The Morning: Can communities survive?

Plus, a Gaza cease-fire, RedNote and rocket debris.

View in browser|nytimes.com January 17, 2025 SUPPORTED BY APPLE TV+ Good morning. Today, my colleague Alexis Soloski writes about the loss of community in the Los Angeles fires. We're also covering a Gaza cease-fire, RedNote and rocket debris. —David Leonhardt The aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena. Kyle Grillot for The New York Times 'It's all gone' By Alexis Soloski I grew up in Los Angeles. Even as the Los Angeles wildfires continue to burn, the real, material toll is already apparent. Homes and businesses are gone. So are schools, supermarkets and houses of worship. These fires have also robbed some Californians of something more intangible: a sense of community. What defines a community? Though often a physical space, it's also more vibes-based and amorphous — the networks of feeling among its members and their environment, built and natural. Already, online and in conversation, Angelenos are memorializing what they lost in the blazes that incinerated the Pacific Palisades, on the coast, and Altadena, an East Side enclave with a thriving Black middle class. The fish tacos at the Reel Inn. The pancakes at Fox's. A synagogue. The Bunny Museum. Hiking trails. A pet supply store that did a brisk trade in backyard chickens. The accounting is early and incomplete. These fires will likely smolder for weeks. New ones kindle every day. The destroyed Altadena Community Church. Philip Cheung for The New York Times The eulogies show how loss is both personal and collective. JJ Redick, the Lakers' coach who had moved to the Palisades recently, captured this in an interview over the weekend. His rented home had burned along with all of his family's possessions. But he was struggling most, he said, with the loss of the community. "All the churches, the schools, the library, it's all gone," he said. He put his head in his hand when he spoke of the recreation center where his children had played sports. "It just hurts to lose that," he said. What is the Palisades without these spaces? What comes after First settled by Indigenous peoples, then a property of Spain, then of Mexico, Los Angeles incorporated in 1850, the same year that California became a state. Rangy urban sprawl and frequent natural disasters make it feel less fixed than most major American cities. It is always growing, changing, renovating, reforming. I grew up in the Palisades in the 1990s. I left at 17 for college, and nearly every time I came home, something I loved had disappeared — a nearby bookshop, a diner. Each loss was a pinprick. It was also a real-world example of the Ship of Theseus thought experiment: How much of a neighborhood can be replaced before it isn't your neighborhood anymore, before it isn't your home? Now the losses are happening all at once, not slowly over time. With them comes another comprehensive loss — a civic identity, uninsurable, nonreimbursable. The Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Loren Elliott for The New York Times Some have argued that these neighborhoods shouldn't be rebuilt, or not in the same way. They point to a 1998 essay by the eco-critic Mike Davis, "The Case for Letting Malibu Burn." But Malibu has burned often, and for better or worse it has always come back. Likewise, these neighborhoods will almost certainly return. There will be new schools, new churches, new recreation centers. As an Angeleno, you have to witness only so many natural disasters to recognize the city's resilience. The next Palisades won't be the same. Neither will a future Altadena. (Whether they will still be accessible to middle-class families remains an open and necessary question.) And it's unlikely that they'll feel the same. At least not for a very long time. But for now those communities live on in the people comforting one another, helping one another, remembering and recovering. With luck, adequate government funding and very hard work, these places might build back safer, better able to withstand what a changing climate will bring. For a century, Los Angeles has been a dream factory. Its residents, mindful of what they have lost, grateful for what they have retained, might dream something brighter. Now is a time to mourn and help and heal. Soon it will be a time to begin again. Los Angeles, after all, loves nothing more than a sequel. For more Winds have subsided in Los Angeles, which has let firefighters make progress containing the two largest wildfires. It could still be weeks before many displaced residents are allowed to return. Officials warned water is contaminated and urged some residents to rely on bottled water. Harmful chemicals could linger in the system for years. People tend to donate clothes after a natural disaster. Aid groups in Southern California say money is more helpful. An eighth grader started a donation drive for teenagers whose homes have burned. Ariana Grande and others have chipped in. A MESSAGE FROM APPLE TV+ Severance Season 2 New season of Severance, the Emmy®-winning thriller, now streaming on Apple TV+ Stream Now THE LATEST NEWS Gaza Cease-fire Israeli and Hamas negotiators resolved their remaining differences in the cease-fire deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a meeting of Israel's security cabinet to vote on the deal. Netanyahu is facing a political crisis