News Wrap: Wildfire near Malibu explodes in size overnight

Amna Nawaz:

We start the day's other headlines in Malibu, California, where fire crews are working to contain a wind-driven wildfire that exploded in size overnight.

Stephanie Sy has our report.

Stephanie Sy:

In Malibu, the night sky was bright orange. Strong winds fanned the Franklin Fire as it burned for a second night along a stretch of coast 30 miles west of Los Angeles, the flames inching toward roads, engulfing cars, and turning palm trees into tinder.

Anthony Marrone, Los Angeles County, California, Fire Chief:

As of this morning, the Franklin Fire has burned approximately 3,983 acres and is 7 percent contained. This is a 39 percent increase in acreage overnight.

Stephanie Sy:

Today, officials said weather conditions appeared to improve, giving 1,500 firefighters a chance to stop the rapid spread.

Still, the fire scorched a handful of structures and remains a threat to thousands more. Celebrities like Cher and Dick Van Dyke evacuated their seaside homes, as well as residents who described the blaze as something out of Hollywood come to life.

Johnny Constantine, Evacuee:

Last night, it felt like a movie, because the images that I was seeing was like the craziest looking fire I have ever seen in my life, and the smell and the smoke, seeing palm trees I have seen for 10 years that are just lit like a candle.

Stephanie Sy:

Nestled in the hills along the fire's path, Pepperdine University, home to some 3,000 students. Final exams were interrupted yesterday by a sudden shelter-in-place order.

Mia Gastile, College Student:

You just saw the flames coming up over the hill. And, at first, it was not a problem, because they were like, the wind is blowing parallel and not in our direction. And I think about maybe five minutes later they were like, it's in our direction.

Marcello Campana, College Student:

Last night, we were here for all of it, through the thick of it. It was definitely a little scary at some points. We didn't really sleep much.

Stephanie Sy:

The university reported little to no damage to structures on campus. Evacuation centers have opened up across the region. This one set up by the Red Cross offers a refuge for anyone and any pet. Workers say about 12 families and a few goats have already checked in.

Mimi Teller, American Red Cross Los Angeles Region:

It's important that people evacuate when they're told to. Their animals are welcome, because also a lot of people won't evacuate because of their animals.

Stephanie Sy:

Malibu is no stranger to major fires. Coastal winds and often dry terrain make it one of the most fire-prone areas in Southern California. Last night, the mayor gave words of assurance.

Doug Stewart, Mayor of Malibu, California: It's going to be a while before it grows back, but that's the way it is here in Malibu. It burns, it comes back, and we're resilient and strong.

Stephanie Sy:

The cause of this fire is still unknown. No fatalities have been reported, and compared to blazes of the past, property damage has been minimal.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Stephanie Sy.

Amna Nawaz:

Also today, the grocery chain Albertsons has officially terminated its multibillion-dollar merger with rival Kroger and is now suing its competitor. This comes a day after two judges halted the proposed deal.

The $24.6 billion tie-up would have been the largest grocery store merger in U.S. history. It was first proposed in 2022, with the companies claiming it would help them compete against the likes of Walmart and Costco. But the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the deal earlier this year, saying it would raise prices by eliminating competition. Albertsons is now seeking billions of dollars in damages, accusing Kroger of failing to follow through on its commitments to the merger.

On Capitol Hill, outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the Biden administration's handling of the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Appearing before the Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee, Blinken argued that the chaos was due to the 2020 deal then-President Trump reached with the Taliban.

But Republican lawmakers insisted that it was the Biden administration that was to blame. A suicide bombing at Kabul Airport killed 13 U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans in the final days of the withdrawal. Blinken opened his testimony by turning and apologizing to family members of those lost during that operation.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: To the extent President Biden faced a choice, it was between ending the war or escalating it. In the three years since the end of our country's longest war, all of us, including myself, have wrestled with what we could have done differently during that period and over the preceding two decades.

Amna Nawaz:

A State Department report published last year faulted both the Trump and Biden administrations for insufficient planning surrounding the withdrawal.

Today's hearing comes as a suicide blast in the Afghan capital of Kabul killed the Taliban's minister for refugees, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, along with at least six others. The Taliban has blamed the Islamic State group for that attack.

Palestinian officials say that multiple Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip today killed at least 29 people; 19 of those were killed in a home where displaced people were sheltering in the northern town of Beit Lahia, near the border with Israel. A separate strike hit this house in a Central Gaza refugee camp, killing at least seven people. Palestinians there woke up to the wreckage.

Issam Al-Hossary, Displaced Palestinian (through interpreter):

We were sleeping. We didn't hear the sound of the missile at all. Suddenly, I found myself waking up like this. I saw the rubble all over me and the children. As I stepped outside, I saw the people, bodies everywhere, blood and limbs scattered among the trees.

Amna Nawaz:

In the meantime, the United Nations says that aid to Northern Gaza has been largely blocked for around two months. Officials say that has left as many as 75,000 Palestinians without access to food, water, electricity or health care.

Officials in South Korea say the country's former defense minister tried to take his own life after his arrest over last week's declaration of martial law. They say correctional officers at a detention center in Seoul stopped Kim Yong-hyun from doing so. He remains in stable condition. Kim had been accused of recommending that President Yoon Suk Yeol impose martial law and advised him to send in troops to prevent lawmakers from voting on it.

Separately, Yoon's office resisted an attempt by police to search his office today. Officers had been dispatched to look for evidence related to his role in last week's events.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended mixed after the latest reading on inflation showed a slight rise in consumer prices. The Dow Jones industrial average lost nearly 100 points on the day, but the Nasdaq surged, adding nearly 350 points to close above 20000 for the first time ever. The S&P 500 also ended firmly in positive territory.

And soccer's international governing body, FIFA, announced today the host nations for two upcoming men's World Cups. One of the selections came with controversy.

Man:

Saudi Arabia.

Amna Nawaz:

Saudi Arabia will be tournament host in 2034. The hugs and applause at the virtual FIFA event were a formality, though, as the country ran uncontested. Human rights groups criticized today's decision due to the country's human rights record.

Also today, FIFA announced that Portugal, Spain and Morocco will co-host the tournament in 2030. Before that, though, the 2026 World Cup will take place in cities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Still to come on the "News Hour": police work to link evidence at the murder scene of UnitedHealthcare's CEO to the suspect in custody; a panel of political analysts lay out their hopes and concerns following the presidential election; and author Bryan Stevenson discusses inequities in the criminal justice system on the 10th anniversary of his groundbreaking book.