NPR News: 01-13-2025 2PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 13, 2025, 2 PM EST

Host: NPR
Release Date: January 13, 2025
Duration: Approximately 5 minutes

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1. Catastrophic Wildfires Devastate Los Angeles

Reporter: Lakshmi Singh

The Los Angeles area is currently grappling with severe wildfires, with multiple blazes threatening communities and claiming lives. According to the latest updates from Cal Fire, the Eaton Fire has achieved 33% containment, while the Palisades Fire stands at 14% containment. Notably, the Hearst Fire is nearing 95% containment. However, authorities warn that an impending round of fierce winds could hinder firefighting efforts, potentially allowing the flames to reignite and engulf additional neighborhoods.

Tragically, the wildfires have resulted in at least 24 fatalities, with 16 individuals still missing. While no minors are currently unaccounted for, the fires pose a significant threat to vulnerable populations, particularly senior citizens.

On the Ground: Kelly McEvers reports from a Red Cross shelter housing many elderly evacuees from the Palisades Fire.

• Sarah James, 76:
  "I close my eyes and think that I'll go to sleep. Instead, they pop open in 20 minutes and I'm wide awake." (01:29)

• Francoise Maira, 64:
  "My password book is Ashes at Home. I wrote it all down. My password book was like 2 inches thick." (01:49)

Volunteers at the shelter highlight that older adults, already battling physical and mental health challenges, are facing heightened struggles amid the chaos. The uncertainty of rebuilding lives and the trauma of loss are compounded by logistical hurdles, such as securing access to essential accounts and resources.

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2. European Sanctions on Syria: Prospects for Easing

Reporter: Lakshmi Singh
Field Correspondent: Kerry Khan, Damascus

European officials are set to discuss the potential easing of sanctions on Syria within the month. However, the lifting of these sanctions is contingent upon the Syrian leadership demonstrating genuine progress towards an inclusive political transition that represents the country's diverse population.

Kerry Khan emphasizes the challenges ahead:

"Reconstructing Syria after more than a decade of international sanctions is going to be tough. Financial bans are still in place on everything from banking to oil purchases and trade in key sectors." (02:26)

The European Union’s top diplomat has announced that European foreign ministers will convene on January 27 to initiate discussions on removing sanctions. Nevertheless, any relaxation of these restrictions must be followed by tangible progress in Syria's political landscape. The United States has already taken steps to ease certain sanctions, including removing a $10 million bounty on the new Syrian leader, who was previously a senior al Qaeda militant. Additionally, the U.S. is permitting temporary transactions in critical sectors, notably the energy market, indicating a strategic approach to balancing diplomatic pressures with humanitarian and economic considerations.

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3. U.S. Economic Update: Stock Market and Energy Prices

Reporter: Lakshmi Singh
Field Correspondent: Scott Horsley, Washington

The U.S. stock market saw a modest uptick today, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average increasing by 212 points, approximately 0.5%, closing at 42,000. This rise comes amidst fluctuating energy prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Crude Oil Prices:

Crude oil has surged to its highest level in five months, influenced primarily by recent policy decisions. Scott Horsley explains:

"Oil prices jumped sharply over the weekend after the Biden administration added new sanctions against Russia's energy sector." (03:32)

Despite the increase in crude prices, consumers have not yet felt the impact at the pump. According to AAA, regular gas prices remain relatively stable, averaging just over $3.06 per gallon, showing little change from the previous week.

U.S. Steel and National Security Concerns:

In a move highlighting national security priorities, President Biden has blocked a planned sale of U.S. steel to Japan's Nippon Steel. An interagency committee has agreed to delay the effective date of this order until mid-June, providing time for further deliberations. This decision underscores the administration's commitment to safeguarding critical industries amidst global uncertainties.

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4. Texas Legislature Considers Banning THC in Cannabis

Reporter: Lakshmi Singh
Field Correspondent: John Burnett, Austin

The Texas Legislature is poised to address the controversial issue of banning THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis, as it convenes tomorrow. This move targets a significant loophole in state law that has inadvertently fueled a burgeoning market for consumable cannabis products.

Background:

Six years prior, Texas enacted legislation to legalize hemp cultivation for industrial purposes, inadvertently creating a pathway for the production of THC-infused products. Resourceful chemists and retailers exploited this by extracting THC from non-intoxicating hemp, leading to the proliferation of consumables such as gummies and smokable flour. Today, Texas boasts over 7,000 cannabis dispensaries, surpassing even states like California in numbers.

Political Response:

The state's influential Lieutenant Governor, Republican Dan Patrick, has spearheaded the push to ban THC entirely, citing concerns over public health and regulatory oversight. John Burnett reports:

"Fans of good consumable cannabis, from gummies to smokeable flour, say it's too late to put the genie back in the bottle." (04:21)

Despite the widespread acceptance and established market, conservative lawmakers argue that removing THC is essential to curbing the unintended consequences of the initial hemp legislation. The proposed ban reflects ongoing tensions between economic opportunities and regulatory control within the evolving landscape of cannabis legalization.

