Trump inauguration; Martin Luther King Jr.; TikTok: NPR

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Today’s top stories

President-elect Donald Trump is today sworn in for his second term in the White House. He promised quite a show for his first day in office last night at an hour-long rally at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC. His inauguration, originally planned outdoors, has been moved to the US Capitol Rotunda due to sub-freezing temperatures. His followers can watch him via live stream. Here’s how to watch the inauguration festivities – and what to watch out for.

US President Donald Trump reacts during a MAGA victory rally at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC on Sunday, a day before his inauguration ceremony.

Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

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Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

• A full day of activities is planned, including a dinner ceremony that may involve Trump signing ordersNPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben reports First up. The move indoors will also give a lot of time today feels like a traditional Trump rallyshe adds. At last night’s meeting, Trump spoke about carrying out mass deportations quickly and pardoning people convicted of their actions during the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol.
• Here’s what Trump has promised to focus on during his presidency.

About 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were freed from Israeli prisons yesterday as part of an exchange during the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The release came hours after three Israeli women who had been held hostage in Gaza for 471 days were freed by Hamas-led militants. There were emotional reunions with families and celebrations on both sides. The release of hostages and prisoners is the first phase of what is called a temporary ceasefire.

• “From the moment the ceasefire went into effect, almost three hours late, you could feel this collective sigh of relief just cover the country. It was a day of tears, cheers, hugs,” says NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi, who is in Tel Aviv. Inside Gaza, Palestinians blasted music from their homes, cheered and honked their car horns as the ceasefire went into effect. Heaven in Gaza left quiet for the first time in months without Israeli airstrikes. Over 600 trucks carrying desperately needed aid entered Gaza, according to the UN. Hamas is expected to release four more hostages on Saturday.
• See pictures from the moment families were reunited when the armistice came into effect.

TikTok is back online in the US after going dark for about 14 hours on Saturday night. The blackout affected 170 million US users and was lifted after Trump promised to issue an executive order to pause the federal ban once he is sworn in. However, the app is not quite back to normal yet.

• Legal experts have questioned whether Trump can use an executive order as an end run around a law that Congress has already passedsays NPR’s Juliana Kim. Trump said he wants his administration to have more time to craft a deal. The the timeline for negotiating the agreement is not clear, but he told NBC News he’s considering about 90 days. Since the ban, Apple and Google have not allowed TikTok back into their app stores. New users can’t download it, and the app can’t receive software updates to fix bugs or other issues.

Today’s listen

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, where he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963, as part of the March on Washington.

AFP via Getty Images

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AFP via Getty Images

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, where he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963, as part of the March on Washington.

AFP via Getty Images

Martin Luther King Jr. has a lasting legacy and even came into focus during the 1960 presidential election. Atlanta activist Lonnie C. King noted that something was missing from the presidential campaigns of Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy. There was no mention of the unrest in the south. Enlisting the help of his childhood friend, MLK Jr., Lonnie devised a plan to raise awareness.

Life advice

Even if you don’t like to cook, you still have to eat every day. Margaret Eby, author of You Must Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossibleshares practical tips for getting meals on the table, including counting gathering as cooking, expanding your idea of ​​what counts as dinner, and dressing up light fare like cottage cheese or instant ramen with simple, nutritious toppings.

Illustrations by Mariá Toro, excerpt from You must eat by Margaret Eby (Quirk Books, 2024)

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Illustrations by Mariá Toro, excerpt from You must eat by Margaret Eby (Quirk Books, 2024)

Cooking seems simple in theory, but it can feel like a chore to some. But there is a way to turn that feeling around. Margaret Eby, author of You Must Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossiblesays you need to change how you think about what it means to prepare food. How to gain more confidence in the kitchen:

• Gathering food counts as cooking. Throw a few ingredients in a slow cooker or make a sandwich.
• Think outside the box for dinner. A charcuterie board is not a typical dinner idea, but why not give it a try? You can include arranged cheese, cured meats and more on your platter.
• Don’t let recipes rule you. Remember, you don’t need all the ingredients; play with things you may or may not want to eat.

Read more about changing your mindset about cooking, plus get a recipe to make a bean salad here.

3 things you need to know before you go

Byron Allen speaks at the Allen Media Group upfront presentation at Avra ​​on April 26, 2023 in New York City.

Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Allen Media Group/The Weather Channel

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Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Allen Media Group/The Weather Channel

1. Meteorologists at 27 local TV news stations could face layoffs after Allen Media Group announced a new local weather initiative with The Weather Channel. The group said the new format will have “additional visual storytelling features” across its stations.
2. The US Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will award Moderna $590 million to accelerate development of influenza vaccines, including vaccines against bird flu.
3. The famous novelist and essayist Virginia Woolf has also been revealed as a poetaccording to documents unearthed at the Harry Ransom Center, an archival library at the University of Texas at Austin.

This newsletter is edited by Suzanne Nuyen.