Katy Perry Shines Like a Disco Ball in Silver Mini Dress & Croc Heels on ‘American Idol’s Top 24 Round

Associated Press
Harrowing escapes from Los Angeles wildfires were made by foot, by car or by the grace of strangers
Flames and pillars of smoke rose from both sides of the road and a woman yelled in panic as firefighters ushered a crowd of fleeing residents along. Aaron Samson positioned his 83-year-old father-in-law behind his blue walker, and they began shuffling down the sidewalk. “My father-in-law was saying, ‘Aaron, if we are ever in a position where the flames are right there, you just run and leave me here,’” Samson recounted Wednesday.
AFP
Australia frets over Meta halt to US fact-checking
Australia is deeply concerned by Meta's decision to scrap US fact-check operations on its Facebook and Instagram platforms, a senior minister said Thursday. Facebook pays to use fact checks from around 80 organisations globally on the platform, as well as on WhatsApp and Instagram.
TODAY
Can grapefruit boost your immune system and help you lose weight? Dietitians explain
Grapefruit contains vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that can boost the immune system. Dietitians share health benefits and warning about medicine interaction.
AFP
Trade war worries loom over Las Vegas tech show
Chinese companies have turned out in force again at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, with their prospects overshadowed by the threat of steeper tariffs from incoming US president Donald Trump.Other Chinese companies brushed off the threat.
AFP
America mourns former president Jimmy Carter at state funeral
Jimmy Carter was to be honored Thursday with a state funeral at Washington's National Cathedral, amid a groundswell of tributes honoring the 39th US president and the last from the so-called Greatest Generation.It was accompanied by hundreds of service members, with military pallbearers carrying Carter to the Rotunda to lie in state ahead of Thursday's ceremony -- the first presidential funeral since Bush Senior died in 2018.
AFP
Hollywood ablaze as fires rage around Los Angeles
At least five people have been killed in wildfires rampaging around Los Angeles, officials said Wednesday, with firefighters overwhelmed by the speed and ferocity of multiple blazes -- including in Hollywood.Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said five people were known to have perished, with more deaths feared.
Associated Press
Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly lower after Wall St holds firm
Asian stocks were mostly lower on Thursday after U.S. stock indexes finished mixed a day after strong reports on the economy stirred up worries that inflation and interest rates may remain higher than expected. U.S. futures and oil prices declined. U.S. markets will be closed Thursday to observe a National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter.
CNN
Alito spoke with Trump before president-elect asked Supreme Court to delay his sentencing
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said he spoke with President-elect Donald Trump by phone this week in support of a former law clerk who is seeking a job in the incoming administration – but the justice said he did not discuss Trump’s pending effort to delay his sentencing.
USA TODAY
President Biden cancels Italy trip to meet Pope Francis due to Los Angeles wildfires
In what would have been his last overseas trip as president, Joe Biden had been set to depart for Italy Thursday night to meet with Pope Francis.
NBC News
Capitol Police arrest man with machete at entrance for Jimmy Carter viewing
President-elect Donald Trump is also expected to be in the Capitol on Wednesday to pay his respects to Carter and meet with the Senate Republicans.
Associated Press
Japan's Ishiba heads to Malaysia and Indonesia to strengthen defense and economic ties
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday began a trip to Malaysia and Indonesia as part of an effort to strengthen defense and economic ties with Southeast Asia as China's threats grow in the region. The visit, his first for bilateral talks outside of international meetings, shows Japan’s commitment to further those ties even as the U.S. presence in the region may decrease after President-elect Donald Trump takes office later this month.
AFP
'We have lost everything': Despair in the Los Angeles fires
Homes reduced to ashes, businesses in flames, and in the midst of the devastation, haggard residents: the California city of Altadena, ravaged Wednesday by a violent fire, looked like an area that has just been bombed. On Wednesday, the streets were filled with ash, with buildings everywhere in flames.
CNN
Biden cancels Italy trip in final days of his presidency to focus on federal response to LA wildfires
President Joe Biden will no longer travel to Rome, Italy, this week as scheduled, the White House announced late Wednesday, canceling the trip in the final days of his presidency to monitor raging wildfires across the Los Angeles, California, area.
TODAY
The best Sunday school class I ever attended was taught by Jimmy Carter
Former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29, 2024, famously taught a Sunday school class at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia.
CBS News
Maps show where fires are burning right now in L.A. area
Updating maps of Southern California show where wildfires, like the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fires, are burning across Los Angeles.
CBS News
Dockworkers and port operators strike labor deal, again dodging strike
Automation was at the center of a long-running labor dispute that threatened to close East and Gulf Coast ports.
AFP
Japan startup hopeful ahead of second moon launch
Japanese startup ispace vowed its upcoming second unmanned Moon mission will be a success, saying Thursday that it learned from its failed attempt nearly two years ago."We will make this Mission 2 a success," he said.
NBC News
The dangerous combination fueling the L.A. fires: Exceptional dryness and strong winds
Prolonged drought, an exceptionally dry winter and powerful Santa Ana winds set up a dangerous triple whammy of extreme conditions that have fueled several out-of-control wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
USA TODAY
'Pushed the system to the extreme': Los Angeles fires unchecked amid scarce water supply
Meanwhile, Los Angeles officials on Wednesday urged residents to conserve water use as firefighters struggle to tamp down the flames.
Associated Press
Trump's inaugural committee has already raised a record $170M in donations
President-elect Donald Trump has raised more than $170 million for his upcoming inauguration, a record amount as tech executives and big donors have eagerly written large checks to help bankroll the ceremony. The private donations collected thus far were confirmed by a person with firsthand knowledge of the fundraising who was not authorized to speak publicly. The person said Trump's inaugural committee is expected to raise more than $200 million by the end of the effort.

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