Columbia’s closed gates: NYC leaders say its a symbol of division with Harlem
For over a year, Columbia University’s gates have remained closed to the public, leaving many to question the impact on relations with its neighboring Harlem community. What was once a symbol of the University has become a point of contention, with local leaders arguing the closure creates a divide between the university and the community.
For decades, Columbia and New York City worked together to keep the campus open, allowing students and local residents to freely interact.
Closure Amid Rising Tensions
In October 2023, just days after war broke out in Gaza, the university restricted campus access to ID holders, citing concerns over planned protests. This move set the stage for further restrictions, culminating in the establishment of the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on campus in April 2024. The protests led to congressional hearings on campus antisemitism and the resignation of University President Minouche Shafik.
In response to growing tensions, the university maintained heightened security measures and policies, which have continued into 2025.
In response to the ongoing restrictions, City Council member Shaun Abreu and Community Board Chair Victor Edwards of the West Harlem community wrote a letter to the university’s interim president, urging the gates be reopened. They argue the closure not only isolates the community but also contradicts Columbia’s long history of being a part of the neighborhood.
“This closure is more than an inconvenience; it is a breach of trust and a violation of the agreements that govern this historic pathway.”
Letter in New York Daily News
University’s response to pushback
While security measures have eased since the fall semester, the gates remain shut. A university spokesperson said campus access is under review, with focus on both Columbia’s student body and the city of New York. The spokesperson emphasized balancing campus security with maintaining accessibility for the community is a priority.
Hamas identifies 4 Israeli female soldiers set to be released from Gaza
Hamas announced on Friday, Jan. 24, the names of the four female Israeli soldiers set to be released in a hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners. It will mark the second swap under the latest ceasefire deal in Gaza.
The militant group identified the hostages as Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag. According to Hamas officials, the group will release the women on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Israel said it had received the list of four hostages set to be freed but would not confirm the names on it.
The expected exchange follows the release of three Israeli women and 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, Jan. 19. The release was the first such swap of its kind in more than a year.
Many of the Palestinians being exchanged in the deal were reportedly convicted of violent offenses and terrorist acts.
As part of the six-week first phase of the ceasefire, Israel reportedly agreed to free 50 Palestinians for every female soldier released. That means the release of the four female soldiers would likely mean the release of 200 Palestinians.
The 42-day ceasefire, which began on Sunday, Jan. 19, also includes Hamas’ agreement to release 33 of the remaining Israeli hostages. This would be in exchange for more than 1,000 imprisoned Palestinians and a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Israel said it believes around 94 hostages remain in Gaza. However, officials presume dozens of them are dead.
Hamas militants took the hostages to Gaza during the October 2023 terror attack in Israel. During the attack, the militants killed some 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250.
Israel’s retaliatory war against Hamas has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The Israel–Hamas ceasefire in Gaza went into effect on Jan. 19, but there are still plenty of questions about how each part of the three-phase deal will play out. Additionally, world leaders like President Donald Trump aren’t confident the ceasefire will hold.
Each of the three stages of the deal is supposed to last six weeks. Phase one calls for a complete ceasefire between Israel and Gaza, as well as the exchange of 33 hostages for 1,900 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel. The 33 hostages to be released are mostly women and children, but there are some older men included on that list as well.
Civilians can also return to their homes in Gaza under the first phase. Additionally, Israel said it will allow more aid into the beleaguered region.
Phase two would see Israel and Gaza establish a permanent ceasefire, the return of all remaining living hostages, and more Palestinian prisoners being released. The exact terms for phase two would be negotiated while phase one is being carried out.
Phase three deals with returning the bodies of the dead hostages to Israel, and the reconstruction of Gaza. Like the details for phase two, the exact details of Phase Three would be ironed out during the previous phase of the ceasefire.
Less than 48 hours after the leaders of Israel and Gaza started enforcing the ceasefire, Straight Arrow News spoke with Avi Melamed. He’s a former Israeli intelligence officer and hostage negotiator. He now heads the organization Inside the Middle East.
The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Ryan Robertson: Avi Melamed, we’ve been talking with you over the course of the war. You used to be a negotiator. When you heard of the deal being reached, when you heard of the conditions, what were some of your immediate thoughts?
Avi Melamed: Well, first and foremost, of course, I was happy for the families of those that their loved one had been freed and released. I’m happy for the people of Gaza who have been living in a terrible condition for the last 15 months. At the same time, obviously, there is a deep concern about the rest of the hostages that are still in Gaza Strip and their families, of course, who are longing for them to come back.
