Monday briefing
US official goes to Middle East for hostage talks
Brett McGurk, President Biden's Middle East coordinator in the White House, left for Cairo yesterday for talks aimed at releasing more hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a pause in Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, US officials said.
Egypt and Qatar helped broker a ceasefire in November, with Hamas freeing more than 100 people from captivity. The hope is that another similar deal can be struck. But US officials have said the release of new hostages is complicated by Hamas's apparent desire for a permanent ceasefire.
The trip comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that he would not withdraw Israeli forces and continued to oppose the two-state solution backed by the US and other allies. Divisions have emerged in Israel over the way forward, including whether military action can bring about the safe return of the hostages.
Other news from the war:
DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign for U.S. president and endorsed Donald Trump less than 48 hours before the New Hampshire primary. The move solidifies the Republican contest as a two-person race between the former president and Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina.
Trump's campaign said in a statement that it was “honored” by DeSantis' support and again criticized Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador during Trump's presidency, for being too liberal to win the Republican nomination. It remains to be seen whether DeSantis' departure will help her, or whether more of his supporters will migrate to Trump.
Even before DeSantis dropped out, Haley and Trump were locked in an increasingly intense and personal battle in New Hampshire, where Trump has a significant lead in the polls.
Dozens die during harsh US winter
At least 70 people in the US have died from weather-related causes after more than a week of frigid winter storms and brutally cold temperatures. That number is likely to grow.
Traffic accidents – often caused by cars spinning out of control on icy, snowy roads – are among the most common causes of death during cold snaps. Hypothermia is another threat, especially for people without access to shelter or heat, and downed power lines can increase the risk of fire or electrocution.
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In Calvin Klein's latest men's underwear commercial, Jeremy Allen White rolls down a Manhattan street, climbs onto a roof and strips naked, muscles bulging, before lounging on an ugly orange couch.
Portraying a princess
More than 25 years after her death, Princess Diana remains ever-present in our culture, appearing in countless films, television shows and even a Broadway musical. The former Princess of Wales is entertainment gold, writes Times critic Jesse Green: “The perfect combination of stardom, tragedy and irrefutability.”
A woman whose surviving relatives are still alive is not primarily an artistic, let alone a financial, opportunity, Jesse argues, and she deserves more time to rest in peace. “She's still too alive to be sucked into trauma porn,” he writes, “torn apart with the excuse of reincarnating her.”
Read his essay.