Janine Herbst

Wildfires in Chile have left at least 16 people dead in the southern Nioble and Bobio regions, as John Bartlett reports from the capital, Santiago.

The Syrian government says it's reached a ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces, taking almost full control of the country.

The move dismantles the Kurdish-led forces that controlled the Northeast for more than a decade.

Tensions between the government forces and the SDF boiled over earlier this month, leading to a major push toward the East.

The agreement includes dismantling the SDF and having its forces join the Syrian military.

But there's no clear timeline on

on when this agreement will go into effect.

I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst.

The Pentagon is telling 1,500 active-duty troops in Alaska to prepare for possible deployment to Minnesota, NPR has confirmed.

This amid growing protests after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Mackling-Good in Minneapolis earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department has opened criminal investigations into the state's governor and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye.

Speaking there on ABC's This Week.

President Trump is expected to announce a plan letting Americans use their retirement savings for down payments on homes at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that starts tomorrow.

Trump offered few details on how it will work, but the White House says he will present a final plan in Davos this week.

Meanwhile, President Trump's approval rating hovers slightly above 40 percent, and he's been working to communicate to voters his plans to make life more affordable.

Implementation?

That's another matter.

And here's Daniel Kurtzleben reports.

Syrian government forces have taken control of another major city in northern Syria.