The Bulletin
WORLD IN BRIEF
- LA wildfire updates: The two largest wildfires devastating the Los Angeles area have claimed at least 10 lives and destroyed over 10,000 homes and structures, officials confirmed. Get the latest.
- Hush money case: Donald Trump has thanked the Supreme Court after it refused his request to halt his sentencing hearing in New York. He is due to be sentenced on Friday. Here's what to know.
- Virus outbreaks: China has released an update on the seasonal surge of respiratory viruses, including human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections. Here's the latest details on the spread.
- Jimmy Carter's funeral: Former President George W. Bush greeted his successor President Barack Obama at President Jimmy Carter's funeral in a way which caught viewers' attention Thursday. Find out why this moment went viral.
- Musk livestreams chat with German leader: U.S. tech billionaire Elon Musk livestreamed a chat with German far-right leader Alice Weidel on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. Find out what was discussed and why it's causing such a stir.
- Myanmar airstrike kills 40: A Myanmar military airstrike on a village in the western Rakhine state killed at least 40 people and injured over 20 others on Wednesday, according to officials and ethnic armed group representatives. Here's what to know.
What We Know About California Fires Suspect as LAPD Make Arson Arrest
The rundown: Police have detained a suspect allegedly responsible for starting one of the fires raging in Los Angeles. Learn more about the suspect and the potential motives behind this devastating act.
Why it matters: The suspect is a homeless man in his 30s, according to Fox LA's Elex Michaelson. The suspect was initially detained "by citizens" in the Woodland Hills neighborhood not long after the Kenneth fire started on Thursday, Los Angeles Police Department officer Charles Dinsel told NewsNation's Brian Entin. The Kenneth fire started in the San Fernando Valley on Thursday afternoon and quickly burned through more than 1,000 acres. Firefighters are also continuing to battle multiple other large wildfires in the Los Angeles area fueled by dry conditions and powerful Santa Ana winds.
Read more in-depth coverage:
California Fire Map, Update as Kenneth, Palisades, Eaton Fires Ravage LA
TL/DR: The suspect's identity has not been released, and an LAPD official earlier told Newsweek that the department is "continuing our investigation and cannot confirm any connection to any fire by this suspect at this time."
What happens now? The arson investigation remains underway. Police have yet to provide further details about the suspect.
Deeper reading What We Know About California Fires Suspect as LAPD Make Arson Arrest
Texas Counties Have Least Health Insurance Coverage
The rundown: Texas has 19 out of the 20 counties across the U.S. with the highest proportion of their population aged under 65 having no health insurance, according to a new study. Here's what else it reveals.
Why it matters: The investigation was conducted by SmartAsset, a financial technology company. The study found that in 2024 nine of the ten counties with the most under-65s without health insurance are in Texas. These were Hidalgo County with 32.1 percent uninsured, Cameron County on 30.1 percent, Webb County with 29.7 percent, Starr County with 29 percent, Ector County on 25.3 percent, Potter County on 24.4 percent, Dallas County with 24.2 percent, Harris County at 23.8 percent and El Paso County on 23.5 percent. These were followed by the only non-Texas county to make the top ten, with 23.4 percent of under-65s in Whitfield County, Georgia, not having health insurance.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Medicare Bills Are Increasing: Here's Who's Impacted
TL/DR: Republican-controlled Texas is one of just a handful of states that chose not to adopt the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.
What happens now? Texan Democrats are likely to continue pushing for Medicaid to be expanded in the state, but as Republicans control the governor's office and both chambers of the Texas Legislature there are no signs of this happening anytime soon.
Deeper reading Texas Counties Have Least Health Insurance Coverage
Russia Refutes Donald Trump's Claim About Meeting With Putin
The rundown: President-elect Donald Trump said that a meeting between himself and Russian president Vladimir Putin was being set up on Thursday, according to Reuters. However, Moscow has said they received no requests from Trump's team to set up a meeting, as reported by the Russian news outlet Interfax.
