GEOFF BENNETT: And we start today's# other headlines in the Middle East.

President Trump is urging Israel to pardon Prime# Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption## trial, which began more than five years ago and# has divided that nation.

In a letter to Israeli## President Isaac Herzog, Mr.

Trump characterized# the case as political unjustified prosecution.

The president made a similar plea during a# speech at the Knesset last month.

Netanyahu## faces unprecedented charges of bribery,# fraud and breach of trust, which he denies.

Separately, President Herzog issued a rare# condemnation of violence in the West Bank today,## after masked Jewish settlers# hurled stones at car windows## and set trucks on fire.

Some locals# called for an end to such violence.

MAHMOUD EDEIS, West Bank Resident# (through translator): What happened## here shows terrorism in .. This can't happen.

It just can't.

As# a person, I have the right to live in## safety.

It can't be that we keep living our# whole lives in a state of fear and danger.

GEOFF BENNETT: The Israeli military says# four Palestinians were injured in the attack,## part of a growing wave of settler# violence in the occupied territory.

Back in this country, a former aide to# California's Governor Gavin Newsom has## been indicted on federal charges related to# an alleged scheme to steal campaign money## from former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.# Dana Williamson, seen here next to Newsom,## faces 23 charges, including bank fraud,# wire fraud and making false statements.

The U.S.

attorney's office says that Williamson# conspired with others to divert approximately## $225,000 in funds from a dormant political# campaign to an associate's personal use.## Williamson was Newsom's chief of staff# until late 2024.

For his part, Becerra is## not implicated in the indictment.

If convicted,# Williamson could face up to 20 years in prison.

The president of the Federal Reserve# Bank of Atlanta is retiring in February,## opening up a seat on the committee that sets# the nation's interest rates.

Raphael Bostic's## departure comes as President Trump is trying to# exert more control over the Central Bank.

Bostic## has served since 2017.

His replacement won't be# selected by the Trump administration directly,## but rather by the Atlanta Fed.

However, the Fed's# board in Washington, D.C., can veto that pick.

The U.S.

Mint in Philadelphia pressed its last# penny today.

President Trump ordered the Mint to## stop producing the 1 cent coin earlier this year.# It costs about 4 cents to create a single penny,## and the Treasury Department says it will# save about $56 million by ceasing production.

And even though there are billions in circulation,## they are rarely used in modern-day# transactions.

Still, some banks## and retailers complain that the phase-out# was abrupt, leaving them short on change.

Large parts of the nation are starting to thaw# out after a record cold spell hit states in the## Southeast.

At one point, 18 million people# were under some form of freeze warning.

In## Southern Kentucky, drivers scraped ICE and snow# from their cars, while the first major snowfall## of the season swept through the Great Lakes and# into parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Other parts of the country got treated to# clearer skies and dazzling colors from the## Northern Lights, like here in Iowa.

The solar# displays could be seen as far south as Kansas## and Texas and may be visible again tonight# in areas farther north, closer to Canada.

On the Wall Street today, stocks ended# mixed, as tech shares dragged down the## broader markets.

That Dow Jones industrial# average built on its recent gains, adding## more than 300 points.

The Nasdaq slipped about 60# points.

The S&P 500 ended the day virtually flat.

And in Australia, there was a record-setting# bagpipe bonanza on the streets of Melbourne today.## An ensemble of 374 bagpipers played AC/DC's# "It's a Long Way to the Top" in the city's## Federation Square.

The location is where the band# filmed their original video for the song back in## 1976.

The Australian Book of Records certified# the performance as a new record, beating the## previous record.

Yes, there was a previous# record, which involved about 330 bagpipers.

Today's event came hours ahead of AC/DC's# first Australian show in a decade.

And pro football player Rob# Gronkowski is retiring again,## he says, for good this time to# fulfill a late friend's dying wish.

ROB GRONKOWSKI, Former NFL Player:# I'm a Patriot for life.

My career## started here.

It 100 percent needed to# end here.

There's no doubt about that.

GEOFF BENNETT: Gronk signed a one-day contract# with the New England Patriots so he can retire## with the franchise where he won three Super# Bowls and became one of the team's all-time## leading receivers.

The star tight end originally# retired in 2019, only to return to win another## Super Bowl with his longtime quarterback Tom# Brady and a new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Gronk, who is 36 years old, is eligible# for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027.

Still to come on the "News Hour":# a former career immigration judge## weighs in on being fired without# warning by the Trump administration;## tensions rise in the Caribbean with the arrival# of a U.S.

aircraft carrier; and author David## Szalay discusses his Booker Prize-winning# novel about an immigrant's lost fortune.