Thousands of personnel—firefighters, first responders, and the National Guard—have turned their attention towards stifling the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires, some of the worst California has ever seen. The Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, which continue to burn since they were first detected ten days ago, have destroyed 12,000 structures, killing at least 27 people, and burning down nearly 40,000 acres of land (when including damage from the smaller, now extinguished fires). The fires are the second and fourth most destructive in the state’s history. While experts say the devastating 2018 Camp Fire in California is slightly similar to the Los Angeles fires in terms of destruction, the Los Angeles fires distinguish themselves from others due to the rapid rate of spread and the fact that it is an urban conflagration—referring to a fire that spreads from structure to structure, with buildings and homes acting like the primary source of fuel instead of trees. “Under the wind conditions, embers are transported upwards of a mile from the fire itself, raining down in the thousands and thousands on homes and neighborhoods, igniting anything that is flammable,” says Daniel Berlant, California state marshal. The 2020 August Complex Fire in Northern California for instance, burned more than 1 million acres, but it only damaged 935 structures. The 2021 Dixie Fire, also in the North, had similar acre damage and harmed just over 1,3000 structures. To date, they are the two largest California wildfires, according to CalFire. Both the Dixie and August Complex Fires happened during the regular wildfire season, which typically runs from the spring through fall, per the Western Fire Chiefs Association. But, things have changed in the past year as climate change has extended wildfires to a year-round threat, and fuels fires when they do happen. “In less than a decade, California has experienced its largest, its most damaging, its deadliest wildfires,” says Berlant. “Our dry matter and climate has always lent itself naturally to wildfires, but really, more recently, I'd say a confluence of issues has led to this immense wildfire crisis. A changing climate is one of those.” The most-recent fires certainly lended themselves to such rapid spread due to the lack of precipitation in Southern California and Santa Ana winds that measured more than 80 miles per hour. The state has rolled out aid for firefighters in recent years. In 2024, CalFire received an additional $2 billion, an investment that boosted their budget up by 47% from 2018. Berlant says that aid has doubled the number of personnel working for Cal Fire. Agents have focused on three main areas: fire response, community preparedness, as well as forest restoration work. The Palisades and Eaton Fire stand at 31% and 65% contained as of Friday, respectively, though winds are supposed to pick up next week that could stifle containment. U.S. Fire administrator Lori Moore-Merrell says that while the death count from the recent Los Angeles fires is still unclear, more lives could have been lost if officials weren’t already wary of the weather conditions that put them on alert. “We anticipated the Santa Ana winds, the other variables, like drought. So there was a good deal of anticipation that if we had an ignition, it was going to be bad,” she says. “That caused early evacuation warnings, and people listened. And that is why we are not yet seeing the fatality count go up astronomically, like we saw, for example, in the Paradise Fire, or the [2023] Lahaina Maui Fire.” (Paradise is a nickname for the 2018 Camp Fire.) Moore-Merrell admits, however, that there are lessons to be gleaned regarding the proper messaging mechanism for evacuation orders, and the actions that should be taken to avoid traffic jams such as the ones reported early on in the fires. For now, state officials continue to replenish the budget needed to fight these fires. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for an increase of $2.5 billion in state funding for emergency response efforts and recovery in Los Angeles on January 13. The money would help rebuild schools, and increase the preparedness against future threats, which firefighters see as necessary given the latest trends. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has rolled out some relief for impacted residents, issuing a $770 stipend for families to purchase essential items. Victims can apply for other forms of disaster assistance. They have also opened local assistance centers to aid those in most need. FEMA did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment. Still, while California wildfires are a natural part of the landscape, the threat of urban conflagrations also extend past the state. Moore-Merrell says that this marks the third instance of an urban conflagration under the Biden Administration. The other two were the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, which burnt more than 6,000 acres and 1,000 homes in Boulder County, and August 2023 Lahaina Fire in Maui, which took more than 100 lives and cost about $5.5 billion in damages. The Maui Wildfire was the fifth deadliest wildland fire in U.S. history, destroying neighborhoods and historic landmarks. “We are seeing a change in the baseline risk of wildfire across the nation,” she says.

