BLOGONITY

Damascus, Syria — The mother of American journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in August 2012, arrived in Damascus to step up the search for her son and said she hopes she can take him home with her.   Tice, who worked as a freelance reporter for The Washington Post and McClatchy, was one of the first U.S. journalists to make it into Syria after the outbreak of the civil war. His mother, Debra Tice, drove into the Syrian capital from Lebanon with Nizar Zakka, the head of Hostage Aid Worldwide, an organization which is searching for Austin and believes he is still in Syria. “It’d be lovely to put my arms around Austin while I’m here. It’d be the best,” Debra Tice told Reuters in the Syrian capital Saturday, which she last visited in 2015 to meet with Syrian authorities about her son, before they stopped granting her visas. The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December by Syrian rebels has allowed her to visit again from her home in Texas. “I feel very strongly that Austin’s here, and I think he knows I’m here… I’m here,” she said. Debra Tice and Zakka are hoping to meet with Syria’s new authorities, including the head of its new administration Ahmed al-Sharaa, to push for information about Austin. They are also optimistic that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated Monday, will take up the cause. “I am hoping to get some answers. And of course, you know, we have [the] inauguration on Monday, and I think that should be a huge change,” she said. “I know that President Trump is quite a negotiator, so I have a lot of confidence there. But now we have an unknown on this (Syrian) side. It’s difficult to know, if those that are coming in even have the information about him,” she said. Her son, now 43, was taken captive in August 2012, while traveling through the Damascus suburb of Daraya. Reuters reported earlier that in 2013 Tice, a former Marine, managed to slip out of his cell and was seen moving between houses in the streets of Damascus’ upscale Mazzeh neighborhood. The New York Times first reported that brief escape and recapture. He was recaptured soon after his escape, likely by forces who answered directly to Assad, current and former U.S. officials said. Debra Tice came … “American journalist Austin Tice’s mother, in Damascus, hopes to find missing son” →

For the first time in U.S. history, a president-elect will welcome foreign leaders for one of the most American political traditions — the peaceful transfer of power. President-elect Donald Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and conservative world leaders such as Argentine President Javier Milei and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni to the inauguration. Xi sent his vice president as his representative. No heads of state have previously made an official visit to the U.S. for the inauguration. Some of them, such as Milei and Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña, were special guests Saturday night at the Hispanic Inaugural Ball, where several of Trump’s nominees for key Cabinet positions made appearances. That included U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, chosen to lead the State Department, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., tapped to head the Health and Human Services Department. Here is a look at the foreign leaders who are coming to Washington for the 60th inauguration: China Chinese President Xi Jinping was the first foreign leader whose invitation to the inauguration became public in December. Xi will not attend but is sending Vice President Han Zheng. The announcement to dispatch Han was made Friday by the country’s foreign ministry, and it comes as the rivalry between the U.S. and China may escalate under Trump. Several of Trump’s Cabinet picks are known China hawks, including Rubio, who has called China “the most potent, dangerous and near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted.” Trump has vowed to impose tariffs and other measures on China. But the two leaders spoke on the phone Friday and discussed trade, fentanyl and TikTok. Trump said the call was a “very good one.” Argentina Milei was the first foreign leader to meet with Trump after the Nov. 5 election, traveling from Buenos Aires to the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago club. Milei is scheduled to attend one of the official inaugural balls that Trump will attend on Inauguration Day, as well as the swearing-in ceremony. The self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” who has carried out an audacious economic agenda in the South American nation, got a hug from Vivek Ramaswamy, a Trump insider, on stage at Hispanic ball before delivering remarks. Ramaswamy called him “an inspiration.” Milei also receives praise frequently from billionaire Elon Musk for implementing a series of austerity measures that laid off tens of thousands of government workers, froze public infrastructure projects and imposed wage and pension freezes below inflation. Musk and Ramaswamy will … “Trump’s inauguration will be first attended by foreign leaders” →

