Fires: Five major wildfires burning in Los Angeles County this morning have consumed an estimated 30,000 acres. There are 10 people known dead from the fires. More than 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. The winds continue to gust higher than 60 miles per hour, spreading burning embers. More than 10,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed. California National Guard units have been deployed in part to protect empty houses from looters. About 20 people have been arrested for looting.
Supreme Court: Donald Trump has been sentenced to an unconditional discharge in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. Today’s sentencing followed the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a 5 to 4 vote that Judge Juan Merchan could proceed with today’s sentencing of Trump. A jury convicted Trump of 34 felonies in the case. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts and Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with the three liberal justices on the court in deciding that the sentencing of Trump could go ahead. Trump told reporters Thursday night after the Supreme Court had spoken that he was planning to appeal whatever sentence Judge Merchan imposed.
Climate: The European organization that monitors the climate, Copernicus, reports today that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded. The global temperature was 1.6 degrees Celsius warmer than it was before the industrial age. Copernicus says that each of the past 10 years has set a new record for global heat. It also says that the level of pollution related to global warming has reached a new high.
Employment: Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 256,000 in December, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment trended up in health care, government, and social assistance. Retail trade added jobs in December, following a job loss in November. After increasing earlier in the year, the unemployment rate has been either 4.1% or 4.2% for the past seven months. The number of unemployed people, at 6.9 million, also changed little in December.
Macy’s: Macy’s today confirmed that it is closing 66 store locations. None of the stores to be closed is in Westchester, the Hudson Valley or Connecticut. Macy’s says the closures are a part of what it has dubbed its Bold New Chapter strategy, which was announced by Macy’s in February. Macy’s says that the plan is designed to return the company to sustainable, profitable sales growth, which includes closing approximately 150 underproductive stores over a three-year period.
Constellation: The energy companies Constellation and Calpine Corp. today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Constellation will acquire Calpine. The net purchase price is expected to be $26.6 billion. The agreement creates the nation’s largest clean energy provider, and the companies say they will have opportunities to serve more customers coast-to-coast with a broader array of energy and sustainability products. The companies say the combination also forms the nation’s leading competitive retail electric supplier serving 2.5 million customers.