The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it would enter a new battlefield in the culture wars, agreeing to decide whether the Constitution guarantees parents of students in public schools the right to have their children excused from classroom discussion of storybooks featuring L.G.B.T.Q. characters and themes. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland’s largest school system, adopted the new curriculum in 2022. It included, its lawyers told the justices, “a handful of storybooks featuring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer characters for use in the language-arts curriculum, alongside the many books already in the curriculum that feature heterosexual characters in traditional gender roles.” Among the storybooks were “Pride Puppy,” an alphabet primer about a family whose puppy gets lost at a Pride parade; “My Rainbow,” about a mother who creates a colorful wig for her transgender daughter; and “Love, Violet,” a story about a girl who develops a crush on her female classmate. (Some of the books have since been dropped from the curriculum.) In a run of recent cases, the Supreme Court has expanded the role of religion in public life, sometimes at the expense of other values, like gay rights and access to contraception. In the past few years, the court has ruled in favor of a web designer who said she did not want to create sites for same-sex marriages, a high school football coach who said he had a constitutional right to pray at the 50-yard line after his team’s games and a Catholic social services agency in Philadelphia that said it could defy city rules and refuse to work with same-sex couples who had applied to take in foster children. The school system in the new case, based in Washington’s liberal suburbs, at first gave parents notice when the storybooks were to be discussed, along with the opportunity to have their children excused from those sessions. The school system soon changed that policy. “The growing number of opt-out requests,” its lawyers wrote, “gave rise to three related concerns: high student absenteeism, the infeasibility of administering opt-outs across classrooms and schools, and the risk of exposing students who believe the storybooks represent them and their families to social stigma and isolation.”Several parents sued to challenge the new policy, saying it violated their religious rights. Lower courts refused to block the program while the suit moved forward. Writing for the majority of a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Judge G. Steven Agee said, “There’s no evidence at present that the board’s decision not to permit opt-outs compels the parents or their children to change their religious beliefs or conduct, either at school or elsewhere.” Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Judge Agee, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, added, “Should the parents in this case or other plaintiffs in other challenges to the storybooks’ use come forward with proof that a teacher or school administrator is using the storybooks in a manner that directly or indirectly coerces children into changing their religious views or practices, then the analysis would shift in light of that record.” In dissent, Judge A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr., who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, said the parents, of several faiths, had made a modest request. “They do not claim the use of the books is itself unconstitutional,” he wrote. “And they do not seek to ban them. Instead, they only want to opt their children out of the instruction involving such texts.” A lawyer for the parents, Eric Baxter of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case. “Cramming down controversial gender ideology on 3-year-olds without their parents’ permission is an affront to our nation’s traditions, parental rights and basic human decency,” he said in a statement. The school board, in its Supreme Court brief in the case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, No. 24-297, wrote that the parents “seek to unsettle a decades-old consensus that parents who choose to send their children to public school are not deprived of their right to freely exercise their religion simply because their children are exposed to curricular materials the parents find offensive.”

This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. An eternity stretches between now and any real moves in the Democratic Party’s next presidential nominating contest. But the early jockeying has started drawing donors’ imaginations, and so far, two charismatic leaders from the next generation of Democrats have emerged as figures to watch. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, whose recent marathon floor speech was hailed by peers and party activists alike as a turning point in the Democrats’ fight against President Donald Trump, has raked in $16 million since his 2020 re-election, putting him second only to Senator Jon Ossoff among Democrats running for re-election this cycle. While Booker’s haul is only a little more than half of Ossoff’s, the Georgian is Republicans’ top target for 2026 Senate races, while Booker’s seat is considered a safe one. Booker’s hefty fundraising tally came before he staged a record-breaking, 25-hour speech on the Senate floor that could be viewed as a less-than-subtle starting gun for a 2028 campaign. The spectacle started just hours before the fundraising quarter closed, so Booker’s $1 million start to the year is missing from the $12.4 million he has on hand heading into what is anticipated to be an easy re-election bid next year. Another Democratic fundraising standout who could come into play for higher office was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The 35-year-old New Yorker, whose district includes parts of the Bronx and Queens, has collected $9.6 million through the end of March, according to financial reports filed Tuesday. Among House candidates, Ocasio-Cortez ranks behind only Gay Valimont, a gun-safety advocate who earlier this month fell short in her bid for a Florida House seat vacated by Republican Matt Gaetz. Ocasio-Cortez has been touring the country with Sen. Bernie Sanders, drawing enormous crowds and huge numbers of low-dollar donors as she cements her status as a progressive star. It’s possible that both Booker and Ocasio-Cortez will ultimately take a pass on 2028. Booker’s 2020 bid for the presidential nomination failed to gain traction, and he dropped out before the first votes were even cast. Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, just cleared the age-minimum bar for qualifying for President, and many in New York are waiting to see if she chases that path or if she runs for the Senate seat currently held by Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is up for potential re-election in 2028. But a party trying to figure out its identity amid a second Trump era will surely see a crowded field of hopefuls. The list could include the likes of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, among many others.\ Despite that group, it’s worth watching Booker's and AOC's coffers. A dollar raised for the House or Senate can become instant seed money for a White House run, whereas money raised for state-office campaigns is a trickier conversion. Money is a big part of any ambitious politician’s decision about their political future. Booker’s struggles with fundraising in his first bid for the White House helped usher him out of the race. Ocasio-Cortez, on the other hand, began her career by sparking a small-dollar revolution that toppled a longtime incumbent who was being groomed to maybe take over House Democrats’ operations. If the pair keeps this up—and spreads some of that cash around to help on-the-margin incumbents or rising insurgents—they just might be the pace-setters for the Democrats heading forward.