NPR News Now: January 9, 2025, 1 PM EST

Hosted by NPR, "NPR News Now" delivers the latest news in just five minutes, updated hourly. In this episode, key topics include devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, significant national news involving former President Jimmy Carter and President-elect Donald Trump, alarming reports on online pharmacies, Chicago's transition to renewable energy, and a brief market update.

Devastating Wildfires Ravage Los Angeles

Lakshmi Singh opens the episode with a grim update on the wildfires engulfing the Los Angeles area. The fires have tragically claimed at least five lives and continue to spread, with one of the most significant being the Eaton Fire.

Fire Chief Anthony Maroney provided critical insights into the Eaton Fire's status:

"[The Eaton Fire] remains estimated to be 10,600 acres and growth has been significantly stopped and we have zero percent containment." [00:36]

The severity of the situation is underscored by the extensive evacuation orders:

• Nearly 180,000 residents in Los Angeles County have been mandated to evacuate.
• An additional 200,000 are being advised to prepare for possible evacuation.

Cal Fire incident commander Todd Hopkins detailed the ongoing efforts to assess the damage:

"They’re flying over the devastated neighborhoods and using heat signatures to estimate the number of structures affected by the fires."

Hopkins emphasized that the damage assessment includes vehicles, outbuildings, homes, businesses, and other structures like sheds.

In a discussion on the underlying causes of these wildfires, Hydroclimatologist Williams from UCLA highlighted the region's susceptibility:

"Southern California is a unique environment that makes it highly susceptible to these types of wind-driven wildfires." [01:21]

Anthony Maroney further explained the meteorological factors:

"We get these so-called Santa Ana wind events, which are wind events that go in basically the wrong direction. Usually, winds come off of the ocean into Southern California and so they're cool and humid. But when these Santa Ana wind events occur, the winds reverse and they come from the deserts." [01:35]

Williams added context about recent climate patterns:

"A couple of years ago, the Los Angeles region experienced a stretch of unusually wet weather, which fueled the growth of a lot of new vegetation that got extremely dry this year." [01:52]

National News: Farewell to Jimmy Carter and Legal Proceedings for Donald Trump

Lakshmi Singh transitions to significant national events, beginning with the conclusion of former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington. Carter, who passed away last month at the age of 100, will be laid to rest in Georgia.

The focus then shifts to legal developments concerning President-elect Donald Trump:

The Manhattan District Attorney has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent the halting of Trump's criminal sentencing related to the New York hush money case. As Ximena Bustillo reports:

"Trump is asking the country's highest court to halt his sentencing over falsifying business records. In a legal filing, prosecutors say that there is, quote, no basis for the Supreme Court to intervene in a pending state criminal trial before it's been sentenced. They also argue that any pause threatens to delay the completion of the case until Trump finishes his presidential term." [02:37]

Despite Trump's appeals, the presiding New York judge has rejected the request:

"The New York judge presiding over the case has rejected these claims and declined to postpone the sentencing." [02:37]

Trump's sentencing is scheduled for the following day, with his inauguration slated for January 20.

Public Health Alert: Illegitimate Online Pharmacies

A concerning report from NPR highlights the dangers posed by illegitimate online pharmacies. According to the U.S. Trade Representative's annual findings, nearly all of the world's 35,000 online pharmacies are operating illegally, many based in China and other parts of Asia. This rampant illegitimacy puts consumers at significant risk of receiving potentially harmful counterfeit drugs.

Chicago’s Green Leap: Transition to Renewable Energy

Lakshmi Singh covers Chicago's groundbreaking move to rely exclusively on renewable energy for all its public buildings. Juan Pablo Ramirez Franco of WBEZ provides an in-depth look:

"The Windy City can now trace the electricity for its over 400 municipal buildings back to primarily solar power." [03:57]

This includes major infrastructure such as O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport. Jared Policicchio, Chicago's Deputy Commissioner of Environment, elaborates:

"That's Jared Policicchio. He's the city's deputy commissioner of environment. He added that part of Chicago's plan was to source all of this energy from new renewable sources. To do so, the city helped finance what is now the largest solar farm east of the Mississippi River." [04:13]

The initiative is projected to reduce Chicago's carbon footprint by over 290,000 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to taking 62,000 cars off the road. Policicchio underscores the significance of this transition for sustainable urban development.

Market Update

In a brief financial update, Lakshmi Singh notes:

"The Dow is up more than 100 points." [04:46]

This positive movement in the stock market reflects ongoing economic trends and investor sentiment.

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