The National Weather Service plans to issue a red flag warning of critical fire weather conditions including gusty winds and low relative humidity, effective Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon, for Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the agency's LA office stated Saturday morning.

The big picture: Historic California wildfires have severely impacted these areas, and the NWS expects offshore Santa Ana winds to pick back up, with another strong offshore event occurring early next week and no rain in sight.

• Wildfires have seared more than 30,000 acres in Los Angeles County this week, leaving at least 11 people dead, per an update Friday from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

Threat level: With no rain in the forecast, these winds will challenge firefighters battling the ongoing blazes and any new fire starts.

• Parts of Southern California are experiencing their driest start to the winter "rainy season" on record, after two wet winters encouraged plant growth that has led to ample dry vegetation for fires to burn.

What they're saying: "With continued dry conditions, Red Flag Warnings are likely. While a brief reprieve from the winds are expected Sunday Night, they will form again Monday through Wednesday, with a peak around Tuesday of gusts between 40 and 60 mph," the NWS said.

• "With humidities plummeting to 5 to 15 percent, there is a high risk for Red Flag Warnings."

More from Axios:

• L.A. fire losses will set records, but that's only the beginning
• No reprieve for California inferno, with high winds continuing into next week

The Justice Department in a report released Friday concluded "no avenue for prosecution exists" for the crimes carried out during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the deadliest series of murders in U.S. history.

The big picture: The findings come roughly three months after the DOJ launched its first-ever federal probe into the coordinated attack that left an estimated 300 Black residents dead and decimated the thriving Greenwood community, also known as "Black Wall Street."

• The event is widely regarded as the worst race massacre in U.S. history.
• The DOJ noted in its report — which corroborates survivor testimonies and existing research — that its conclusion was "despite the gravity of the department's findings." It was also the federal government's first comprehensive acknowledgment of the massacre.
• The report confirms that the massacre was not just mob violence but a coordinated military-style attack that involved systematic arson, looting, and killings carried out by white residents, some of whom were deputized by the Tulsa police.

What they're saying: Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division called the massacre "a civil rights crime unique in its magnitude, barbarity, racist hostility and its utter annihilation of a thriving Black community."

• "Until this day, the Justice Department has not spoken publicly about this race massacre or officially accounted for the horrific events that transpired in Tulsa," she said.
• "This report breaks that silence by rigorous examination and a full accounting of one of the darkest episodes of our nation's past."

Zoom out: The DOJ report says prosecution is no longer feasible because the youngest potential defendants would now be over 115 years old and relevant statutes of limitations "expired decades ago," leaving no legal avenue for federal charges.

The DOJ report found:

• Coordinated Attack: The DOJ found that — depending on how you define participation — up to 10,000 white residents of Tulsa devastated Greenwood.
• Government Complicity: Local law enforcement disarmed Black residents, detained survivors in camps, and participated in arson and murder. Tulsa hindered recovery by imposing restrictive fire codes, rejecting aid, and resisting rebuilding efforts.
• Legal Failures: The DOJ acknowledged that civil rights laws could have allowed hate crime prosecutions, but in 1921, no such protections existed and federal laws were unenforced, leaving survivors and descendants without justice.

Between the lines: While the report recognizes its historical significance and documents the trauma and loss suffered by Greenwood's residents, Rev. William Barber of the Repairers of the Breach expressed frustration at the limitations imposed by expired laws.

• "Isn't it a tragedy that we have a statute of limitations on the murdering of an entire community?"
• "If the Justice Department says the statute of limitations is a law, then there ought to be a campaign for new legislation that says, when the government has participated in political murder, this country will not allow a statute of limitation to prevent justice."

The bottom line: Barber stressed the need to reframe such events in historical narratives, because we "can't let these stories be told incorrectly."

• "We must not use the language of 'riot.' Whether it was Springfield, Illinois; Wilmington, North Carolina; or Tulsa—they weren't riots. They were murders, bombings, and insurrections."
• "The Justice Department's findings must be built upon, and this moment must stir action, even if the results take time. Sometimes what you do in one moment has an impact in another."

More from Axios:

• 1st Tulsa Race Massacre victim identified in mass grave honored with memorial
• Uncovering the Tulsa Race Massacre after 100 years
• 100 years after Tulsa Race Massacre, last living survivors urge U.S. to not forget

Six days of funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter, who died at home Sunday at 100 years old, began on Saturday with a procession in Georgia.

The big picture: Carter is the country's longest-living former president and the first to reach 100 years old.

State of play: Memorial events include a departure ceremony at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia followed by a trip to Carter's childhood home in Plains, a motorcade to Atlanta and moment of silence at Georgia's State Capitol, per the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region.

• An arrival ceremony and service at the Carter Presidential Center follows with Carter lying in repose from 7pm Saturday to 6am Sunday.

President Biden named former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, actor Denzel Washington, billionaire George Soros and Bono, lead singer of the rock band U2, among 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday.

Why it matters: The award is the nation's highest civilian honor.

What they're saying: President Biden thanked the awardees at a White House ceremony on Saturday and said they embody the nation's creed "e pluribus unum, out of many one."

• "As cultural icons [...] dignified statesmen, humanitarians, rock stars, sports stars, you feed the hungry," he said.
• "You give hope to those who are hurting, and you craft the signs and sounds of our movements and our memories."

Zoom in: This year's recipients posthumously include activist Fannie Lou Hamer, whose work fighting racial injustice of the Jim Crow era helped pave the way for the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Other awardees include: Basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson, conservationist Jane Goodall, designer Ralph Lauren, chef José Andrés, actor Michael J. Fox and entrepreneur Tim Gill.

