Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. The first Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners were released in the long-awaited Gaza ceasefire deal. And the Bills win out over the Ravens in the battle of the MVP favorites.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump set to be inaugurated as the 47th president
Donald Trump will complete his improbable comeback today, becoming the first former president to lose re-election and return to power four years later since Glover Cleveland in 1893.
He left the White House after leading a botched attempt to retain power despite his defeat in the 2020 election. He was indicted four times and convicted of 34 felony counts in a New York criminal case that involved hush money payments to a porn star before the 2016 election.
But, capitalizing on a weak opposition, the nation’s polarization and voters’ frustration with high prices, Trump persuaded them that he — the billionaire celebrity — was the one candidate who wouldn’t forget them when he regained power. He swept all seven swing states and, on top of that, won the popular vote. Voters wanted someone who wouldn’t play nice, and in the often belligerent, foul-mouthed Trump they saw their impolitic champion. He has formed a unique place in the arc of America’s experiment in self-government.
Trump’s inauguration will be remarkable on a number of fronts — he plans to sign more than 50 executive orders today. The first wave is expected to include immigration actions and reversals of Biden administration policies. Yesterday, Trump and his supporters celebrated with an hours-long rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
“By the time the sun sets tomorrow evening, the invasion of our borders will have come to a halt, and all the illegal border trespassers will in some form or another, be on their way back home,” Trump said at the rally.
Follow NBC News’ live coverage and analysis of Trump’s inauguration throughout the day here.
Read more on Trump’s inauguration:
- What exactly happens on Inauguration Day? Here’s what to know.
- With a slim House majority and policy questions to resolve, congressional Republicans are at odds over the best strategy to advance Trump’s policy priorities.
- The president-elect inherits robust growth and sticky but much lower inflation. Trump’s policies could affect those economic trends.
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Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners released under ceasefire deal
Last night Israelis celebrated the return of the first wave of hostages from the Gaza Strip, hours after Israel and Hamas’ long-awaited ceasefire went into effect and spurred displaced Palestinians to begin the journey home by foot after 15 months of brutal conflict.
President Joe Biden celebrated the safe return of three female hostages and remarked that “the guns in Gaza have gone silent.” Video shared by the Israeli military showed the young women climbing out of a Red Cross vehicle and smiling and hugging waiting Israeli forces.
The three women released were Doron Steinbrecher, 31, a veterinary nurse taken from kibbutz Kfar Aza; Emily Damari, 28, a British Israeli citizen also taken from the kibbutz; and Romi Gonen, 24, taken from the Nova Music Festival.
Early this morning, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees — all women and children — were released from Israeli detention in return for the hostages. Over the coming weeks, 33 hostages will be released from Gaza, with the next release expected on Sunday.
Many hope the hard-fought reprieve will usher in a permanent end to the fighting that has killed more than 46,800 in Gaza, according to local health officials, and allow the rebuilding of the enclave that has been reduced to ruins by ferocious Israeli airstrikes and shelling.
Read the full story here, and follow live updates here.
Millions across the U.S. brace for freezing temperatures
Over 175 million people across the country are under some form of a cold weather alert as the Northeast readies for another round of rain and snow and southern states brace for frigid temperatures. Varying levels of the alerts will be in effect across much of the country over the next few days as a “bitterly cold Arctic airmass” drops temperatures 10 to 40 degrees below average, according to the National Weather Service.
In Houston, temperatures plunged to below freezing last night, and officials were contending with a separate low pressure-driven storm that was expected to produce freezing rain, then snow from today into tomorrow, federal forecasters said. Local schools will close tomorrow in response to the weather, as well as Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Lingering snow showers will persist in New England early today and the storm will continue to move Northeast, affecting states along the I-95 corridor. New Jersey expected 8 to 12 inches of snow in parts of the state.
Josh Allen outduels Lamar Jackson as Bills advance to AFC Championship, and other highlights from the NFL playoffs
The Buffalo Bills defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a battle of MVP favorites. Quarterback Josh Allen didn’t have the biggest passing game of his career — 127 yards through the air — but he added two scores on the ground. Buffalo led most of the matchup but the Ravens almost came back in the end. Trailing by eight points with 1:33 remaining, Lamar Jackson threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely. Unfortunately on the ensuing two-point conversion, tight end Mark Andrews dropped a sure-fire score that would have tied the game. Buffalo instead got the ball back and ran out the clock. NBC News sports editor Greg Rosenstein breaks down some of the other highlights from the NFL playoffs:
🏃♂️Washington advanced to its first NFC Championship since 1991 and will face division rival Philadelphia for a spot in the Super Bowl. The Eagles defeated the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 on a snow-covered Lincoln Financial Field yesterday behind superstar running back Saquon Barkley. He had 205 yards and two touchdowns rushing, including a 78-yard score in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
⚡The Washington Commanders had the biggest upset of the weekend, shocking the NFC’s top-seeded Detroit Lions 45-31 on the road. Rookie sensation Jayden Daniels threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns while running back Brian Robinson added 77 yards and two scores on the ground. Lions quarterback Jared Goff, among the most efficient players in the league, had three interceptions and a lost fumble in the defeat.
👑 The Chiefs showed why they are the two-time defending Super Bowl champions in a 23-14 win against the Houston Texans on Saturday. Tight end Travis Kelce — with girlfriend Taylor Swift on hand at Arrowhead Stadium — had a monster day, finishing with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Buffalo Bills in the AFC title game.
Read All About It
- TikTok said yesterday that it would be restoring service to U.S. users after blocking it the evening before, thanking Trump for providing the necessary assurances to the company’s service providers.
- In the longest monologue in “Saturday Night Live” history, Dave Chappelle delivered a pointed message to Donald Trump.
- Why firefighting was no match for a Los Angeles disaster decades in the making.
Staff Pick: Wine’s decline in the U.S.
When the San Francisco Chronicle’s wine critic reported a few weeks ago on red wine restaurant sales tanking, I asked my local liquor store in Brooklyn if they had seen the same thing. Turns out they had, and they didn’t have an explanation. Was this a nationwide issue? If so, then why? NBC News reporter Ash Reynolds talked to half a dozen people in and around the industry and built six charts that show the nationwide downturn in wine sales. It’s happening both in restaurants and in stores — and it is attributable to generational shifts, health concerns and a few more factors.
— Joe Murphy, data editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Is your home entertainment setup in desperate need of an upgrade? NBC Select reporter Harry Rabinowitz spoke with editors and experts to find the best streaming devices so you can binge the latest shows and movies. Plus, board-certified dermatologists explain the benefits of adding vitamin C to your skincare routine.
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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Both.
