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Live from NPR news, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

Neighborhoods across greater Los Angeles are contending with critical conditions,

up to 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts, threaten to fuel active wildfires,

make them explode in size and cause

even more destruction. Last night, the auto fire broke out in Ventura County, but the

palisades and Eaton fires remain by far the most catastrophic for Angelenos. At least 24 lives

lost, at least 30 people unaccounted for, more than 12,000

structures destroyed. Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart told NPR's here and now about the need to

build back more fireproofed. You can build the same home back hopefully with more fireproofing

and not change the appearance. And we're going to have to address that.

And in fact, we have a team here in the city working on it right now to take advantage

on the governor's order to see what we can do to put these rebuilds back quickly.

Mayor Stewart also concedes insurance companies are not going to pay for upgrades,

and it's up to the government to help homeowners overcome that. Pete Hegseth,

the Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, faced intense criticism from Democrats

during his hearing today before the Senate Armed Services Committee to serve as President-elect

...