Good morning. Israel’s cabinet meets toapprove a ceasefire deal. Donald Trump readies about 100 executive orders. And SpaceX has another, erm, rapid unscheduled disassembly. Listen to the day’s top stories.
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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photographer: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg
Israel’s Prime Minister said it finalized an agreement with Hamas to pause the war in Gaza, suggesting a ceasefire—including the release of hostages—is on track to begin on Sunday. Now the cabinet has to ratify the pact, with a meeting currently underway. The long-awaited deal looked at risk of collapsing yesterday when Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of reneging on some commitments.
Donald Trump’s already prepared about 100 executive orders, the WSJ reported, as he aims to take swift action following Monday’s inauguration. Among them is an order elevating crypto as a policy priority and giving industry insiders a voice within his administration, people familiar said. That’ll no doubt add to excitement at tonight’s $2,500-a-ticket Crypto Ball in DC, a giant party thrown in honor of the digital-currency-skeptic-turned-cheerleader president-elect.
In Los Angeles, burning EVs and home-battery storage systems are complicating cleanup efforts after the devastating wildfires as toxic lithium adds to the mix of hazardous materials. Overnight, another fire broke out in one of the world’s biggest battery storage facilities. Meanwhile, in support of recovery efforts, a star-studded charity concert has been scheduled for Jan. 30. It’ll be shown across multiple streaming services to maximize donations for victims.
Nintendo shares slumped the most in more than three months after a teaser for its next-gen console revealed no surprises. The stock should claw back as investor focus shifts to pricing after the April 2 announcement, Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda said. A tough day too for Sony: PlayStation canceled two unannounced “live service” games at its subsidiaries Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games.
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Deep Dive: Tracking NYC Traffic
The results are in—Manhattan’s first week of congestion pricing has succeeded at breaking up the city’s infamous gridlock. But don’t get too used to it.
The number of cars entering the zone below 60th Street is down about 8% from normal levels and traffic speeds are largely up, according to MTA data.
Which cars disappeared? It’s too soon to say for sure, but our analysis of 75,000 vehicles found faster speeds are most probably due to fewer personal vehicles. That’s great news for yellow cabs and other drivers for whom time is money.
Brace for the rebound. The positive results may be abating already due to what’s known as the “rebound effect.” MTA data shows a steady increase of vehicles entering the congestion zone each day since the plan went into effect last Sunday.
Hasifa Mwamini with her child Miracle at their home in Kampala, Uganda. Photographer: Esther Ruth Mbabazi/Bloomberg
Billions of taxpayer dollars invested by the World Bank in for-profit facilities from Africa to Asia were supposed to improve access to healthcare. But stories of abusive debt-collection tactics or denial of life-saving treatments have piled up.