NPR News: 01-10-2025 2AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 10, 2025, 2AM EST

Hosted by NPR, this episode of NPR News Now delivers the latest news updates within five minutes, covering key events from natural disasters to political developments.

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Wildfires Ravage Los Angeles

Shea Stevens opens the episode with a report on the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, highlighting the severe evacuation efforts in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Tens of thousands remain under evacuation orders as flames continue to spread, exacerbated by powerful winds.

Lauren Sommer provides an in-depth analysis of the Palisades Fire, detailing how narrow, winding roads have hampered evacuation efforts. "Some had to flee on foot," Sommer explains [00:36], drawing parallels to past devastating fires in Lahaina, Maui, and Paradise, California. She emphasizes the nationwide issue of inadequate evacuation planning, noting that many communities lack the necessary resources to manage such emergencies. Advances in technology, such as computer simulations, are being utilized to improve evacuation strategies and identify potential bottlenecks.

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Devastation Along Pacific Coast Highway

Kirk Sigler reports directly from the Pacific Coast Highway, painting a vivid picture of the destruction caused by the fires. "It's really this eerie smell... sulfury, charred smell of burning rubble and vegetation," Sigler describes [01:24]. He observes the ongoing efforts of firefighters battling embers that continue to ignite new fires, contributing to the fluid and unpredictable nature of the situation. Notably, while structures like the Getty Villa remain standing, the surrounding vegetation has suffered extensive damage.

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President Jimmy Carter Laid to Rest

Former President Jimmy Carter was laid to rest in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, marking the end of an era for the nation’s 39th president. Debbie Elliott covers the somber event, noting the heartfelt turnout of citizens waving American flags as Carter’s funeral procession traversed downtown Plains [02:13].

Maude Raven Russell, whose father was a childhood friend of Carter, shares a personal reflection:

"So I have known him all of my life and I'm 77 years old, so I have known him all my life and he has been a down to earth person. He's been president to all, but he's been to us and hone, you know." [02:47]

The ceremonies featured a US Navy missing man formation flyover, symbolizing respect and honor for the late president.

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Senate Advances Immigration Legislation

In a significant political development, the U.S. Senate has progressed legislation aimed at allowing federal authorities to detain unauthorized migrants accused of specific crimes. Shea Stevens reports that both Democrats and Republicans have come together to enable debate on this measure, aptly named after Lake and Riley, the Georgia nursing student tragically killed by a migrant last year. The legislation addresses flaws in current immigration policies, particularly the case where Riley's assailant, who entered the U.S. illegally, was permitted to stay pending his immigration case.

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Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Engages in U.S. Politics

Dan Karpenchuk highlights Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to Washington for President Carter's funeral. Beyond mourning, Trudeau met with U.S. business leaders to discuss and counteract the tariffs proposed by incoming President Donald Trump. Trudeau asserts that Trump's rhetoric about annexing Canada is a strategic diversion from tariff negotiations. He warns,

"Tariffs would have a negative impact," emphasizing that increased costs on oil, gas, electricity, steel, aluminum, and lumber would burden U.S. consumers [03:55].

Trudeau engaged with key business figures, including the CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers and the CEO of the Business Roundtable, underscoring the critical role of free and integrated trade between Canada and the United States in sustaining millions of jobs on both sides of the border.

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Alec Baldwin Sues New Mexico Officials

Actor Alec Baldwin has filed a civil lawsuit against officials in New Mexico, alleging malicious prosecution following his 2021 exoneration from involuntary manslaughter charges related to a tragic shooting on a movie set during a rehearsal. Shea Stevens reports that this legal action comes months after a judge cleared Baldwin of wrongdoing, highlighting ongoing tensions and the complexities of high-profile legal cases [04:39].

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the January 10, 2025, episode of NPR News Now. For detailed coverage and ongoing updates, listeners are encouraged to tune into NPR News.

Transcript

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[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. Tens of thousands of people remain under evacuation orders as fires burn in Los Angeles, some from neighborhoods with narrow, winding roads. Many communities around the neighborhood have adequate evacuation routes, as NPR's Lauren Sommer reports.

[Lauren Sommer]

The Palisades fire grew explosively, driven by powerful winds as residents in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood fled. They found roads that were jammed with cars. Some had to flee on foot. It's a situation that happened in other fires with more deadly consequences, like in Lahaina, Maui and in Paradise, California. Many communities around the country are in the same situation with few roads in and out. Studies show that many are also behind on evacuation planning, lacking the resources. New technology is helping. Some communities are using computer simulations to plan better evacuations and analyze where the bottlenecks are. Lauren Sommer, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

Officials in Los Angeles county say thousands of homes and businesses are believed to have been burned along the Pacific coast highway alone. NPR's Kirk Sigler has more.

[Kirk Sigler]

I'm standing here on Pacific Coast Highway. It's really this eerie smell. Among other things, you can smell the sea over here, the waves crashing, and then it's just this sulfury, charred smell of burning rubble and vegetation. I'm even looking at a fire truck trying to save a house right in front of me here. Doesn't look like they're gonna do it, but embers have been still flying in and catching things on fire. I think that's partly why they don't have an updated destruction tally, because it's still just such a fluid situation up and down this highway. Hotel over to my right is totally burned. I can see in the distance the Getty Villa, the famous museum. It appears to be intact, although the vegetation all the way up right around it is burned.

[Shea Stevens]

NPR's Kirk Sigler reporting. President Jimmy Carter has been laid to rest after being returned to his hometown of Plains, Georgia. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports that Carter was buried next to his wife Rosalynn at their family home.

[Debbie Elliott]

People line the streets waving American flags as the funeral procession of the nation's 39th president made a journey through downtown Plains. It's a somber moment, says Maude Raven Russell, whose 98 year old father and Carter were childhood playmates.

[Maude Raven Russell]

So I have known him all of my life and I'm 77 years old, so I have known him all my life and he has been a down to earth person. He's been president to all, but he's been to us and hone, you know.

[Debbie Elliott]

The ceremonies here included a US Navy missing man formation flyover. Debbie Elliott, NPR News, Plains, Georgia.

[Shea Stevens]

You're listening to NPR News. The U.S. senate has advanced legislation to allow federal authorities to detain unauthorized migrants accused of certain crimes. Democrats join Republicans in voting to allow debate on the measure, which is named after Lake and Riley, the Georgia Nurs student who was killed by a migrant last year. Riley's assailant entered the US Illegally and had been allowed to stay pending his immigration case. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to Washington Thursday for the funeral of former President Carter. As Dan Carpenter reports, he also met with US Business leaders as he made the case against the tariffs threatened by incoming President Donald Trump.

[Dan Karpenchuk]

Trudeau says he believes Trump's talk about annexing Canada is aimed at distracting from talks on tariffs. Trump has threatened to slap a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods when he takes office. Trudeau says Trump is trying to take the focus off the many items such as oil and gas, electricity, steel and aluminum, and lumber, which will be a lot more expensive for US Consumers if the president elect moves forward on tariffs. Trudeau met with several executives, including the CEO of the national association of Manufacturers and the CEO of Business Roundtable. He says trade and investment between the two countries supports millions of jobs on both sides of the border and that free and integrated trade is vital to both countries, whereas tariffs would have a negative impact. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

[Shea Stevens]

Alec Baldwin is accusing officials in New Mexico of malicious prosecution. The actor filed a civil lawsuit months after a judge cleared him of involuntary manslaughter for a shooting death on a movie set during a rehearsal in 2021. This is NPR News.

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