Facebook And MAGA, Winter Virus Season, LA Palisades Fire

Summary

Summary of NPR’s Up First Episode: "Facebook And MAGA, Winter Virus Season, LA Palisades Fire" – January 8, 2025

In the January 8, 2025 episode of NPR’s Up First, hosts Steve Inskeep and Michelle Martin delve into three pressing issues shaping the day: Meta’s (Facebook and Instagram) significant policy shifts amidst the resurgence of conservative power, the escalating winter respiratory virus season, and the devastating wildfires engulfing Southern California’s LA Palisades. This comprehensive summary captures the key discussions, insights, and conclusions presented in the episode.

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1. Meta’s Policy Overhaul Amidst Political Shifts

Meta’s Abandonment of Third-Party Fact Checkers

The episode opens with Michelle Martin highlighting a pivotal change at Meta: Facebook and Instagram have ceased using third-party fact checkers previously responsible for curbing false information on their platforms.

Steve Inskeep probes the implications of Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement, especially in the context of the Trump administration’s return to power. This sets the stage for an in-depth analysis of Meta's strategic repositioning.

Bobby Allen, NPR’s correspondent covering this story, elaborates on the transformation:

“[Bobby Allen, [02:44]]: Meta used to employ professional fact checkers to verify flagged posts, resulting in labeled corrections. Now, they’re shifting to a community note system inspired by Elon Musk’s X, where regular users collectively add notes once consensus is achieved. This marks a significant departure from the previous model.”

Notable Quotes:

• Mark Zuckerberg’s Stance on Free Speech:

  “[Bobby Allen, [02:37]]: In an Instagram video announcement, Zuckerberg stated that Meta’s speech policing had become overly aggressive, leading to excessive mistakes and censorship.”

• Political Scientist Brendan Nyhan’s Perspective:

  “[Brendan Nyhan, [05:11]]: Meta is clearly aware of the political risks it faces from being targeted by conservative forces. The timing and presentation of these policy changes appear calculated to resonate with a Republican audience.”

Underlying Business Motives:

Analyzing the business rationale, Bobby Allen points out several strategic moves by Meta to curry favor with the incoming administration:

• Financial Contributions and Appointments:

  Meta has donated a million dollars to Trump’s inaugural fund, appointed Republican lobbyist Joel Kaplan as the global affairs officer, and added Trump supporter Dana White, president of the UFC, to its board of directors.

This alignment suggests Meta’s efforts to mitigate ongoing scrutiny and potential regulatory challenges, particularly with the Federal Trade Commission’s impending trial regarding anti-competitive practices dating back to 2020.

Impact on Content Moderation:

The dismantling of strict policies on sensitive topics like immigration and gender identity aligns with Republican criticisms of tech companies’ censorship practices. While Meta maintains essential restrictions against terrorism, child exploitation, and scams, the broader relaxation signifies a notable policy reversal.

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2. Escalating Winter Respiratory Virus Season

As winter tightens its grip, the episode transitions to public health concerns with Rob Stein, NPR’s health correspondent, detailing the intensifying respiratory virus season.

Andrew Pavia, an infectious disease expert at the University of Utah, provides a stark overview:

“[Andrew Pavia, [06:23]]: The respiratory season is in full swing, with high incidences of influenza, RSV, whooping cough, mycoplasma (walking pneumonia), and a resurging wave of COVID-19 cases. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and emergency rooms are inundated with patients suffering from these illnesses.”

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. William Schaffner on Hospital Strain:

  “[Dr. William Schaffner, [07:00]]: We're buried with influenza. Things are very, very busy and intense. The emergency room is full of people who are coughing and sneezing. We've had people waiting on gurneys, those stretchers waiting for admission. We are really full.”

Seasonal Virus Dynamics:

Brendan Jackson compares the virus season to a series of relentless snowstorms:

“[Brendan Jackson, [08:01]]: We’ve got three viruses that are going to hit with peaks, that are going to be relatively closely spaced so that as one starts to go down, the other’s going to start peaking and we’re just not gonna get a break. Like a series of snowstorms. What it means, I think, is that we’re in for a pretty miserable January before things start to let up.”