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs on Wednesday, more than three decades after the agency prohibited it from being used in cosmetics because of possible cancer risks. Consumer advocates and dietitians applauded the FDA for the move, though many also said it was overdue. In 1990, the FDA barred the dye from being used in cosmetics and topical drugs after a study found that it caused cancer in male rats. For years, consumer and health advocates have pushed the agency to do the same for foods, since federal rules require the FDA to prohibit additives that have been found to cause cancer in animals or humans. Still, the FDA said in its announcement that the way Red 3 causes cancer in male rats “does not occur in humans,” and “studies in other animals and in humans did not show these effects; claims that the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food and in ingested drugs puts people at risk are not supported by the available scientific information.” The FDA said food and drug manufacturers will have until Jan. 15, 2027 or Jan. 18, 2028, respectively, to remove the dye from their products, and although other countries still allow the dye to be used in certain products, all foods imported to the U.S. have to comply with the new requirement. Branded Content XPRIZE at the 2025 TIME100 Summit: Making the Impossible, Possible By XPRIZE Here’s what to know. What is Red 3 in? Red 3 is a synthetic colored dye that’s used to brighten the appearance of food products, giving it a vibrant red color, according to Brian Ronholm, the director of food policy for Consumer Reports. Ronholm says the dye doesn’t have any nutritional value, and is used purely for aesthetic purposes. While some food manufacturers stopped using the dye in their products years ago, Ronholm says it can still be found in some products, like candies and other snacks. Vanessa Rissetto, a registered dietitian and co-founder of clinical nutrition care company Culina Health, says the dye can also be found in some cereals and baked goods. What will companies replace Red 3 with? Ronholm says that many companies around the world have already started using alternatives to Red 3, such as beet extract or other natural substitutes. “That’s another frustrating piece of this, from a consumer perspective: Red Dye 3 is banned in other parts of the world, and so substitutes are already being used that are more natural, less toxic, and in a lot of cases, just as cost effective,” Ronholm says. “It’s frustrating to think that these food companies are making available these safer versions in other parts of the world, but the inferior versions remain for sale here in the U.S.” According to Sensient Food Colors, which manufactures food colors and flavors, other alternatives to Red 3 include carmine (which many may not know is made from insects) and pigments from purple sweet potato, radish, and red cabbage. Are other dyes safe? Ronholm says consumer advocates have concerns over other types of dyes, including Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3—all of which California banned from the meals, drinks, and snacks served by public schools in Sept. 2024, over concerns that the six dyes are linked to health and behavioral problems in some children. The FDA hasn’t established a “causal link” between children’s consumption of the six dyes and behavioral effects, but recommended further research. The agency still permits the six dyes to be used in foods. “We’re hoping that this is just a first step for the FDA to be more focused on these synthetic food dyes and chemicals and additives,” Ronholm says. “This shouldn’t be a ‘standalone victory.’ It needs to be the first step in an extended process.

It’s normal to have anxiety about cataract surgery—and even postpone scheduling the procedure out of fear. But it shouldn’t be that way. Dr. Jeff Dello Russo, an ophthalmologist at Dello Russo Laser Vision and New Jersey Eye Center, recalls working with one patient who was “hesitant and nervous for months” before scheduling her surgery. For years, the 78-year-old had been struggling to drive at night, read books, and enjoy activities with her grandchildren. “Within 24 hours after her cataract procedure, she was thrilled to be able to read her morning paper without glasses and see her grandchildren’s faces more clearly than she had in years,” says Dello Russo. “Cataract surgery is life-changing.” “Many of my patients feel that their world is brighter, richer, and clearer after surgery,” echoes Dr. Danielle Trief, an associate professor of ophthalmology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. A large portion even say that they see better than their children. “Sometimes they realize that their clothing or paint in their house is a different color than they thought,” she says. Those aren’t the only benefits: some studies have found lower risks of dementia and falling after cataract surgery. “I believe this is because patients are better able to navigate their world,” says Trief. Here’s what you should know about the outpatient procedure. Restoring a city’s charm Branded Content Restoring a city’s charm By China Daily What are cataracts? Your eyes act like a camera, taking pictures and sending them to your brain so that you can see. In the front of the eye, a lens brings images into focus onto the retina. “The lens typically is clear when we are born, but gets cloudy with time/age,” says Trief. As the lens fogs up, vision blurs, and this clouding of the lens is called a cataract. With cataracts, “often we have more glare in certain conditions,” Trief says, like driving at night or reading. The formation of cataracts is a natural part of aging. “Nearly everyone develops cataracts over time,” Trief says. Roughly 25 million Americans have cataracts, and more than half of people age 80 and above either currently have them or have had cataract surgery, per the U.S. National Institutes of Health. “Often they start to affect our vision in our 60s, 70s, or 80s, but sometimes earlier," Trief says. "We can sometimes initially adjust our glasses to improve vision, but ultimately the cataract becomes too cloudy, and the lens needs to be replaced.” How-cataract-surgery-works Graphic by TIME; Getty Images What is cataract surgery? Cataract surgery is designed to restore clear vision by removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a transparent artificial lens. “This lens can correct the vision as well as provide more clarity, better contrast and less glare,” says Trief. And, adds Dello Russo, “if left untreated, cataracts can lead to significant vision impairment.” After the surgery, Trief says patients’ vision improves, and they are less reliant on glasses, though most people will still need glasses for some tasks, such as reading. Modern cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgical procedures, says Dello Russo, with a 98% success rate. “Many people report that they wish they hadn’t waited so long to have the surgery,” he says. Complications include infection, retinal detachment, and loss of vision; it is estimated they occur in less than 2% of patients. How to prepare for cataract surgery Here are some of the key things you will be asked to do before undergoing the procedure, according to Dello Russo and Trief: Don’t apply sunscreen, makeup, or other skin-care products around your eyes the day of the surgery and a few days leading up