Trump’s executive orders; Pete Hegseth allegations : NPR

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Today’s top stories

The Trump administration is rolling out its plan to crack down on immigration day by day. The federal government is broadening the number of people targeted for deportation and the locations where agents may arrest them. Democrats and advocacy groups in the U.S. have challenged the executive actions.

• 🎧 The administration has cleared the way for arrests in schoolsNPR’s Ximena Bustillo tells Up First. Old rules listed schools, places of worship, health care facilities and other areas as off-limits for arrests of people suspected of being without legal status. Homeland Security has put out notices to start phasing out humanitarian parole programs and to restart the full implementation of the Remain in Mexico policy, which would require some asylum seekers at the southern border to wait in Mexico for their hearings in U.S. immigration court. Lawsuits have been filed targeting Trump’s executive action aiming to reinterpret the 14th Amendmentwhich grants citizenship to nearly every person born on U.S. territory.

Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, is facing allegations of alcohol abuse and misconduct again. Hegseth has received rounds of questions about his past as well as his qualifications for the role. He denied allegations of excessive drinking and inappropriate behavior. The full Senate has yet to vote on his confirmation and now his former sister-in-law submitted an affidavit to senators saying he caused his ex-wife to fear for her safety.

• 🎧 Sen. Jack Reed told NPR’s Deirdre Walsh he requested a statement from Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Pete’s brother Nathaniel, because he didn’t think the FBI’s background check was adequate. Danielle says Pete’s second wife, Samantha, whom he divorced, “feared for her personal safety” during their marriage and often hid in a closet. Danielle stated that Samantha also had a plan to text a code word that meant she wanted someone to fly to Minnesota to help her. Pete’s attorney Tim Parlatore has maintained that Danielle was an “anti-Trump far-left Democrat” with an axe to grind. No Republican senators so far have said they will oppose the nomination.

The Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza is holding on its fourth day, but Israel has announced a new military operation in the occupied West Bank. The operation is centralized on the city of Jenin. Palestinians there are worried the focus of the conflict is shifting to them. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz says the military has learned key lessons from the war.

• 🎧 NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf says Israel is reporting that this is a counterterrorism operation to strengthen security in the West Bank. Jenin has been a militant stronghold, and an airstrike killed 10 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials. Life throughout the West Bank has been difficulteven in the areas not directly affected by the new operation. The West Bank has a series of checkpoints and designated roads for Palestinians, most of which have been closed by the Israeli military, making travel difficult.
• ➡️ Meanwhile, in Gaza, the path forward beyond the first phase of the ceasefire remains unclear. Gaza’s reconstruction is the last phase, but it will be a massive project. Here’s what to know.

Picture show

A rare winter storm has impacted the U.S. Gulf Coast, bringing heavy snow, sleet and ice that have made travel conditions dangerous. Governors in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida have declared states of emergency. Officials throughout the region are urging residents to stay in place and prepare for potential power outages. Forecasters are predicting historic amounts of snowfall in many areas. Check out the snow photos from Texas to Florida.

Life advice

Credit card reward programs can bring big perks like hotel and air travel upgrades. You can even get cash back for gas and groceries. Finance journalist Katherine Fan got into credit card points after college and has reaped the benefits. Fan explains how to choose the right card and what to know before signing up.

• 💳 If you are looking for a premium cardyour credit score should be closer to 720. Those cards offer bigger rewards.
• 💳 Get a card that makes sense for your spending habits. If you travel, look for a card that offers perks that help with those needs.
• 💳 If you are hesitant about paying an annual feeconsider cards that don’t have one.
• 💳 Points can feel like free moneybut you should plan your spending around what makes economic sense for your life. Consider whether the money you are spending is worth it or if you are spending money just to earn points.

3 things to know before you go

1. Prince Harry and a British lawmaker have agreed to settle with Rupert Murdoch’s British publishing arm. The deal ends years of struggle to hold the tabloids accountable for illegal privacy invasions and alleged cover-up of crimes.
2. The FDA has expanded its approval of Spravatoan antidepressant nasal spray, to now be used as a standalone treatment for depression.
3. Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and playwright Jules Feifferknown for illustrating the children’s classic The Phantom Tollbooth, has died at 95.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.