Long-Term Predictions and Recommendations:

Caitlin Rivers from Johns Hopkins emphasizes the prolonged nature of the respiratory season:

“[Caitlin Rivers, [08:25]]: The winter respiratory virus season often peaks in December or January, but it lingers through the spring months. So I do think we have several more weeks, if not months left of this sixth season.”

Health experts recommend traditional preventive measures:

• Hygiene Practices: Regular handwashing and sanitizing.
• Personal Protection: Wearing masks in crowded or high-risk areas.
• Environmental Controls: Increasing ventilation by opening windows.
• Vaccinations: Encouraging vaccinations for influenza, COVID-19, and other preventable diseases.

Emerging Viruses:

Michelle Martin introduces a discussion on the human metapneumovirus (hMPV), noting its surge in northern China. However, authorities like the WHO and CDC downplay the threat, categorizing it as within expected seasonal ranges and less severe compared to flu, RSV, and COVID-19.

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3. Devastating Wildfires Ravage Southern California’s LA Palisades

The final segment of the episode focuses on the escalating wildfire crisis in Southern California, specifically the LA Palisades area.

Liz Baker, NPR’s correspondent on the ground, provides a vivid account of the situation:

“[Liz Baker, [10:14]]: Right now I can see a really eerie orange glow on the horizon up to the north, and that's the Palisades fire, which is the biggest one right now. Yesterday evening I was out along the edge of that evacuation zone in Santa Monica where a crowd of people had gathered to watch the fire. ... The Palisades fire started Tuesday morning in the mountains and very quickly made a run all the way to the ocean.”

Notable Quotes:

• Describing the Rapid Spread:

  “[Liz Baker, [10:14]]: There’s this orange zigzag running straight up the mountain like a lightning bolt. Every time the wind had a big gust, you could see the fire flare super high into the sky, and airplanes were dumping fire retardant to try and stop it.”

Impact and Response:

The combination of Santa Ana winds and dry conditions has led to multiple fires erupting almost simultaneously, overwhelming firefighting resources. Communities such as Santa Monica and Malibu have been placed under evacuation orders.

• Evacuation Challenges:

  “[Liz Baker, [12:30]]: There have been reports of people getting so gridlocked trying to evacuate that they abandon their cars. And we've seen footage of cars just being bulldozed off the street to make room for emergency vehicles.”

On-the-Ground Realities:

Residents like Dave Dawson face harrowing decisions:

“Everyone's taking like two hours to get out of there. You can see the traffic.”

Severity and Projections:

“[Liz Baker, [13:07]]: If it turns to the south, then there's a lot of homes in danger. So this is really a worst case scenario, Steve, and one that is just gonna keep going at least through today.”

The relentless nature of the fires is likened to a "constant game of whack a mole" for firefighters, with new fires igniting even as others are subdued.

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Conclusion

The January 8th episode of NPR’s Up First delivers a compelling narrative on the intersection of technology, politics, public health, and environmental disasters. Meta's strategic policy shift reflects broader political dynamics as the conservative bloc regains influence. Concurrently, the healthcare system braces for an unrelenting wave of respiratory illnesses, underscoring the critical need for preventive measures. Lastly, the Southern California wildfires exemplify the escalating challenges posed by climate-related disasters, highlighting the urgent need for effective emergency response strategies.

Listeners are left with a multifaceted understanding of the day's most impactful stories, enriched by expert insights and firsthand reporting.

Transcript

[Michelle Martin]

Facebook and Instagram abandoned the use of fact checkers tasked with keeping falsehoods off the sites.

[Steve Inskeep]

Mark Zuckerberg announced the change. How does it fit with his other moves as the Trump administration returns to power?

[Michelle Martin]

I'm Michelle Martin. That's Steve Inskeep. And this is up first from NPR News. It's the season when people are hit by one winter virus after another.

[Brendan Jackson]

As one starts to go down, the other's gonna start peaking and we're just not gonna get a break. Like a series of snowstorms.