Why it matters: As Trump's inauguration nears, the President-elect's team, as well as Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, have begun preparing for upcoming peace negotiations that may bring an end to the nearly four-year long war. Trump and the Kremlin's differing statements about arranging a meeting may signal a split in Russian and incoming US leaders' views on how the conflict can be resolved. In response to Trump's discussion of an upcoming meeting with Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on January 9 that "No, there were no requests."
Read more in-depth coverage:
Will Ukraine War End in 2025?
TL/DR: This marks the latest example of the Kremlin contradicting Trump team's statements.
What happens now? How and where Trump and Putin will meet to discuss the war in Ukraine and other pressing issues remains unknown at this time, and it remains unclear whether any discussions would include Ukraine representatives, or if Kyiv would accept the outcome of any such negotiations.
Deeper reading Russia Refutes Donald Trump's Claim About Meeting With Putin
Exclusive—Chinese Patents Reveal Aim to Cut Undersea Cables
The rundown: With Chinese ships suspected to have cut key undersea communications cables around the world, a Newsweek review of Chinese-language patent applications shows that engineers in China invented devices to sever such cables quickly and cheaply. Find out what this could mean for communication networks.
Why it matters: The cables are vital for providing data connections and internet service in an increasingly connected world. The incidents have been reported in the Baltic Sea, off Norway and around Taiwan. Chinese or Russian ships have been identified criss-crossing the locations prior to the damage, making them the main suspects and raising questions over whether it was sabotage. China has said at least one of the incidents was an accident. While the fact that patents were sought for anchor-like devices for cutting submarine cables does not mean that they were used in these incidents, it does indicate an interest in cutting them, marine experts said.
Read more in-depth coverage:
China-Linked Ship Suspected of Undersea Cable Sabotage
TL/DR: A "dragging type submarine cable cutting device" was developed in 2020 by a team of engineers at Lishui University in coastal Zhejiang province, which is opposite Taiwan.
What happens now? Experts worry that China, with its technological capabilities, could be developing methods for underwater warfare. Global security analysts urge democratic nations to respond to protect critical subsea infrastructure.
Deeper reading Exclusive—Chinese Patents Reveal Aim to Cut Undersea Cables
Scientists Reveal Diet That Fights Off Life-Threatening Infections
The rundown: Eating a diet rich in fiber from beans, legumes, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds could promote the growth of beneficial microbes in the gut and help the body fight potentially dangerous infections. Here's how this simple dietary change can transform your health and boost immunity.
Why it matters: A study by scientists at the U.K.'s University of Cambridge recently found that 135 species of gut bacteria were linked to the absence of Enterobacteriaceae, a group of bacteria that can cause life-threatening infections. In the study, Alexandre Almeida's team of Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine found these bacteria to be associated with lower levels of harmful bacteria in the gut. Enterobacteriaceae are generally present in healthy guts at low levels—including some famous varieties such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is one of the top three leading causes of foodborne illness in the U.S.
Read more in-depth coverage:
These Foods Could Help Your Body Fight COVID
TL/DR: His team used artificial intelligence to analyze the gut bacteria in the stool of more than 12,000 people from 45 different countries.
What happens now? The researchers concluded that eating more fiber, such as that from vegetables, beans and whole grains, was likely to promote the growth of these helpful bacteria species, which could help prevent an overgrowth of harmful bacteria and reduce the risk of infection.
Deeper reading Scientists Reveal Diet That Fights Off Life-Threatening Infections
Leon Panetta: The Real Legacy of President Jimmy Carter | Opinion
At 100 years old, Jimmy Carter was the longest living president of the United States. During those many years, his accomplishments, challenges, and public service will largely define his legacy. And yet, it is his character of truth, honesty, and love for his fellow human beings that distinguishes him both as president and in the years following his presidency. In a word, he was a genuinely good person and that proved to be both his strength and his weakness.
I first met Jimmy Carter more than 50 years ago in California. It was at a small fundraiser hosted by a good Monterey Democrat to introduce this Georgia governor to the community. Nobody knew who Carter was or what exactly he was running for. But when he spoke, he had the kind gentle approach of a Southern gentleman who deeply cared for his country. It was his character more than his words that left an impression with his audience.