to it to prevent any product from entering your eyes during the procedure. Your doctor will tell you if you need to pause any medications that may affect the surgery. In most cases, “I actually do not stop medicines before surgery,” says Trief. “It is a bloodless procedure, so I allow my patients to continue all blood thinners.” Use eye drops as directed. “Your doctor may ask you to use antibiotics or anti-inflammatory eye drops a few days before the procedure,” says Dello Russo. Follow your doctor’s advice about wearing contacts. Trief asks her patients to stop wearing soft contact lenses for one week prior to the pre-surgery measurements doctors take, since the lens can change the shape of the eye and affect the measurements. People who wear hard contact lenses should be out of lenses for two weeks. “Once measurements are taken, however, they can resume contact lenses until the time of surgery,” says Trief. What happens during cataract surgery Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that’s typically done in an ambulatory surgical center, though it may be done in a hospital setting. “The surgery should be very easy for the patient,” says Trief. Before your surgeon starts, your eyes will be dilated and examined, and an IV will be placed. Then, you’ll receive numbing eye drops or a local anesthetic to prevent discomfort. You may also be given a mild sedative to help you relax, says Dello Russo. You won’t be asleep during the procedure, but fear not: you won’t see the surgeon at work since they’ll be working under an operating microscope that prevents you from seeing the surgery take place. Read More: What to Expect at a Skin Cancer Screening “During the procedure, the surgeon uses a tiny incision to remove the cloudy lens and replaces it with an artificial intraocular lens,” Dello Russo says. He calls the surgery “painless”—though you might feel slight pressure or see bright lights during it. The procedure only takes about 10 to 30 minutes, and you’ll lie on your back with head support. (“Patients sometimes worry about moving,” says Trief.) Doctors only correct one eye per surgery in order to allow the surgeon to assess the outcome and fine-tune the approach for the second eye, which could potentially improve overall results. If you need the procedure in both eyes, there’s typically a wait-time between surgeries of a week to a month. A note about the different kinds of cataract surgery Cataract surgery can be done with or without laser assistance. Unlike traditional cataract surgery, which relies on manual incisions and ultrasonic tools, laser cataract surgery uses high-tech laser systems to perform many steps of the procedure, says Dello Russo. “The laser creates precise incisions in the eye and softens the cataract for removal, reducing the need for manual tools.” Dello Russo prefers laser surgery, saying that it minimizes stress on the eye, leading to faster recovery times and less discomfort. Read More: What to Expect at a Mammogram However, Trief cautions that the laser is usually not covered by insurance and has an out-of-pocket cost to the patient (even though cataract surgery itself is typically covered). This is because laser-assisted cataract surgery is considered an advanced technology that is not mandatory to complete the procedure, says Dello Russo. “Insurance may cover the standard procedure portion, but the patient may be responsible for the extra cost of the laser.” As always, check with your insurance provider to learn about your plan’s coverage. There are also many different lens implants available. Some correct for distance vision, some correct both near and distance vision (a multifocal lens), and others (toric lenses) correct astigmatism. “Cataract surgery used to be one-size-fits-all, but now with the lasers and our specialty lenses, we have many different options to customize for the patient’s preference,” says Trief. She encourages people to read about their options and consult with their doctor about what makes the most sense for them. What to expect after cataract surgery “Many patients notice significantly clearer vision within 24–48 hours, although full recovery can take a few weeks,” says Dello Russo. Some may have blurry vision for the first few days or weeks after surgery, but it typically clears quickly. After surgery, doctors will send you home with an eye cover, and you’ll return for a follow-up appointment the next day. Because of the eye patch and sedation, patients will need to arrange for a ride home. “Most of my patients take a few days off from work, but some go back to work the next day,” says Dello Russo. As for post-op pain, you shouldn’t feel much, if any. Sometimes patients feel itchiness, scratchiness, or like something is stuck in their eye. “It often feels better the next day,” Trief says. Read More: Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You? According to Trief, most people resume their normal lives in the days following surgery: you can read, meet up with friends, and even work, as long as it does not involve physical exertion. (Typically, the eye patch will be removed the day after surgery, but you’ll continue sleeping with it for a week.) You may also have some light sensitivity after the procedure, but if it does not hurt your eyes to use the computer or read, you can do so, says Trief. She asks patients not to do any exercise or bend their head below their waist for one week after surgery. In general, Dello Russo says light activity is fine within a day or two, but you should avoid strenuous activities for at least a week. Your doctor will direct you to use eye drops after surgery. How often you’ll need them varies by the person and the type of drops prescribed, whether they’re lubricating, antibiotic, steroidal, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. “Typically, patients will need to use several different types of eye drops multiple times a day for a few weeks after surgery,” says Dello Russo. The amount of time you’ll use eye drops varies, too, but expect to use them for about a month after surgery. More in Health The Scientific Search for Youth Why Do I Keep Having Recurring Dreams? Dermatologists Have a Dirty Little Secret The Best Longevity Habit You’re Not Thinking About Personal Trainers Share the No. 1 Tip That Has Changed Their Lives In terms of follow-up visits, patients are seen the day after the procedure and again within one to two weeks. You may also return to your ophthalmologist’s office for a final check-up in a month. “I typically do the two eyes two weeks apart, and a few weeks after their second eye has surgery, they will get their final visual prescription,” says Trief. Patients can also wear an updated contact lens prescription after cataract surgery once you’re done with your post-op eye drops protocol. If you’re still anxious For nervous patients, Dello Russo and Trief have some more reassurance to share. For one thing, it’s a resoundingly safe procedure that truly improves people’s quality of life and fosters independence as people age. Trief stresses that it’s one of the few surgeries where people notice a big benefit almost right away, and that it’s a quick procedure without much downtime. Along with the many technological and safety advances in this surgery, there have also been innovations in its ability to not only restore vision but also to reduce dependency on glasses following the procedure. And if the idea of being awake during surgery is the part that scares you, Trief gets it—but says you’ll be provided enough anesthesia to feel comfortable. As a bonus? “Some people remark that they enjoyed the experience and see pretty colors,” she says.