Los Angeles — Exhausted Los Angeles firefighters braced Sunday for the return of yet more dangerously strong gusts, as California’s governor slammed “hurricane-force winds of misinformation” surrounding blazes that have killed 27 people.   The two largest fires, which have obliterated almost 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) and razed entire neighborhoods of the second biggest U.S. city, were for the first time both more than half contained, officials announced. But the National Weather Service warned that powerful winds and low humidity would again bring “dangerous high-end red flag fire weather conditions” from Monday, with gusts up to 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour potentially returning. “This is the last… we hope, of the extreme” wind events, said Governor Gavin Newsom. It will be “the fourth major wind event just in the last three months — we only had two in the prior four years,” he told MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki” show. Officials were accused of being unprepared for the outbreak of fires this month. Now, 135 fire engines and their crews are prepositioned to tackle new outbreaks, along with helicopters and bulldozers, said Newsom. Firefighters, who since Jan. 7 have been battling flames, digging trenches and uprooting vegetation to create perimeters around fires non-stop, said the largest conflagration, the Palisades Fire, was 52% contained. That fire has killed at least 10 people. Evacuation orders were lifted this weekend for dozens of neighborhoods in upscale western Los Angeles. Farther east, the Eaton Fire, which killed at least 17 in the Altadena suburbs, is 81% contained. More residents were able to return to their homes there too. Others reunited with missing pets they had feared were dead. Serena Null told AFP of her joy at finding her cat, Domino, after having to leave him behind as flames devoured her family home in Altadena. The pair were reunited at NGO Pasadena Humane, where Domino — suffering singed paws, a burnt nose and a high level of stress — was taken after being rescued. “I just was so relieved and just so happy that he was here,” a tearful Null told AFP.    No ‘magical spigot’   As Los Angeles learns the true scale of the devastation, political bickering has intensified. Donald Trump, set to be sworn in Monday as U.S. president, has sharply criticized California officials. He falsely claimed that Newsom had blocked the diversion of “excess rain and snow melt from the North.” … “Weary Los Angeles firefighters brace for ‘last’ dangerous winds” →

WASHINGTON — The Keke Palmer buddy comedy “One of Them Days” opened in first place on the North American box office charts on a particularly slow Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.  The R-rated Sony release earned $11.6 million from 2,675 theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday, beating Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” by a hair. By the end of Monday’s holiday, “Mufasa” will have the edge, however.  “One of Them Days” cost only $14 million to produce, which it is expected to earn by Monday. The very well-reviewed buddy comedy stars Palmer and SZA as friends and roommates scrambling to get money for rent before their landlord evicts them. Notably it’s the first Black female-led theatrical comedy since “Girls Trip” came out in 2017 and it currently carries a stellar 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  But the marketplace was also quite weak overall. The total box office for Friday, Saturday and Sunday will add up to less than $80 million, according to data from Comscore, making it one of the worst Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekends since 1997.  “For an individual film like ‘One of Them Days’ this was a great weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “You can still find success stories within what is overall a low grossing weekend for movie theaters.”  The Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa” was close by in second place with $11.5 million from the weekend, its fifth playing in theaters. Globally, the Barry Jenkins-directed prequel has made $588 million. It even beat a brand-new offering, the Blumhouse horror “Wolf Man,” which debuted in third place with $10.6 million from 3,354 North American theaters.  Writer-director Leigh Whannell’s monster tale starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner did not enter theaters with great reviews. It currently carries a 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews don’t generally affect the success of horror movies in their first weekend, but audiences also gave it a lackluster C- CinemaScore in exit polls. The Blumhouse production and Universal Pictures release cost a reported $25 million to make and is expected to reach $12 million by the close of Monday’s holiday.  “Sonic the Hedgehog 3″ was in fourth place with $8.6 million and “Den of Thieves 2” rounded out the top five with $6.6 million.  In specialty releases, Brady Corbert’s 215-minute post-war epic “The Brutalist” expanded to 388 screens where it made nearly $2 million over the weekend. A24 … “Keke Palmer’s ‘One of Them Days,’ ‘Mufasa’ race for No. 1 “ →

