Business News
January 15, 2025AP Entertainment
January 15, 2025AP- News
January 15, 2025
Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire deal to pause Gaza war and release some hostages, mediators say
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Mediatoris announced that Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, pausing a devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip and raising the possibility of winding down the the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies. The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Qatari capital, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. It also would flood badly needed humanitarian aid into a devastated territory. The agreement is expected to go into effect in the coming days.
Middle East latest: Israel and Hamas agree to a Gaza ceasefire, officials say
Qatari and Hamas officials say a ceasefire has been reached to pause Israel’s war in Gaza and release dozens of hostages. Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead. The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities there. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities.
Bondi in her confirmation hearing says Trump was ‘targeted’ by Justice Department investigations
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, is insisting at her Senate confirmation hearing that Trump had been targeted by years of investigations. She pledges that she would not “politicize” the Justice Department if confirmed as the country’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The statements Wednesday echoed Trump’s claims that the Justice Department had been weaponized against him. Democrats are concerned that the president-elect will look to use the agency’s law enforcement powers to exact retribution against his adversaries, including the investigators who investigated him.
Marco Rubio warns China is America’s ‘biggest threat’ as he seeks confirmation
WASHINGTON (AP) — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is receiving a warm welcome at his confirmation hearing to become secretary of State. The 53-year-old Rubio joked with fellow senators even as he sketched out his plans for implementing President-elect Donald Trump’s “America First” vision as secretary of state. Rubio warned of the dangers that he said are facing the U.S., most specifically from China, who he said is America’s “biggest threat.” Unlike many of Trump’s Cabinet selections, Rubio is expected to easily win confirmation, notching support not only from Republicans but Democrats. Many expect he will be among the first of Trump’s Cabinet picks approved.
Firefighters report progress against LA blazes as winds pick up again
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Millions of Southern Californians are nervously keeping watch as winds begin picking up during a final round of dangerous wildfire weather forecast for the region. Two massive blazes have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes. A day after firefighters got a reprieve with lighter winds than expected, gusts were hitting up to 35 mph (56 kph) on the coast and in valleys and 55 mph (88 kph) in the mountains before dawn Wednesday. The wind was expected to increase through the morning. The more manageable winds on Tuesday allowed firefighters to make headway on controlling the most deadly and destructive fires that have been burning for just over a week.
Firefighters need better weather to fight California’s flames. When will they get relief?
Fire danger remains high in parts of Los Angeles that have been ablaze for days. But there is hope that better weather over the weekend will give firefighters battling the flames some relief. After calmer weather on Tuesday helped firefighters snuff out fires, a rare warning of a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” was issued for Wednesday in an area near the two fires that killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes. A red flag warning was issued by the National Weather Service from Central Coast to the border with Mexico from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. But forecasts suggest that conditions for firefighting will later improve, with calmer winds and more humidity expected.
Biden promised to turn the page on Trump. Now he’s being replaced by him
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden staked his presidency on the idea that he was the best person to keep Donald Trump out of power. Now Trump’s return to the White House is reshaping Biden’s legacy. Biden will have an opportunity to reconcile his promises and the results when he delivers a farewell address to the nation Wednesday. But only a quarter of Americans say Biden has been a good or great president, even lower than views of Trump when he left office four years ago after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. It’s a difficult ending for Biden, a Democrat who had hoped to serve as a transformational leader only to see the country turn back to his predecessor.
Few US adults confident Justice Department and FBI will act fairly under Trump, AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — As President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, gets set for her Senate confirmation hearings, only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” confident the Justice Department will act in a fair and nonpartisan manner during his second term. That’s according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll also finds their faith in the neutrality of the FBI is similarly low, with even some Republicans expressing uncertainty in both agencies. Adding to doubts about Trump’s incoming Republican administration, the poll shows views of several of his highest-profile nominees are more negative than positive.
FDA bans red dye No. 3 from foods
U.S. regulators are banning the dye called Red 3 from the food supply. The move comes nearly 35 years after the dye was barred from cosmetics such as lipsticks because of potential cancer risk. Food and Drug Administration officials on Wednesday granted a 2022 petition filed by consumer advocates. The groups argued that some studies found the dye causes cancer in laboratory rats. FDA officials cited a statute known as the Delaney Clause, which requires FDA to ban any additive found to cause cancer in people or rats. Officials say the cancer risk has not been documented in people.
FDA floats plan to make cigarettes nonaddictive, but its fate rests with Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is floating a long-awaited proposal to make cigarettes less addictive by capping their nicotine levels. But the plan comes in the final days of his presidency and is unlikely to take effect anytime soon. Implementing low-nicotine cigarettes would fall to the administration of incoming president-elect Donald Trump, who has generally favored lighter regulation of tobacco products. The FDA says making cigarettes nonaddictive would help millions of Americans quit smoking and stop future generations from starting. Antismoking advocates have long urged the FDA to take that step. But FDA efforts have been slowed by lobbying and political pushback.