Six minutes of news from around the nation.

At least 5 killed in CA Palisades and Eaton fires spread across 26,000 acres, so far 0% contained; Rightward shifts in solid blue MA ignite Democratic 'listening tour;' Researcher warns about Christian nationalism's influence on reproductive rights; North Alabama warming centers prepare for winter storm.

Transcript

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, January the 9th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

The number of deaths resulting from ongoing wildfires burning in Los Angeles County has reportedly increased to five, according to multiple local news outlets, citing the LA County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Many tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate the region.

That's from Yahoo News.

They report more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed by the fires, which have been fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity, and ongoing drought conditions.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CAL FIRE, there are five wildfires currently scorching LA County.

They include the largest, the Palisades Fire, at more than 15,800 acres, and the Eaton Fire at 10,600 acres.

All of the fires were 0 percent contained.

Next to Massachusetts, where Democrats hope a virtual listening tour will help clarify voters' rightward shift in last year's election.

While Vice President Kamala Harris easily won the deep blue state with more than 60 percent of the vote, President-elect Donald Trump improved his 2020 results by roughly four percentage points, flipping dozens of towns he previously lost.

State Democratic Party Chairman Steve Kerrigan says it's time for the party to regroup.

Shares of the vote in Fall River certainly shifted in other pockets of the Commonwealth, and we cannot just rest on our laurels and look at the victories without looking at opportunities for growth.

Kerrigan says the virtual listening tour will include each of the state's nine congressional districts and their representatives and will run through February 13th.

Interested voters can register online at the State Democratic Party's website.

I'm Katherine Carley.

And there are growing concerns about the prevalence of Christian nationalism, an ideology that seeks to establish a theocracy rooted in Christian principles.

We get more from our Daniel Smith.

Research indicates that approximately one in three Pennsylvanians support Christian nationalist views, which opponents argue challenges the American idea of separation of church and state.

Rachel Tabachnik, an independent researcher, says the rise of Christian nationalism seen during the 2024 elections threatens reproductive health care access.

This is supposed to be a bottom-up theocracy based on biblical law being enforced at the family, church, and local civil government level.

So in order for this to work, women must stay in their God-given roles, which is to have children and raise her family.

On a recent episode of the Inaccessible podcast, Tabachnik spoke about the history of Christian nationalism and how theocracy libertarianism advocates for laws based on biblical principles.

Tabachnik says the movement seeks minimum federal government and governance based on biblical law, aiming to dismantle institutions like the IRS and the Department of Education.

Like Project 2025, most Americans reject these ideas, but advocates say they still need greater exposure and scrutiny.

This is public news service.

A winter storm is headed for North Alabama and southern middle Tennessee, and warning stations are working to provide a safe space for the unhoused.

The National Weather Service predicts that Lawrence, Limestone, and Morgan counties could see up to four inches of snow today through Friday, with some surrounding areas expecting up to two inches.

Sergeant Rebecca Lehman from the Salvation Army in Decatur says they have been preparing for the storm, emphasizing the scope of the need in the surrounding area.

We have about 175 homeless just in the city of Decatur.

We serve Morgan, Limestone, and Lawrence counties.

And in those three counties, there are no shelters.

The Salvation Army has opened a 24/7 warming shelter since Monday at 4 p.m. and plans to continue until Sunday morning.

The shelter is located at 114 14th Street Southwest in Decatur.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

Meantime, air travel is responsible for about 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

It's considered the primary driver of global warming.

With numerous efforts underway to decarbonize the aviation industry, Colorado Aeronautics officials are developing plans to implement the solutions when they become available.

In an article for the Sweaty Penguin, a site devoted to climate issues, Editor Ethan Brown says the Colorado Division of Aeronautics has joined with government and private groups to plan for the transition, whatever it may entail.

There's a lot of developments in the field of sustainable aviation, be it hydrogen-powered aircrafts or sustainable aviation fuels or even electric aircrafts.

What's kind of been missing is what happens when they're ready to roll out.

Researchers are currently testing aircraft powered by low-emission renewables, such as biofuels, hydrogen, and electricity, but the time frame for implementation is still up in the air.

I'm Mark Richardson.

Finally, after a month's long delay, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that grizzly bears will retain protections under the Endangered Species Act, despite efforts by several western states to remove them.

The decision is an answer to petitions from Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho to re-evaluate or delist grizzly bears in certain distinct population segments, a change that would have put the species under state management.

With the decision, Andrea Zaccardi with the Center for Biological Diversity explains the agency is also proposing erasing lines between population segments entirely.

They're going to look at grizzly bears across their range, where they currently exist and where they could exist in the future, and look at recovery on a broad scale.

The proposed recovery zone includes Washington and parts of the northern Rocky Mountain states.

I'm Kathleen Shannon.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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