So it’s a mixed feeling, of course, as you could understand. And above that, there is, I would say, substantial concern that we will be heading to a very turbulent process ahead, a convoluted one, in the context of releasing the hostages.
Robertson: The deal is, you know, precarious at best. And there could be a lot of opportunities for both sides to, to back out of the deal. Do you feel confident that phase one – which is, you know, supposed to be a weeks-long ordeal – do you feel confident that phase one will eventually go into phase two? Do you feel confidence that this deal will lead to all of the hostages being released?
Melamed: I put it this way, I feel more confident that we will complete phase one. I’m much less confident about the success odds of phase two at this point.
As a matter of fact, I would even say it’s 60-40, meaning that I unfortunately think it’s more likely not to be successful in the second phase. The meaning of that is that we will probably witness a prolonging and continuing and convoluted process way beyond what I think and hope it should be. So this is the way I view things right now.
Robertson: What parts of phase two do you think will fail?
Melamed: Look, Hamas launched the Oct. 7 attack for different reasons. One of the major reasons, which always has been Hamas’ major card, was that Hamas told the Palestinians, ‘Look, I will release all the Palestinians that are imprisoned in Israel.’ And that has always been something that Hamas marketed, particularly after the episode of the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, which provided Hamas with a lot of political credibility and popularity within the Palestinians.
Comes Oct. 7, Hamas is attacking Israel, doing what it’s doing. It results in an enormous war. Gaza is destroyed. Dozens of thousands of fatalities. It will take years to rehabilitate Gaza. Billions and billions of dollars. Nobody knows exactly where those dollars are going to come from. And so Hamas, potentially only card in the end of the day to present to his brothers, the Palestinians, as an achievement is the release of the Palestinian prisoners.
Now, here is the difficult thing because Hamas could come and say, “I want to release all the Palestinian prisoners,” let’s say 4,000, 5,000, whatever the number is. And Israel may insist that it’s not willing to release all of the prisoners, but some of the prisoners must remain, and in addition, Israel may say, “No, some prisoners will not go back to Palestinian territories; they will be expelled elsewhere.” In other words, any kind of Israeli refusal, any kind of Israeli counter demand is kind of like grading Hamas’ potential, one and only potential achievement, to put it this way. And so we are looking here at a situation where there is friction, a collision between these two things.
Hamas is in a position that it basically could say to itself, “Look, I have nothing to lose. You know, I have nothing to lose. I must insist to get this card and exhaust this card to the maximum,” which is maybe not the case. Maybe Israel will refuse to do that. Maybe there will be counter pressure on Hamas to be flexible on it.
And so the bottom line of this whole convoluted situation is that it, unfortunately, fuels further, I would say, odds that the whole process will be stumbling and falling apart time and again. And so that’s one of the major reasons for the concern about the continuation and success odds of this process.
Robertson: You used to be a negotiator. Would you have made this deal? Would you have agreed to this deal?
Melamed: There are many things involved here. I was, more than once, often, asked by people, “If you were the prime minister, what would you have done? Or if you were in a policymaking decision, what would you have done?”
It’s a very, very complex situation. I think that, in the end of the day, for the sake of the people, and I’m talking about both Israelis and Palestinians, there is no going back to Oct. 6. Meaning, in the sense that Hamas is continuing to dictate as it was able to dictate the trajectory of the conflict for the last 40 years.
Oct. 7, for me, was not a surprise in the sense that I, on many occasions, including in my recent book, “Inside the Middle East: Entering the New Era,” that was published in 2022, I wrote very specifically, and I said as long as Hamas is going to be exempted from governmental accountability, as long as the Palestinians are going to be exempted from holding their leadership accountable, the outcome of that is only, one and only one, and that is more death and suffering and destruction for both people.
This is exactly what happened. And so that’s what I mean when I say no going back to Oct. 6. How do you do that? What does it take to get there?
These are part of the many questions involved, bearing in mind that I’ve been saying all along the way, and I will say it very clearly: Hamas is not going to disappear. It’s going to be part and parcel of the Palestinian people.
It goes back to the big question: What are the Palestinian people going to do internally following Oct. 7? And what happened following Oct. 7 to Gaza Strip?
