Cease-fire: Even though a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas was announced yesterday, the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said today that at least 72 people were killed in new attacks by Israeli forces. An Israeli government meeting to ratify the cease-fire deal that had been scheduled for this morning was postponed, apparently a result of pressure from the far-right in Israel to walk away from the deal. The 42-day cease-fire still was expected to begin on Sunday, with negotiations to make it permanent due to follow. Â
Credit for the deal: In his farewell address to the nation last night, President Biden, without mentioning Donald Trump by name, debunked Donald Trump’s taking credit for the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal. Trump had said that the deal only happened because Trump was elected president again. Biden made it plain that the deal was the result of many months of negotiations that involved several countries and in which the U.S. played a central role. He said that it will be up to the incoming Trump Administration to ensure that the deal stays in place and on-going negotiations for a permanent end to the war produce results. Â
Warning: In his farewell address to the nation, President Biden warned that America is becoming an oligarchy with power being concentrated among the exceptionally wealthy. He warned that they are making changes that benefit themselves and hurt the country. Biden gave as an example eliminating programs to deal with climate change. Biden also called for a constitutional amendment that would override the Supreme Court and make it possible to hold U.S. presidents responsible for crimes they commit while in office.
Drones: Donald Trump told a meeting of governors at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida that the day after he takes office he will release a report on the drone activity that has been reported over New Jersey, parts of New York, and other areas. However, Trump did not provide details of who is preparing the report. He also did not share any new information about who is responsible for the drone flights. Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the FBI have said they were preparing reports on the drone sightings.
Firefighters: The chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Kristin Crowley, is defending her department against criticism that it didn’t properly prepare for the wildfires that swept through parts of Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles Times had reported that the department failed to preposition about 1,000 firefighters and many engines as warnings were issued Jan. 7 that the winds would strengthen adding to the existing fire hazard. Crowley said some men and trucks were prepositioned and extra manpower and equipment were quickly rushed in when the fires spread.
BP: Petroleum giant BP says it will cut about 5% of its workforce this year. The news agency Reuters said it had seen an internal company memo in which the personnel cuts were announced. The planned cuts involve about 4,700 people in staff positions and about 3,000 who work as independent contractors. About 90,000 people work for BP. Reuters reported that BP’s CEO Murray Auchincloss has a target of cutting costs by $2 billion by 2026.
