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Chapter 1: What is the current situation with wildfires in Southern California?
Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dua-Lisa Cautel. On day five of raging wildfires in Southern California, more communities are under threat in the Los Angeles region. Elise Hu reports.
Flames are stretching into the communities of Brentwood, West L.A., and Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles. Firefighters are conducting airdrops and digging lines on the ground in an effort to stop the flames from spreading. They are racing to contain the Palisades Fire, which is already the biggest of the wildfires in the county, ahead of more wind events forecast for Monday.
Chapter 2: What updates do we have from LA County Fire Chief?
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Maroney gave an update.
LA County Fire will be prepared. These winds combined with dry air and dry vegetation will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles County high.
Dusk to dawn curfews are in effect for Palisades and Eaton Fire evacuation zones. For NPR News, I'm Elise Hu in Los Angeles.
Chapter 3: What strategies is the GOP planning before Trump's inauguration?
Just over a week before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, groups of House Republicans are visiting Mar-a-Lago this weekend to meet with him. NPR's Amy Held reports the GOP is strategizing over how to push through its priorities.
As they prepare to take the trifecta of power in Washington, the GOP has a lot of issues they want to address, like immigration and border security, tax and spending cuts. And they want Trump to weigh in on how to prioritize and structure them. He met with Republican senators on Capitol Hill earlier this week and said he cares less about process, more about results.
Chapter 4: How are Republicans planning to address major issues in Congress?
We're looking at the one bill versus two bills and the Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. We're going to get the result.
Not if Democrats have their way. Republicans are considering tools to get around a filibuster, including the high-risk, high-reward reconciliation process that would allow for a simple majority to pass legislation. Amy Held, NPR News.
Chapter 5: What potential actions could Republicans take regarding a filibuster?
TikTok is awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court over a law that could ban the app by next Sunday. Zen Pairs' Bobby Allen reports lawyers for a video service say if it is shut down, lawmakers could go after other companies.
TikTok is asking the Supreme Court to pause or overturn a law prohibiting the app from operating in the U.S. unless it sheds its Chinese owner. TikTok's legal team told the court that upholding the ban will set a dangerous precedent.
Chapter 6: What is the Supreme Court's decision on TikTok's future?
Lawyer Jeff Fisher, who represented creators on TikTok in the case, asked the justices why lawmakers did not appear worried about other Chinese apps and its crackdowns. Would a Congress really worried about these very dramatic risks leave out an e-commerce site like Temu that has 70 million Americans using it?
The Justice Department says China's potential influence over TikTok makes the app a risk to Americans' data and security. President-elect Donald Trump says once in office, he will find a way to save the app. Bobby Allen, NPR News, Washington.
This is NPR News. The nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, a rare award, is going to Pope Francis. President Biden made the announcement just hours ago after having called His Holiness to congratulate the 88-year-old. In a statement, Biden says the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, Pope Francis, is unlike any who came before.
Biden added, above all, he is the people's pope, a light of faith, hope and love that shines brightly across the world. Biden was scheduled to fly to the Vatican this weekend, but canceled due to the California wildfires. The Super Bowl in New Orleans is less than a month away, and public safety concerns have grown since the Bourbon Street attack on New Year's Day.
As Joseph King of the Gulf States Newsroom reports, officials say state and local law enforcement are prepared.
At a press conference, New Orleans city officials reassured residents and visitors. New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell said local agencies working alongside the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies have created a program for people and businesses involved with the Super Bowl to help identify any suspicious activity.
Our greatest asset, which we keep hearing over and over and which we know, are our people. And so if we can engage them in training, and it is specifically on security and terrorism training, awareness training, that we will be conducting.
Cantrell said there will be hundreds of local, state, and federal officers spread out across New Orleans to ensure public safety. For NPR News, I'm Joseph King.
And I'm Duahli Saikal-Tao, NPR News.
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