Tuesday Briefing: A worrying forecast for Los Angeles

Plus, more fighting at the Russian border.

View in browser|nytimes.com January 14, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the threat of more strong winds in Los Angeles and the latest from the war in Ukraine. Plus: Talks about a cease-fire in Gaza are gaining momentum. Destruction in the Pacific Palisades yesterday. Loren Elliott for The New York Times Los Angeles braces for dangerous winds Strong winds are expected to return to Los Angeles, threatening to reverse some of the hard-fought gains that firefighters have made in battling the devastating blazes there. Here's the latest. Officials issued a rare fire-danger alert for today through tomorrow afternoon, when the heaviest gusts are expected. The same kind of alert was issued a week ago, before the start of the Eaton fire, which has burned parts of Altadena and Pasadena, and the Palisades fire on the west side of Los Angeles. In anticipation of the new threat, fire crews and resources are being deployed to at-risk areas, officials said. Winds in the coming days might not be as strong as those last week, but their duration could increase the danger. Death toll: The Eaton fire has killed at least 16 people, making it one of the deadliest in California's history, and at least eight people have died in the Palisades blaze. Another 23 people have been reported missing, and officials have warned that the number of fatalities is likely to rise. Here's what we know about the dead and the search for the missing. Evacuations: About 92,000 people are under evacuation orders, down from more than 100,000 on Sunday. The largest fires have damaged more than 12,000 houses, cars and outbuildings, among other structures. The remains of a Ukrainian tank on Thursday, a few miles from the Russian border. Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times Intense fighting in Russia's Kursk region Five months after Ukrainian forces swept into the Kursk region of Russia, the two armies are engaged in some of the most furious clashes of the war there, fighting over land and leverage in the conflict. The territory could play an important role in any cease-fire negotiations. Facing the prospect of an unpredictable new U.S. president who has vowed to end the war swiftly, Ukraine hopes to use Russian territory as a bargaining chip, while Russia hopes to knock it out of Ukraine's grasp. In recent days, on a road in Ukraine approaching the Russian border, a steady stream of tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles rolled past broken-down and blown-up equipment. Russian bombs and rockets exploded with thunderous force in border villages, and Ukrainian missiles could be seen streaking across the sky in the opposite direction. North Korean troops: An estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to help Russia in the conflict. They are taking heavy casualties in unfamiliar territory, and their government has not told its people about their deployment. U.S.-Russian relations: Suspicious cargo fires in Germany, Britain and Poland over the summer led White House officials to question whether Moscow had a much bigger plan in mind: bringing the war in Ukraine to American shores. Donald Trump and Elon Musk at a professional wrestling match in New York City in November. Al Drago for The New York Times A new era of American interference in Europe For years, Europe's governments have been trying to resist covert influence operations from adversaries like Russia and China. Now, they face the challenge of fending off extremely well-funded efforts by Elon Musk and others in Donald Trump's MAGA movement to oust elected leaders, empower far-right causes and perhaps even claim territory. U.S. influence campaigns in other countries are not new. But MAGA seems to be intentionally sowing discord within U.S. allies, and it's unclear if Europe's political immune system has the antibodies to defend against these new incursions. Greenland: The gigantic island in the Arctic Ocean may not be for sale, but it would like to work more closely with the U.S. on defense and natural resources, its prime minister said. Biden: The departing president argued in a speech that he strengthened U.S. alliances while in office and that America's adversaries were now weaker. MORE TOP NEWS Eyad Baba/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Gaza: Cease-fire talks appeared to be gaining new momentum as mediators pressed for a halt in the fighting and the release of hostages before Donald Trump takes office. Middle East: Gulf states and Trump appear to be diverging on several key issues, like Israel and Iran. South Korea: The eight justices on the country's Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove or reinstate the impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol. China: Beijing announced that the country's trade surplus had reached almost $1 trillion last year. Tech: The Biden administration debuted new rules meant to keep advanced A.I. technology away from China and other adversaries. Politics: Senate confirmation hearings this week for Trump's cabinet picks will test his grip on the Republican Party. Japan: A strong earthquake struck off the country's southern coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Trump: A judge cleared the way for the partial release of a special counsel's report on the now-defunct case accusing Trump of trying to overturn the 2020 election. Media: Reporters and editors at U.S. newspapers are preparing for what they fear will be a legal and political onslaught from the Trump administration. Pope Francis: The pontiff's autobiography is set to be published today. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Jonathan Morgan has agreed to give evidence at an inquest into the death of Maddy Cusack, who played for Sheffield United. Tennis: Nick Kyrgios says his losing match at the Australian Open might be his last singles appearance in Melbourne. Boxing: Tyson Fury has announced his retirement. "It's been a blast," he said. MORNING READ Illustration by The New York Times; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images The fashion world is in for a year of seismic change. New designers at no fewer than eight major brands, including Chanel, Calvin Klein, Bottega Veneta and Givenchy, will make their runway debuts in 2025. They're coming in at a time of global uncertainty and a slowdown in luxury spending. Our fashion critic Vanessa Friedman is hoping they see the turmoil as an opportunity for a revolution. "Surprise us," she writes. "Enchant us. Shock us. I dare you." Lives lived: Oliviero Toscani, an Italian photographer who used powerful and provocative images as the creative mastermind of Benetton's advertising campaigns, died at 82. CONVERSATION STARTERS 'Babygirl' fodder: Is Halina Reijn's erotic thriller supposed to be funny or sexy? Who has the power? And do women really fake orgasms? His last job: After an illustrator died in the middle of a project, his son was given the chance to finish it. Hand-painted clothes: In an era of fast fashion, some yearn for clothes with a personal touch. Raw truths: Raw milk carries serious risks. Why do some people keep drinking it? ARTS AND IDEAS Why do TV title sequences have so much … stuff? Threads, enchanted lands, grains of sand: There's a lot going on in the opening credits of the average prestige TV drama. "Game of Thrones" took viewers across an epic fictional map, while "The Last of Us" uses the fungi that turns humankind into zombies to create onscreen images of its characters. TV credits weren't always this heavy-handed with a metaphor, but the best of today's sequences tell their own story and build on the narrative. Related: Read our obituary of Karen Wynn Fonstad, the cartographer who exhaustively mapped J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS David Malosh for The New York Times Cook: Roasted gnocchi with sausages and peppers riffs on a classic sandwich. Listen: Check out 14 new songs, including a country track from Ringo Starr. Exult: Here's how to feel alive again. Improve: Heath experts swear by these 35 tips. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, 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