Jack Smith Report, Trump, wildfire, California, Los Angeles, TikTok, Israel, Gaza: Daily Briefing

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Special counsel Jack Smith says in a final report that he could have convicted President-elect Donald Trump. A TikTok ban could be days away. Infants’ immune systems can handle several childhood vaccines at once.

I am Nicole Fallert, Daily briefing author. Move over, BRAT. “Body Language” is the song from 2025.

Jack Smith delivers final report on the Trump election case

Special counsel Jack Smith’s 174-page report provides the fullest description yet of the investigation that led to two federal indictments against Donald Trump before both cases were dismissed. In the final bombshell report released early Tuesday, Smith says he believed his team had gathered enough evidence to convict Trump if the case went to trial.

Why didn’t the case go to court? Trump’s election to a second term in November made it impossible for the case to continue. Smith requested to dismiss the case after Trump’s election based on Justice Department policy that prohibits prosecuting a sitting president.

Woman is suing a utility company for starting an inferno for a California wildfire

“They knew like everybody else about severe weather warnings, dry weather, high wind gusts, they had tools they could have used to reduce the risk of wildfires. They have choices when they’re faced with these moments and obviously they’ve taken them wrong.”

~The attorney for Evangeline Iglesias, a Los Angeles-area woman who sued a local utility company alleging its negligence caused the wildfire — the Eaton fire — that consumed her home.

Read more about the wildfires in Los Angeles from USA TODAY:

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What is the weather today? Check your local weather forecast here.

A TikTok ban could be less than a week away

The Supreme Court heard arguments for two and a half hours on Friday about whether TikTok can be banned in the United States in less than a week. By the end, the judges appeared poised to allow the US government to force TikTok’s Chinese parent to sell the company or go dark. If SCOTUS upholds the legislation, ByteDance has until Sunday to divest the US operations of TikTok. And to add further complexity, President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sworn in on January 20 – just one day after the ban could be implemented. Here’s what you need to know if you’re a TikTok user.

Gaza war talks on the brink of ceasefire, hostage deal

A round of Gaza ceasefire talks will be held in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday morning to finalize remaining details related to the deal, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters on Monday. An agreement to end the war is “closer than it’s ever been,” the official said, adding that President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, outgoing Biden administration envoy Brett McGurk and Israel’s Mossad chief David Barnea and the Shin Bet -chief Ronen Bar was expected to attend. Sign up to USA TODAY’s Israel-Hamas War newsletter for the latest updates.

Today’s speakers

Should you rule out childhood vaccines?

Parents may be tempted to delay or spread out shots in early childhood, but several health experts told USA TODAY they wouldn’t recommend straying from the recommended childhood vaccination schedule. Many childhood vaccines result in immunity that lasts for decades, so it’s important to ensure that protection in advance early in life, experts say. The spread of vaccines can easily lead to more visits to the doctor and more shots to achieve optimal protection. Life can also get in the way, further delaying the extra doctor visits that are needed or skipping them altogether. And no, vaccines do not overload a baby’s immune system.

Today’s picture: What kind of red thing is that?

Authorities battling a series of large wildfires in the Los Angeles area have used a bright red fire retardant to douse the flames, leading to dramatic images of the material covering dozens of homes, cars and residential streets.

Nicole Fallert is a USA TODAY newsletter writer, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Email her at [email protected].