Watch: Red Sox fan makes amazing catch on splintered bat flying into stands during ALCS Game 5

Associated Press
Fires burn Los Angeles schools and destroy outdoor education sanctuaries
For Irina Contreras, a program manager for Los Angeles County’s Department of Arts and Culture, outdoor education was a refuge for both her and her daughter during the pandemic. Now, much of that refuge has been burned in the raging wildfires around Los Angeles. Rain or shine, she and her friends would spend their days climbing, jumping, hiking, and swimming in places like Eaton Canyon Nature Area, a 190-acre (77-hectare) preserve near Altadena, now destroyed by fire.
Associated Press
States are preparing to help or thwart Trump's second-term plans
Do you live in a red state, a blue state, or one where Republicans and Democrats share power? Your answer might provide the best indicator of what to expect from your governor and state lawmakers as President-elect Donald Trump takes office and legislatures convene. Many Republican state officials are aligning with Trump's policies by pledging to help him crack down on illegal immigration, for example.
Associated Press
Lebanese whose homes were destroyed in the war want to rebuild. Many face a long wait
Six weeks into a ceasefire that halted the war between Israel and Hezbollah, many displaced Lebanese whose homes were destroyed in the fighting want to rebuild — but reconstruction and compensation are slow in coming. Israeli officials have complained the Lebanese troops are not moving in fast enough — to which they say the Israeli troops need to get out first.
Associated Press
Croatia's President Milanović overwhelming favorite to win reelection in a runoff vote
Croatia’s incumbent President Zoran Milanović will be the overwhelming favorite to win reelection when he faces a ruling conservative party candidate in a runoff presidential vote on Sunday. The left-leaning Milanović comfortably won the first round of voting on Dec. 29, leaving his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a forensic scientist who had unsuccessfully run for presidency previously, and six other candidates far behind. The runoff between the top two contenders was necessary because Milanović won 49% of the vote, falling short of securing outright victory by merely 5,000 votes, while Primorac trailed far behind with 19%.
Associated Press
North Korean troops in Ukraine gain battlefield experience, cementing alliance with Russia
For weeks, Ukrainian troops braced for an unfamiliar enemy: North Korean soldiers sent to bolster Moscow’s forces after Ukraine launched a lightning-fast incursion and seized territory in Russia's Kursk region over the summer. Unlike the Russian troops Ukraine has been battling for nearly three years, Kyiv’s forces were uncertain about what to expect from this new adversary, drawn into the war after Moscow and Pyongyang signed an agreement pledging military assistance using “all means” if either were attacked.
USA TODAY
Kamala Harris posts Jimmy Carter funeral photo with notable exclusion; internet reacts
A photo shared by Vice President Kamala Harris from Jimmy Carter's funeral has gone viral due to the exclusion of President-elect Donald Trump.
NBC News
California wildfires: What we know about L.A. fires, maps, what caused them, who is affected and more
Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted Tuesday and roared across the Los Angeles area, destroying hundreds of homes and killing at least 16 people, including some who died trying to prevent the fires from engulfing their homes.
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.
NBC News
How to help to victims of the Los Angeles wildfires
Wildfires have decimated more than 37,000 acres of the Los Angeles metropolitan area over the last several days, charring more than 12,000 structures, displacing over 150,000 residents and leaving at least 16 people dead.
NBC News
Photos of Los Angeles show catastrophic scale of devastation as blazes burn uncontrolled
The wildfires in Los Angeles continued to burn mostly out of control, with at least five blazes being fueled by dry conditions and ferocious winds in California.
NBC News
Are arsonists responsible for the Los Angeles wildfires?
Fire investigators are working to determine whether the Los Angeles blazes were the result of an intentional act, an accident or damaged utility lines.
NBC News
What we know about the victims killed in the California wildfires
At least two of the people killed in the Southern California wildfires tried to protect the homes where they raised families and lived for decades, while another stayed behind with his son who had cerebral palsy and could not evacuate.
Reuters
Malaysia PM denies hiding document on ex-premier Najib's home detention
Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government did not conceal any document relating to jailed former premier Najib Razak's home detention, state media reported. Najib, imprisoned for his role in the country's biggest scandal, has been pursuing a legal bid to compel the government to confirm the existence of and execute an "addendum order" that he said was issued by the former king alongside a pardon he received last year, entitling him to serve the remainder of his jail term at home. The former premier had his 12-year sentence halved in a pardon by then-King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, who was chair of a special pardons board.
AFP
Seoul confirms Ukraine captured two North Korean soldiers
South Korea's National Intelligence Service on Sunday backed up Ukraine's account of having captured two wounded North Korean soldiers this week in Russia, after Kyiv said they were being questioned.Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a statement it has "confirmed that the Ukrainian military captured two North Korean soldiers on January 9 in the Kursk battlefield in Russia".
AFP
South Korea's Yoon will not attend first impeachment hearing
South Korea's suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first hearing of his impeachment trial next week because of safety concerns, his lawyer said on Sunday.Therefore, the President will not be able to attend the trial on January 14," lawyer Yoon Kab-keun said in a statement sent to AFP. "The President is willing to appear at any time once safety issues are resolved."
CNN
A father at the bedside of his son, a surfer and a woman who stayed behind with her beloved pets are among wildfire victims
An amputee and his son with cerebral palsy were among the 11 deaths in the fires raging around Los Angeles. The father was found at his son’s bedside.
CNN
California’s evacuees agonized over when to leave and what to take. These are the items they grabbed – and left behind
As Santa Ana winds propelled a series of raging wildfires that wiped out homes and businesses across once-picturesque swaths of Southern California – killing at least 11 people – tens of thousands have been forced from their homes this week in a haze of uncertainty.
Politico
Trump tells House Republicans to find a 'fair number' on SALT
New York Republicans left a meeting with the incoming president saying he supported increasing the cap on the SALT deduction.
NBC News
Maps: See how large the California wildfires are
Multiple major wildfires are leaving a trail of destruction and death in the Los Angeles area.
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.

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