Today's Headlines: Supreme Court Backs Law Requiring TikTok to Be Sold or Banned
Israeli Government Approves Cease-Fire Deal for Gaza
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines

January 18, 2025, 4:10 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Supreme Court Backs Law Requiring TikTok to Be Sold or Banned

The company argued that the law, citing potential Chinese threats to the nation’s security, violated its First Amendment rights and those of its 170 million users.

Israeli Government Approves Cease-Fire Deal for Gaza

The full Israeli cabinet passed the agreement during a meeting that continued into the Jewish Sabbath, setting up the first reprieve in Gaza in over a year.

How Biden’s Inner Circle Protected a Faltering President

“Your biggest issue is the perception of age,” Mike Donilon, the president’s longtime strategist, told him in 2022, according to people who heard him.

Editors’ Picks

For Decades, He Has Regretted Sending a Man Away for Life. Can He Fix It?

Weakened by cancer and nagged by his conscience, a former Georgia prosecutor wants the courts to reverse the sentence he demanded for a man who didn’t physically harm anyone in his crimes.

Opinion | Standing Up to Donald Trump’s Fear Tactics

There is a real risk that the nation’s institutions will succumb to Trump’s campaign of intimidation and not do their jobs.

World

Trump Team Rebuffs Talks on Mass Deportations, Latin American Countries Say

Mexican officials and other leaders in the region have not been able to meet with the incoming administration about its migration and deportation plans.

Russia and Iran Sign Cooperation Treaty in the Kremlin

The agreement is focused more on trade than military issues, but it will bring two countries with a shared desire to challenge the West closer together.

French Far-Right Firebrand Is Laid to Rest. The Dispute Over His Legacy Endures.

The memorial for Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was known for his racist and antisemitic remarks, comes as the National Rally has become the driving force in French politics.

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U.S.

Biden Says Equal Rights Amendment Has Passed, but Does Not Force Certification

The remarks were largely a symbolic gesture of support for a century-long campaign to enshrine gender equality in the Constitution. But advocates said they could add heft to a future legal fight.

With Spotlight on New Orleans, Louisiana Moves Homeless Out of Sight

With the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras coming, Gov. Jeff Landry is using the emergency order from the New Year’s attack on Bourbon Street to remove the homeless from downtown.

In a Fire’s Ruins, Signs of a Previous Loss Leave a Family With Seeds of Hope

The Carrs have made their life’s work honoring the dreams of their precocious son, who died suddenly at 16. They rescued some mementos and others survived when their Altadena home burned to the ground.

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Politics

Kennedy Sought to Stop Covid Vaccinations 6 Months After Rollout

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. petitioned the F.D.A. to revoke authorization of the shots at a time when they were in high demand and considered life-saving.

Trump Targeted Scientists in His First Term. This Time, They’re Prepared.

Agencies and unions have put in place new guardrails designed to limit political interference in government research.

Why Trump’s Second-Term Agenda Could Hinge on the Court He Hates the Most

Once again, an incoming Trump White House is likely to clash with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. But the court in San Francisco has changed since 2017.

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Business

China’s Population Declines for 3rd Straight Year

The fall came despite a slight rise in births last year, the first increase since 2016. State efforts to cajole women to have children have met resistance.

What Did the Trump Tax Cuts Do? Nobody Really Knows.

Economic upheaval caused by the pandemic has clouded analysts’ ability to understand the effects of the 2017 tax law. Republicans call it a huge success and want to extend it anyway.

I.M.F. Raises U.S. Economic Forecast as Other Regions Lag

It is projecting 2.7 percent growth for 2025. But uncertainty about pending Trump policies looms over the global economic trajectory.

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Technology

U.S. Ban of TikTok Is Set to Deal a Major Blow to ByteDance, Its Chinese Owner

While TikTok remains hugely popular in Brazil, Indonesia and other markets, its 170 million users in the United States are its most valuable.

Instagram and YouTube Prepare to Benefit From a TikTok Ban

Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube are getting ready to welcome TikTok users, as the Supreme Court upheld a law that effectively bans the Chinese-owned app from the United States.

Russian Disinformation Campaigns Eluded Meta’s Efforts to Block Them

A new report details how a covert influence operation linked to the Kremlin continued to place ads on Facebook despite U.S. and E.U. prohibitions on doing business with the organization.

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Arts

In His Dark, Disturbing Visions, David Lynch Showed Us Who We Are

The director himself came off as almost performatively normal. Masterpieces like “Eraserhead” and “Mulholland Drive” said otherwise.

‘Severance’ Is Back (and Complicated). Here’s Where It Left Off.

It’s been almost three years since the Season 1 finale. This refresher should help jog your memory.

Suit Disputes Ruling That a Sculpture Is Too Broken to Still Be a ‘Calder’

A collector says the Calder Foundation sunk the value of an $8 million mobile by Alexander Calder by deciding it was too damaged to still be viewed as a work by the artist.

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