This is a question that is enormously significant. Particularly for Western audiences. In our Western mindset, if our leadership, for example, would have done something like Oct. 7 and everything that comes after, we would hold our leadership accountable.
We would say, “You have caused us enormous destruction. You have to pay for it. You have to step down. You have to go away.”
I don’t know. This is terrible, but I will tell you that within the Palestinians and in the Arab world there are those today who say Hamas is marketing victory, and there are Palestinians and Arabs who buy that, who subscribe to that. We could, later on, maybe in some other occasion, elaborate about the psyche involving that, but I think it’s important for Western audiences to understand it because it has a lot of ramifications, unfortunately, negative ones.
In other words, if you don’t hold your leadership accountable, if you always blame somebody else for your leadership’s failure, for your misjudgment, you basically doom yourself to be locked in a tragic loop.
And you know, as it happens, particularly today as we are talking, the Israeli chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi resigned. He resigned basically saying, “I have failed on Oct. 7. This was my mission, and I failed to protect the people of Israel.”
And the interesting thing is that despite the fact that following Oct. 7, he was able to lead the IDF to very, very impressive achievements in many different arenas, in the end of the day, that did not exempt him from responsibility.
He basically said, “Yes, I’m responsible for what happened on Oct. 7, the failure to protect the people of Israel, and I’m resigning,” as he should, because it’s about taking responsibility for your own failure. And that’s the reason why I bring that issue to the discussion, particularly for Western audiences, who should be aware that we are dealing with quite different mindsets.
Houthi rebels release crew of the ship Galaxy Leader in Red Sea
Houthi rebels from Yemen have now released the crew of the Galaxy Leader after holding them hostage for more than a year. The ship was headed from Turkey to India in late 2023 when the rebels seized it in the Red Sea.
What has been happening?
The Iranian-backed Houthis began overtaking ships in the Red Sea, which is a major trade route between Asia and Europe, as well as the Gulf of Aden, shortly after the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October of 2023. The Houthis say they hijacked the Galaxy Leader over its connection to Israel.
Why release the hostages now?
The Houthis say the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas led them to free the 25 crew members, who hail from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Mexico. Now free, the former hostages appeared jubilant as a flight from the Royal Air Force of Oman took them to safety.
The Houthi rebels have indicated they will stop seizing ships in the Red Sea corridor, as long as the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire holds. Reports indicate that over the past year and a half, they have sunk two vessels and killed four people. Other cargo ships were forced to sail around South Africa to avoid the danger.
White House reaction
Upon taking office this week, President Trump designated the Houthis as a foreign-based terror organization.
The White House released a statement, saying, “Under President Trump, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea.”
The United Nations special envoy to Yemen called the release of the Galaxy Leader a step in the right direction.
Harvard University agrees to settle antisemitism lawsuits
Harvard University agreed to settle two lawsuits accusing the Ivy League school of not doing enough to protect Jewish students. The lawsuits came about as a result of numerous pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses last Spring.
The demonstrations took place on campuses across the nation last year after the conflict between Hamas and Israel escalated in Gaza.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel. Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 Israeli citizens and took another 250 people hostage.
Israel responded with a ground and air campaign that reduced much of Gaza to rubble.
The conflict left about 47,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
What do the settlements stipulate?
Harvard agreed to make it clear in its policies that targeting Zionists can violate its protection of Jewish students.
Under the deal, the university will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which considers certain cases of anti-Zionist or anti-Israel criticism as antisemitism.
Harvard’s nondiscrimination and anti-bullying policies will include this definition.
What is the reaction to the settlements?
The Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law was one of the plaintiffs to sue Harvard, alleging Jewish students were harassed and discriminated against. It also claimed administrators were deliberately indifferent to that treatment, thus violating part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Its Chairman, Kenneth Marcus, said the agreement will allow Jewish students to learn in an environment free from antisemitic hate, discrimination and harassment.
What happens next?
Harvard said it’s taking robust steps to protect Jewish students and ensure they are embraced, respected and can thrive at the university.
Harvard agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to the plaintiffs but did not admit any wrongdoing or liability. However, similar lawsuits against other schools, including Columbia University, continue.
UN watchdog chief warns world Iran’s ‘pressing gas pedal’ on nuclear program
The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief is warning world leaders that Iran’s recent promise to ramp up enrichment of uranium to nuclear weapons grade levels is well underway. Rafael Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General, said, “Iran has moved into increasing the production, enrichment of 60% sevenfold.”