[Michelle Martin]

How can you protect yourself?

[Steve Inskeep]

Also, clouds of smoke hang over neighborhoods in Southern California. Tens of thousands have had to evacuate.

[Bobby Allen]

The wind's been kind of swirling a little bit.

[Liz Baker]

If it turns to the south, then there's a lot of homes in danger.

[Steve Inskeep]

How widespread are the wildfires? Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day foreign.

[Rob Stein]

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[Caitlin Rivers]

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[Steve Inskeep]

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram is positioning itself for a new administration.

[Michelle Martin]

Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, who once ban and President elect Donald Trump from Facebook for his role in the January 6th attack, now says he favors more free speech and he's ending a fact checking feature that was designed to slow down the spread of false information. Meta's move comes as Republicans on their way into power talk of a crackdown on tech companies.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Bobby Allen is covering this. Bobby, good morning.

[Bobby Allen]

Hey there, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay So what was Meta doing and what are they going to be doing now?

[Bobby Allen]

Well, it used to be that posts that were flagged by enough users underwent a fact checking process by third party professional fact checkers. And when they were done, the post got a label. Now that is over. In its place is what's known as a community note system. This was inspired by how it works on Elon Musk's X. The fact checking process is crowdsourced to regular users, and when the users reach some kind of consensus, a note is added to the post. That's big change. One second big change, Steve. Restrictions will be lifted on topics like immigration and gender identity. Currently, these protections are in place to curb hate speech. Now they are dismantled in an Instagram video announcement. Zuckerberg says Meta's speech policing has become too aggressive and we've reached a point where it's just too many mistakes and too much censorship. The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech and seem to say this is a big reversal is an understatement. After the 2016 presidential election, Zuckerberg himself came up with this fact checking system. It followed revelations, of course, that Russia exploited Facebook to divide the country and boost the Trump campaign. Now Zuckerberg is abandoning the very fact checking system that he helped create.

[Steve Inskeep]

Bobby, when he says he's responding to the recent elections, that's very close to saying that he's adjusting policies for Trump.

[Bobby Allen]

He didn't say so explicitly. But yes, Zuckerberg's framing is quite notable. In his video, he said speech is being censored on Meta's platforms. It's an allegation Republicans have made for years, and until now a an allegation he has fought against. Now he is leaving some limits in place, ones on speech that encourage crimes like terrorism, child sexual exploitation and scams. But more lax rules also follow several other developments. Steve. Okay. Meta donating a million dollars to Trump's inaugural fund. Meta tapping Republican lobbyist Joel Kaplan to be Meta's global affairs officer, and putting Trump supporter Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, on Meta's board of directors. So, taken all together, I called up Meta observer Brendan Nyhan. He's a political scientist at Dartmouth College, and here is how he sees it. Meta clearly perceives a great deal of political risk of being targeted. And the way Zuckerberg presented the announcements and its timing was obviously intended to play to a Republican audience.

[Steve Inskeep]

If we assume that Zuckerberg is acting out of business reasons here, what is the business case for currying favor with the president elect.

[Bobby Allen]

Couple reasons. Trump has been attacking Zuckerberg for years. Trump believes Zuckerberg's measures in 2020 to combat disinformation and bolster reliable election information was a type of election interference. Trump even threatened to throw Zuckerberg in prison if Meta did the same in 2024. On top of that, federal agencies have been investigating Meta over whether it has used its dominance to hur hurt competitors. And one big case Meta is facing was brought by the Federal Trade commission back in 2020, so during Trump's first term. And that case is set to go to trial in April.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Bobby Allen, thanks for your reporting.

[Bobby Allen]

Thanks, Steve.

[Michelle Martin]

The winter holidays are behind us. Winter definitely is not.

[Steve Inskeep]

It's cold and snowy in many places. And it's time for another annual tradition, the winter respiratory virus season.

[Michelle Martin]

NPR health correspondent Rob Stein is with us now to tell us more. Good morning, Rob.

[Andrew Pavia]

Good morning, Michelle.

[Michelle Martin]

All right, give it to me straight. How bad is it?

