President Joe Biden capped off his half-century political career on Wednesday evening with a final Oval Office speech, hoping to seal a legacy that has been overshadowed by Democrats' failure to stop Donald Trump from returning to the White House. In his farewell address, Biden warned of the dangers of the concentration of power and wealth, highlighting the emergence of an "oligarchy" and a "tech-industrial complex." How will Biden’s legacy be perceived in years to come? We spoke with Nancy Kassop, Distinguished Professor of Political Science Professor at SUNY New Paltz State University in New York.

Negotiators reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, after 15 months of conflict, opening the way to a possible end to a devastating 15-month conflict. The deal promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. It also would flood badly needed humanitarian aid into the devastated territory. We speak with Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy at the Middle East Institute.

President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth called himself a change agent as his Senate confirmation hearing opens. Senators questioned whether the former combat veteran and TV news show host is fit to lead the U.S. military. It starts a weeklong marathon as the Republican-led Senate rushes to have some of Trump’s Cabinet picks ready to be confirmed as soon as Inauguration Day, Jan. 20. For details on the hearing and significance of this role, we spoke with Ben Friedman, Policy Director with Defense Priorities.

The Biden administration is proposing a new framework for the exporting of the advanced computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence, an attempt to balance national security concerns about the technology with the economic interests of producers and other countries. But the framework proposed Monday also raised concerns of chip industry executives who say the rules would limit access to existing chips used for video games and restrict in 120 countries the chips used for data centers and AI products. Mexico, Portugal, Israel and Switzerland are among the nations that could have limited access. We’ll speak with Balaji Padmanabhan, Director of the Robert H. Smith School of Business Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business at the University of Maryland.

President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday to no punishment at all in his hush money case, an outcome that cements his historic conviction while letting him return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine. It was the first criminal prosecution of a former U.S. president and major presidential candidate. Trump and his attorneys argued it was a politically motivated case that should never have been brought. We speak with Mark Sedlander, a trial attorney and litigator whose practice consists of white-collar defense and government investigations.

Jimmy Carter, who considered himself an outsider even as he sat in the Oval Office as the 39th U.S. president, was honored Thursday with the pageantry of a funeral at Washington National Cathedral. President Joe Biden eulogized Carter in a ceremony attended by all the living U.S. presidents. Carter’s legacy will be remembered for his lifelong commitment to humanitarian work after leaving the White House. We speak with one person who says Carter’s work changed the course of her life. Faith Cooper a former Liberian refugee is a regional director at the International Rescue Committee.

Multiple massive wind driven wildfires are tearing across the Los Angeles area with devastating force, destroying homes and forcing tens of thousands to flee. Fire officials are preparing for the situation to worsen with strong winds expected to pick up. More than a thousand structures have burned. While it is rare to see such a scale of destruction in January, experts warn that climate change is lengthening California's fire season to now be a year-long risk. As the planet continues to heat up, causing more and more extreme weather events, questions arise about rebuilding and habitability. Is this the‘new normal’? Tim Brown, Research Profess

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday wouldn’t rule out military or economic action as part of his avowed desire to have the U.S. take back control of the Panama Canal and acquire Danish-controlled Greenland. Asked at a press conference whether he would avoid using

military or economic coercion in Panama and Greenland, Trump said, "No, I can't assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security." We talk to Philip Brenner, Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at American University.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday presides over the certification of the very election in which she was defeated by Donald Trump. In a video message, Harris described her role as a “sacred obligation” to ensure the peaceful transfer of power. Four years ago, an angry mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol to try to block the very process that will now return him to the White House. A conversation with Peter Loge, director of the GW School of Media and Public Affairs who also leads the Project on Ethics in Political Communication.

U.S. President Joe Biden officially blocked Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9-billion purchase of U.S. Steel Friday over national security issues, dealing a fatal blow to the contentious merger plan with the Japanese company. Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel blasted the decision, saying Biden cited no credible evidence to support the national security claim and vowed to sue. We speak with Scott Laing, a professor at the School of Management, University at Buffalo.