President Joe Biden’s decadeslong political career is coming to an end. Israel’s security cabinet votes on a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. And a New York sheriff defends the detainment of an 11-year-old girl.
Here’s what to know today.
Biden ends 5 decades in public life
Joe Biden ascended to the highest office in America with a pledge to unite the country, strengthen his party and defend democracy. Instead, in the 82-year-old’s Oval Office denouement, he leaves a nation divided, a party in tatters and the American people questioning the self-described institutionalist’s respect for the rule of law.
“The Joe Biden story is one of the great tragedies of American politics. I really mean that. He should be having a glorious, well deserved, highly acclaimed retirement. And he’s not,” veteran Democratic political strategist James Carville said. “It’s hard to blame anybody but him.”
In the White House, the mood feels “like a morgue,” according to a person who recently met with officials there. One White House official attributed it to Trump’s impending return. Another said personnel are holding back their emotions until Inauguration Day actually arrives.
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Many Democrats are blaming Biden for handing the White House to Donald Trump, criticizing him for staying in office too long. Biden harbors a simmering resentment toward some of the people who were among his most powerful allies, including former President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, his longtime personal lawyer Bob Bauer and former top adviser Anita Dunn. Those people, Biden believes, either failed him or pushed him out of the 2024 race.
And when Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden after promising not to, he was surprised and angered by Democrats’ criticism, according to multiple people familiar with his reaction. Throughout his term, Biden felt the tug-of-war between his White House inner circle and his family members. Some of his family felt at times that the president was not being served well by his team.
What about Biden’s accomplishments while in office? On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas struck a deal for a ceasefire after 15 months of war. A longtime Biden ally also pointed to his massive investments in infrastructure, a booming stock market, low unemployment and pandemic that was navigated “masterfully.” Today, he will commute the sentences of more than 2,000 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, cementing his legacy as the president who has issued the most individual pardons and commutations in history.
But in the immediate term, his accomplishments have done little to move the public. Biden is poised to leave office with a 36% approval rating, according to a CNN poll.
In a wide-ranging interview with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, Biden said Democrats should have done a better job selling their accomplishments to voters. “Ironically, I almost spent too much time on the policy and not enough time on the politics,” he said. He also said in the interview that “red states really screwed up” in how they handled their economies during the pandemic.
More politics news:
- Our reporters got back in touch with 18 swing voters who participated in the final NBC News poll of the 2024 election to ask them how they’re feeling about the impending Trump presidency.
- On the fourth day of confirmation hearings, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, will testify. Follow our live blog for updates throughout the day.
- The Biden administration has no plans to enforce the law banning TikTok in the U.S. if it goes into effect on Sunday, instead deferring implementation to the Trump administration, officials said.
- Elon Musk is scheduled to speak at Trump’s pre-inaugural rally this weekend in Washington, D.C.
Israel’s security cabinet votes on Gaza ceasefire deal
The Israeli security cabinet is voting on the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. The vote was delayed after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Hamas sought late concessions, which the militant group denied. Both sides confirmed the final issues were resolved overnight.
The full cabinet, which is set to meet tomorrow, must then approve the deal before time is allowed for appeals to Israel’s Supreme Court. But the Israeli PM’s office says it can still begin Sunday if approved.
The phased deal would begin with a six-week truce and could end 15 months of fighting in Gaza. Israeli strikes have killed at least 111 people since the deal was announced, Gaza’s Civil Defense said.
The leader of the World Health Organization urged the Israeli cabinet to approve the ceasefire and hostage release deal, “and all sides to honor and implement it.”
Wrestling with survivor’s guilt during the L.A. fires
The fast-moving fires in Los Angeles have destroyed over 12,000 structures and left at least 27 people dead, but those whose homes and lives were spared are contending with another struggle.
People who have escaped what might be considered the worst outcome in a tragedy often grapple with the feeling of survivor’s guilt, explained Jennifer Gray Thompson, the founder and chief executive of After the Fire, a nonprofit that helps communities recover from massive wildfires. These people sometimes feel guilty for saying anything about their own trauma.
Altadena resident Enrique Balcazar was among those who confronted such emotions when returning to his neighborhood, and found that his under-construction home was the only one on its block still standing after the Eaton Fire. “I don’t feel like I deserve anything more than any of my neighbors,” he said. Read the full story here.
Sheriff defends deputies who detained 11-year-old girl
A sheriff’s office in New York said two deputies who detained and handcuffed an 11-year-old girl this week acted “reasonably,” saying she matched the description of a suspect. The response from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office comes after a woman who identified herself as the girl’s mother shared videos on social media of the girl’s interaction with deputies.
The incident happened Monday afternoon in Syracuse, a few blocks from where a stolen car was observed, the sheriff’s office said. The wanted person was wearing a pink jacket and camouflage pants — an outfit similar to what the girl was wearing. Both the suspect and the girl are Black. Over the course of the incident, children who were with the girl told deputies, “We can’t drive,” and pointed out the disparities between the girl’s outfit and the suspect’s when shown a photo. The girl was handcuffed for seven minutes before she was allowed to leave.
Since the video of the girl’s detainment has been posted, the sheriff’s department has been met with criticism online and from the New York Civil Liberties Union. Read the full story here.
Read All About It
- David Lynch, the surrealist filmmaker known for the TV show “Twin Peaks” and films “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive,” has died at the age of 78.
- The FDA formally authorized Zyn nicotine pouches for sale.
- SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft fell apart shortly after liftoff yesterday. Within minutes, videos emerged on social media showing debris streaming across the sky.
- “It Ends With Us” actor and director Justin Baldoni has sued his co-star Blake Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation, the latest in a legal battle surrounding the movie.
- An estimated 1 million taxpayers are set to receive $1,400 payments from the IRS. Here’s who is eligible.
Staff Pick: Mixed emotions in Gaza after ceasefire announced
After news broke that Israel and Hamas had finally agreed to a ceasefire deal, there were celebrations in the streets of Gaza. An NBC News crew was on the ground to capture the triumphant moments. “Now we can sleep safely and comfortably; that’s it, nothing more,” Ibrahim Abou Reezk said. But relief was also tinged with worry as many spoke of rebuilding their homes, feared that fighting may continue anyway and expressed sadness that the truce came too late for many victims. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
The new Nintendo Switch 2 first-look trailer is out, and it’s clear that the latest version of the gaming console will come with a larger screen. An NBC Select reporter shares what else to know. Plus, a personal trainer and other fitness experts suggest the best dumbbells to improve your at-home workout routine.
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