[Andrew Pavia]

It's pretty bad out there right now. You know, Michelle, people love to travel and get together with family and friends over the holidays. The bad news is that often means they come home with some nasty bug. I talked about this with Dr. Brendan Jackson from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Rob Stein]

Respiratory season is here. It is getting to be in full swing now. A lot of people getting sick, a lot of people missing work, missing school, just feeling lousy in general.

[Andrew Pavia]

And you know, Michelle, the flu in particular is spiking right now. Here's Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical center in Nashville.

[Steve Inskeep]

We're buried with influenza. Things are very, very busy and intense. The emergency room is full of people who are coughing and sneezing. We've had people waiting on gurneys, those stretchers waiting for admission. We are really full.

[Andrew Pavia]

And it's not just the flu. RSV is still spreading at very high levels. So is whooping cough, a bacterium called mycoplasma that can cause walking pneumonia. And let's not forget Covid, which is starting to shoot up yet again.

[Michelle Martin]

Oh. So how bad is it going to get this winter?

[Andrew Pavia]

Well, you know, no one ever really knows with these viruses. The CDC says that unless some new COVID variant emerges, it still looks like this winter will probably be kind of like last year. But that's not great. It still means lots of kids missing school, parents missing work, grandparents and other vulnerable people ending up in hospital and even dying. Dr. Andrew Pavia studies infectious disease at the University of Utah.

[Brendan Jackson]

We've got three viruses that are going to hit with peaks, that are going to be relatively closely spaced so that as one starts to go down, the other's gonna start peaking and we're just not gonna get a break. We're like a series of snowstorms. What it means, I think, is that we're in for a pretty miserable January before things start to let up.

[Andrew Pavia]

But even then, a long tail. According to Caitlin Rivers, she's an epidemiologist.

[Caitlin Rivers]

At Johns Hopkins, the winter respiratory virus season often peaks in December or January, but it lingers through the spring months. And so I do think we have several more weeks, if not months left of this spring sixth season.

[Andrew Pavia]

So Rivers and others are recommending people should do all the, you know, usual stuff, wash their hands a lot, mask up in crowded places, open windows if they can, and, of course, get vaccinated. It's not too late.

[Michelle Martin]

Ron, before I let you go, what is this other virus that I've been hearing about?

[Andrew Pavia]

Yeah, it's called the human metapneumovirus, or hmpv. It's getting a lot of attention because of a surge of respiratory illnesses in the north of China, but the World Health Organization and the CDC say they aren't too worried about it. WHO says the increase in respiratory illness cases seen in China is within the range expected for this time of year. HMPV can cause serious complications, but usually only causes a cold. It's nothing compared to the flu, RSV and Covid, which, according to a new CDC estimate, is still killing hundreds of people every week.

[Michelle Martin]

That is NPR health correspondent Rob Stein. Rob, thank you.

[Andrew Pavia]

You bet, Michelle.

[Steve Inskeep]

You know, just before I went to bed last night, Renee Montaigne, the longtime former host of MORNING Edition, sent over some photos from her neighborhood, images that showed orange tinted smoke on the horizon. In her part of Southern California, at.

[Michelle Martin]

Least three wildfires are burning out of control in metro Los Angeles. The flames are driven by a regular feature of life in the region, the Santa Ana winds, but tens of thousands of people have now evacuated.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Liz Baker has the latest from Southern California. Liz, good morning.

[Liz Baker]

Good morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

What have you been seeing?

[Liz Baker]

Well, right now I can see a really eerie orange glow on the horizon up to the north, and that's the Palisades fire, which is the biggest one right now. Yesterday evening I was out along the edge of that evacuation zone in Santa Monica where a crowd of people had gathered to watch the fire. Because these winds are so strong and blowing straight out to the ocean, you can actually see the fire pretty well, if you're looking at it from la, and what you could see was just this orange zigzag running straight up the mountain like a lightning bolt. And every time the wind had a big gust, which was like, all the time, you could see the fire flare super high into the sky, and airplanes were dumping fire retardant to try and stop it. But that fire ended up moving a little bit further south towards the populated city of Santa Monica. Parts of Santa Monica are now under evacuation orders. Also, Malibu is under evacuation. Steve, you might remember that city just burned in a different fire almost exactly one month ago. Well, now they're getting hit again.

