• U.S. home sales plummet: Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in 2024 to a nearly 30-year low for the second year in a row, affected by high mortgage rates, rising home prices, and fewer available properties.
• Threat to withhold aid: President Donald Trump, who tours Los Angeles Friday, has been sharply critical of California’s water management policies.
• Documents release ordered: President Donald Trump has ordered the release of thousands of classified governmental records related to assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
• Withdrawal deadline breached: Israel Defense Forces will remain in southern Lebanon beyond the Jan. 26 deadline stipulated in the ceasefire deal with Hezbollah.
• Costly natural disasters: Related economic losses soared in the United States last year and were above average globally. 

Read these news briefs.

President Donald Trump’s first-week executive orders back up his campaign promises. But some drew criticism, and the momentum may be hard to sustain.

In the wake of President Trump’s pardons for the Jan. 6 rioters, police question the long-term effect on police and public safety.

When the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement was announced, Palestinian residents of Gaza celebrated. But as they return to what is left of their homes, the destruction they are finding is almost too much to comprehend.

Incarcerated people in California have helped put out the fires in Los Angeles. One man, deported to Mexico for his crime, says he wishes he could be back on the line now.

The proclamations. The apparent contradictions. A prevalence that seems not to align with surveys. Religion now pops up in politics, and in daily life, in some surprising ways – especially where Christianity is concerned. At the Monitor, we’re bolstering our coverage. A writer at the center of that tells how. 

Actors often mine their pasts for material. On a recent trip to Texas, Jeff Hiller of “Somebody Somewhere” reflects on the humanity – and humor – in his.

The wildfires that have swept through whole communities in Los Angeles this month have kindled notable generosity. Disney and Google have pledged millions in relief and recovery funds. Several A-list actors have given from their private fortunes. Now the Hollywood movie industry is adding its own contribution.

On Thursday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its annual award nominations and plans to go forward with the Oscars ceremony March 2. But instead of showcasing songs from the movies during the event, the Academy will highlight the inspiration behind the music with personal reflections of songwriters.

“We will reflect on the recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism that defines Los Angeles and our industry,” wrote academy leaders Bill Kramer and Janet Yang. In other words, the city’s trials by fire will put a renewed focus on the essence of Hollywood.

“Rebuilding is not just about money,” Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, told The New York Times. “It’s about ingenuity and determination.”

Others have offered to revive the city’s creativity. “When it’s safe to reopen our offices in LA, we plan to offer YouTube production facilities to impacted creators and artists as they begin to recover and rebuild their businesses,” wrote Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, which is owned by Google, on the company’s blog.

When disasters strike in the world, Hollywood often isn’t far behind. In its more sober approaches to storytelling, it demonstrates the unique ability of film to evoke empathy. The movie “Patriots Day” offered a sensitive portrait of Boston’s response to the 2013 marathon bombing. In “The Impossible,” director J.A. Bayona depicted one family’s survival of the 2004 tsunami that struck Thailand. Like so much storytelling, these films touched audiences with the healing power of love.

“We must always celebrate the work that unites and defines us, makes us laugh, cry, think and aspire,” wrote Mary McNamara, a critic for the Los Angeles Times. “Especially in the midst of tragedy.”

Practicing generosity in response to the fires has cultivated a deeper sense of unity and comfort among Angelenos, said Peter Hamby, a writer based in Venice Beach, on the media company Puck’s website. By using the Oscars to honor the inspiration that drives creative works, Hollywood is helping its city recover what the late state historian Kevin Starr called “a sustaining connection ... between Southern California and the dream of better days.”