A hallmark of the nearly 250-year American democracy is the quadrennial peaceful transfer of presidential power, and it is set to unfold again on Monday, with Donald Trump, the 45th president until he lost his 2020 reelection bid, set to be inaugurated as the country’s 47th leader after winning last November’s election. Millions of Americans are expected to watch on television as the 78-year-old Trump takes the oath of office for a new four-year term in the White House while President Joe Biden, 82, leaves the presidency after a single term. But only about 600 people will see Trump sworn in live, with the ceremony moved into the U.S. Capitol Rotunda at Trump’s behest. An arrival Sunday night of an Arctic blast of frigid air into Washington could push the temperature to -6 Celsius at noon on Monday, when the traditional outdoor swearing-in ceremony would normally be held on the steps of the Capitol overlooking the National Mall. It is expected to be the coldest Inauguration Day in Washington in 40 years, when Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration was also moved inside in 1985. About 250,000 tickets to Trump’s planned outdoor ceremony on the Capitol steps had been handed out to his supporters and dignitaries but inaugural officials said they now can simply keep the ducats as commemorative souvenirs. The traditional inaugural parade along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House has also been canceled because of the weather, with bands, marching units, drill teams and the like now parading past Trump, his wife, Melania Trump and other officials in his new administration at the nearby 20,000-seat Capital One Arena, with thousands of other celebrants literally left out in the cold. Lavish black-tie balls are still planned for Monday evening. Trump’s ascendancy to power again comes with some historical footnotes: He will become the first felon to serve as U.S. president, after his conviction last year on 34 criminal charges linked to falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to porn film star Stormy Daniels, although a judge declined to penalize him in any way. Charges that Trump, a Republican, tried to illegally overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden were dropped when he defeated his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the 2024 election because of a long-standing Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Trump will also become the second U.S. president to … “Donald Trump set to assume US presidency again” →

WHITE HOUSE — A ceasefire in Gaza began Sunday after Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal, with 24 ministers voting in favor and eight ministers rejecting the agreement. The deal was scheduled to be implemented beginning Sunday. But on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would not start unless Hamas provided a list of the three hostages set for release Sunday. Hamas ultimately provided the names and Israel said the ceasefire would begin at 11:15 a.m. The deal to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas was achieved after more than a year of negotiations, with mediation from the United States, Qatar and Egypt. U.S. President Joe Biden first endorsed the deal in May. The warring parties agreed to it on Wednesday, and it was subsequently approved by the Israeli Cabinet early Saturday in Israel. Starting midday on Monday when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, it will be up to his administration to see that the deal is enforced. The agreement has three phases, each of which will last six weeks. The terms of phases two and three are still being negotiated, but under phase one the cessation of hostilities is expected to continue if six weeks pass before the next phase is finalized. Phase one includes withdrawal of Israeli forces from densely populated areas and more aid for Gaza, as well as the release of some Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons and some hostages held by Hamas, including Americans. The U.S. and other Western countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist group. The release of American hostages is a “fundamental component” of Trump’s interest in ending the war swiftly, according to Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs. Whether Trump will sustain pressure for the deal to proceed to phase two, when all of the hostages are set to be released, and to phase three, when reconstruction of Gaza will begin, remains to be seen, Alkhatib told VOA. Alkhatib expressed concern that after the first phase Trump will be “so disinterested” in Gaza that the agreement will amount to “little more than a freezing of the conflict.” This would be disastrous for Palestinians in Gaza and the goal of Palestinian statehood, he added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Friday that he had received “unequivocal guarantees” from Biden and Trump that if negotiations on phase … “Implementing Gaza ceasefire will be up to Trump” →

Washington — President Joe Biden on Sunday posthumously pardoned Black nationalist Marcus Garvey, who influenced Malcolm X and other civil rights leaders and was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s. Also receiving pardons were a top Virginia lawmaker and advocates for immigrant rights, criminal justice reform and gun violence prevention.  Congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey, with supporters arguing that Garvey’s conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the increasingly popular leader who spoke of racial pride. After Garvey was convicted, he was deported to Jamaica, where he was born. He died in 1940.  The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said of Garvey: “He was the first man, on a mass scale and level” to give millions of Black people “a sense of dignity and destiny.”  It’s not clear whether Biden, who leaves office Monday, will pardon people who have been criticized or threatened by President-elect Donald Trump.  Issuing preemptive pardons — for actual or imagined offenses by Trump’s critics that could be investigated or prosecuted by the incoming administration — would stretch the powers of the presidency in untested ways.  Biden has set the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. He announced on Friday that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. He also gave a broad pardon for his son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes.  The president has announced he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just as Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office. In his first term, Trump presided over an unprecedented number of executions, 13, in a protracted timeline during the coronavirus pandemic.  A pardon relieves a person of guilt and punishment. A commutation reduces or eliminates the punishment but doesn’t exonerate the wrongdoing.  Among those pardoned on Sunday were:  — Don Scott, who is the speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates in a chamber narrowly controlled by Democrats. He was convicted of a drug offense in 1994 and served eight years in prison. He was elected to the Virginia legislature in 2019, and later became the first Black speaker.  “I am deeply humbled to share that I have received a Presidential Pardon from President Joe Biden for a mistake I made in 1994 — one that changed … “Biden posthumously pardons Black nationalist Marcus Garvey “ →

