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Chapter 1: What is the latest news on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. After more than 15 months of war, the United States says Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal. NPR's Aya Batraoui reports the agreement is set to begin on Sunday, giving the Israeli government time to approve the deal.
Chapter 2: What are the details of the ceasefire agreement?
This is a complex and fragile deal, carried out in stages, starting with a six-week pause in hostilities and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, which health officials there say have killed tens of thousands of people, including more than 14,000 children in the war.
33 hostages, or around a third of those held by Hamas in Gaza, will be released in exchange for many Palestinians held by Israel in this first phase. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed al-Thani told reporters the deal aims to end the war.
I believe that it all depends on the parties of the agreement and acting in good faith.
He says the agreement also allows for displaced Palestinians to return to Gaza City and other areas in the north, though most of Gaza has been turned to rubble. Aya Potrawi, Empire News.
Chapter 3: How are the wildfires in LA County being managed?
New reporting from the Los Angeles Times is calling into question how prepared LA County was in advance of the deadly wildfires that are raging across the region. As NPR's Liz Baker reports, city officials claim that resources were pre-positioned in high-risk areas ahead of the powerful winds that continue to fuel the blazes.
Chapter 4: What steps did the LA Fire Department take during the wildfires?
The LA Times alleges that last Tuesday night, as Hurricane Force gusts sent flames and embers towards residential neighborhoods, the LA Fire Department only deployed five out of 40 available engines. And roughly 1,000 off-duty firefighters were only called in after the firestorm had already gotten out of control. In a press conference, LA Fire Department Chief Kristen Crowley responded.
We follow a system. We did that. We pre-deployed the necessary resources knowing that, or not knowing, I should be very specific in where a fire might break out in the city.
When pushed for comment, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said, quote, the buck always stops with me, but refused to elaborate further. Liz Baker, NPR News, Los Angeles.
SpaceX is preparing for another Starship test flight on Thursday. NPR's Giles Snyder reports the mega rocket is scheduled to lift off from a facility in South Texas.
It will be its seventh test flight since 2023, as SpaceX sets its sights on developing a vehicle capable of carrying people to Mars. The flight is expected to last just over an hour and will feature another attempt to catch the huge, super-heavy booster back at the South Texas launch site. as the company did back in October for the first time.
That's NPR's Giles Snyder. Inflation has risen for a third consecutive month. Figures from the Labor Department show consumer prices rose 2.9 percent last month, the highest since July. This is NPR News. The World Monuments Fund has released its list of most endangered places.
NPR's Netta Ulabi reports this year it includes a Ukrainian museum damaged by Russian missiles and an ancient Turkish city shaken by earthquakes.
The list comes out every two years. The point is to raise awareness and money for fragile cultural sites under threat, says World Monuments Fund president Bénédicte de Moutelard. Conflict and natural disaster is a very important category. That's why all of Gaza was included. The organization said massive destruction of markets, mosques, churches and other buildings affects hearts and minds.
Sites endangered by climate change include historic lighthouses in Maine and Africa's Swahili coast. Also on the list, the moon, under threat by what the World Monuments Fund describes as exploitative visitation in a space race involving multiple countries and corporations. Netta Ulibi, NPR News.
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