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Today's top stories
President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in today for his second term in the White House. He promised quite a show for his first day in office last night at an hours-long rally at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. His inauguration, originally scheduled outdoors, has been moved to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda due to below-freezing temperatures. His supporters can see him via livestream. Here's how to watch the inauguration festivities — and what to look out for.
- 🎧 There is a full day of activities planned, including a midday ceremony that could involve Trump signing executive orders, NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben tells Up First. The move indoors will also make a lot of time today feel like a traditional Trump rally, she adds. At last night's rally, Trump talked about carrying out mass deportations quickly and pardoning people convicted for their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
- ➡️ Here's what Trump has promised to focus on during his presidential term.
Around 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were freed from Israeli jails yesterday as part of an exchange under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The release came hours after three Israeli women who had been held hostage in Gaza for 471 days were set free by Hamas-led militants. There were emotional reunions with families and celebrations on both sides. The hostage and prisoner release is the first phase of what's being called a temporary ceasefire.
- 🎧 "From the moment the ceasefire did go into effect, almost three hours late, you could feel this collective sigh of relief just blanket the country. It was a day of tears, jubilation, embraces," NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi, who is in Tel Aviv, says. Inside Gaza, Palestinians blasted music from their homes, cheered and honked their car horns when the ceasefire took effect. The skies in Gaza went silent for the first time in months with no Israeli airstrikes. Over 600 trucks of desperately needed aid entered Gaza, according to the United Nations. Hamas is expected to release four more hostages on Saturday.
- ➡️ See photos from the moment families reunited when the ceasefire took effect.
TikTok is back online in the U.S. after going dark for around 14 hours on Saturday night. The blackout impacted 170 million American users and was lifted after Trump promised to issue an executive order to pause the federal ban once he is sworn in. However, the app isn't quite back to normal yet.
- 🎧 Legal experts have questioned whether Trump can use an executive order as an end-run around a law Congress already passed, NPR's Juliana Kim says. Trump said he wants his administration to have more time to work out a deal. The timeline to negotiate the deal is not clear, but he told NBC News he is considering around 90 days. Since the ban, Apple and Google haven't allowed TikTok back in their app stores. New users cannot download it, and the app can't receive software updates to fix bugs or other issues.
Today's listen
Martin Luther King Jr. has a lasting legacy and even pulled some focus during the 1960 presidential election. Atlanta activist Lonnie C. King noticed something was missing from Vice President Richard Nixon and Sen. John F. Kennedy's presidential campaigns. There was no mention of the unrest happening in the South. Lonnie devised a plan to bring awareness, enlisting the help of his childhood friend, MLK Jr.
- 🎧 Listen to Lonnie describe his plan, how it worked and how it impacted the presidential election.
Life advice
Cooking seems simple in theory, but it can feel like a chore to some. But there is a way to flip that feeling around. Margaret Eby, author of You Gotta Eat: Real Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible, says you have to change how you think of what it means to prepare food. Here's how to gain more confidence in the kitchen:
- 🍳 Assembling food counts as cooking. Throw a few ingredients in a slow cooker or make a sandwich.
- 🍳 Think outside the box for dinner. A charcuterie board isn't a typical dinner idea, but why not try it? You can include arranged cheese, cured meats and more on your platter.
- 🍳 Don't let recipes control you. Remember, you don't need all the ingredients; play around with things you might or might not want to eat.
Read more about changing your mindset around cooking, plus get a recipe to make a bean salad here.
3 things to know before you go
- Meteorologists at 27 local TV news stations could face layoffs after Allen Media Group announced a new local weather initiative with The Weather Channel. The group said the new format will have "additional visual storytelling capabilities" across its stations.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it will award Moderna $590 million to accelerate the development of influenza vaccines, including those for bird flu.
- Famed novelist and essayist Virginia Woolf has also been revealed to be a poet, according to documents uncovered at the Harry Ransom Center, an archive library at the University of Texas at Austin.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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