Washington — President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that he plans to issue an executive order that would give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the popular video-sharing platform is subject to a permanent U.S. ban.  Trump announced the decision in a post on his Truth Social account as millions of TikTok users in the U.S. awoke to discover they could no longer access the TikTok app or platform. Google and Apple removed the app from their digital stores to comply with a federal law that required them to do so if TikTok parent company ByteDance didn’t sell its U.S. operation to an approved buyer by Sunday.  He said his order would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect” and “confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.  “Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations,” Trump wrote.  The law gives the sitting president authority to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale is underway. Although investors made a few offers, ByteDance previously said it would not sell. In his post on Sunday, Trump said he “would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” but it was not immediately clear if he was referring to the government of an American company.  “By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up,” Trump wrote. “Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions.”  The federal law required ByteDance to cut ties with the platform’s U.S. operations by Sunday due to national security concerns posed by the app’s Chinese roots. The law passed with wide bipartisan support in April, and U.S. President Joe Biden quickly signed it. TikTok and ByteDance sued on First Amendment grounds, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the statute on Friday.  Millions of TikTok users in the U.S. were no longer able to watch or post videos on the platform as of Saturday night. “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” a pop-up message informed users who opened the TikTok app and tried to scroll through videos. “Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”  “A law banning … “Trump says he will issue an executive order Monday to get TikTok back up “ →

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on alleged hacker Yin Kecheng and cybersecurity company Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co., accusing both of being involved in a series of hacks against American telecom companies. The intrusions, known under the name Salt Typhoon, have allegedly exposed a huge swath of Americans’ call logs to Chinese spies and rattled the U.S. intelligence community. In some cases, hackers are alleged to have intercepted conversations, including between prominent U.S. politicians and government officials. Some lawmakers have described them as the worst telecom hacks in U.S. history. In a statement, the Treasury described Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co. as a hacking company with strong ties to China’s Ministry of State Security, an intelligence agency. It said that Yin Kecheng was based in Shanghai, had worked as a hacker for more than a decade, and also had ties to the MSS. It further alleged he was tied to the recent breach at the U.S. Treasury. Reuters was not immediately able to reach Yin Kecheng or Sichuan Juxinhe. China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing routinely denies responsibility for cyberespionage campaigns.  …

It is one of the 20th century’s most memorable images: a naked girl, screaming, running from a napalm bombing during the Vietnam War. More than a half-century later, a new documentary is calling into question who took it — and the retired Associated Press photographer long credited for the photo insists it was his, while his longtime employer says it has no evidence of anyone else being behind the camera.  The film about the Pulitzer Prize-winning picture, “The Stringer,” is scheduled to debut next week at the Sundance Film Festival. Both photographer Nick Ut and his longtime employer are contesting it vigorously, and Ut’s lawyer is seeking to block the premiere, threatening a defamation lawsuit. The AP, which conducted its own investigation over six months, concluded it has “no reason to believe anyone other than Ut took the photo.”  The picture of Kim Phuc running down a road in the village of Trang Bang, crying and naked because she had taken off clothes burning from napalm, instantly became symbolic of the horrors of the Vietnam War.  Taken on June 8, 1972, the photo is credited to Ut, then a 21-year-old staffer in AP’s Saigon bureau. He was awarded the Pulitzer a year later. Now 73, he moved to California after the war and worked for the AP for 40 years until retiring in 2017.  The film’s allegations open an unexpected new chapter for an image that, within hours of it being taken, was beamed around the planet and became one of the most indelible photographs of both the Vietnam War and the turbulent century that produced it. Whatever the truth, the film’s investigations apparently relate only to the identity of the photographer and not the image’s overall authenticity.  The dispute puts the filmmakers, who call the episode “a scandal behind the making of one of the most-recognized photographs of the 20th century,” at odds with Ut, whose work that day defined his career. It also puts them at cross purposes with the AP, a global news organization for whom accuracy is a foundational part of the business model.  How did the questioning of the photo begin?  It’s difficult, so many years later, to overestimate the wallop that this particular image packed. Ron Burnett, an expert on images and former president of the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, called it “earth-shattering.”  “It changed the way photos have always been … “New documentary questions who took famous napalm attack photo” →