At least 18 of the 80 school districts in the county announced that schools would be closed and urged parents to take precautions as at least four wildfires burned.Follow continuing coverage of the wildfires in Southern California. The wildfires burning in Southern California have prompted officials to close schools across Los Angeles County on Wednesday. At least 18 of the 80 school districts in the county issued statements announcing that schools would close for the day. Many urged parents to take precautions as the fires continue to rage and strong winds affect the area. “Due to the volatility of the ongoing high wind event, power outages affecting several schools, and the nearby Eaton fire, all A.U.S.D. schools will be closed,” the Azusa Unified School District said in one typical announcement, adding that community safety was its “top priority.” Here is a list of some of the school districts that have announced closures: Alhambra Unified School District said it would close all schools on Wednesday to “ensure the safety of our students, staff, and families.” Arcadia Unified School District said it would close all schools on Wednesday and encouraged residents to “take precautions at your own home.” Azusa Unified School District said it would close all schools. Burbank Unified School District said it would close all schools on Wednesday. It said it expected them to reopen on Thursday. Duarte Unified School District said it would close all schools on Wednesday. El Monte City School District said all its schools would be closed on Wednesday due to “strong winds and the uncertainty of power” service, but expected to reopen them on Thursday. Glendale Unified School District said it would close all of its schools on Wednesday. La Cañada Unified School District said it would close all schools on Wednesday but expected to reopen on Thursday. Las Virgenes Unified School District said that its schools would close on Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution,” but expected to reopen them on Thursday. Los Angeles Unified School District announced closures at some schools. Monrovia Unified School District said schools would be closed on Wednesday due to “high winds.” Mountain View School District said it would close its schools due to the “high winds impacting our region.” Pasadena Unified School District said its schools would close on Wednesday. San Marino School District announced that all four of its schools would close on Wednesday after power outages. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District said its schools would close on Wednesday. South Pasadena Unified School District announced that its schools would close on Wednesday. Temple City Unified School District said it would close its schools, citing “downed trees, power outages, downed power lines and damage to several of our campuses,” caused by strong winds. Valle Lindo School District said it would close its schools on Wednesday.

At least 16 people are reported to have died and over 150,000 residents have been forced to flee in the wake of raging wildfires in the Los Angeles region, as firefighters have struggled to contain several blazes that continue to be fanned by strong winds. Fueled by low humidity and raging Santa Ana winds, the Palisades Fire had burned through over 23,000 acres by Sunday morning, while the Eaton Fire spanned over 14,000 acres. Firefighters are battling multiple fires across the Los Angeles area at once. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell warned that crews were facing "unprecedented conditions,” and asked people to heed evacuation orders at a press conference on Wednesday morning. “This is a tragic time in our history here in Los Angeles, but a time when we’re really tested and see who we really are,” McDonnell said. Businesses and homes have been damaged in the Pacific Palisades, thousands of structures destroyed by the Palisades Fire. California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed thousands of firefighters to the region after declaring a state of emergency on Tuesday night. Here's how you can help victims of the Los Angeles wildfires: California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund The California Fire Foundation works with local fire agencies and community based organizations to provide ongoing, mid- and long-term support to California communities affected by natural disasters like wildfires. The organization, which provides direct support to victims, is beginning to support those impacted by the Palisades Fire. World Central Kitchen World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit global food relief organization founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, is already on the ground in Southern California to aid first responders and evacuees. “Our teams have mobilized across the region to provide immediate relief in the form of sandwiches and water as we identify all areas of need,” the organization said in a statement on Jan. 8. Salvation Army The Salvation Army operates a disaster services fund that directly supports evacuees and first responders of California wildfires. The organization provides emergency relief and long-term assistance to those impacted by natural disasters. GoFundMe The online fundraising platform GoFundMe has created a centralized hub of verified fundraising pages on its site. The list is updated by the platform's Trust & Safety team to ensure that all included fundraisers are authentic. GoFundMe has also launched its own 2025 Wildfire Relief Fund, and says that all money raised will go directly to impacted people who are seeking help through GoFundMe fundraisers, and to nonprofit organizations providing relief on the ground. California Community Foundation The California Community Foundation has been working to strengthen Los Angeles County since 1915. The organization's Wildfire Recovery Fund targets the most underserved and hard to reach communities in the region, with the goal of helping provide long-term recovery relief. CAL FIRE Benevolent Foundation CAL FIRE Benevolent Foundation provides financial aid to firefighters and their families in the case of injury or loss of life. The organization also helps support burn victims and their families, along with research focused on firefighter health and safety. Baby2Baby Baby2Baby provides diapers, formula, clothing, and other basic necessities to children living in poverty. The organization has already distributed over 3 million emergency supplies to families in Los Angeles and is working with 470 partner organizations—including schools, homeless shelters and resource centers— in L.A. County to fulfill requests for necessities.

