News Information and Media Site: Nightly Rundown: Deadly wildfires force 180,000 to evacuate; Major winter storm blasts the South; Final farewell to Jimmy Carter

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By Dan Donahue

Thursday, January 09, 2025

Good Thursday afternoon. The catastrophic wildfires in the Los Angeles area have forced nearly 180,000 to flee, a major winter storm is on the move across the South, and former President Jimmy Carter was honored today with a state funeral in the nation's capital.

Here is what's in our Nightly Rundown.

Deadly wildfires burning out of control in Los Angeles force nearly 180,000 to evacuate

Wildfires burning out of control for a third straight day in the Los Angeles area have left at least five people dead and forced nearly 180,000 residents to evacuate their homes, officials said at a news conference today.

At least five wildfires are burning in the area (for a map click here). The largest, the Palisades Fire, is now the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles, burning more than 17,000 acres and destroying about 1,000 structures. Officials said it is completely uncontained.

A red flag fire weather warning that was supposed to expire today has been extended to Friday. The Santa Ana winds are still forecast to be 40-50 mph today and 50-70 mph this evening into tomorrow.

At least 20 people have been arrested on suspicion of looting during the catastrophic fires, Los Angeles County supervisor Kathryn Barger said.

Several celebrities have lost their homes to the flames, including Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, and Eugene Levy.

Major winter storm slams the South with heavy snow and ice

Winter weather alerts are in effect for more 79 million people across 1,800 miles from New Mexico to Virginia, as the biggest snowstorm to hit the South in years causes travel chaos with more than 1,800 flights canceled across the country.

The storm is forecast to bring 6-9 inches of snow from Oklahoma to North Carolina, with the highest amounts likely over Arkansas and southern Missouri. Dallas could see an entire year's worth of snow in a single day.

Tomorrow, the heavy snow will move east into the Tennessee Valley, including Memphis and Nashville, while a wintry mix will impact cities such as Birmingham and Atlanta. Georgia's governor has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.

By Saturday, the system will move through the Mid-Atlantic and bring light snow to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City.

Jimmy Carter to be laid to rest in Georgia after funeral at National Cathedral

Jimmy Carter is making his final journey home to Georgia this afternoon following an emotional state funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral earlier in the day.

In a rare occurrence, Carter's funeral brought together all five living presidents to pay their respects. President Joe Biden delivered a eulogy, reflecting on his "deep friendship" with Carter, and praising his "strength of character."

The service featured other speakers including the late president's eldest grandson Jason Carter, and a performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" by country music stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

Carter, who died last month at 100, will be buried on the grounds of his home in Plains, Georgia, next to his wife of 77 years Rosalynn, who died in 2023.

Supreme Court now Trump's last chance to halt hush money sentencing

New York's highest court today rejected President-elect Donald Trump's bid to halt sentencing in his hush money case, leaving the Supreme Court as his last chance to postpone the hearing set for tomorrow.

Trump's attorneys have asked the Supreme Court to stop his sentencing on 34 felony convictions for falsifying business records "to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the Presidency." Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors have argued there is "no basis" for the Supreme Court to intervene, and said that Trump is not entitled to presidential immunity protections in this case, which involves acts before he was elected in 2016.

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.