little rock, arkansas — Arkansas’ Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom have little in common ideologically, but the two have both been vocal supporters of an idea that’s been rapidly gaining bipartisan ground in the states: Students’ use of cellphones needs to be banned during the school day.  At least eight states have enacted such bans over the past two years, and proposals are being considered in several more states this year.  Here is a look at the push by states for such bans.  Why are states banning cellphones at schools?  The push for cellphone bans has been driven by concerns about the impact screen time has on children’s mental health and complaints from teachers that cellphones have become a constant distraction in the classroom.  Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms about their effects on young people’s lives, has said schools need to provide phone-free times.  Nationally, 77% of U.S. schools say they prohibit cellphones at school for non-academic use, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But that number is misleading. It does not mean students are following those bans or all those schools are enforcing them.  Kim Whitman, co-founder of the Phone Free Schools Movement, said the issue is catching on because parents and teachers in both red and blue states are struggling with the consequences of kids on mobile devices.  “It doesn’t matter if you live in a big city or a rural town, urban or suburban, all children are struggling and need that seven-hour break from the pressures of phones and social media during the school day,” she said.  What states are enacting bans?  At least eight states — California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia — have enacted measures banning or restricting students’ use of cellphones in schools.  The policies range widely. Florida was the first state to crack down on phones in school, passing a 2023 law that requires all public schools to ban cellphone use during class time and block access to social media on district Wi-Fi.  A 2024 California law requires the state’s nearly 1,000 school districts to create their own cellphone policies by July 2026.  Several other states haven’t banned phones, but have encouraged school districts to enact such restrictions or have provided funding to store phones during the day.  Sanders … “Banning cellphones in schools gains popularity in US” →

WASHINGTON — TikTok stopped working in the United States late on Saturday and disappeared from Apple and Google app stores ahead of a law that takes effect Sunday requiring the shutdown of the app used by 170 million Americans. President-elect Donald Trump said earlier in the day he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes office on Monday, a promise TikTok cited in a notice posted to users on the app. TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, told users attempting to use the app around 10:45 p.m. ET (0345 GMT): “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.” Other apps owned by ByteDance, including video editing app Capcut and lifestyle social app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in U.S. app stores as of late Saturday. “The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump told NBC. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.” It was not clear if any U.S. users could still access the app, but it was no longer working for many users and people seeking to access it through a web application were met with the same message that TikTok was no longer working. TikTok, which has captivated nearly half of all Americans, powered small businesses and shaped online culture, warned on Friday it would go dark in the U.S. on Sunday unless President Joe Biden’s administration provides assurances to companies such as Apple and Google that they will not face enforcement actions when a ban takes effect. Under a law passed last year and upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court, the platform has until Sunday to cut ties with its China-based parent or shut down its U.S. operation to resolve concerns it poses a threat to national security. The White House reiterated on Saturday that it was up to the incoming administration to take action. “We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment … “TikTok goes dark for US users; company pins hope on Trump” →

When Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday, his family circle will look a little different than it did when he first arrived eight years ago. His youngest son, Barron, was in fifth grade back then. He’s now a college freshman who towers over his 1.8-meter-plus dad. Granddaughter Kai, who was 9 in 2017, is now an aspiring social media influencer and impressive golfer. Grandson Joseph, who posed in Trump’s lap with a Lego model of the White House last time, is 11 now. After working in his first administration, the most prominent relatives in Trump’s political sphere, daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared, are now in Florida. Family members can provide presidents with a ready source of moral and sounding-board support, companionship and even relief from the world’s problems. The president-elect has five children — three of whom are married — from his marriages to Ivana Trump, Marla Maples and current wife Melania Trump. He has 10 grandchildren, with an 11th on the way. A look at Trump’s family circle, then and now: Melania Trump, Trump’s wife THEN: She spent the opening months of Trump’s term at the family’s Manhattan penthouse so that 11-year-old Barron wouldn’t have to switch schools in the middle of the year. After moving to the White House, she traveled around the United States and to other countries, alone and with Trump, partly to promote her “Be Best” children’s initiative while fiercely guarding her privacy. NOW: She avoided active campaigning during Trump’s 2024 run, limiting her public appearances to key moments, such as the campaign’s launch, the Republican National Convention and election night. She released a self-titled memoir late last year and will be the subject of a documentary distributed by Amazon Prime Video that is expected to be released this year. While some doubt that Trump’s 54-year-old wife will spend much time at the White House, she said on Fox News’ Fox & Friends that she has already packed and picked out the furniture she wants to take to the executive mansion. Donald Trump Jr., Trump’s eldest son THEN: Trump’s eldest son, now 46, campaigned for his father in 2016 and 2020. NOW: Trump Jr.’s influence has grown to the point that he lobbied his father to choose close friend JD Vance for vice president. He also pushed for former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the president-elect’s picks … “As Trump returns to White House, his family circle looks different” →

Bad Bunny released his latest album, which mixes urban and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Between sad and joyful stories, the artist opens a space for social criticism that focuses on Puerto Rico’s identity, traditions and current challenges. Click here for the full story in Spanish. …

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state, is pledging to press Thailand to prevent the deportation of 48 Uyghurs held there since 2014 after fleeing alleged persecution in Xinjiang, in northwest China.    “Thailand is a very strong U.S. partner, a strong historical ally,” Rubio said during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday. “That is an area where I think diplomacy could really achieve results because of how important that relationship is and how close it is.”   Describing the Uyghurs’ plight in China as “one of the most horrifying things that has ever happened,” he said, “These are people who are basically being rounded up because of their ethnicity and religion, and they are being put into camps … stripped of their identity… and into forced labor — literally, slave labor.”   Human rights advocates say returning the Uyghurs to China risks torture, long imprisonment, or disappearance.   Rubio, a leading critic of Beijing, co-sponsored the 2021 Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which bans imports from Xinjiang unless free of forced labor. His stance for human rights in China has subjected him to Chinese sanctions since 2020.   China refutes accusations of genocide Both the Biden and previous Trump administrations have classified China’s actions in Xinjiang as genocide, while a 2022 United Nations report said Beijing’s policies may constitute crimes against humanity. China rejects these accusations, framing its actions as anti-terrorism measures.   The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok claimed on Wednesday that Uyghur detainees in Thailand had terrorist ties.   “A small number of individuals, enticed by external forces, fled abroad and even joined the ‘East Turkestan Islamic Movement,’ [ETIM] a terrorist organization recognized by the United Nations, becoming terrorists themselves,” the embassy stated.  Although ETIM was listed as a terror group in 2002, the U.S. delisted it in 2020, citing no “clear and convincing evidence of ETIM’s existence,” according to Congressional Research Service.  Julie Millsap, government relations manager at the Washington-based group No Business With Genocide, dismissed China’s claims.   There has been “no evidence presented to link these men to terrorism,” Millsap told VOA. “The PRC cannot claim concurrently that it has a population of happy, dancing Uyghurs while labeling asylum seekers as extremists.”   Arslan Hidayat, team lead of the Save Uyghur campaign by U.S.-based Justice for All, said Uyghur detainees in Thailand recently faced a troubling development.  “Last week, I … “Rubio vows to oppose Thai Uyghur deportations as US secretary of state” →