Grossi added, “So, I think this is a clear indication of an acceleration. They are pressing the gas pedal.”
Grossi told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Jan. 21, Iran told the U.N. nuclear watchdog in December 2024 that it would rapidly increase uranium enrichment to around 90% purity.
The IAEA said about 42kg of uranium enriched to that level is enough to create one nuclear bomb.
Grossi said Iran currently has about 200 kg of uranium enriched up to 60%.
The warning from Grossi comes after French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned Western and European allies that Tehran is reaching a “point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear-weapon-grade uranium earlier in January 2025.
Grossi called on Tehran and the Trump administration to begin talks to deter Iran from going further with its nuclear program.
It remains to be seen if President Donald Trump, who took a hardline with Iran during his first term, or Tehran will be open to a discussion.
Iran has repeatedly denied it is enriching uranium to make a nuclear weapon and claims that it is being used for peaceful purposes.
Israel launches deadly military operation in the West Bank
Israel’s prime minister announced the start of a military operation in the West Bank just days into the Gaza ceasefire. Palestinian media reported a series of air strikes and a large number of troops moving into the region Tuesday, Jan. 21. The attack reportedly killed at least eight Palestinians.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian security forces told AFP News Agency that Israeli troops opened fire on civilians and security forces, injuring at least 35 people.
Why did Israel begin the operation?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military launched the operation, dubbed “Iron Wall,” to “defeat terrorism” in Jenin, an area known for harboring armed Palestinian groups.
It happened just hours after President Donald Trump rescinded Biden-era executive orders that authorized U.S. sanctions against people who undermine peace in the West Bank, mainly targeting Israeli settlers.
Israel accuses Iran of smuggling weapons and funds to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other armed groups in the West Bank.
A military source told Israeli media it would continue the operation for “as long as necessary.”
How is Palestine responding?
The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, Mohammed Mustafa, said the raid is the latest in “aggressive Israeli measures” against Palestinians.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad both called on Palestinians in the West Bank to escalate attacks against Israel in response to the Jenin operation.
This comes after an agreement last week on a multi-phase deal that includes the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip after more than 15 months of war.
Just days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in the Middle East, a new development is getting international attention. Hamas-run police are now back patrolling the streets of Gaza.
Under terms of the ceasefire, police, overseen by Hamas, are responsible for keeping law and order among Palestinians and will monitor the movement and re-entry of Palestinians into their homes.
Hamas police forces are not allowed near Israeli troops and are not permitted to enter buffer zones near the border with Israel.
The U.S. and Israeli security officials reportedly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to come up with a plan for governing Gaza in the aftermath of the war.
So far, he has not done so.
Hamas has now stepped in to fill that gap, despite Netanyahu saying at the outset of the war that one of the objectives was to crush Hamas.
Israel-Hamas War overview
The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing an estimated 1,200 Israeli citizens and taking another 250 people hostage. Israel responded with a ground and air campaign that reduced much of Gaza to rubble.
The conflict left about 47,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Many of Hamas’ top leaders were also killed.
Earlier this month, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Hamas had recruited nearly as many new fighters as it had lost in the war. He called the terror group a chameleon.
On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Israeli foreign minister stated that a permanent end to the war would require Hamas to give up power in later negotiations. He said there would be no peace, stability or security in the region if Hamas remains.
Trump expected to sign executive orders shortly after swearing-in
It’s Inauguration Day for Donald Trump, where he will take the oath of office as the nation’s 47th president. And the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is underway, with the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.
Trump expected to sign executive orders shortly after swearing-in
For just the second time in our nation’s history, the U.S. will see the inauguration of a former president for a non-consecutive second term. President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office to become the 47th president on Monday, Jan. 20.
Last week, Trump decided to move his inauguration ceremony indoors to the Capitol Rotunda due to dangerously cold temperatures in Washington, D.C.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal previewing excerpts from the inaugural address, Trump will call for a “revolution of common sense.” The Journal said Trump is expected to tell the American people the country is “at the start of a thrilling new era of national success.”
President Joe Biden will attend Trump’s inauguration, as well as former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. However, former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend.
Tech CEOs, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Apple’s Tim Cook, will also be in attendance. Foreign leaders, including Argentina’s president, Italy’s prime minister and China’s vice president, will also attend.
Country singer Carrie Underwood will perform “America the Beautiful” along with the Armed Forces Chorus and the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club.
