News Wrap: Israel orders sweeping new evacuations in Gaza

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• Amna Nawaz:

  In the day's other headlines: The Israeli military ordered sweeping new evacuations of three neighborhoods in Khan Yunis in Southern Gaza as intense fighting raged. That sent thousands more Palestinians fleeing to Rafah along the Gazan border with Egypt. It's already packed with displaced people living in tent cities.

  President Biden spoke with the emir of Qatar and the president of Egypt today on prospects for a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza. That came amid reports that CIA Director Bill Burns will meet in Europe with the Israeli and Egyptian intelligence chiefs and the Qatari prime minister. Still, the White House kept expectations low.

• John Kirby, NSC Coordinator For Strategic Communications:

  I'd love nothing better than to be able to stand up here on Friday afternoon and tell we're there. We're not. What I hope you take away from all the work we have been doing in recent days and weeks, including the phone calls that the president had today, is how seriously we're taking the issue, how hard we're working to try to see if another hostage deal can be put in place.

• Amna Nawaz:

  It's believed that Hamas and other militants still hold up to 130 hostages in Gaza.

  Houthi rebels in Yemen have fired on more ships in the Gulf of Aden. A U.S. Navy destroyer shot down one incoming missile today. Later, an oil tanker was hit by a missile and caught fire. Meanwhile, some 30 House members demanded that President Biden get congressional approval for reprisals against the Houthis. They warned in a letter — quote — "No president, regardless of political party, has the constitutional authority to bypass Congress on matters of war."

  The speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, now says a potential Senate deal on border security and Ukraine funding is — quote — "dead on arrival." He made that known today in a letter to colleagues. Hard-line conservatives and former President Trump are already opposing the deal as a political gift to Democrats.

  Russia denied today that President Putin is open to talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Bloomberg News reported Putin has put out feelers to the U.S. and might consider dropping objections to Ukraine joining NATO. In response, a Kremlin spokesman said today — quote — "This is a wrong report. It absolutely does not correspond with reality."

  Also, today, a Moscow court once again extended the pretrial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. It now runs through the end of March, one year after his arrest. Gershkovich listened to the ruling today from inside a courtroom cage. He's accused of espionage, something he and The Journal deny.

  In Australia, thousands of people protested as the country observed Australia Day, when British convicts arrived in 1788 as the first European settlers. Crowds waved aboriginal flags to mark centuries of injustice. Many pushed to do away with the usual celebrations and rename it Invasion Day.

• Adrian Burragubba, Aboriginal Elder:

  We're here to tell people that Australia Day doesn't mean anything to us. It's the day of aboriginal sovereignty. That day when they came here, we have to keep telling people that we were operating under our law, and we still operate under our laws.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Last October, voters rejected creating a special committee to advise Parliament on policies affecting indigenous people.

  Back in this country, the American Museum of Natural History in New York is closing two major Native American exhibits. It follows new federal rules that say museums need permission from tribes to display cultural artifacts. Several other museums have covered displays while they determine if they're in compliance.

  And on Wall Street, stocks had a mixed finish, despite new data showing inflation continues to moderate. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 60 points to close at 38109, but the Nasdaq fell 55 points and the S&P 500 lost three.

  Still to come on the "NewsHour": Jonathan Capehart and Eliana Johnson weigh in on the week's political headlines; an astronaut who spent a year in space discusses readjusting to life back on Earth; an American chemist causes a stir in Britain by suggesting a cup of tea can be improved with salt; plus much more.