Jimmy Carter’s funeral; Los Angeles wildfires : NPR

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Today’s top stories

Nearly 30,000 acres continue to burn early today across Los Angeles County. At least five people have died and the fires have destroyed whole neighborhoods. Every school in Los Angeles is closed today, indicating how the wildfires have impacted the nation’s second-largest city. New fires are still popping up as desert winds blow embers around the region.

• 🎧 Much of the destruction so far comes from the Pacific PalisadesNPR’s Adrian Florido, who is in Los Angeles, tells Up First. Officials have said that Los Angeles doesn’t have enough firefighters to tackle so many large fires simultaneously. More crews from other counties and states are coming to help tackle the flames, says Karen Bass, the city’s mayor. Due to the enormous demand for water, some of the fire hydrants being used ran dry overnight Tuesday in Pacific Palisades. Florido says it is unclear when the at least six major fires burning across the region will be under control due to extremely dry and windy conditions.
• ➡️ Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate. NPR network station LAist spoke to community members about how they have been affected.
• ➡️ Here’s where things stand for several major landmarks in the Los Angeles fires.
• ➡️ Details on the Santa Ana winds and how they impact the wildfires.

This morning, all five living U.S. presidents will gather with hundreds of other dignitaries at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., for former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral. Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at 100, was the nation’s longest-living president. He left a mark on the country and the world beyond his four years in the White House. Presidential funerals are grandiose, and Carter’s will be no exception, infused with ceremony and tradition. Watch NPR’s live special coverage ahead of the service here.

• 🎧 The dynamics of all the presidents sitting with their spouses in a single pew is always fascinatingNPR’s Tamara Keith says. The last presidential funeral was in 2018 for George H. W. Bush in which Carter was in attendance, along with the Obamas and Clintons. President Biden will deliver a eulogy during the service. When Biden was a young senator, he was the first national political figure to endorse Carter in 1976. Keith says one unique thing is the sons of former President Gerald Ford and former Vice President Walter Mondale will read eulogies written by their fathers for Carter.

Former President Donald Trump met with Senate Republicans last night on Capitol Hill to discuss his key legislative priorities. The meeting aimed to advance Trump’s agenda on border security and tax cuts. However, there are still questions about how Republicans will move these initiatives forward.

• 🎧 Trump wants one big bill for everything, which is in line with what House Speaker Mike Johnson wantsNPR’s Barbara Sprunt says. On the Senate side, there’s interest in a two-bill approach. Both strategies would use a tool in the budget process to avoid a filibuster from Senate Democrats. After the almost two-hour meeting, Trump seemed not too concerned with the process. Sprunt says the early stages of collaboration between the House, Senate and Trump’s administration in the White House can set a tone for how they will work together going forward.

Life Advice

Are you looking to reduce screen time and add more movement to your routine this year? If yes, NPR’s Body Electric team has a two-week challenge to help you start. It involves adding regular movement breaks throughout the day, ideally five minutes every half hour. But that is easier said than done. Here are some tips to help you stick to your movement goals.

• 🚶 Make a movement plan that works for you. If you can’t do five minutes every 30 minutes, aim for every hour or two hours instead.
• 🚶 Accountability buddies make movement breaks feel less daunting. It could be a co-worker taking quick walks or friends encouraging each other with a text.
• 🚶Track your progress. It can be a useful tool to keep you motivated to continue and help you be mindful of how your body feels during the day.

Check out the complete list of tips here.

Picture Show

A massive winter storm hit Washington, D.C., on Monday, bringing 8 inches of snow and a wind chill that dropped temperatures to 10 degrees by the next morning. On Tuesday, NPR visited a homeless shelter in the city to see how residents and staff were faring during the cold emergency. During lunch, a steady stream of men flowed in and out of the location.

3 things to know before you go

1. The Girl Scouts are retiring S’mores and Toast-Yays at the end of the 2025 cookie season.
2. In 2023, Charlie Essers received a notification from his wife’s smartwatch that she had fallen on her bike ride home from work. When he drove to where she was, he found her lying in the middle of the road, but she wasn’t alone. Four cars — four unsung heroes — surrounded her and protected her from traffic. The selfless act left a lasting impression on the Essers.
3. New research on mice indicates that early life luck can influence adult successparticularly in competitive environments.

This newsletter was edited by Yvonne Dennis.