Today's Headlines: Gaza Cease-Fire Deal Brings Joy, but Is Shadowed With Uncertainty
Biden’s Presidential Legacy: An Era of Change, Forever Marked by Trump
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines

January 16, 2025, 4:10 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Gaza Cease-Fire Deal Brings Joy, but Is Shadowed With Uncertainty

An agreement offers Gazans at least some respite, and for Israelis it means the release of hostages. But the deal’s ambiguity leaves open the possibility that fighting could resume within weeks.

Biden’s Presidential Legacy: An Era of Change, Forever Marked by Trump

Biden’s disastrous debate performance highlighted age concerns.

United by Disaster, L.A. Mourns, and Hopes, Together

More than a week after the wildfires ignited, the hazy numbness described by many looks a lot like grieving.

Editors’ Picks

Opinion | The Israeli Right May Soon Be Disenchanted With Trump

The president-elect may have the soul of a bully, but he also has the instincts of a dealmaker.

How a Company Makes Millions Off a Hospital Program Meant to Help the Poor

A private business has helped supercharge a controversial federal drug program. Patients and insurers have been left with big bills.

World

Chinese Celebrities and Tourists Think Twice About Thailand

The brief abduction of a Chinese actor who was trafficked into Myanmar to work in a scam camp has rattled travelers from a country that Thailand relies on for tourism.

Inside Ukraine’s Last Stand at a Vital Coal Mine

The mine, near the frontline city of Pokrovsk, produced coking coal crucial for Ukraine’s steel industry. It kept running until the very last moment, when Russian forces finally reached its gates.

Many Syrians Want Justice for Regime Crimes. Others Want Revenge.

The new interim Syrian government says it will hunt down and punish senior security officials and others, but concern is growing about attacks on former low-level members of the Assad regime’s forces.

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U.S.

Supreme Court Seems Ready to Back Texas Law Limiting Access to Pornography

The law, meant to shield minors from sexual materials on the internet by requiring adults to prove they are 18, was challenged on First Amendment grounds.

F.D.A. Bans Red Dye 3 in Foods, Linking It to Cancer in Rats

Consumer and food safety groups have long urged the agency to revoke the use of this dye and others. The F.D.A. says studies have shown that it causes cancer in rats, but not in humans.

What Happened to Enrollment at Top Colleges After Affirmative Action Ended

Three findings from the first class to enter college without race-conscious admissions.

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Politics

Biden and Trump Defy Their History of Animosity to Seal Gaza Cease-Fire

But the extraordinary collaboration between outgoing and incoming presidents did not stop both sides from claiming credit.

Bondi, Expressing Loyalty to Trump, Vows No Political Inquiries

Pam Bondi cast herself as an independent prosecutor who would keep politics out of the Justice Department if confirmed as President Trump’s attorney general.

Ramaswamy Has a High-Profile Perch and a Raft of Potential Conflicts

Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon Musk’s partner in an effort to cut government costs, could make decisions that ultimately make him and his investors richer.

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Business

Inflation Sped Up in December, a Fresh Challenge for the Fed

The Consumer Price Index rose 2.9 percent from a year earlier, but a measure of underlying inflation was more encouraging.

Economic Toll of Los Angeles Fires Goes Far Beyond Destroyed Homes

The ongoing disaster will affect residents’ health, local industries, public budgets and the cost of housing for years to come.

It’s a Good (Great?) Time to Be a Big Bank

The largest banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs, reported bumper profits on Wednesday.

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Technology

TikTok Says Employees Will Have Jobs Even if Ban Takes Effect

The company is awaiting a decision over the constitutionality of a new law that aims to force a sale of the app to a non-Chinese owner under the threat of a ban.

She Is in Love With ChatGPT

A 28-year-old woman with a busy social life spends hours on end talking to her A.I. boyfriend for advice and consolation. And yes, they do have sex.

How to Create a Multimedia Digital Journal of Your Life

People have been keeping personal diaries for several millenniums, but free smartphone apps now let you capture much more than words.

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Arts

Guy Pearce Never Needed to Be a Movie Star

After roles in “Memento” and “L.A. Confidential” made him famous, Pearce turned his back on Hollywood. At age 57, he’s returned in “The Brutalist.”

A Top Pianist and a Great Composer Walk Into a Bar …

After the pianist, Vikingur Olafsson, asked for a concerto over beers, the composer, John Adams, wrote “After the Fall,” which will now travel the world.

Drake Sues His Label, Calling Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Defamatory

In a federal lawsuit on Wednesday, Drake accused Universal Music Group of putting his life and reputation at risk by releasing and promoting the popular diss track.

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