Fires are still raging across Los Angeles in what is shaping up to be one of the most expensive calamities on American soil, with estimates of the economic damage and losses running as high as $275 billion. Thousands of residents have lost their homes, which are often their most valuable asset. Yet there are few signs that policymakers and regulators are grappling with the decisions that brought so many people into high- risk areas to begin with. Their refusal to do so sets the stage for an even bigger, potentially deadlier and more expensive disaster down the line. Financial markets, if left to their own devices, would naturally force Americans to confront the ugly realities of our changing climate and deter them from flocking to places where human habitation is increasingly untenable. Unfortunately, this basic system of supply and demand has been stymied by regional and federal policies — policies supported by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in both blue and red states who buckle under the short-term political pressure to keep home insurance premiums artificially low. The result is highly unfair and distorts the market. It endangers our economy by sending scarce resources into the path of natural disasters and will likely devastate still more lives. In theory, insurance prices quantify the risks of living in a certain place. Of course it should be more expensive to insure a home in an area buffeted by disaster. But in practice, states vary widely in their willingness to allow insurance premiums to increase, with some making it far harder than others for insurers to raise prices. California is one of the most resistant, and until recently refused to let insurers raise premiums or reflect climate-catastrophe risks in their pricing.Insurers doing business in such heavily regulated states, finding themselves unable to raise premiums when needed, wind up shifting some of the costs to homeowners who happen to live in states that are more accommodating to premium increases. That is, in part, how middle-class communities, such as Enid, Okla., can end up subsidizing the owners of million-dollar houses in Malibu. And under our current regulatory regime, that dynamic is only expected to strengthen as climate losses continue to cut into insurance companies’ bottom line. The voices loudly criticizing California for its rigid control of insurance pricing are ignoring numerous similar examples from the rest of the country. In 2023, after the federal flood insurance program began to adjust its premiums to better reflect climate realities, 10 states across the political spectrum — including reliably red Louisiana, Florida and Texas and moderate blue Virginia — sued the program. And California isn’t the only state that failed to raise premiums to properly fund its FAIR plan, the state-sponsored insurer of last resort often relied on by those living in climate-vulnerable areas; Florida did as well. Home insurance is just one way our financial system encourages Americans to move to flood-prone sections of Florida or parched, air-conditioning-dependent Arizona. The government mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which guarantee about 70 percent of mortgages on single-family homes, charge the same fees regardless of climate risk. Nobody intends to move into harm’s way. Many people settle in places like Texas because housing is generally more affordable. But that affordability is a mirage: Their mortgage and insurance risks are being subsidized by everyone else. This system, and the continual building in risky areas, portends ever-rising disaster losses. We get why change is hard. Losing one’s home can be economically and emotionally devastating. Rising insurance premiums can stress homeowners who are already struggling. For households that have their entire life savings tied to their homes, hefty premiums combined with lower home values tied to the cost of insurance could even lead them to default on their mortgages. Editors’ Picks His Life Savings Were Mailed to Him by Paper Check. Now, It’s Gone. Your Hearing Can Get Worse as You Age. Here’s How to Protect It. Kristen Stewart Thinks the Critics at Cannes Are Being Too Nice That may explain why a growing number of households living in imperiled areas are not only taking on more debt to pay for higher premiums but also reducing their coverage altogether, leaving them dangerously exposed to disasters. Regulators can and should monitor insurers so they don’t use their market power to charge excessive rates. But we are at the other extreme in many high-risk areas: At some point, regulators will have to allow prices to go up so insurers remain solvent and private insurance stays available, even in places hard hit by climate change. The longer they delay, the larger and more disruptive the price increases will be. Premiums in Florida nearly doubled from 2018 to 2023. And by the time premiums catch up to risks, more households will have moved to dangerous areas, lured by artificially low prices that mask the true cost, and sunk their life savings into their homes. It is pain now versus even more pain later. But eventually, once prices reflect risks, incentives will rebalance, and people will be discouraged from migrating to and building in disaster-prone areas. For state and federal policymakers, the question they must face is not whether we should move to insurance pricing that reflects risks, but how. The federal flood insurance program can point to an approach. From 2021 to 2023, the program phased in risk-based pricing. Policies for new customers were adjusted first. Existing customers in high-risk areas have a much longer adjustment period. This gives households information and time to adjust to the new pricing regime. If climate change creates more frequent, intense and correlated disasters, insurers may continue to leave high-risk areas, even with risk-based pricing. If so, the government could step in by creating, say, a federal reinsurance backstop. If policymakers choose to go in this direction, it is paramount for this coverage to be priced correctly. Otherwise, we risk adding yet another implicit subsidy for disaster-prone areas. We don’t have to live this way. Our policies were designed for a world where the gap between high- and low-risk areas was smaller and less persistent. But these gaps have been growing rapidly. And the longer we wait, the more we, and our society, will suffer.