[Steve Inskeep]

Wow. And the speed with which this happened is remarkable. One minute, nothing was happening. Another minute I'm seeing these images on social media and in my text messages.

[Liz Baker]

Yeah, I mean, that's what it feels like on the ground, too. We went into the evening last night with only one major fire. The Palisades fire I mentioned started Tuesday morning in the mountains and very quickly made a run all the way to the ocean. Unfortunately, the community of Pacific Palisades, with over 10,000 households, was in the way. And then just all day yesterday, there were these little fires popping up and getting put down by firefighters. But then into the evening, the winds really picked up and a fire in Eaton Canyon flared. That very, very quickly became a problem for the communities of Altadena and Pasadena just below it. And I've heard from colleagues in their area who say that situation went from absolutely nothing to apocalyptic in under an. That's all the time it took for that fire to double in size. And then another fire took off further to the northwest. That one jumped the freeway within minutes. You know. Yeah, it's a lot. And it just seems like every hour or so a new fire is popping up. You know, there was even one across the street from the unpaired bureau here, just for a little while.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay.

[Liz Baker]

It's just this constant game of whack a mole for firefighters.

[Steve Inskeep]

I'm glad that one is out. Anyway, what is the damage so far as you can tell?

[Liz Baker]

Well, it's really hard to tell. These fires are still raging. Certainly structures have burned. That includes even some beach lifeguard stations. Just to give you an idea of how forcefully these winds are sweeping towards the ocean. They're even hitting the beach. There have been reports of people getting so gridlocked trying to evacuate that they abandon their cars. And we've seen footage of cars just being bulldozed off the street to make room for emergency vehicles. I spoke with one person Dave Dawson earlier today who hiked out of an evacuation zone from Palisades Village with his dog. Everyone's taking like two hours to get out of there. You can see the traffic.

[Bobby Allen]

The wind's been kind of swirling a little bit.

[Liz Baker]

If it turns to the south, then there's a lot of homes in danger. So this is really a worst case scenario, Steve, and one that is just gonna keep going at least through today.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay. NPR's Liz Baker. Thanks for the update. Be safe, please.

[Liz Baker]

Thanks, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

She's in Los Angeles where there are wildfires in the metro area. And that's up first for this Wednesday, January 8th. I'm Steve Inske.

[Michelle Martin]

And I'm Michele Martin. Remember, you can listen to this podcast sponsor free while financially supporting public media with Up First Plus. Learn more at plus.NPR.org that's plus.NPR.org Today's.

[Steve Inskeep]

Upfirst was edited by Kara Platoni, Scott Hensley, Denise Rios, Janaya Williams and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Buch, Nia Dumas and Lily Quiros. We get engineering support from David Greenberg. And our technical director is Carly Strange. Join us tomorrow. Carly will.

[Michelle Martin]

She might make a different choice, you.

[Steve Inskeep]

Know, you never know.

[Michelle Martin]

She might have a different opinion about it.

[Steve Inskeep]

And now this correction.

[Michelle Martin]

Carly called in sick, called out Carly. She's just over it.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah, I'm done.

[Michelle Martin]

It's like I just had it with you people.

[Steve Inskeep]

I'm coming in at 9:00am thank you.

[Michelle Martin]

Exactly.

[Caitlin Rivers]

Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon prime members can listen to up first sponsor free through Amazon Music, or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get up first [e-mail] that's plus.NPR.org this message comes from Mint Mobile. From the gas pump to the grocery store, inflation is everywhere. So Mint Mobile is offering premium wireless starting at just $15 a month. To get your new phone plan for just $15, go to mintmobile.com Switch this.

[Rob Stein]

Message comes from NPR sponsor Rosetta Stone, an expert in language learning for 30 years. Right now, NPR listeners can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership to 25 different languages for 50% off. Learn more at rosetta stone. Com npr.