies. And then Florida needs to make sure that we don't have any lingering incentives for people to come into our state illegally.

And he says he would consider calling up the state's National Guard and the state guard to carry out enforcement of immigration laws. Hearings take place this week for more than a dozen of President-elect Trump's cabinet picks. Tomorrow, the Senate Armed Services Committee considers the nomination of military veteran and Fox host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary. He's faced accusations of sexual misconduct, heavy drinking, and financial mismanagement. This is NPR News.

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 then 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. Utah argues that local control would be more responsive and allow access

to revenue from taxes and development projects. In Nigeria, at least 16 people are dead, many more injured after a military plane bombed a community in the northern part of the country over the weekend. In P in Pierce Jewell Bright reports. Officials in Nigeria's Zamfara state say the military jet dropped several bombs on Tugankara community in the Gidangowa district of the state. Scores of people were injured in addition to those killed. A local lawmaker says the strike was targeted at bandits operating in the area, but accidentally hit residents and members of a local vigilante group. A spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force says it has launched an investigation

into the strike. This incident comes barely three weeks after another airstrike killed 10 civilians in the northern state of Sukutu. Riot groups have condemned the Nigerian military for the high rate of civilian casualties resulting from its fight against militant groups. For NPR News, I'm Joel Bright in Lagos.