Here’s something you’ve never seen before: two great professional basketball opponents, who less than three months ago slugged it out during an epic WNBA Finals series, now sitting in the same room together to promote their new hoops startup operation. “Yeah, it got spicy between co-founders for a little bit,” says New York Liberty center Breanna Stewart, who along with her 2024 WNBA Finals rival, Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, are starting Unrivaled, a three-on-three women’s pro basketball league that tips off Friday night in South Florida. The pair are conducting a joint Zoom interview with TIME from Unrivaled’s new all-purpose 130,000 sq.-ft. hoops facility outside Miami. The Liberty outlasted the Lynx in a controversial deciding Game 5: with the Lynx a few seconds away from clinching the championship, Stewart appeared to travel before benefiting from a questionable foul call at the end of regulation, allowing her to make two free throws to send the game into overtime, during which New York prevailed to win the franchise’s first-ever WNBA title. In the postgame press conference, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeves criticized the refs for allowing New York to play physically throughout the game and series. “This s--t was stolen from us,” she said. A few weeks later, on a podcast hosted by NBA player Paul George, Collier called the refereeing “terrible,” the non-call on Stewart’s foot-shuffling—and the whistle putting her on the foul line—“egregious.” In a GQ interview published in early January, Collier admitted she’s still not over the loss, referring to it as an “injustice.” So, with the pair now side-by-side on my laptop screen, I had to ask: does Stewart agree with her co-founder’s stance? “What a question,” Stewart says. “Umm, I think it would probably be the heat of the moment. Everyone is feeling all different types of reactions. But one thing that we’ve said is, with all this gained attention in the WNBA, it is going to put a little bit of an extra focal point on the referees. And hopefully that’s something that we can continue to grow and build.” Diplomatic, but a total dodge. Again: do you agree with Collier’s assessment that your title was an injustice? “No, I don’t agree with that assessment,” Stewart replies. Of course she doesn’t: just had to get it on the record. Still, none other than LeBron James spoke for many when he tweeted, after Alanna Smith was called for that foul against Stewart at the end of Game 5: “I’m sorry but that wasn’t a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a close [battle] tested game.” So was it a foul? “Yeah,” responds Stewart. “They reviewed it and they still called a foul, so…” Does Collier, who’s smiling throughout this exchange, want to add anything? “You’re just asking really pointed questions,” she says. “So I’m just laughing.” The former college teammates at UConn, who have also teamed up for gold medals twice at the Olympics—in Tokyo and last summer in Paris—should have no problem moving past that contentious series. For Unrivaled demands their undivided attention. The league, which has raised $35 million in capital and attracted sponsors like Ally Financial, Miller Lite, and Under Armour, is seeking to build on the momentum that women’s basketball—and women’s sports in general—has seen over the past few years. Unrivaled’s success should leave little doubt there’s still plenty of upside to the boom. Plus, for the WNBA players competing in this upstart league, Unrivaled offers an opportunity to bank significant offseason income, in the United States. On average, the 36 Unrivaled players will earn more than $220,000 in salary, which is higher than the $214,466 regular max base salary, and close to the $249,244 supermax base salary, for the 2025 WNBA season. Unrivaled also offers players equity and revenue sharing. These financial rewards incentivize players to skip suiting up for overseas pro teams during the WNBA offseason, as they’ve been doing for many years. Being in the United States during these early months of 2025 offers the ability to more easily activate sponsorship opportunities, through appearances and other commitments, while easing travel and other logistical burdens on their families. Collier says she began thinking about Unrivaled about two-and-a-half years ago, around the time her daughter, Mila, was born. She and her husband, basketball trainer Alex Bazell, joked that they should start their own 3-on-3—not 5-on-5—league. “It’s so bogged down in the paint, especially for players in our position,” says Collier, who like Stewart is a taller player who spends time tussling down in the paint. “To showcase our skills and abilities, we had to take people off the court.” The couple began to realize their idea had some legs. (Bazell, in fact, is now Unrivaled’s president). Stewart was a natural partner, given her ties with Collier, and the clout a now 2-time WNBA MVP and 3-time champ (about that last title…) would bring to the new league. She was sold, especially since it meant she could be home with her daughter Ruby, 3, in the offseason. Stewart played in Turkey after the 2022 WNBA season, when Ruby was one. Getting her acclimated to a new country, and finding day care, was challenging. “There are points where you’re like, ‘is it worth it?’” says Stewart. “Yes, you’re making money. You’re experiencing new cultures, which is always a positive. But you’re missing so much.” Unrivaled provides players with housing in South Florida. The league’s regular season and playoffs run from Jan. 17 through the March 17 championship game; regular season games generally take place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays, with a midseason one-on-one tournament—featuring a $250,000 prize for the winner—unfolding the week of Feb. 10. Unlike Olympic 3x3, which is staged in a half-court setting, Unrivaled players will run up and down a full court, though one with smaller dimensions than the WNBA’s. There are 6 teams, with names like Lunar Owls BC (Collier’s squad) and Mist BC (Stewart’s): each roster features 6 players and a coach. TNT or TruTV will broadcast every Unrivaled contest. Max will stream all the games, which are all held at the league’s Medley, Fla. facility. That space includes a practice and game court, meeting and training rooms, a cafeteria with nutritionists, a family room, child care center, and a Sephora glam room. “I would stay here forever,” Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, the WNBA rookie-of-the-year runner-up who will play with Unrivaled’s Rose BC, said at a recent Unrivaled media availability. “Everything I need is here—from massages, to cold tubs, to