Extreme fire conditions expected in Los Angeles area through Wednesday
Increasingly strong Santa Ana winds pose a challenge for firefighters as the battle against wildfires engulfing Los Angeles County neighborhoods enters its sixth day.
The wildfires have killed at least 16 people, and as of Sunday morning, authorities said, at least 16 more people had been reported missing.
A red flag warning has been issued for parts of Southern California.where strong winds are expected to blow on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. “If a fire occurs, conditions are favorable for very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior,” the agency said.
The city of Malibu has lost about a third of its eastern edge to the Palisades Fire, Mayor Doug Stewart said.
“The beautiful homes that were throughout the area… are gone. For the most part, they are gone,” Stewart said at a community meeting.
Follow NBC News’ live coverage here.
More coverage:
- NBC News spoke with Nearly a dozen people who witnessed the early stages of the Palisades Fire.before it became one of the most destructive natural disasters in Los Angeles history.
- Small business owners in the area are just beginning to reckon with the devastating wildfires, which have folded Decades of history and years of hard work. into the ashes.
- Are arsonists responsible for the furious fires? Investigators are working to determine what caused the fires.
- Former Australian child star Rory Sykes died last week In subsequent fires, his mother said, she was unable to save him from his home.
- Residents facing losses from the fires are beginning to face their next challenge: file insurance claimyes.
Meet the press
California Governor Gavin Newsom told NBC News’ Jacob Soboroff in a wide-ranging “Meet the Press” interview that The wildfires will be one of the worst natural disasters in American history..
“I think it will be just in terms of the costs associated with it, in terms of scale and scope,” he said.
Newsom also responded to criticism from President-elect Donald Trump, saying, “I don’t think misinformation and disinformation benefits or helps any of us.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized Newsomblaming him in part for the magnitude of the disaster. In one post, he baselessly claimed that Newsom had blocked a measure that would have allowed water to flow from Northern California to Southern California.
“Responding to Donald Trump’s insults, we would spend another month,” Newsom said. “I’m very familiar with them. Every elected official you disagree with is very familiar with them.”
You can see the full interview here.
Jack Smith resigns from Justice Department
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has resigned from the Justice Department, officials said in a court filing Saturday. The move was expected before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Smith’s report on Trump’s alleged involvement in 2020 election interference is expected to be released soon. The second volume of his report on the classified documents case will not be published as charges against Trump’s co-defendants They are pending.
Politics in brief
A new ‘normal’: Throughout American society, Leaders who once rejected Trump or fought against him are now seeking to strengthen their ties. or extend olive branches.
Greenland Threats: In “Meet the Press,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., He said that the United States will not invade Greenlanddownplaying Trump’s threat to acquire it by military force.
Immigration in the classroom: Educators find themselves in the uncomfortable position of Answer students’ questions about possible mass deportations. during the Trump administration.
Honoring the Pope: President Joe Biden awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction.
Limit January 6 pardons: Vice President-elect JD Vance said Sunday that Violent January 6 rioters should not receive pardons.
Wildcard weekend
The NFL playoffs began Saturday with six wild-card games to decide who will advance to the divisional round.
On Saturday the Houston Texans defeated Los Angeles Chargers 32-12, while the AFC’s third-seeded Baltimore Ravens put on a dominant 28-14 performance to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sunday’s games began with the Buffalo Bills defeating the Denver Broncos 31-7. The Green Bay Packers faced the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers later on Sunday.
Follow NBC News’ live coverage here.
The double victory of a director
Oscar winner Barry Jenkins kicked off the new year with two films in the top 10 at the box office: “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “The Fire Within.”
On paper, the two films couldn’t be more different. One is a Disney blockbuster with a huge cultural footprint, while the other is a decidedly smaller film, a biopic about Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, the first American woman to win a gold medal in boxing.
In an interview, Jenkins spoke about the common themes. in his work.
What “gotten” to him about Mufasa was that the character was known in the original “Lion King” as “this great leader, this perfect father, the perfect king, and we assume he is that way because of the character traits he inherited.” I think decontextualizing that and showing that, like Claressa Shields or the character in ‘Moonlight,’ she came from this other place and through learning from her community, through a really wonderful upbringing by a woman who is essentially her reception. mother.”
In case you missed it
- Millions of people from the southwest to the southeast have been under frost warnings this weekend.
- Ukraine captured Two North Korean soldiers injured on the battlefield in Russia. and transferred them to Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
- The U.S. toambassador to china, nicolas burns, said NBC News about his time managing the tensions of what is considered the most important bilateral relationship in the world.
- Asian American youth are 40% more likely to develop food allergies compared to the general population. A new study sheds light on why.
- Many people are still renovating their Covid-era closetsparticularly as employers require staff to return to the office.
- President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as U.S. officials. Race to reach a ceasefire agreement and hostages in Gaza before Biden leaves office.
- The New England Patriots have hired former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel as their head coach, the team announced Sunday.
- Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck They are officially divorced. Lopez, who filed for dissolution of her marriage in August, will keep her green diamond engagement ring.
