The Evening: Republicans embrace Hegseth

Also, Americans are flocking to a little-known Chinese app.

View in browser|nytimes.com January 14, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing L.A.'s battle against windblown fires Plus, the woman who mapped out Middle-earth Pete Hegseth, right, at his Senate hearing today. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Republicans embraced Hegseth's bid to lead the Pentagon Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, appeared at the Capitol today for a contentious four-hour confirmation hearing. Democratic senators repeatedly called him unfit to lead the Pentagon, but Republicans — who alone can confirm Hegseth — offered almost nothing but support. Hegseth appears likely to have enough votes to advance through the Senate Armed Services Committee. A vote of the full Senate could come as soon as next week, where he can likely afford to lose the support of just three Republicans. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a Republican whose support is seen as crucial for Hegseth's confirmation, appeared satisfied with his responses. At today's hearing, Democrats pressed Hegseth on numerous allegations of misconduct, excessive drinking, his views about women in combat and his ability to lead the U.S. military's three million employees through a challenging moment. Hegseth claimed to have been the victim of a "smear campaign." Before the hearing, Democrats argued that the F.B.I. had omitted key details about Hegseth when compiling his background check, in part because it did not include interviews with critical witnesses. For more: Confirmation hearings for Trump's cabinet picks are just beginning. Here's what to look for. Firefighters in Los Angeles today. Loren Elliott for The New York Times L.A. firefighters battled to contain wind-driven blazes Officials in Los Angeles urged residents to stay alert and make evacuation plans as intense winds threatened to ignite more blazes across a region already scarred from a week of devastating fires. Some of the strongest gusts are expected to come later tonight. Here's the latest. By Thursday, the area may catch a break as the winds die down. But the region remains critically dry and unlikely to see significant rainfall until next month. Firefighters expect to battle the two largest blazes for weeks. Here's a look at the forecast. For more: Insured losses from the fires have been estimated at as much as $30 billion so far; this poses a test for California's insurance system. Hundreds of teachers have lost their homes. An art collector said that about 30 works by Andy Warhol were destroyed in the flames. Here's an updated map of the fires. The aftermath of an Israeli strike in Khan Younis today. Bashar Taleb/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Israel and Hamas appeared close to a cease-fire deal Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that Israel and Hamas were "on the brink" of agreeing to declare a cease-fire in Gaza and release hostages held there. It is far from the first time that American officials have suggested that a truce is near. But over the past two days, both Israeli and Hamas officials have said that a deal appears within reach. "It's closer than it's ever been before," Blinken said. "But right now as we sit here we await final word from Hamas on its acceptance. And until we get that word, we'll remain on the brink." Related: An analysis found that deaths from bombs and other traumatic injuries during the first nine months of the war in Gaza may have been underestimated by more than 40 percent. Kazan, the capital of the republic of Tatarstan in Russia, in October. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Associated Press Ukraine launched a major drone attack inside Russia Ukraine carried out "massive" drone strikes on several regions of Russia overnight, Russian officials said. The attacks demonstrated Kyiv's ability to strike deep inside its enemy's territory, even as its own forces face setbacks in Ukraine. Both sides have tried to project strength ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration next week. He has vowed to end the war, which the Ukrainians fear could mean they could be forced to make concessions. More top news Trump: In a report released early this morning, Jack Smith, the special counsel, wrote that the president-elect would have been convicted had his case been allowed to proceed. Media: MSNBC said that its president, Rashida Jones, was stepping down. Congress: The House passed a bill that would bar trans athletes from female school sports teams. Cuba: The Biden administration said that it would remove Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. Royals: Catherine, Princess of Wales, confirmed that she was in remission from cancer. Money: Capital One deliberately underpaid savings account interest, costing depositors over $2 billion, federal regulators said. Energy: U.S. oil production is up. Oil jobs are not. Investigation: In Mississippi, police agencies set their own standards on Taser use. Abuse and injury are the result. Health: For the first time, the E.P.A. has warned that "forever chemicals" present in sewage sludge that is used as fertilizer can pose human health risks. Books: Pope Francis's autobiography, "Hope," was published today in 18 languages. India: Tens of millions of Hindus are convening in what is expected to be the world's largest human gathering, the Maha Kumbh Mela. TIME TO UNWIND The Xiaohongshu app. Cheng Xin/Getty Images Americans are flocking to a little-known Chinese app Today, the most downloaded free app in the U.S. Apple store was Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform that you've probably never heard of. The app, which many call "Red Note" (its name means "little red book" in Mandarin), received a sudden surge in popularity thanks to the possibility of a U.S. ban on TikTok. Some new Xiaohongshu users said that they wanted to show they did not share Washington's concerns about TikTok's ties to China. James Stukenberg for The New York Times Swim lessons aren't just for kids Swimming is a remarkable activity: It's great exercise, it's easy on the joints and it can be a lot of fun. But not everyone feels comfortable in the pool. My colleague Erik Vance was once one of those people. He could swim, but he didn't like it. Then he signed up for lessons, and it changed everything for him. Read about his experience. Illustration by Vartika Sharma; Photographs by Getty Images Dinner table topics Is that funny? Movie audiences can't agree on when it's OK to laugh. The 24-hour diner: There's a certain magic to a restaurant that never closes. Alexandre Kantorow: The 27-year-old pianist is a rising star in the classical world. He doesn't want that to change his routine. A break with tradition: Couples are more often sharing their wedding vows in written notes, or in private. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: A dollop of sour cream makes this classic banana bread recipe incredibly tender. Read: John Dufresne's heartbreaking new novel, "My Darling Boy," is written with compassion. Listen: The first rap hit of the year came from a failed professional basketball player. Learn: Citrus fruit is bursting with nutrients. Take advantage of it. Exercise: Fix your glutes, fix your life. Upgrade: This is Wirecutter's favorite showerhead. Compete: Take our quiz to see how much you know about classic books that were once controversial. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. ONE LAST THING Karen Wynn Fonstad in 1981. Carl Plotz, via Fonstad family The woman who mapped Middle-earth In 1977, Karen Wynn Fonstad, a novice cartographer from Oshkosh, Wis., made a long-shot cold call to J.R.R. Tolkien's publisher. She was hoping to land a dream assignment: to create an atlas of Middle-earth, the setting of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." To her surprise, an editor loved the idea and secured her permission from the Tolkien estate. Fonstad, who had two young children, worked mostly at night for the next two and a half years to publish "The Atlas of Middle-earth," which wowed fans and scholars with its exquisite level of detail. Her work is now considered a crown jewel of fantasy mapmaking. Have a magnificent evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018