‘Horrific’ winter wildfire devastates Colorado as world rings in New Year with subdued celebrations

To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today's Top Stories from NBC News FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.     Coloradans will be ushering in a somber New Year after a rare winter wildfire fueled by 100-mph winds burned hundreds of homes Thursday. Ghislaine Maxwell's conviction could have royal reverberations across the Atlantic. Plus, we've got a tool to help you rate your 2021 — from amazing to perhaps not so good.    Here's what we're watching this New Year's Eve.       'Absolutely devastating' Colorado wildfire burns hundreds of homes near Boulder Hundreds of homes burned and tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate after a rare wind-driven wildfire tore through suburban neighborhoods in Colorado on Thursday, authorities said.   After toppled power lines started the grass fire around 11 a.m. south of Boulder, the flames quickly spread through neighboring towns, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said during a news conference.     "This was consuming football field lengths of land in seconds," Pelle said. "This was a horrific event."   Daniel Swain, a climate scientist and extreme weather expert at UCLA, said it was "genuinely hard to believe this is happening in late December in Boulder."   But a combination of events — a downslope windstorm with 100-mph blasts and a fall that saw record heat and just 1 inch of snow — prompted fires that Swain called "extremely fast moving" and "dangerous."   Read more about the devastating wildfire here and watch a video here.  Friday's Top Stories Another year, another variant: Subdued celebrations ring in 2022 around the world Many countries around the world are erring on the side of caution and scaling back plans to ring in the New Year. Australia seemed to buck the worldwide trend despite the omicron surge, with its prime minister telling people to "enjoy the evening." READ MORE Biden tells Putin U.S. and allies will 'respond decisively' if Russia moves on Ukraine President Joe Biden on Thursday urged President Vladimir Putin to "de-escalate tensions with Ukraine," the White House said after a call between the two leaders. READ MORE Maxwell verdict could have royal reverberations  Ghislaine Maxwell's conviction on federal sex trafficking charges could mean "bad news" for her longtime friend across the pond who is facing his own civil case brought by a high-profile Epstein accuser: Prince Andrew.  READ MORE New laws in 2022 address surprise medical bills, chained pets, cocktails-to-go A host of new laws will go into effect as of Saturday, from the budget-wise to the dog and owner friendly. Check out how they might impact you.  READ MORE Also in the News School districts push for in-person return after holiday break amid omicron wave Worker attacked by endangered tiger at Florida zoo could face criminal charges, officials say China bans tattoos for national soccer players to set a 'good example for society' Florida Democrats blast 'MIA' Gov. Ron DeSantis as Covid cases surge The flip side of the 'great resignation' — a small-business boom The 'yassification' of the internet, feminine urges and feeling cheugy: Here are the best memes of 2021 Editor's Pick Was 2021 amazing or a total dumpster for you? Rate your year from start to finish The year was filled with ups and downs, but use our interactive chart to tell us how it was for you. READ MORE One Fun Thing What's up with all the '90s nostalgia? The '90s are back — at least they are in Hollywood.   But many of us who lived through that period know that 1990s "Reality Bites" and are asking, really, why live through it all again?    Experts say that the Covid-19 pandemic is partly to blame for the nostalgic urge.    "There's been a lot of pain with the pandemic," said Susan Mackey-Kallis, a communications professor at Villanova University who studies pop culture and film analysis. "How do we retreat from the pain? We go home; we go back to the past that's nostalgically 'better.'"   Read the full story here.  Thanks for sticking with us all year and making the Morning Rundown part of your daily routine. Wishing all our readers a Happy New Year and better days in 2022!    If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com   If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.    Thanks, Petra Cahill     FOLLOW US     Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? SIGN UP HERE Check out all of NBC Newsletters here.     Get the NBC News Mobile App   30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 View in browser | Unsubscribe | Manage Subscription | Contact | Privacy