Hannah Jewell and Jamie Ross">

By Hannah Jewell and Jamie Ross

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Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Jan. 15, and soon you won’t be able to run into Starbucks just to use the bathroom — the company has updated its policies. Now let’s get to the news.

Pete Hegseth faced tough questions in his confirmation hearing yesterday.

• What happened? Democrats grilled Donald Trump’s Defense pick about his past. There were awkward exchanges about affairs and other allegations. Find our takeaways here.
• Today: Senators will question Pam Bondi, Trump’s loyal attorney general pick, and Sen. Marco Rubio, a former Trump rival tapped for secretary of state. Follow live updates here.

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Data as of Jan. 14 at 11:58 p.m. Eastern from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, FIRIS and NIFC. (The Washington Post)

• The latest: Authorities are on high alert as several new fires ignited yesterday. The two largest fires, Palisades and Eaton, are only 18% and 35% contained. We mapped them here.
• What’s next? Even after the fires are put out, toxic threats may linger. And residents, who already faced hard choices on what possessions to save, must decide how to rebuild.

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Trump announced a new “External Revenue Service” to collect tariff funds.

• The plan: The group will start work Monday, after Trump’s inauguration. He seems determined to impose huge tariffs on imports, despite warnings they could reignite inflation.
• In other transition news: Michelle Obama will skip Trump’s inauguration. But three famous tech billionaires will be there, and Capitol flags will fly at full height for the event.
• One more thing: Trump adviser Elon Musk was sued yesterday by the SEC.

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​​South Korea’s impeached president was detained this morning.

• Why? Yoon Suk Yeol faces charges over his attempt to impose martial law last month. He surrendered after a weeks-long standoff that resulted in a dramatic predawn raid.
• In other world news: Hamas and Israel have agreed to the broad outlines of a ceasefire deal in Gaza, officials say. But talks are ongoing — follow live updates here.

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The House voted yesterday to ban transgender students from girls’ sports.

• The details: The bill covers sports from elementary school through college. Democrats said it would harm girls. Its path in the Senate is unclear.
• In other news: There has been a surge in Americans getting sterilizations, such as vasectomies and tubal ligations, following an increase in state abortion bans.

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Neil Gaiman responded to sexual assault allegations.

• On Monday: A New York Magazine article revealed more details about accusations first made by multiple women last year against the best-selling fantasy writer.
• Yesterday: Gaiman denied allegations of sexual assault and misconduct in a statement on his website, saying he had “never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone.”

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New rules could trip up your travel plans in 2025.

• Like what? You’ll need electronic travel authorization to get into Britain, Real ID for air travel, and you could face fees