Israel Delays Ceasefire Vote and President Joe Biden’s Farewell Warning: Morning Rundown

Israel postpones vote to approve Gaza ceasefire after officials announced a deal. President Joe Biden warns that the United States is developing an oligarchy in his farewell speech. Plus, how a billionaire’s role in helping recruit a coveted quarterback to Michigan fits the political landscape.

Here’s what you need to know today.

Israel Postpones Ceasefire Vote; Hamas says it is committed to action

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was announced yesterday that will end 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip and free dozens of hostages held there. But clashes emerged this morning over the final details, delaying an Israeli vote to approve the deal.

After planning to vote today, Israel has said its cabinet will not meet to approve the deal with Hamas, claiming the militant group created a “last-minute crisis.” This morning Hamas said it was “committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by the mediators.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not elaborate on the details of the alleged question. Far-right Israeli officials have expressed strong opposition to the cease-fire agreement.

According to Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose country hosted months of intense negotiations, the agreement would be a phased deal that would see Israeli forces withdraw to the Gaza border. Palestinians would then be able to return to their homes and humanitarian aid would be sent to the enclave and hospitals and health centers would be rebuilt, he said.

Under the first phase of the deal, Hamas is expected to gradually release a total of 33 of the 96 hostages who remain held in Gaza after being captured on October 7. A senior US administration official said two Americans would be among the first hostages released. Israel will also release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who were not involved in the October 7 attacks, and an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners will also be released abroad or in Gaza.

The war has destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure and displaced most of its population. Health officials in the enclave said more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.

Follow live updates here.

This is the Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

Biden leaves with a series of warnings

With less than a week left in office, President Joe Biden bid farewell to the nation with a speech in the Oval Office. After celebrating some of his major accomplishments while in office, Biden offered a series of warnings about threats to American democracy, including a rising “oligarchy taking shape.”

The so-called oligarchy, which appeared clearly aimed at billionaire Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is one of “extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair chance for all to to move on,” Biden said. The president also warned of “the potential rise of a tech industrial complex,” criticized social media platforms for “abandoning fact-checking” and argued for safeguards against artificial intelligence. Biden also took some jabs at Donald Trumpalthough he never mentioned the president-elect by name.

Biden also used his speech to highlight the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas and other key achievements such as sustained job growth, lower prescription drug costs and investments in clean energy to combat climate change. Serving as president, he said, has been “the highest honor of my life.”

More political news:

• Six of Trump’s nominees for the big office faced hearings yesterday, including Pam Bondi for attorney general, Marco Rubio for secretary of state and John Ratcliffe for CIA director. Here are seven takeaways from them.
• Today there are confirmation hearings for Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department; Lee Zeldin EPA Administrator; Eric Scott Turner for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and more. Follow our live blog for updates throughout the day.
• Rudy Giuliani have to go to court again today as a trial to determine the fate of some of his most valuable assets — his Florida condo and New York Yankees World Series rings — begins.
• The Biden administration is considering ways to keep TikTok available in the US if a ban on the app goes into effect on Sunday.
• Speaker Mike Johnson removed Republican Representative Mike Turner as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
• Vivek Ramaswamy, who will work with Elon Musk to help cut government spending during Trump’s term, is in discussions about occupation of Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Senate in Ohio, two sources said.
• President Trump made several promises during his presidential campaign about what he would do on his first day in office. Here is a list.
• Former Presidents Obama, Clinton and Bush will not attend Trump’s traditional inaugural luncheon.

LA faces a long road to rebuilding

The road to recovery for Los Angeles-area communities ravaged by recent wildfires will be a years-long process. Just ask Mayor Steve Crowder, whose community of Paradise, California, saw one of the worst wildfires in state history. In 2018, 90% of the city was destroyed and the population was reduced to 2,000 people. Six years later, the city is building about 500 homes a year and its population is up to 11,000 people, Crowder said. A silver lining is that the city has been rebuilt with more modern infrastructure and buildings that will be more resistant to future fires.

LA is only at the beginning of that journey. It can take weeks before residents are able to check their properties and more than a year before all trash and hazardous materials are removed. It could be years before water systems, power lines, roads and schools are fully rebuilt, with funding battles in Washington potentially causing delays. And for fire victims, insurance may not cover the full cost of rebuilding, as Crowder observed in Paradise. Read the whole story here.

Southern California is now getting a break from the fierce Santa Ana winds that had threatened the region this week. While strong winds are set to return next week, the National Weather Service said they won’t be as strong as when the fires broke out. As of last night, the Palisades fire was at 23,713 acres and 21% contained, and the Eaton fire was at 14,117 acres and 45% contained.

More coverage of the LA wildfires:

• Fire officials designated the start of the Eaton fire to an area in the foothills above Altadena, prompting speculation that a high-voltage transmission tower was to blame.
• What is the pink powder that is sprayed over forest fires? It’s called Phos-Check, and there is a reason for its light hue.
• One of the reasons last week’s collision between a drone and a “Super Scooper” firefighting plane caused such a stir was that LA doesn’t have many spare parts to replace it. Here’s what you need to know about the plane that is so “robust” and “reliable” that its design has hardly changed in 55 years.

The transition away from Rød no. 3

Say goodbye to Red No. 3, the synthetic dye that gives foods and drinks their bright red cherry color. Yesterday, The FDA announced a ban about the dye’s connection with cancer in animals. Red no. 3 is still used in more than 9,200 foods, such as candy, cereal, cherries in fruit cocktails and strawberry-flavored milkshakes, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Food safety advocates said they don’t expect any problems quickly removing products with the artificial dye from grocery shelves. One big reason: Red No. 3 has long been banned in the European Union and some other countries, meaning many companies already sell products overseas that they can easily produce for American consumers. And last year, California became the first state to ban the dye. Although the law was not supposed to come into effect until 2027, there were expectations that its effect could be seen earlier.

So how will red foods retain their bright color? One way is through natural alternatives like beetroot or pomegranate juice. There is also a possibility that some manufacturers may simply exchange the Red No. 3 to Red 40, another dye linked to separate health problems.

Read all about it

• The FDA has proposed a drastic reduction in the level of nicotine in cigarettes.
• Meta’s recent political changes, seen as a shift to the right, has triggered a boycott and a user exodus from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
• “Drug Addicted Rats” consume euphoric drugs seized and stored at police headquarters in downtown Houston, prompting a change in how long evidence is kept.
• American “TikTok Refugees” receive a warm welcome on the Chinese social media platform RedNote.

Staff selection: Politics, pocketbooks and college football

I may write about politics and campaign finance for a living, but I’m a huge sports fan. And when I heard the news that billionaire Larry Ellison partially bankrolled the deal that helped flip a prized quarterback recruit to Michigan, it dawned on me: The new world order in college football — the NIL collectives and a rich donor’s ability to have such influence — is similar to the rise of super PACs, which changed the game for money in politics. Having a mega-donor in your corner to lure the nation’s top recruit will be a huge boon for Michigan and anyone else able to follow suit. But politics offers an important warning: It’s not just about the moneyas the top-spending presidential candidate, he lost two of the last three elections. — Ben Kamisarnational political reporter

NBC Select: Online shopping, simplified

Having trouble learning a new language? An NBC Select reporter spent six weeks trying different language learning apps to find out how they all fit together. In addition, board-certified dermatologists recommend the best shampoo for babies with sensitive skin.

Sign up for The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales every week.

Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you are a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.