Extreme fire conditions expected in the Los Angeles area through Wednesday
Strengthening Santa Ana winds pose a challenge for firefighters as the fight against wildfires enveloping neighborhoods across Los Angeles County enters its sixth day.
Wildfires have killed at least 16 people, and as of Sunday morning, authorities said, at least 16 more people were missing.
A red flag warning has been issued for parts of Southern Californiawhere strong winds are expected to blow Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. “If a fire breaks out, conditions are favorable for very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior,” the agency said.
The city of Malibu lost about a third of its eastern border to the Palisades Fire, Mayor Doug Stewart said.
“The beautiful houses that were along the area… they are gone. For the most part, they’re gone,” Stewart said at a community meeting.
Follow live coverage from NBC News here.
More coverage:
- NBC News spoke to nearly a dozen people who witnessed the early stages of the Palisades firebefore it turned into one of the most destructive natural disasters in Los Angeles history.
- Area small business owners are just beginning to reckon with the devastating wildfires that have turned decades of history and years of hard work Inin ashes.
- Are arsonists responsible for rage fires? Investigators are working to determine the causes of the fires.
- Former Australian child star Rory Sykes died last week In the fires that followed, his mother said, she was unable to save him from their home.
- Residents facing fire losses begin to face their next challenge: file an insurance claims.
Meet the press
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told NBC News’ Jacob Soboroff in a wide-ranging “Meet the Press” interview that the The wildfires will be one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history..
“I think it will be just in terms of the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope,” he said.
Newsom also responded to criticism from President-elect Donald Trump, saying, “I don’t think misinformation and disinformation is beneficial or helpful to any of us.”
Trump blasted Newsom repeatedlypartly blaming him for the scale of the disaster. In one article, he baselessly claimed that Newsom blocked a measure that would have allowed water to flow from Northern California to Southern California.
“In response to Donald Trump’s insults, we would spend another month,” Newsom said. “I know them very well. Any elected official that he disagrees with knows them very well.”
You can watch the full interview here.
Jack Smith resigns from DOJ
Special Advisor Jack Smith has resigned from the Justice Department, officials said in a court filing Saturday. This decision was expected before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Smith’s report on Trump’s alleged involvement in 2020 election interference is expected to be released soon. The second volume of his report regarding the classified documents affair will not be released, as charges against Trump’s co-defendants are pending.
Politics in brief
A new “normal”: In American society, Leaders who once avoided or fought Trump now seek to strengthen ties or extend olive branches.
Threats from Greenland: In “Meet the Press,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., declared that the United States would not invade Greenlanddownplaying Trump’s threat to acquire it by military force.
Immigration in class: Educators find themselves in the uncomfortable position of answer students’ questions about possible mass deportations under the Trump administration.
Honoring the Pope: President Joe Biden awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction.
Limit the graces of January 6: Vice President-elect JD Vance said Sunday that The violent rioters of January 6 should not benefit from pardons.
Wild weekend
The NFL playoffs began Saturday with six wild-card games to decide who advances to the divisional round.
Saturday, the Houston Texans defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12, while the AFC’s third-seeded Baltimore Ravens put together a dominant 28-14 performance to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sunday’s games began with the Buffalo Bills beating the Denver Broncos 31-7. The Green Bay Packers take on the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers later Sunday.
Follow live coverage from NBC News here.
A director’s double victory
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 common themes in his work.
What “attracted” him to 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 character traits he inherited. I think I’m decontextualizing that and showing that just like Claressa Shields or just like the character in “Moonlight,” that he came from this other place and learning from his community, through the really wonderful care of a woman who is essentially his adoptive mother.”
In case you missed it
- Millions of people from the South-West to the South-East were under frost warning 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. Aambassador to China, Nicolas Brûle, said NBC News about his time managing the tensions of what is considered the world’s most important bilateral relationship.
- Young Asian Americans are 40% more likely to develop food allergies compared to the general population. A new study explains why.
- Many people are they’re still refreshing their Covid-era closetsparticularly due to the compulsory return of staff to the office by employers.
- President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday as U.S. officials spoke. race to reach ceasefire and hostage-taking agreement in Gaza before Biden leaves office.
- The New England Patriots have hired former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel as head coach, the team announced Sunday.
- Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are officially divorced. Lopez, who filed for dissolution of their marriage in August, is keeping her green diamond engagement ring.