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Speaker Timestamps

• [01:29] Sarah James (76):
  "I close my eyes and think that I'll go to sleep. Instead, they pop open in 20 minutes and I'm wide awake."

• [01:49] Francoise Maira (64):
  "My password book is Ashes at Home. I wrote it all down. My password book was like 2 inches thick."

• [02:26] Kerry Khan (Damascus):
  "Reconstructing Syria after more than a decade of international sanctions is going to be tough. Financial bans are still in place on everything from banking to oil purchases and trade in key sectors."

• [03:32] Scott Horsley (Washington):
  "Oil prices jumped sharply over the weekend after the Biden administration added new sanctions against Russia's energy sector."

• [04:21] John Burnett (Austin):
  "Fans of good consumable cannabis, from gummies to smokeable flour, say it's too late to put the genie back in the bottle."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the NPR News Now episode released on January 13, 2025. From the heartbreaking wildfires in Los Angeles and the geopolitical nuances of Syria's sanctions to the intricate dynamics of the U.S. economy and the contentious debate over THC in Texas, this episode provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of pressing current events.

Transcript

[NPR Host]

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Some progress reported in the catastrophic wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area this hour. The Eaton fire is at 33% containment now. The Palisades fire is at 14%, and officials are reporting 95% containment of the Hearst fire, according to the Cal Fire website. However, the forecast calls for another round of fierce winds. The fear is that those winds will slow down firefighters, trying to keep the flames from exploding in size again and incinerating more neighborhoods. At least 24 people have died. 16 people are missing. However, as far as officials are aware, there are no minors who are unaccounted for. Senior citizens are especially vulnerable in these wildfires. Kelly McKeever's reports from a Red Cross shelter that's housing many elders who fled the Palisades fire.

[Kelly McEvers]

Sarah James is 76. She's worried that she's so sleep deprived she's stopped making sense.

[Sarah James]

I close my eyes and think that I'll go to sleep. Instead, they pop open in 20 minutes and I'm wide awake.

[Kelly McEvers]

Her cot mate at the shelter, Francoise Maira, who's 64, says she's pretty sure her house is gone. She doesn't even know where to start to rebuild her life. She's having trouble logging into her account.

[Francoise Maira]

My password book is Ashes at Home. I wrote it all down. My password book was like 2 inches thick.

[Kelly McEvers]

Volunteers here say older people who were already struggling with physical and mental health are struggling even more now. For NPR news, I'm Kelly McEvers in Los Angeles.

[Lakshmi Singh]

European officials say they will discuss easing sanctions on Syria this month, although some officials say lifting sanctions depends on Syria's new leaders and whether they're making good on pledges for an inclusive political transition. From Damascus, NPR's Kerry Khan has details.

[Kerry Khan]

Reconstructing Syria after more than a decade of international sanctions is going to be tough. Financial bans are still in place on everything from banking to oil purchases and trade in key sectors. The EU's top diplomat says European foreign ministers will meet on the 27th of this month to start talks on lifting sanctions, but any easing must be followed by, quote, tangible progress in a political political transition that reflects all diversity in Syria. The US has already eased some sanctions, including lifting a $10 million bounty on the new Syrian leader who years ago had been a senior al Qaeda militant. And the US Is also allowing temporary transactions in some sectors, including the critical energy market. Carrie Khan, NPR News, Damascus.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The Dow Jones industrial average is up 212 points, or roughly half a percent, at 42,000. From Washington, this is NPR News. Crude oil prices have climbed to their highest level in five months. NPR's Scott Horsley reports on what's driving energy markets.

[Scott Horsley]

Oil prices jumped sharply over the weekend after the Biden administration added new sanctions against Russia's energy sector. So far, the higher crude prices have not filtered down to the gas pump. AAA says regular gas is selling for an average of just over $3.06 a gallon, little change from a week ago. U.S. steel has gotten a little more time to cancel its planned sale to Japan's Nippon Steel. President Biden moved to block that sale, citing national security concerns. But an interagency committee agreed to delay the effective date of that order until mid June. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Lakshmi Singh]

When the Texas Legislature convenes tomorrow, it'll consider banning thc, the psychoactive element in cannabis. John Burnett reports. A loophole in a state law has created a booming market in consumable cannabis, and conservative lawmakers want to Texas never.

[John Burnett]

Intended to legalize recreational cannabis, but that's effectively what happened when the state passed a law six years ago to allow farmers to grow hemp for industrial purposes. Resourceful chemists and retailers found a way to take non intoxicating hemp and extract products that get you high. Today, Texas has more than 7,000 cannabis dispensaries, even more than California. But the state's powerful lieutenant governor, Republican Dan Patrick, declared that he wants to ban THC altogether. Fans of good consumable cannabis, from gummies to smokeable flour, say it's too late to put the genie back in the bottle. For NPR News, I'm John Burnett in Austin.

[Lakshmi Singh]

It's npr.

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