On today’s show: Israel and Hamas have agreed to pause fighting in Gaza but the deal is already under threat. The Wall Street Journal explains. Biden bid Americans farewell from the Oval Office last night, and Reuters’ Andrea Shalal told us why he’s leaving with such low public approval. The Trace’s Samantha Storey explains what 10 years of shooting data reveals about the state of America’s gun-violence epidemic. Plus, a controversial Trump ally is sailing through confirmation hearings to serve in his Cabinet, what to know about the FDA’s new ban on red dye No. 3, and Starbucks says if you want to hang out in its stores, you’ll now have to pay up. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.
Full Episode
Hey there, it's Shamita. I've got a quick request for you. If Apple News Today is an essential part of your morning routine, follow the show in Apple Podcasts. And if you have another 30 seconds, leave us a rating and a review too. It helps other people find our show and it helps us know what you like about it. Thanks. Good morning. It's Thursday, January 16th. I'm Shamita Basu.
This is Apple News Today. On today's show, Biden gives his final address from the Oval Office. What a decade of data reveals about the gun violence epidemic in America. And what to know about the FDA's new ban on red food dye. But first, to the Gaza ceasefire deal, and news this morning that it might be under threat.
Yesterday, Hamas leadership confirmed it had reached a deal with Israel, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the agreement and urged the Israeli government to accept it. But The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is accusing Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement, which Hamas denies.
The Israeli cabinet has postponed their meeting to approve the deal, which was supposed to take effect on Sunday, initiating a six-week pause in fighting. Israel launched more airstrikes in the Gaza Strip overnight, where health authorities have reported at least 70 fatalities in the last 24 hours. A senior Hamas official said early today that Hamas is still committed to the agreement.
According to a draft of that agreement reviewed by the journal, during the first phase of the ceasefire, Israeli forces said they would withdraw from populated areas and 33 hostages were set to be released from Gaza. That included women, children, people with severe injuries. people over the age of 50, and two American hostages.
Hamas had also agreed to return the bodies of hostages who died, and Israeli negotiators had agreed to release hundreds of Palestinians from Israeli prisons. And they were going to return to negotiations after a couple of weeks to discuss the possibility of a permanent ceasefire.
The journal reports that the terms of this ceasefire agreement weren't substantially different from the offers put forward months ago, when more hostages were still alive and before thousands of Palestinians lost their lives. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, roughly one out of every 50 residents of Gaza.
Last night, before news that the deal might be jeopardized, President Biden spoke from the Oval Office, saying his team had worked hard to secure a deal and that they'd involved Trump's team to make sure all would go smoothly with Trump taking office next week. But now, as this dispute between Israel and Hamas plays out, the U.S. transition of power is far from the top concern.
This is a fast-changing story this morning. You can follow along for the latest in the Apple News app. Let's turn to what else President Biden said in that speech last night, a farewell address in which he said goodbye to the country and to his five-decade career in public office.
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