Jimmy Carter; winter storm; Justin Trudeau resigns: NPR

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Today’s best stories

The remains of former President Jimmy Carter are expected to arrive in Washington, DC today. He will be honored in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, where he will lie in state. The public will be able to pay tribute to him until Thursday morning. Subsequently, his remains will be transported to the Washington National Cathedral for his state funeral. Watch today’s funeral events here and tune in at 4 p.m. ET for NPR’s special live coverage.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation, ending nearly a decade in power. He has faced increasing pressure from across the country, including from members of his own party, to resign over his handling of the economy, immigration and other issues. Trudeau said he would no longer lead the Liberal Party but would remain in office until a successor was chosen.

• 🎧 NPR’s Jackie Northam reports First that Trudeau probably wanted to preempt a vote of no confidence that he would probably lose. Although he won a landslide victory in his first term, the honeymoon period ended after a few years as he faced scandals and resignations within his cabinet. He received good marks for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Canada never recovered.

The Biden administration transferred 11 Yemeni detainees from the US military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to Oman. The detainees, all men, were captured following the September 11 terrorist attacks and had been held at Guantánamo Bay for more than two decades without charge or trial. Their release leaves 15 prisoners behind, reducing the number of detainees by half. The release of the detainees is part of Biden’s latest attempt to try to close the detention center before leaving office.

• 🎧 The men’s transfer was approved after national security officials said they were not dangerous enough to be detainedaccording to NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer. However, they remained incarcerated due to diplomatic and political difficulties, including finding countries willing to accept them. Oman agreed to welcome them, provide them with employment and housing, and offer them security oversight. The Guantánamo facility has been criticized for its human rights abuses and its high cost, estimated at $15 million per prisoner each year. President-elect Donald Trump previously pledged to keep the facility open.

The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously yesterday to agree to a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice to reform its police department. The agreement aims to address decades of discriminatory policing. The move follows the killing of George Floyd nearly five years ago, which sparked protests across the country and around the world.

• 🎧 The Justice Department found a pattern of racial discrimination and excessive use of force within the Minneapolis Police Department.particularly against blacks and indigenous people, says Estelle Timar-Wilcox of NPR station Minnesota Public Radio. The department will draft a new use of force policy prohibiting chokeholds and neck restraints and limiting the use of pepper spray. Investigations against officers will now continue even if they resign or retire. Supporters hope a federal judge will approve the deal before Trump takes office, because his last administration opposed the use of consent decrees.

Deep dive

Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin have been on a wild ride lately. Bitcoin is becoming increasingly mainstream after the Securities and Exchange Commission early last year approved investment funds that track the price of the currency. Analysts believe forms of crypto could have a game-changing year in 2025. Here are the key things to watch:

• ➡️ A recent survey showed that several experts predict Bitcoin will reach $200,000 this year. It surpassed $100,000 for the first time last month.
• ➡️ Trump promised during his 2024 campaign to make the United States the “crypto capital of the planet”.
• ➡️ He also promised that the nation would begin a “strategic national stock” made up of bitcoin.
• ➡️ Crypto Industry, Some Lawmakers Want Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has begun, which would allow the government to actively buy and sell Bitcoin as part of managing its resources.

Image exhibition

A powerful winter storm is hitting parts of the central and eastern United States. Several states are under winter storm warnings. The storm’s heavy snow, freezing rain and ice, high winds and freezing temperatures caused devastation in several states. Since it struck, at least four people have died, dozens have been injured, thousands of cars have been stranded along highways and nearly a quarter of a million customers in a few states have lost power. See photos of the impact of the winter storm.

• ➡️ Two giant pandas at the National Zoo in DC took advantage of the snowfall. Here’s a look at their playing time.

3 things to know before you leave

1. Pentagon agrees to settle class-action lawsuit involving approximately 35,000 LGBTQ+ veteranswhich will help them obtain benefits such as health care and disability.
2. Health officials say one person in Louisiana has died after contracting bird flumarking the first reported death of a human being in the United States from the virus.
3. President Biden issued executive order blocking oil drilling in more than 625 million acres of U.S. ocean. This is the largest region a president has protected using this authority, but the incoming Trump administration is expected to challenge it.

This newsletter was published by Suzanne Nuyen.