Trump cabinet vote; ChatGBT; Dry January : NPR

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Today’s top stories

Six of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees have confirmation hearings before Senate committees on Capitol Hill today. Some of the nominees will face easier paths than others, but Trump’s supporters have pressured Republicans to consent, and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso says Democrats should cooperate.

• 🎧 Some nominees, such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former congressman Sean Duffy for transportation secretary, and John Ratcliffe for CIA director, seem to be on a glide path to confirmation, NPR’s Susan Davis tells Up First. One of the most closely watched nominees will be Trump’s attorney general pick, Pam Bondi. Here’s what to know about Bondi’s career. Barring any extraordinary circumstances, the Cabinet picks are expected to be approved because Republicans have a 53-vote majority. The hearings are less about winning over Democrats than keeping Republicans unified.

The winds that stoked massive wildfires in Los Angeles have been calmer since yesterday. But forecasters are still warning residents to stay vigilant. Neighborhoods in the fire zones remain on lockdown, to the frustration of many homeowners.

• 🎧 “We are not quite past the danger yet,” NPR’s Martin Kaste says. There’s some optimism because the relatively calm conditions have allowed fire crews to reinforce their work on the two biggest fires. Authorities say they have not completed the house-to-house assessment of damage, checking for unsafe structures and hazards to allow people back to their homes. The immediate job is figuring out how to shelter the large amount of people who’ve lost their homes. There are widespread reports of rent increases that qualify as price gouging under California law, which the city attorney says they’ll look out for.
• ➡️ Not familiar with wildfire terms such as red flag warning? Here’s what several words and phrases mean.
• ➡️ See photos of Southern California pets receiving aid from animal rescue groups.
• ➡️ Victor Shaw was killed in the Eaton Fire. His family remembers him for his deep love for sports and his close bond with his younger sister.
• ➡️ Influencers and politicians have spread false claims about the Los Angeles water supply. Here’s what you should know.

A group of news organizations, led by The New York Timestook ChatGPT maker OpenAI to federal court yesterday for a hearing to determine if the tech company has to face them in a copyright infringement trial. The hearing centered around OpenAI’s motion to dismiss, in which a judge will determine whether to clear the litigation to proceed to trial or toss it. The publishers’ core argument is that the data that powers ChatGPT includes millions of copyrighted works from news organizations and articles have been used without consent or payment. OpenAI argued that the fair use doctrine protects them. Here’s what could happen next.

Deep dive

The fate of TikTok and its millions of American users is uncertain as the Supreme Court reviews a law that could ban the platform in the U.S. if its China-based owner, ByteDance, does not sell its U.S. operations by Jan. 19. This does not mean the app will automatically disappear from users’ phones or that they will face penalties simply for logging in. However, it will become more difficult for users in the U.S. to access the platform. Here’s what could happen and how to prepare:

• 📱 TikTok would very likely disappear from application storesmeaning people would no longer be able to download the app or any updated versions.
• 📱 Without the ability to updatethe application won’t be able to fix bugs, add features or address security concerns.
• 📱 Trump has three complicated options for trying to overturn the ban. First, he could attempt to persuade Congress to repeal the 2024 law. Second, he could direct the Justice Department and the attorney general not to enforce it. Third, he could use his broad authority under the statute to determine that TikTok’s owner engaged in a “qualified divestiture.”

Life advice

Sign up for Life Kit’s Dry January newsletter series and get tips and strategies to help you stay alcohol-free for a month. Start your journey any time.

The societal belief that drinking makes you more entertaining can be a big challenge for those who decide not to drink alcohol for Dry January or any other time period. It can be good to have an honest conversation with your loved ones about why you’re taking part in the break so they can support you on your journey. Here are some ways to tackle the social conundrums of sober socializing:

• 🥤 Be direct when someone asks why you are not drinking. Skirting around your reasoning can make it harder to say no.
• 🥤 If your friends give you a hard time about your decisionask yourself if you really want to be friends with people who don’t like your company when you’re not drinking.
• 🥤 As the person making the big lifestyle changetry planning the outings with your friends to have alternative suggestions to going to a bar.
• 🥤 Order a nonalcoholic drink. Having something to sip at social events can mimic the ritual.

3 things to know before you go

1. The FDA has proposed requiring a new label for most packaged food and drinks sold in the U.S. to make it easier for consumers to assess the amount of sugar, fat and salt in the product.
2. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau is suing Capital Oneclaiming it “schemed” for members to keep lower-yield savings accounts and cheated families out of billions of dollars.
3. The Tiny Desk contest is back! If you have ever wanted to perform at the iconic location, this could be your opportunity. Here’s how to enter.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.