Good Tuesday afternoon. A wildfire fueled by a “life-threatening” windstorm has erupted in the Hollywood Hills, President-elect Donald Trump suggested he could use the military to seize Greenland and the Panama Canal, and two bodies were found in the landing gear of a JetBlue plane.
Tuesday, January 07, 2025 |
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Tuesday, January 07, 2025 |
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Good Tuesday afternoon. A wildfire fueled by a “life-threatening” windstorm has erupted in the Hollywood Hills, President-elect Donald Trump suggested he could use the military to seize Greenland and the Panama Canal, and two bodies were found in the landing gear of a JetBlue plane. Here is what’s in our Nightly Rundown. |
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Explosive wildfire in Hollywood Hills amid “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm |
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered after a brush fire in the Hollywood Hills quickly exploded to 200 acres as a “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm brings critical fire conditions across Southern California. The National Weather Service has issued rare “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning for most of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Widespread gusts of 50 to 80 mph fueled by Santa Ana winds are expected across the area, with some gusts that could reach up to 100 mph. Due to the winds, the Santa Monica-Malibu School District announced schools will be closed out of precaution, and Los Angeles schools will take measures such as limiting outdoor activities for students. |
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Dangerous deep freeze in aftermath of deadly winter storm |
Bitter cold temperatures are keeping the eastern half of the country under a deep freeze that will last for the next week or more, on the heels of a major winter storm that left at least four people dead. More than 31 million are under Cold Advisories today across the South, Gulf Coast, and a portion of the Mid-Atlantic. Temperatures will be 10-20 degrees below average in these regions through the rest of the week and into the weekend. And we’re tracking a new winter storm developing over Texas that will produce snow and freezing rain tomorrow. |
Trump suggests he could use military force to acquire Panama Canal, Greenland |
President-elect Donald Trump suggested he could use military force to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, a day after Congress certified his 2024 election victory. “I’m not going to commit to that,” Trump said, when asked during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago if he would rule out using the military. “It might be that you’ll have to do something. Look, the Panama Canal is vital to our country.” He added, “We need Greenland for national security purposes.” The president-elect also posted video today of his son Donald Trump Jr. arriving in Greenland with the message “MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN.” During his freewheeling news conference, Trump also said he would be making “major pardons” for some January 6th defendants, and vowed to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” Trump also scored a legal victory today, after the judge who oversaw his classified documents case temporarily blocked the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on his investigation. |
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Meta to end fact-checking program ahead of Trump administration |
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced sweeping changes to the company’s moderation policies and practices on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, citing the election as a “cultural tipping point” as Donald Trump prepares to enter the White House for a second time. In a video announcement, Zuckerberg said the company is getting rid of its third-party fact-checkers in favor of a community notes system similar to X, the platform owned by Trump ally Elon Musk. Meta will also remove certain restrictions on hot-button topics like immigration and gender, and focus on what Zuckerberg called “high severity violations.” The announcement comes as CEOs and business leaders are currying favor with Trump’s new administration. On Monday, Facebook said UFC’s Dana White, a long-time supporter of Trump, would join its board. |
Two bodies found in landing gear of JetBlue plane at Fort Lauderdale Airport |
Two men were found dead in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue plane after it landed in Florida on Monday, officials said. Their identities have not yet been determined and the circumstances surrounding their deaths are under investigation, a spokesperson for the Broward Sheriff’s Office said today at a news conference. JetBlue Flight 1801 had most recently flown from New York JFK Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, according to flight records. The bodies were found during a routine post-flight inspection, officials said. “This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred,” the airline said in a statement. |
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What else we're watching: |
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A 7.1-magnitude earthquake near one of Tibet’s holiest cities killed at least 126 people, Chinese state media reported. |
Former President Jimmy Carter will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol rotunda beginning this evening, after his remains were transported from his home state of Georgia to Washington, D.C. |
The Biden administration said it has finalized a rule to remove medical debt from credit reports, a move that stands to benefit some 15 million Americans. |
Folk singer Peter Yarrow, a member of the trio Peter, Paul and Mary, and the co-writer of the classic song “Puff the Magic Dragon,” has died at 86, a family representative said. |
The Girl Scouts announced they are retiring two of their cookie flavors after this season. |
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Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app. |
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