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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The full scope of the devastation in the Los Angeles area from a series of out-of-control wildfires is now only being realized, and many of those fires remain largely uncontained. L.A.
Fire and Sheriff's Department officials in a briefing today say some 4,000 to 5,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed, with the death toll at least five people and expected to rise. Lori Moore Merrill is the fire administrator for FEMA in California, says there was welcome news from President Joe Biden today about disaster assistance.
Given that this has happened so quickly and we got a major declaration so quickly from the president, that has really expedited individuals' opportunity to get relief.
Firefighters are making more progress today with the lessening of some of the high winds that have fanned flames. About 180,000 people in the L.A. area are under evacuation orders. A federal judge has struck down an effort by the U.S. Department of Education to expand federal protections for transgender students. More from NPR's Corey Turner.
For half a century, Title IX has banned discrimination in schools based on sex. At issue in this decision is a rule the Biden administration released last spring interpreting the law to also protect sexual orientation and gender identity. The rule had been hailed by LGBTQ plus advocates, but was challenged by 26 conservative-led states that argued the president had exceeded his legal authority.
In this latest ruling, a federal judge in Kentucky agreed, striking down the rule nationally and writing that it, quote, turns Title IX on its head. Before this decision, the rule had already been blocked in half the country. Corey Turner, NPR News.
While the current living presidents were attendance today, President Jimmy Carter's funeral amongst the current and former first ladies, there was a notable absence. Former First Lady Michelle Obama did not attend the service at Washington National Cathedral. CNN has reported the former first lady had a scheduling conflict and was in Hawaii. Carter was remembered at Washington National Cathedral.
He died last month at the age of 100. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions inched down last year, falling by less than 1 percent, according to a new study. NPR's Michael Copley reports the pollution from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil is raising global temperatures.
The U.S. created about as much climate pollution last year as it did the year before, as emissions rose from buildings, transportation and power plants. That's according to estimates by the Rhodium Group, a research firm. the U.S. will need to make much deeper cuts of more than 7% annually in the coming years to meet a commitment it made under the Paris Agreement to slash heat-trapping pollution.
The Rhodium Group says emissions have only fallen that much during recession, when the economy slows. last year was the hottest on record after global emissions rose to a new high in 2023. Michael Copley, NPR News.
U.S. financial markets were closed today for a national day of mourning honoring former President Jimmy Carter. This is NPR. There's been a moment of hope amid the danger from migrants who risked their lives crossing perilous seas to try to reach Europe. NPR's Ruth Sherlock reports search and rescue crews reached a baby girl born on an overcrowded rubber dinghy with her mother.
The baby girl was born just minutes before rescuers found the migrant boat in the Atlantic Ocean trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands from northwest Africa. Spanish rescuers posted a photo on social media showing a naked baby amid the dozens of people crowded on board.
The baby was born during Spain's Epiphany holiday, when children traditionally receive presents to honour the biblical story of the three kings meeting baby Jesus. The crew of the ship that rescued the newborn baby and her mother wrote on social media, Christmas ends in the Canaries with the rescue of a baby born in the middle of a journey at sea.
Aid groups say last year more than 9,000 people died trying to make this journey. But this baby and her mother, who were transferred to a hospital in Lanzarote, are said to be both doing well. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Rome.
Well, the U.S. economy has generally been painted as being robust despite still somewhat high inflation. There are some underlying signs of trouble. One thing economists look at is borrowing, and they say a key measure of that, credit card debt and defaults, are both rising.
A report by the Financial Times uses available data and finds credit card defaults up to their highest level in 14 years for the January through September period, defaults on credit cards totaling $46 billion. Crude oil futures prices moved higher, oil up 60 cents a barrel to date, and the session at 73.92 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.
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