2 Journalists Removed From Blinken's Final Presser (Newser Morning 8)

The 8 stories you need to know, in your inbox bright and early.                          -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January 17, 2025     "Ill habits gather unseen degrees, as brooks make rivers, rivers run to seas." —John Dryden   1 Biden Sets a Record for Pardons, Commutations President Biden announced Friday that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, using his final days in office on a flurry of clemency actions meant to nullify prison terms he deemed too harsh. Keep reading   2 2 Journalists Removed From Blinken's Final Presser Antony Blinken's final press conference as secretary of state was disrupted by two journalists who have long criticized America's support of Israel. Keep reading     At a Glance Coco Gauff of the US plays a forehand return to Leylah Fernandez of Canada during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Gauff moved into the fourth round at Melbourne Park with a straightforward 6-4, 6-2 victory over 2021 US Open runner-up Fernandez on Friday night. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) Keep reading   3 Indicted NYC Mayor Headed to Mar-a-Lago Everyone's headed down to South Florida these days to pay a visit to President-elect Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate, and now Eric Adams will join those ranks. Keep reading   4 'Be Sure You Are Open to the Moose Head on the Table' Actors and directors are paying tribute to David Lynch, the visionary filmmaker behind Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, whose death at 78 was announced Thursday. Keep reading   5 Netanyahu Gives Update on Deal With Hamas Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office said earlier there were last-minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war. Keep reading   6 Spacecraft Breaks Up Minutes After SpaceX Launch SpaceX lost the upper stage of its Starship rocket on a test flight Thursday when the unmanned spacecraft apparently broke up just as it was reaching space—after a thrilling booster catch back at its Texas pad. Keep reading     7 Trump Names His 'Ambassadors to Hollywood' Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, and Jon Voight will be President-elect Trump's "eyes and ears" in Hollywood as special ambassadors tasked with reviving Tinseltown's Golden Age. Keep reading   8 Conan O'Brien Gets a Big Honor A big honor is being bestowed on Conan O'Brien: He's this year's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor honoree. Keep reading   Today From Newser.AI Nintendo Unveils Switch 2 See more stories from our human + machine experiment here.   This Day in History On Jan. 17, 1920, prohibition of alcohol began in the United States as the Volstead Act went into effect in support of the 18th Amendment. Find out what else happened on this date here.   From the Newser Archives On this day in 2020: Judge: This Case 'Takes the Cake as Far as Being Bizarre'   Yesterday's Most-Read Stories   From Our Sponsors Manage your subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe from Newser emails  |  Privacy Policy We'd love to hear from you. Send us a note at feedback@newser.com. Read our stories on MSN. Newser, LLC  |  1395 Brickell Avenue  |  Suite 800  |  Miami, Florida  |  33131 © 2025 Newser, LLC. All rights reserved