Following his inauguration, Trump said he will possibly sign as many as 100 executive orders. Trump’s incoming White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller told a small group of Republicans about the president-elect’s plans during a phone briefing Sunday afternoon, Jan. 19.
Reports said Trump will focus on declaring a national emergency on the southern U.S. border and reversing some of Biden’s policies, including those concerning DEI, offshore drilling and repealing rules on electric vehicles.
Trump said he may also sign more executive orders at the Capital One Arena, where the inaugural parade will take place.
On Sunday, Trump held a “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” at that venue. He told an estimated 20,000 people in attendance about his plans for day one.
“Tomorrow at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline, and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride,” Trump said. “You’re going to see executive orders that are going to make [you] extremely happy, lots of them. We have to set our country on the proper course. 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.”
He added, “We will be a free and proud nation once again. And that will take place tomorrow at 12 p.m. Everyone in our country will prosper, every family will thrive and every day will be filled with opportunity and hope and also filled with a thing called the American dream, that you don’t hear much about anymore.”
The nation will watch as the inauguration ceremonies begin.
3 Israeli hostages, 90 Palestinian prisoners released as ceasefire begins
A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is now in effect and humanitarian aid is flowing into the region. It started Sunday, Jan. 19, with a stop in fighting in the war-torn enclave with the Israeli military saying it has withdrawn from several locations.
The exchange of hostages held by Hamas for the last 15 months and Palestinian prisons in Israeli custody is also underway.
Hamas released three Israelis so far, confirmed as Romi Gonen, 27; Doron Steinbrecher, 31; and Emily Damari, 28. They’ve returned to Israel in good health.
They’re the first of 33 captives Hamas said it would release throughout the six-week ceasefire. In exchange, Israel is releasing almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
On Sunday, Israel released 90 prisoners. According to a list from the Palestinian authority’s Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs, all of those released were women or teenagers, the youngest 15 years old.
Despite warnings from the Israeli military, Palestinians turned out to celebrate the prisoner release in droves, with crowds surrounding the buses the freed prisoners were riding in after leaving the prison.
Displaced Palestinians also started to return to their homes in Gaza — or what was left of them.
In December, the United Nations reported that Israeli strikes damaged or destroyed more than 170,000 buildings. That’s nearly 70% of Gaza’s total infrastructure.
Experts estimated that the reconstruction of Gaza could take years and cost billions of dollars.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel, killing at least 1,200 people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then said Israel would retaliate with such force that it would crush Hamas and drive the terror group out of Gaza.
Access to TikTok restored in US after Trump steps in
After spending around 12 hours offline following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, TikTok is back online in the United States. The popular social media app was unusable for Americans from late Saturday night, Jan. 18, into Sunday, Jan. 19.
Instead of videos, users who tried to access the app saw a message reading in part, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, this means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
Early Sunday morning, Trump said he would issue an executive order once he’s inaugurated to delay enforcement of the law which would force TikTok parent company ByteDance to sell the app or be banned in the U.S. It appears that time extension would be for 90 days, with Trump saying he would like to see the U.S. have a 50% stake in the company.
Within hours of that announcement, access to TikTok began to return for U.S. users with a message thanking them for their patience and support.
More than 70 million people under winter storm warnings as arctic blast moves east
Temperatures dropped below zero in parts of the upper Midwest, with wind chill temperatures falling to minus 20 degrees in some areas.
The cold front is sweeping east into the mid-Atlantic and northeast, with winter storm warnings now posted. Snow and ice will be seen from New England to the Gulf of Mexico over the next couple of days — even in the south. Charleston, South Carolina, could potentially see snow, and New Orleans, Louisiana, braces for ice.
Notre Dame, Ohio State vie for College Football National Championship
A champion will be crowned in college football in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday night, Jan. 20. Either Notre Dame, the seventh seed, or Ohio State, the eighth seed, will win the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
This will be the ninth meeting between the two teams, with Notre Dame looking for a bit of revenge. The Fighting Irish last defeated the Buckeyes in 1936. Ohio State has a powerful offense and is heavily favored.
Over in the NFL, NFC and AFC championship match-ups have also been set after this weekend’s divisional round.
On Saturday, Jan. 18, the sixth-seeded Washington Commanders stunned the top-seeded Detroit Lions 45-31 to reach the NFC Championship game for the first time in 33 years.
Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes, Jason Kelce and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are in their seventh consecutive AFC title game after defeating the Houston Texans 23-14.
In snow conditions on Sunday, Jan. 19, it came down to the final drives in both divisional games. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 to advance to the NFC championship game.
The Buffalo Bills are headed to the AFC title game after surviving a late rally by the Baltimore Ravens. The Bills got the 27-25 win after the Ravens scored with less than two minutes to go but missed the two-point conversion when the receiver dropped the ball.
Only four teams remain as Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans gets closer.
Bernice King on importance of inauguration falling on MLK Day
While Monday is Inauguration Day, it is also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The federal holiday honors the late civil rights leader and is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service.
The youngest of MLK’s four children, Bernice King — the CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change — said that this time of transition in the U.S. is also a good time to remember her father’s legacy.
“I think it’s wonderful that this occurs on the King holiday — the inauguration — because it reminds us of King. It points us back to King. It says, ‘When we move forward, we’ve got to do it in the spirit of King,’” Bernice King said.
She added, “Many people talk about doing the work of Dr. King, but I always ask, ‘Are you doing it in the spirit of Dr. King?’ In the spirit of Dr. King is nonviolence and nonviolence is not just a posture. It’s a mindset for us. We define it as a love-centered way of thinking, speaking, acting, and engaging that leads to personal, cultural, and societal transformation. So, it works on you first. You have to be in the right frame of reference to fight these injustices so that you don’t become like the unjust.”
This will be just the third time Inauguration Day falls on MLK Day. The first was in 1997 for President Bill Clinton’s second inauguration, and the second was in 2013 for President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.
Israel-Hamas ceasefire takes effect in Gaza, halting 15 months of war
After more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas, there is a ceasefire that could bring the fighting to an end. A ceasefire agreement took effect at 11:15 a.m. local time Sunday, Jan. 19.
It follows an agreement last week on a multi-phase deal that would include the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
The deal, which was supposed to go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time, saw a roughly three-hour delay after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Hamas turn over a list of the names of the initial hostages who would be released Sunday, beginning the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Phase one, the first 42 days of the ceasefire, would see Hamas release 33 hostages, the first three of which were released Sunday. In return, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners later in the day.
According to the Israeli military, the three hostages are now back in Israel. They have been identified as Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher.
“The 3 released hostages have arrived at the initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will be reunited with their mothers,” the IDF said in a statement.
Following their release, President Joe Biden spoke to the American people during a press conference on his final full day in office. President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath Monday, Jan. 20.
“The deal that I first put forward last May for the Middle East has finally come to fruition. The ceasefire has gone into effect in Gaza, and today, we’re seeing hostages being released –– three Israeli women held against [their] will in the dark tunnels for 470 days,” Biden said.
Biden said he was “pleased” that his team and Trump’s worked together to make the deal a reality.
“Now it falls on the next administration to help implement this deal,” Biden said. “I was pleased to have our team speak as one voice in the final days. It was both necessary and effective and unprecedented, but success is going to require persistence and continuing support for our friends in the region and the belief in diplomacy backed by deterrence.”
As part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, Israeli soldiers would move further out from Central Gaza, while displaced Palestinians would move back in.
During phase two, the following 42 days, Hamas would release the remaining hostages in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners and Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza.
Phase three would be a longer-term ceasefire, involving exchanges of dead bodies between the two sides, the reopening of Gaza’s border crossings, and a plan to rebuild Gaza.
The plan briefly hit a snag after the two sides initially agreed on the terms of the agreement, as Netanyahu held up the required approval vote from his cabinet, alleging Hamas was trying to renege on unspecified key promises. He then scheduled a vote for Friday, Jan. 17, where his cabinet approved the agreement.
The war began when Hamas launched attacks into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 people in Israel and taking hundreds more as hostages.
Since then, Israel has launched strikes and invaded Gaza, killing at least 46,000 people based on official Palestinian estimates. A peer-reviewed academic study published earlier this month in medical journal The Lancet suggested that the number could be as high as 64,000.
Israel’s strikes on Hamas targets in the densely populated Gaza Strip led to accusations the country was committing genocide against the Palestinian people, including a report by international human rights group Amnesty International and an ongoing case in the International Court of Justice brought by South Africa.
Israel has repeatedly denied any accusations of genocide, citing its right to self-defense. Both Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have denied Israel’s actions constituted genocide.