as he manages far-right opposition to the deal. Politics Doug Burgum Eric Lee/The New York Times Doug Burgum, Donald Trump's pick for interior secretary, told senators at his confirmation hearing that he would focus on realizing America's "energy dominance" — shorthand for increasing fossil fuel production. At another hearing, Scott Bessent, Trump's choice for Treasury secretary, defended plans to cut taxes and raise tariffs. President Biden issued an executive order to improve cybersecurity. It will require software companies working with the government to prove their security features can thwart Chinese intelligence agencies. In the final days of his term, Biden has issued a series of policy decisions intended to cement his agenda. Eric Adams, New York City's Democratic mayor, made a surprise visit to Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago. Adams, who faces federal corruption charges, has said he is open to receiving a pardon from Trump. How did your neighborhood vote in 2024? Look it up using our detailed map of election results. International Omdurman, Sudan. Ivor Prickett for The New York Times Sudan's military has used chemical weapons at least twice against the paramilitary group it is battling, U.S. officials said. China's population declined for the third straight year. Space Marcus Haworth, via Reuters The seventh test flight of SpaceX's Starship rocket failed. Debris could be seen falling in the sky over the Caribbean. A home security camera filmed a meteorite landing in a front yard. See the video. Other Big Stories RedNote Adek Berry/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images TikTok users are migrating en masse to the Chinese app RedNote. Cancer rates are rising among young and middle-aged women. The Federal Trade Commission sued Greystar Real Estate Partners, the largest apartment landlord in the U.S., and accused it of charging tenants millions of dollars in hidden fees. Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing across most of the U.S. in the coming days. Opinions Trump's return to office will discourage migrants from seeking health care. Doctors should make sure that migrants know they're safe in their exam rooms, Danielle Ofri writes. De-gendering terms — like dropping "-ess" from "actress" — is a worthwhile language endeavor, John McWhorter writes. We deserve Pete Hegseth because we live in an unserious country, David Brooks writes. Here's a column by Bret Stephens on the Gaza cease-fire deal. Receive free access to handpicked articles via text message. Now you can get Times journalism sent right to your phone. Each article will be accessible for 30 days. Sign up now MORNING READS Hideko Yamashita Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times Decluttering: Before Marie Kondo, Hideko Yamashita taught Japan the art of creating tidier spaces. City life: New York isn't cheap. Here are 40 ideas to make it more affordable. Travel: Spend 36 hours in Barbados. Screenland: Luigi Mangione isn't the first murder suspect America has loved. He won't be the last. Overbooked flight? Here's what to do if an airline bumps you. Lives Lived: Bob Uecker's baseball career was nothing special, but it led him to his true calling: sportscasting. Uecker served as the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers for more than 50 years. He died at 90. SPORTS Danielle Collins at the Australian Open. Australian Open Tennis: The American Danielle Collins heard boos from the Australian Open crowd after her win, but said afterward the disdain only motivated her more to earn a "big fat paycheck." Unrivaled: A new women's 3-on-3 basketball league, featuring some of the world's best players, begins today. N.F.L.: Tom Brady's agent said the former quarterback plans to fulfill the rest of his 10-year broadcast deal at Fox despite his growing role as minority owner of the Raiders. A MESSAGE FROM APPLE TV+ Severance Season 2 New season of Severance, the Emmy®-winning thriller, now streaming on Apple TV+ Stream Now ARTS AND IDEAS Shane and Hannah Burcaw. Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times In a new essay collection, Shane and Hannah Burcaw, an influencer couple, explore "interabled" relationships, where one person has a disability and the other doesn't. They say people are very curious about the caregiving aspects of their relationship, but they argue that is just a part of romantic love. More on culture David Lynch Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images David Lynch, whose strange, dreamlike creations included the TV series "Twin Peaks" and the film "Mulholland Drive," died at 78. The actor Justin Baldoni is suing Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for defamation. He claims they falsely accused him of sexual harassment and damaged his reputation. Restaurants are making wine lists shorter and less intimidating. The Apple TV+ dystopian thriller "Severance" is back for Season 2. Here's where the first season left off. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Hadas Smirnoff. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgepeth. Marinate chicken in mayonnaise, ginger and lime zest, then cook for a 15-minute dinner. Revive your hair with dry shampoo. Sit on a supportive office chair. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was notably. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018