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump arrived in Washington on Saturday night ahead of his second inauguration as president.  Trump flew in on a U.S. military C-32 aircraft from West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife, Melania Trump, and their son, Barron, on a flight dubbed Special Air Mission 47 — a nod to Trump becoming the 47th president on Monday.  It’s a courtesy that’s traditionally been extended by the outgoing administration to the incoming one. Trump did not make a government plane available to President Joe Biden ahead of his inauguration in 2021. Instead, the Democrat flew to Washington on a privately chartered aircraft.  Trump’s celebration of his return to power was set to get underway Saturday evening with a fireworks showcase at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.  With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nation’s capital with frigid temperatures on Inauguration Day, organizers were also scrambling to move inside most of Monday’s outdoor events, including the swearing-in ceremony.  “I think we made the right decision. We’ll be very comfortable now,” Trump told NBC News in a phone interview Saturday.  On Pennsylvania Avenue leading to the White House, crews were breaking down metal bleachers that would have been used for outdoor inauguration viewing stands.  Timothy Wallis, 58, flew in for the inauguration from Pocatello, Idaho, with friends. The group had tickets to watch the ceremony outside but haven’t been able to get tickets to any of the indoor events.  “We found out on the plane,” he said about the change of plans.  Wallis said he was disappointed about the switch and a little bemused because he’s used to cold weather at home.  “We left snow to come here,” he said. “I brought my gloves!”  Trump, a Republican who left office in 2021 after his refusal to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden, led a mob to overrun the Capitol. He then broke tradition by skipping Biden’s inauguration.  Biden will adhere to one of the most potent symbols of the democratic handover, welcoming Trump to the White House and joining him on the ride to the Capitol before Trump takes the oath of office.  The first time Trump was sworn into office eight years ago, the former reality TV star billionaire came in as an outsider disrupting Washington’s norms, delivering a dark inaugural address as his swearing-in drew large protests and … “Trump arrives in Washington for inaugural celebrations” →

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he “most likely” would give TikTok 90 more days to work out a deal that would allow the popular video-sharing platform to avoid a U.S. ban. Trump said in an NBC News interview that he had not decided what to do but was considering granting TikTok a reprieve after he is sworn into office Monday. A law that prohibits mobile app stores and internet hosting services from distributing TikTok to U.S. users takes effect Sunday. Under the law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last year, TikTok’s China-based parent company had nine months to sell the platform’s U.S. operation to an approved buyer. The law allows the sitting president to grant an extension if a sale is in progress. “I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. “The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate,” Trump told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in a phone interview. “We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he said. …

WASHINGTON — It is unclear who will take over at the Pentagon and the military services when the top leaders all step down Monday as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office. As of Friday, officials said they had not yet heard who will become the acting defense secretary. Officials said the military chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force were getting ready to step in as acting service secretaries — a rare move — because no civilians had been named or, in some cases, had turned down the opportunity. As is customary, all current political appointees will step down as of noon on Inauguration Day, leaving hundreds of key defense posts open, including dozens that require Senate confirmation. In addition to the top job and all three service secretaries, all of their deputies and senior policy staff will leave. The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to vote Monday on Trump’s choice to head the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, but the full Senate vote may not happen until days later. As a result, someone from the Biden administration would have to take over temporarily. For the service secretaries, officials said that while things could still change before the inauguration, the Trump team is eyeing General Randy George, chief of staff of the Army, to be that service’s temporary head. They said General David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Navy chief, are aware they may have to step in if no civilian is named as acting secretary, and they are preparing for that possibility. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations, said many senior Biden administration leaders are reluctant to serve in the incoming Trump administration because they are concerned about policy changes they may be required to handle or enforce. Usually, only people appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate serve as a defense or service secretary, including in an acting capacity during a transition. Trump could pull a confirmed member of the Biden administration from another agency and put that person at the Pentagon. Civilian control of the military is a key tenet, but under the law the military chiefs of the services — who are all Senate confirmed — can take over on a temporary basis. It’s rare, but it did happen more than 30 years ago. Arnold … “When Trump takes office, it’s unclear who will lead Pentagon” →

