How Trump wants to cut spending. And, possible Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal

Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.

Today's top stories

A ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon may be imminent. Officials from both countries are set to hold meetings and vote on a proposal this week. For more than a year, Israel and Hezbollah had been fighting a low-level conflict. In September, Israel widened its airstrikes on Lebanon and sent in ground troops, killing most Hezbollah leaders and devastating the country.

People inspect the damage at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike that targeted a branch of the Al-Qard Al-Hassan finance group in Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday. -/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

-/AFP via Getty Images

• 🎧 It's not a done deal, but it would be an initial two-month ceasefire involving Israeli troops withdrawing from Lebanon and Hezbollah pulling its fighters and weapons north of the Litani River, NPR's Lauren Frayer tells Up First. The terms are almost exactly the same as the ceasefire in 2006 — the last time Israel invaded Lebanon. One stumbling block to negotiations is that Israel wants the freedom to attack Hezbollah if it believes it's violating the deal. If the U.S. grants Israel the right to strike pre-emptively, Lebanon could see it as a violation of its sovereignty.

President-elect Donald Trump wants to use a little-known tool called presidential impoundment to deliver on his promise of big cuts in government spending. Impoundment is when the president holds back money that Congress has approved for a specific purpose. On Friday, he announced his pick for the person to wield that power: Russ Vought, a key architect of Project 2025. He has been tapped to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget.

• 🎧 Trump and his allies argue that a president has — or should have — the right not to spend those funds. This has raised alarms across D.C. that Trump may try to overstep his power, NPR's Franco Ordoñez says. A 1974 law called the Impoundment Control Act could stand in the way of his plans as it requires a president to spend money as Congress directs. During his first term in office, Congress objected when Trump impounded foreign aid for Ukraine. Things could be different this time around with a Republican-controlled Congress.
• ➡️ Trump has promised to put more money back in Americans' pockets by lowering taxes. Here are three ways it could impact you.

Black women have been essential when it comes to turning out voters. But after Vice President Harris lost the chance to become the first Black woman president, many Black women organizers say they're exhausted. Some have decided to step back, and it's unclear when they're ready to return. Christina Greer, a political science professor at Fordham University, says if enough organizers take a step back or rethink some of their past strategies, it could affect U.S. politics. Here's what some Black female organizers have to say about their work mobilizing voters, the results of this election and what might be next for them.

Today's listen

Musician/singer Kim Deal of The Pixies performs at Hammerstein Ballroom on November 23, 2009, in New York City. Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Kim Deal has been in two storied rock bands since the 1980s: The Pixies and The Breeders. Now, almost 40 years into her music career, she has released her first solo album, Nobody Loves You More. Deal talks with Morning Edition guest host Rob Schmitz about how a gifted ukulele shaped one of her new songs, the loss of people in her life and her overall musical journey.

• 🎧 Listen to snippets of Deal's newest songs and hear what she had to say about her new album.

Deep dive

About 40% of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, according to a Lancet commission report. MirageC/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

MirageC/Getty Images

One key tactic to healthy aging is keeping our minds sharp. Neurologist Jonathan Rosand and collaborators have developed a way to track brain health with a 21-point scale called the brain care score. The score, which can be calculated in five minutes, helps people understand the importance of daily habits like sleep, diet and exercise.

• 🧠 About 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors.
• 🧠 To calculate your brain score, you rate yourself on risk factors that include diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, sleep and the amount of exercise you get.
• 🧠 Your score can be improved by managing chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, which can be accomplished through lifestyle changes and sometimes medicine.

3 things to know before you go

Emily Beckman wants all her classmates to be able to make snow angels on snow days. Jeremy Beckman hide caption

toggle caption

Jeremy Beckman

1. Emily Beckman of Colorado has set out to change her school's policy of logging on to school-issued laptops to learn when snow falls. The 12-year-old wants to bring back snow days to bring joy to her classmates and beyond. (via CPR)
2. A deep-sea exploration company thought it might have solved the mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance. But the underwater image it released doesn't show the wreckage of her aircraft. Instead, it's of a plane-shaped natural rock formation.
3. A former Macy's employee allegedly "made erroneous accounting accrual entries" to hide up to $154 million in delivery expenses for nearly three years, the retailer announced yesterday.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.