The Evening: Trump suggests eliminating FEMA

Also, egg prices are high.

View in browser|nytimes.com January 24, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. Trump's visits to disaster areas Elevated egg prices Plus, the scientists who "optimized" an Italian classic President Trump in North Carolina today. Kenny Holston/The New York Times While visiting flood survivors, Trump suggested ending FEMA In his first trip since returning to the White House, President Trump traveled today to two areas of the country recently devastated by disasters. He first stopped in the parts of North Carolina ravaged by Hurricane Helene, and then headed for Los Angeles, where catastrophic wildfires continue to burn. In North Carolina, Trump met with families struggling with an extremely slow and costly recovery from last year's flooding. There, the president said he was considering shutting down the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "FEMA's not good," Trump said. He also said that states should respond first to disasters, which is already how the system works. FEMA steps in only if a state can't handle a disaster on its own, or at the request of a governor. Officials in both parties have suggested improving the agency, but few have called to shutter it. It has long been supported by members of Congress, who control its funding. In Los Angeles, where Trump was set to land around the time this newsletter arrived in your inbox, the president was planning to visit neighborhoods destroyed by one of the most damaging fires in California's history. Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold aid from the state unless it changed environmental policies that he claimed had prevented enough water from going to Southern California. But experts have said that the problems with fighting the fires had nothing to do with water transfers from the north. The latest in California: Much-needed rain is expected to help firefighting efforts this weekend. Inside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement contractor building in Chicago on Thursday. Erin Hooley/Associated Press Trump moved to quickly expel migrants Biden allowed in The Trump administration gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials the power to quickly deport migrants who were allowed into the country temporarily under Biden-era programs, according to a memo obtained by The Times. The Biden-era programs were a self-service scheduling app that Trump shut down on Monday, and an initiative that let in some migrants fleeing Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti. They had allowed more than a million people to enter the country temporarily. In other politics news: Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary, faces a Senate confirmation vote later tonight. The outcome is uncertain. He paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of rape, a senator said. Trump terminated Dr. Anthony Fauci's government-funded security detail. Elon Musk's plan for retooling the government is taking shape. Big questions still remain. The National Gallery of Art said it would end diversity programs after a Trump executive order described them as "illegal and immoral." TikTok now faces a dilemma: Follow the law or follow Trump. Democrats are locked out of power in Washington, struggling to agree on a unified message of opposition. President Vladimir Putin of Russia heaped praised on Trump and repeated the president's baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Here's a close look at Musk's gesture, and the history of a salute long associated with the Nazis. Southern Lebanon, on Thursday. Ariel Schalit/Associated Press Israel appears poised to keep its troops in Lebanon Israeli leaders implied today that they intend to keep soldiers in southern Lebanon beyond Sunday, the deadline by which Israel agreed to withdraw its military from the area. If the Israeli troops do remain past the deadline, Hezbollah may have to choose between accepting the status quo and losing face — or resuming the battle and risking a large Israeli counterattack. In other news from the region, Hamas identified four Israeli hostages it said it would release tomorrow. John Taggart for The New York Times Egg prices are high. They're likely to get worse. Stores and restaurants are now paying around $7 for a dozen eggs, according to the price-tracking firm Expana. That's a record high, up from $2.25 last fall. Part of the problem is inflation, but it's also because of a bird flu outbreak that has infected or killed 136 million birds since 2022, including many egg-laying chickens. Experts expect egg prices to rise in the coming months because the outbreak has recently intensified. More top news Tech: Meta announced that it would increase spending this year to $65 billion in a big A.I. push. Russia: Ukraine fired a large volley of exploding drones that set an oil refinery and pumping station on fire and briefly closed multiple airports. Religion: The Supreme Court agreed to consider a case that could open the door to allowing public dollars to directly fund religious schools. Ukraine: A year ago, Moscow accused Kyiv of downing a Russian plane carrying dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war. There are still no answers. Health: R.F.K. Jr. and others have blamed aluminum in some vaccines for allergies and other illnesses. Scientists say it actually bolsters the immune response. Japan: A popular TV host admitted trying to conceal a sexual assault complaint. The reaction was swift and harsh, and the broadcaster lost all its advertisers. New York: Joseph Lynskey was waiting for the subway in Manhattan last month when somebody pushed him in front of a train. How did he survive? China: As Washington's zoo unveils two pandas on loan from China, Beijing is telling its citizens to watch what they say about this national symbol. TIME TO UNWIND Scott Turow, last month. Scott McIntyre for The New York Times Scott Turow brought back his most famous hero The author and lawyer Scott Turow is best known for his 1987 blockbuster novel "Presumed Innocent." It is centered on the former prosecutor Rusty Sabich and widely considered the gold standard for the modern courtroom thriller. (You may have seen the 1990 movie with Harrison Ford, or the 2024 mini-series starring Jake Gyllenhaal.) We talked to Turow about his decision to bring Rusty back this month in a new novel, "Presumed Guilty," about a high school student accused of murdering his girlfriend on a camping trip. "I feel a certain personal loyalty to him," Turow said of his main character. "He's the man who changed my life." Gordon Reid, right, and Alfie Hewett in the Men's Wheelchair Doubles Final. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images The titans of wheelchair tennis continue their dominance It took an epic rally to secure their final point. But when it was all said and done today in Melbourne, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid took home their sixth successive Australian Open wheelchair doubles title. The British pair have now won 22 Grand Slam titles together, making them two of the most decorated players in the sport's history. Next, they will go for a sixth straight French Open win. A Dior gown by John Galliano, in the apartments of Emperor Napoleon III. Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Dinner table topics At the Louvre: The world's most visited museum is wooing a new crowd with its first fashion exhibition in its 231-year history. A moving poem: Our critic explains, line by line, why he loves George Oppen's "From a Photograph." 50 square feet: A New York newcomer used peel-and-stick wallpaper to make his tiny room feel livable. Used phone for $3,000: Phones with TikTok already downloaded are being listed for eye-watering sums. WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: This crunchy and creamy "Dubai Chocolate" has charmed sweet tooths worldwide. Watch: Steven Soderbergh's new chiller, "Presence," is a Critic's Pick. Read: Check out these books before they hit your screens in 2025. Consider: Here are four things that therapists want you to know before your first session. Clip: My colleague at Wirecutter thinks she might have found the perfect keychain. Compete: Take this week's news quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. ONE LAST THING Martina Gaiba The perfect cacio e pepe, according to science Cacio e pepe is a recipe you don't dare tinker with. It's a pillar of Roman cuisine, in which just three ingredients — pasta, pecorino cheese and black pepper — produce a bold and memorable flavor. However, a group of Italian physicists decided it could be improved. The scientists claim that to be truly "optimized," cacio e pepe needed a fourth ingredient: cornstarch. By adding a teaspoon or so, they said, even a novice could mix the pasta together without turning it into a gooey mess. It remains unclear if any Italian nonnas will be convinced. Have a well-balanced weekend. Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. — Matthew Anna Ruch 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. 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