Moving the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump indoors due to expected freezing temperatures means most guests with tickets will not be able to attend the ceremony in person. “Those with tickets for the Presidential Platform and members of Congress will be able to attend in person,” the Joint Inaugural Committee said. But the “vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person.” “We strongly suggest people who are in Washington for the event attend other indoor events at indoor venues of their choice to watch the inauguration,” the committee said. On Inauguration Day, temperatures in the U.S. capital are expected to hit a low of 11 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 degrees Celsius) and a high of just 23 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 degrees Celsius), and it is expected to feel even colder with the wind chill. The frigid temperatures mean Trump’s inauguration is expected to be the coldest in 40 years, according to meteorologists. “I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way,” Trump said on Truth Social. President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985 was the last time a swearing-in ceremony was moved indoors. Many of the more than 220,000 ticketed guests who had been set to watch from the U.S. Capitol grounds will be unable to watch in person as Trump takes the oath of office. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that the ticketed outside areas on the West Front of the Capitol will be closed Monday. In an email to House of Representatives offices, the House Sergeant at Arms asked congressional offices to tell their constituents who had been given tickets that they were now “commemorative” since most of them will not be able to watch in person as Trump becomes president. What’s more, 250,000 people without tickets were expected to stand on the National Mall for the outdoor ceremony, according to a permit issued to Trump’s inaugural committee by the National Park Service. Trump said supporters can watch the ceremony on screens inside the Capital One Arena, a professional sports and concert venue in downtown Washington. It holds 20,000 people. Capital One Arena also will be the site of a Sunday afternoon Trump victory rally. The American band the Village People will perform, among others. Moving Trump’s inauguration inside means it won’t be possible to compare crowd size to previous inauguration ceremonies. After his first … “With Trump’s inauguration indoors, few guests will see ceremony in person” →

Firefighters are making some progress in containing the blazes that have leveled complete neighborhoods in the U.S. city of Los Angeles. As of Saturday morning, the Palisades Fire was 43% contained, up from 31% contained on Friday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. That fire has burned through nearly 10,000 hectares of land. Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire was 73% contained by Saturday morning, up from 65% contained on Friday, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton Fire has burned through more than 5,700 hectares of land. Those two fires have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 12,300 structures. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday that 18 people are still missing after the fires. The cause of the Palisades Fire is still under investigation. The department has not yet filed an incident report. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s potential liability for the Palisades Fire will depend on whether the utility’s power lines or assets were involved in sparking the wildfire, according to a Friday report by the credit rating agency Moody’s. But Moody’s said the utility’s distribution lines and other infrastructure will likely not substantially impact its finances and credits because much of the department’s power infrastructure in the fire area was underground, shielding it from damage. Calmed winds mean some residents have been allowed back into neighborhoods affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires. Although winds have calmed down in the area over the past few days, the National Weather Service said dangerous conditions are expected to return next week. The strongest winds are predicted Tuesday night. In the wake of the fires that have destroyed so many homes, some residents are now struggling to find affordable places to live as rent surges and the status of insurance settlements remains uncertain. Some information in this report came from Reuters. …

WHITE HOUSE — Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release, with 24 ministers voting in favor and eight ministers rejecting the agreement. The deal is scheduled to be implemented beginning Sunday. The deal to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas was achieved after more than a year of negotiations, with mediation from the United States, Qatar and Egypt. President Joe Biden first endorsed the deal in May. The warring parties agreed to it on Wednesday, and it was subsequently approved by the Israeli Cabinet early Saturday in Israel. Starting midday on Monday when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, it will be up to his administration to see that the deal is enforced. The agreement has three phases, each of which will last six weeks. The terms of phases two and three are still being negotiated, but under phase one the cessation of hostilities is expected to continue if six weeks pass before the next phase is finalized. Phase one includes withdrawal of Israeli forces from densely populated areas and more aid for Gaza, as well as the release of some Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons and some hostages held by Hamas, including Americans. The U.S. and other Western countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist group. The release of American hostages is a “fundamental component” of Trump’s interest in ending the war swiftly, according to Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs. Whether Trump will sustain pressure for the deal to proceed to phase two, when all of the hostages are set to be released, and to phase three, when reconstruction of Gaza will begin, remains to be seen, Alkhatib told VOA. Alkhatib expressed concern that after the first phase Trump will be “so disinterested” in Gaza that the agreement will amount to “little more than a freezing of the conflict.” This would be disastrous for Palestinians in Gaza and the goal of Palestinian statehood, he added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Friday that he had received “unequivocal guarantees” from both Biden and Trump that if negotiations on phase two fail, Israel “will return to intense fighting with the backing of the United States.”    Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and captured about 250 hostages in their Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the current war. Israel … “Gaza ceasefire set to begin one day before Trump’s inauguration” →