NPR News: 01-14-2025 4AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 14, 2025, 4 AM EST

Host: Shea Stevens
Produced by: NPR
Description: Delivering the latest news in five minutes, updated hourly.

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1. Escalating Wildfires Threaten Los Angeles

[00:17]
Host Shea Stevens reports on the worsening wildfire situation in the Los Angeles area. As powerful winds continue to spread ongoing wildfires, additional federal, state, and local fire resources are being deployed to combat the crisis.

[00:40]
Cal Fire Battalion Chief Christian Litz provides insights into the firefighting efforts:

“We always plan to keep the fire as small as possible, but we always prepare for something different, especially with the winds coming on. We could have a change of the environment for us, so we're preparing to respond to anything new. We have resources identified that could respond quickly and keep new SART small.”

The wildfires, now a week old, have tragically claimed at least 24 lives and destroyed thousands of homes. The largest of these fires, the Palisades fire, has necessitated the activation of multiple Red Cross shelters.

[00:57]
Journalist Kelly McEvers visits a Red Cross shelter housing older victims affected by the Palisades fire. She highlights the severe impact on the elderly residents:

[01:10]
Sarah James, a 76-year-old shelter resident, shares her struggles:

“I close my eyes and think that I'll go to sleep. Instead, they pop open in 20 minutes and I'm wide awake.”
[01:16]

Francoise Meyra, 64, laments the loss of her home and the challenges in rebuilding her life:

“My password book is in ashes at home. I wrote it all down. My password book was like 2 inches thick.”
[01:35]

Volunteers note that older individuals, already facing physical and mental health challenges, are finding the current situation even more taxing.

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2. Justice Department's Report on Donald Trump's Election Interference

[01:53]
Shea Stevens updates listeners on the Justice Department's final report regarding the special counsel probe into President-elect Donald Trump. The report concludes that Trump would have been convicted of illegally attempting to overturn the 2020 election. However, these charges were dropped following the November 2024 election. In response to the report, Special Counsel Jack Smith resigned from his position on his social media platform, Truce Social.

Trump publicly criticized Smith, labeling him a “deranged person” and accused him of failing to prosecute a case against his political opponent effectively.

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3. International Efforts Toward a Gaza Ceasefire

[02:34]
Kat Lundorf reports on the intense diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza amidst escalating tensions. U.S., Israeli, and Hamas officials are under significant pressure to finalize an agreement before next week's inauguration.

An informed official, speaking anonymously to NPR, described this week as the "most dramatic week of the entire war" concerning ceasefire negotiations. Previous attempts to establish a ceasefire, which would involve the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees, have repeatedly failed in recent months.

The official added that President Trump's team has communicated a clear deadline to Israel, seeking either a comprehensive deal or a "declaration of principles" by the time Trump assumes office. Both Trump and President Biden are actively engaged in these negotiations, with representatives present in Doha. During a recent conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Biden emphasized the "need for an immediate deal."

[02:34]

Kat Lundorf concludes the segment from Tel Aviv, highlighting the precariousness of the current ceasefire talks.

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4. Starbucks Revises Store Policies Amid Safety Concerns

[03:13]
In a significant policy shift, Starbucks is now requiring customers to make a purchase if they wish to remain in its stores. This change marks a departure from the open-door policy established seven years ago, which allowed patrons to linger or use restrooms without buying anything.

[03:47]
Giles Snyder reports that the new policy responds to ongoing challenges, including disruptive behavior and safety issues that led to the closure of 16 locations nationwide in 2022. The company aims to prioritize paying customers as part of a broader strategy to address a recent dip in sales. New CEO Brian Nichols has expressed a desire to return Starbucks to its community coffeehouse roots, balancing customer access with store safety and profitability.

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5. North Korea Launches Short-Range Missile Amid Rising Tensions

[04:33]
Shea Stevens covers the latest development in East Asian geopolitics as South Korea condemns North Korea for firing another short-range missile. The missile was launched from the northeast coast and traveled approximately 155 miles. Analysts suggest that this provocative act may be an attempt by North Korea to draw attention to President-elect Trump's upcoming inauguration next week.

Japan's Foreign Minister was in Seoul at the time of the missile launch, underscoring the regional concern over North Korea's continued military provocations.

[04:33]

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Note: Advertisements from Noom and Bombas were part of the episode but are not covered in this summary.

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End of Summary

Transcript

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[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. Additional federal, state and local fire resources are arriving in the Los Angeles area as another round of powerful winds threaten to spread ongoing wildfires. Cal Fire battalion chief Christian Litz says crews are scouring the region for hot spots while containing and removing any isolated heat sources.

[Christian Litz]

We always plan to keep the fire as small as possible, but we always prepare for something different, especially with the winds coming on. We could have change of the environment for us, so we're preparing to respond to anything new. We have resources identified that could respond quickly and keep new SART small.

[Shea Stevens]

The week old fires have claimed at least 24 lives and destroyed thousands of homes. Kelly McEvers visited a red Cross shelter that's housing older victims of the Palisades fire, the largest in the Los Angeles region.

[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 cotmate at the shelter, Francoise Meyra, 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 Meyra]

My password book is in 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.

[Shea Stevens]

As after months of legal wrangling, the Justice Department has released its final report on the special counsel probe of President elect Donald Trump. It finds that Trump would have been convicted of illegally trying to overturn the 2020 election. The charges were dropped after the November 2024 election, and Smith resigned last week in response on his social media platform Truce Social Trump called special counsel Jack Smith a deranged person who failed to successfully prosecute a case against his boss's political opponent. U. S. Israeli and Hamas officials are under pressure to finalize a Gaza ceasefire before next week's inauguration. NPR's Kat Lundorf reports.

[Kat Lundorf]

An official with knowledge of the talks, not authorized to speak publicly, told NPR this week is the most dramatic week of the entire war as far as ceasefire talks are concerned. Talks about a ceasefire which would see Israeli hostages released in exchange for Palestinian detainees, have fallen apart several times before in recent months. That same official told NPR that Trump's team has made it clear to Israel they want a deal or a, quote, declaration of principles by the time Trump takes office. Both Trump and President Biden have representatives in Doha. In a recent call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden stressed the need for a, quote, immediate deal. Kat Wahnsdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Shea Stevens]

This is npr. In his final report, special counsel David Weiss slams President Biden for claiming his probe of Hunter Biden was politically motivated. Weiss says that no other president has maligned public servants within the Justice Department. Hunter Biden was convicted of felony gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax evasion before being pardoned by his father. Starbucks says it's making a policy change. As NPR's Giles Snyder reports, the coffee chain is now requiring people to make a purchase if they want to hang around in its stores.

[Giles Snyder]

The change is a shift from the open door policy that was put in place seven years ago. In 2018, two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks where they'd gone for a business meeting. The incident was caught on video and led Starbucks to begin allowing people to linger inside stores or use restrooms without buying anything. But the company says it has struggled with disruptive behavior at some stores. In 2022, safety issues led Starbucks to close 16 locations around the country. Starbucks says its new code of conduct will prioritize paying customers. It's being put in place as part of an effort to boost a dip in sales. New CEO Brian Nichol has said he wants to return Starbucks bucks to its community coffeehouse roots trial Snyder, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

South Korea is condemning North Korea for firing another short range missile as Japan's foreign minister was visiting Seoul. South Korea says the missile was fired off the northeast coast and traveled 155 miles. Some observers are calling it an attempt to get President Elect Trump's attention before his inauguration next week. This is NPR News.

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