
CALIFORNIA — A now-homeless survivor: A cat lies near a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Altadena. As of Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 15, the Associated Press reported that millions of Southern Californians face yet another round of dangerous fire weather. Worse, the National Weather Service has issued the rare “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning for an area near where the Palisades and Eaton fires have killed at least 25 and destroyed thousands of homes.
The “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning “is one of the loudest ways that we can shout,” said Rose Schoenfeld, an NWS meteorologist.
LONDON — Wicked acrobatics, defying gravity: Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, right, challenges for the ball with AFC Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert during a Matchweek 21, English Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge stadium, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. According to its website, the Premier League represents “the top tier of England’s football pyramid, with 20 teams battling it out for the honour of being crowned English champions.”
The League’s season runs from August to the following May, with teams playing a total of 380 matches, both home and away.
MELBOURNE — ‘I vant to be alone …’, to paraphrase the great Swedish actress Greta Garbo (who actually said, “I want to be let alone”): Naomi Osaka of Japan sits with a towel over her during a break in her second round match against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic at the Australian Open tennis championship on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Osaka won Wednesday’s match in three sets: 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 — “her biggest win since she became a mother in the summer of 2023,” Matthew Futterman of The Athletic noted.
Osaka’s experience at the Open is bittersweet as her Los Angeles home narrowly escaped the wildfires; a friend rescued the birth certificate of Osaka’s daughter.
LONDON — Autographed guitar for sale: An art handler displays a Jackson, Glendora, 1983, a solid-body electric guitar, soloist, signed by Tina Turner, ahead of the pre-sale exhibition of Jeff Beck The Guitar Collection at Christie’s auction rooms in London, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. The exhibit of rock icon Jeff Beck’s guitars and other ephemera will be open to the public until the Jan. 22 sale, commemorating the British guitarist, who died in January 2023 at age 78, reportedly of bacterial meningitis.
Beck, who was twice inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland, Ohio), was known as “a guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll,” according to his obituary by Mark Kennedy.
VATICAN — ‘Now, THIS is a soul that we don’t have to worry about …’: Pope Francis pets a dog during a performance of Rony Roller Circus artists on the occasion of the weekly general audience on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.
The pontiff must love circus performers, as CircAfrica performed just last week.
MELBOURNE — Hard to tell from position of ball, but this is a tough topspin return: Casper Ruud of Norway plays a forehand return to Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic during their second-round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. However, the 26-year-old Ruud lost his match to Mensik, still in his teens, on Wednesday, in an upset that eliminated the Norwegian pro from the Australian Open.
This match helped Mensik reach the third round of the tournament for the first time, matching his best Grand Slam result. He has also reached the third round of the U.S. Open twice.
CAPITOL — Cabinet construction continues: Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, arrives to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Bondi’s hearing is recessed until Thursday when several witnesses are expected to testify on her behalf.
During the hearing, California Senator Adam Schiff warned Bondi that “the time will come” when her loyalty to President-elect Trump conflicts with her duty as attorney general, the Constitution and her oath of office, and that she will be defined by that critical moment.
MELBOURNE — Capturing autographs in a mass media world: Coco Gauff of the U.S. autographs a TV camera screen after defeating Jodie Burrage of Britain in their second-round match at the Australian Open tennis championship on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.
Matthew Futterman described Gauff’s game as “the sporting version of an iPhone, with a new model coming out just about every year or so.” After taking an extended break last fall, Gauff has entered this Australian Open with a “different” tennis.