Wildfires are spreading rapidly in Los Angeles, fanned by a fierce windstorm. Gusts of up to 100 m.p.h., stronger than any the region has seen in a decade, are forecast to blow through the night.
The flames are threatening Pacific Palisades, an affluent coastal neighborhood that is home to about 24,000 people, roughly 20 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Officials ordered residents to evacuate immediately. Part of the Pacific Coast Highway and several nearby schools were closed.
The region’s electricity provider said it was preparing to cut power to as many as 419,000 customers as a pre-emptive measure to keep wildfires from sparking under high wind conditions. “This is about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather,” forecasters said.
Southern California is extremely dry right now, especially for this time of year. Last month, a fire threatened the Malibu area. Officials are even more concerned this time because the windstorm is projected to affect a broader, more populated region.
Forecasters issued a rare “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning for portions of Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange Counties, including downtown Los Angeles. Typically, forecasters use this special warning every few years; this is the third time a warning of this level has been issued this season.
For those in the area: Here’s how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.
Trump suggested expanding the U.S. into Greenland and Canada
Donald Trump said today at a news conference that he would not rule out the use of military or economic coercion to retake control of the Panama Canal and to force Denmark to sell Greenland to the U.S. “We need them for economic security,” the president-elect said.
Trump said he would “tariff Denmark at a very high level” if it did not give Greenland to the U.S. He also suggested that Canada should become a U.S. state by getting “rid of that artificially drawn line,” but he ruled out using force to annex parts of the country.
Meta said it would end its fact-checking program
Meta announced today that its popular apps — Facebook, Instagram and Threads — would stop using third-party fact-checkers to curtail misinformation. Instead, the social media company will rely on users to add notes to posts that may contain false or misleading information.
The reversal was a stark sign of how the company is repositioning itself for the upcoming Trump presidency. Announcing the change on Fox News, Joel Kaplan, Meta’s newly installed global policy chief, said there was “too much political bias” in the fact-checking program.
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, described the shift as a return to “our roots around free expression.” Yesterday, Zuckerberg announced the addition of Dana White, the chief executive of Ultimate Fighting Championship and a close Trump ally, to Meta’s board.
The U.S. said a genocide took place in Sudan
The U.S. declared today that the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group, and its allies had committed genocide in Sudan in their fight against the country’s military. The wave of violence took place in western Darfur, where men, boys and infants were targeted and murdered, and women were raped “on an ethnic basis,” Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, said.
Members of the Masalit ethnic group were targeted, a central element in the genocide determination. The judgment might propel a new drive for accountability in Africa’s largest war, which has caused up to 150,000 deaths.
52 places to go in 2025
Every year, The Times publishes a list of locations worth visiting: 52 Places to Go.
This year’s list includes Jane Austen’s former home, a glossy new gateway to Greenland’s pristine wilderness, the resilient mountain town of Asheville, N.C., and a hip beach town in Kenya. Check out the full list.
A thundering performer returns to the Met Opera
Thirteen years have passed since the bass-baritone Bryn Terfel last performed at the Metropolitan Opera. But his enormous voice and imposing presence are hard to forget. After his debut in 1994, Terfel became one of the company’s most beloved artists of his generation.
This week, after recovering from injuries that kept him away, Terfel is back for four more performances of “Tosca.” We talked with him about his return, and his plans for the future.
A new apartment from a 12-century palazzo
Matteo Rocca and Ronan Dunphy were tired of renting. So they purchased the run-down second floor of a 12th-century palazzo in Genoa, Italy. The space, which had been sitting empty for nearly six decades, was historically significant. But it needed a lot of work.
During the renovation, the couple discovered a hidden staircase — which they turned into a bookcase — and a marble column. They also hired a conservator who spent eight months restoring a beautiful ceiling fresco depicting a carriage of angels. Here’s what the apartment looks like now.
Have an impressive evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today.
We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.