Also on the recipient list, are Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, soccer player Lionel Messi, Bill Nye of the popular 90s TV show "Bill Nye the Science Guy," writer George Stevens, Jr. and David Rubenstein, co-chairman of The Carlyle Group.

Biden posthumously awarded the honor to the 25th secretary of defense Ashton Baldwin Carter, former attorney general Robert Francis Kennedy and businessman George Romney.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with the president's remarks.

President-elect Trump on Saturday praised a federal judge's decision to block the Biden administration from disposing of materials used for Trump's promised southern border wall before his inauguration.

Why it matters: Trump's political identity has rested heavily on a promised crackdown on illegal immigration, earmarked with campaign vows of mass deportations and a completed border wall.

What they're saying: The president-elect called the decision Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office announced on Friday "a major, crucial WIN for America" in a Truth Social post.

• The attorney general's office said in a news release Paxton asked for a probe "to uncover potential legal violations committed by the Biden Administration after recent reports that segments of the border wall were auctioned off for pennies on the dollar."
• "The Biden Administration confirmed to the court today that it will agree to an order preventing the outgoing administration from disposing of any further border wall materials over the next 30 days—allowing President Trump to use those materials as he sees fit," officials said in the release.
• "This will be adopted as an order of the court, making it enforceable if any violations occur."

The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he apologized after the Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed en route to Grozny, Chechnya, killing 38 people and injuring 29 others on Christmas Day.

The big picture: Putin apologized in a phone call with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev "for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace," but the Russian president did not accept responsibility for the crash itself in a translated government news release.

• The crash happened in Kazakhstan as flight J2-8243 was diverted en route from Baku, Azerbaijan's capital.

The latest: "During the conversation, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was strictly on schedule, repeatedly attempted to land at the Grozny airport," Russian officials said in the release.

• "At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were attacked by Ukrainian combat unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defense systems repelled these attacks."
• Russia has opened an investigation into the crash and is "closely cooperating at the site of the disaster in the Aktau region," the government said.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Congress on Friday that "extraordinary measures" will be necessary as early as Jan. 14 unless Congress acts to raise or otherwise suspend the debt ceiling.

Why it matters: President-elect Trump has voiced support to abolish the debt limit despite some of his supporters historically opposing action to raise the debt ceiling during Democratic administrations.

Driving the news: The debt limit, which reflects the amount the U.S. government is allowed to borrow to pay for services including Social Security and Medicare benefits, was suspended through Jan. 1, 2025, when the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 went into effect.

• Outstanding debt is set to decrease by approximately $54 billion on Jan. 2 due to "a scheduled redemption of nonmarketable securities held by a federal trust fund related to Medicare payments," Yellen wrote in a letter addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Yes, but: The Treasury "expects to reach the new limit between January 14 and January 23, at which time it will be necessary for Treasury to start taking extraordinary measures," Yellen wrote.

• "I respectfully urge Congress to act to protect the full faith and credit of the United States," Yellen added.

Eliminating the debt limit would likely require Democratic support, Axios earlier reported.

Go deeper: Scoop: Jeffries' plan to kill the debt ceiling forever

President-elect Trump boasts a "productive meeting" with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after earlier threatening tariffs on the country, China and Mexico.

Why it matters: Trump earlier promised to implement tariffs immediately, triggering fears of inflation and a trade war.

The latest: He said in a Truth Social post Saturday that he covered in his recent talk with Trudeau the drug crisis as well as "Fair Trade Deals that do not jeopardize American Workers, and the massive Trade Deficit the U.S. has with Canada."

• Of the drug crisis, Trump said: "Prime Minister Trudeau has made a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation of U.S. Families."
• "We also spoke about many other important topics like Energy, Trade, and the Arctic," Trump said. "All are vital issues that I will be addressing on my first days back in Office, and before."

Zoom in: Neither Trump nor Trudeau detailed specific plans resulting from the meeting.

• Trudeau said in an X post, "I look forward to the work we can do together, again."

Catch up quick: Having parted with Trump on trade in the past, Trudeau said in January that his government was getting ready for the "uncertainty" Trump's return would bring.

Go deeper: World leaders who clashed with Trump brace for an awkward reunion

President-elect Trump tapped his son-in-law Jared Kushner's father Charles Kushner on Saturday to serve as U.S. ambassador to France.

Why it matters: The elder Kushner is one of several Trump allies convicted of crimes.

• Trump pardoned the real estate developer in 2020 after he pleaded guilty in 2004 to filing false tax returns, retaliating against a witness and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission, Axios reported.

The latest: In his administration announcement, Trump noted Charles Kushner's business acumen as founder of the real estate firm Kushner Companies and his service on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council and as commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

• "He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests," the president-elect said.
• Trump has faced criticism for seemingly prioritizing loyalty and not necessarily experience in his picks for Cabinet and administration positions.

Catch up quick: Jared Kushner, who served as Trump's senior adviser during his first administration, said earlier this year in an interview at the Axios BFD that he plans to sit out a second Trump administration, opting instead to focus on work with his investment firm, Affinity Partners.

• Senate Democrats launched an investigation into the business this summer.

Go deeper:

• Axios BFD: Kushner says he's not looking to return to White House
• Trump pardons Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and Charles Kushner
• Trump builds his "central casting" Cabinet
• Trump picks linked to sexual misconduct allegations