It’s Thursday, Jan. 9 And Here Are The Stories We’re Following Today

Welcome to Thursday. It's another wintry day in L.A. (aka sunny and below 70 degrees), and the political forecast no longer warns of war with Iran.

What we’re covering now:

• As climate change continues, wildfires are becoming more common. Jacob Margolis is taking a look at how military bases in Southern California are preparing to adapt.
• Thousands of overseas Taiwanese are flying back to vote in a major presidential election in Taiwan this weekend, per NPR. L.A. has the largest Taiwanese diaspora, so Josie Huang is talking with Taiwanese Angelenos who are flying back to vote.

Look ahead:

• Pennsylvania may have Punxsutawney Phil, but we have Mojave Maxine. A contest is afoot to guess whether the desert tortoise will emerge from its brumation (that's tortoise for "hibernation"), thus signaling an early spring.
• We explain new city rules that require people to get permits to put planters and other things on sidewalks (which are often meant to keep homeless people form setting up camp).
• Local residents were scheduled to demonstrate outside Walnut's City Council meeting Wednesday night, protesting the trapping and killing of coyotes, even though, they say, none have been involved in attacks on people. But coyote populations are a concern in many communities, from L.A. to D.C. We explore.
• Plus, if you're anywhere near Redlands tonight, join KPCC's In Person for a live talk, as reporter Emily Guerin and a panel of experts explore how the Inland Empire could be affected by climate change in the coming decades, and how residents can react.

Have a tip about news on which we should dig deeper? Let us know »