just being able to have resources, from workouts, to everything. So, just being able to be here and value women, it’s just really important right now, especially with the growth of women’s basketball.” Unrivaled will face some competition in the new sports league space. For example TGL, an indoor golf league in which teams strike balls into simulators, and putt on real greens, debuted in early January: ESPN is televising those events. Plus, fans already have plenty of sports and entertainment options at their fingertips: will they have the brain-space to consume something else? Collier believes Unrivaled will stand out because people already watch basketball during this time of year. Plus, the league’s star power could attract an audience. Besides Collier, Stewart, and Reese, standout participants include Sabrina Ionescu, Brittney Griner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Arike Ogunbowale, and others. “We said from the beginning, we have to get the stars for this to work,” says Collier. “We have all the best people here.” There are some notable absences, like reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and reigning rookie of the year Caitlin Clark, whose play helped the WNBA set a slew of attendance and viewership records a season ago. “I kind of want to just stay out of the spotlight,” Clark told TIME for its 2024 Athlete of the Year feature, when asked why she’s skipping Unrivaled’s rookie campaign. Stewart, for one, wasn’t surprised that Clark turned down Unrivaled, given that she again led Iowa to the 2024 NCAA championship game. “As someone who has gone through a college run and then gotten drafted two weeks later, and then reported to a new city and played a rookie season, it’s kind of a whirlwind,” says Stewart, who joined the Seattle Storm after leading UConn to the 2016 NCAA title, her fourth straight championship, and also played on the U.S. Olympic team in Rio that summer. “It’s definitely understandable for her to want to take some time off and just be off the court and just be a person for a little while,” says Stewart. “Hopefully down the line, she’ll want to come and see what this is all about.” Plenty of others have shown interest through their checkbooks. Unrivaled’s investors include tennis star Coco Gauff, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, private equity billionaire and former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, University of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, and former Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff. Unrivaled’s latest $28 million funding round was oversubscribed. “We really just hit the market at the perfect time,” says Collier, citing the steady growth of the WNBA over the past few years, plus the influx of popular young players from college who joined the pro ranks this season. “I’m not surprised that we’re having this feedback, because for so long, we’ve tried to fight against the narrative that women’s sports is a charity, but it’s a great business investment,” says Collier. “People are seeing that, and so they want to get involved. Because it’s going to make them money.”

If you’ve ever experienced irregular bowel movements during your period, you’re not alone. Your menstrual cycle can lead to symptoms like bloating, cramping, and changes in your bowel movements. Many people experience diarrhea while on their period (commonly known as “period poops”). We spoke to doctors about what causes the phenomenon and how best to manage stomach-related issues associated with your menstrual cycle. What causes “period poops”? In the week or two leading up to your period, it’s not uncommon to experience constipation and bloating. That’s because your body is releasing more progesterone (in preparation for a possible pregnancy), which can relax your gut muscles so your gastrointestinal system "doesn't move things along as quickly,” says Dr. Wendi LeBrett, a gastroenterologist in Idaho. But when you start your period, your progesterone levels drop. “I describe this as taking the brakes off,” LeBrett says. “Then, all of a sudden, whatever’s been slowing down your gut is gone, and so then there’s an increase in gut motility.” @socalgastrodoc Who else can relate to period poops 🩸 💩 ?? It’s more common than you think and can contribute to cramping around the menstrual cycle #periodpoops #pooptok #hormones #periods #motility #lutealphase #guthealth #womenshealth ♬ original sound - socalgastrodoc At the same time, your body produces more hormone-like substances called prostaglandins while you’re on your period, according to LeBrett. Prostaglandins cause uterine contractions during menstruation, which helps shed your uterine lining and can cause cramps. But prostaglandins can also cause the contraction and relaxation of your gut muscles, LeBrett says. That can cause more frequent bowel movements and loose stool or diarrhea, says Dr. Karen Tang, a gynecologist and the author of It’s Not Hysteria, a book about reproductive health. How can you ease stomach problems associated with your period? If you’re constipated before your period starts, LeBrett recommends eating insoluble fibers, like the kind found in leafy green vegetables. If you start having diarrhea during your period, she suggests eating soluble fibers, like the kind found in bananas and oatmeal. Some fruits and vegetables contain both types of fibers. Ibuprofen is a prostaglandin inhibitor, so it can help ease the discomfort of both period cramping and irregular bowel movements, LeBrett says. But LeBrett advises people not to take it too frequently or on an empty stomach, since ibuprofen can increase the risk of stomach ulcers. So are “period poops” normal? Yes. But both LeBrett and Tang say that if your symptoms are severe, you should see a doctor. “I usually say, if something’s affecting your quality of life, that’s not normal,” Tang says. @karentangmd #stitch with @hayleygeorgiamorris WTF are #periodpoops ?! #periodpoop #endometriosis ♬ original sound - KarenTangMD If you’re experiencing severe diarrhea, if it hurts to have bowel movements, or if there’s blood in your stool, Tang recommends consulting your doctor. More serious symptoms could be a sign of another condition, like endometriosis or a gastrointestinal issue. “If you’re noticing [period poops] cyclically, like it always happens around your period, that kind of fits with the overall changes in your menstrual cycle,” LeBrett says. “If you’re noticing it more chronically, like you’re always having diarrhea, and it’s maybe a little worse during your period, but you’re still having diarrhea on the other days of your menstrual cycle, that’s another time to discuss with a doctor.”