MNA NAWAZ: We start the day's other headlines with the growing pressure on New York City's Mayor Eric Adams.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul met with political leaders in Manhattan today as she weighs whether to remove him from office.

Four of Mayor Adams' top deputies resigned last night amid growing questions over his ability to govern the city.

It followed a decision by the Justice Department to drop its corruption case against Adams on the grounds that it would allow him to focus on President Trump's immigration crackdown.

Federal Judge Dale Ho ordered a hearing tomorrow that will look into that Justice Department decision.

Weather officials are warning of record cold across the Central U.S. as the season's 10th and most severe polar vortex blankets the region.

States in the Rockies and Northern Plains are experiencing temperatures as low as minus-60 degrees in some areas, when factoring in windchill.

Further south, a band of states from Kansas to Virginia are facing snowstorms.

That comes as Kentucky and other parts of Appalachia are still cleaning up from recent flooding.

Governor Andy Beshear told reporters today that the death toll there has risen to 14, as officials pivot to what comes next.

GOV.

ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): The Kentucky National Guard is transitioning from lifesaving missions to recovery efforts focused on debris removal, restoring access and transporting supplies to affected communities.

And we're going to be prepositioning Guard assets for the coming snowstorm.

AMNA NAWAZ: At last check, more than 50 million people were under winter weather alerts from the Central Plains to the coast of the Carolinas, as heavy snow and wind are set to sweep through the region.

In the Middle East, Hamas says it will release six living Israeli hostages on Saturday, instead of three.

That accounts for all living hostages set to be freed under phase one of the cease-fire deal in Gaza.

The surprise increase comes after Israel agreed to allow mobile homes and construction machinery into Gaza.

Hamas also agreed to return four bodies to Israel on Thursday.

They include the remains of the Bibas family, two young boys, Ariel and Kfir, and their mother, Shiri.

Their father, Yarden, was released alive earlier this month.

In the meantime, the U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees, or UNRWA, says that Israeli forces raided four of its schools in East Jerusalem today and ordered them closed.

At least 600 students and 30 staff were affected.

Back in this country, Native American activist Leonard Peltier was released from prison today after former President Joe Biden commuted his life sentence.

Peltier was convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975, and the agency has long opposed his commutation.

The 80-year-old has always maintained his innocence, and Native Americans widely believe he was a political prisoner.

Peltier left a federal prison in Florida today and is heading back to his reservation in North Dakota to live under home confinement.

His supporters described him as a global symbol for human rights.

TRACKER GINA MARIE RANGEL QUINONES, Supporter of Leonard Peltier: His incarceration represented not only other political prisoners, but people who stand for -- in solidarity for all humankind and humanity.

AMNA NAWAZ: In a statement, Peltier said -- quote -- "Today, I am finally free.

They may have imprisoned me, but they never took my spirit."

U.S. officials say that arrests at the southern border with Mexico dropped sharply last month.

Data out today shows that 29,000 people were arrested in January.

That is down from 47,000 the previous month, and it's the lowest reading since May of 2020.

This downward trend began under the Biden administration after arrests peaked at 250,000 back in 2023.

Today's figures also come as President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders targeting immigration.

They included a surge of troops to the border and efforts to block migrants from seeking asylum.

The Vatican said today that Pope Francis has developed pneumonia in both of his lungs.

It's the latest medical complication for the 88-year-old pontiff, who'd been admitted to the hospital on Friday with bronchitis.

In a statement, the Vatican said his -- quote -- "laboratory tests, chest X-ray, and the Holy Father's clinical condition continue to present a complex picture."

This latest diagnosis comes as dozens of supporters gathered outside of Rome's Gemelli Hospital to pray for his recovery.

A Vatican spokesman says the pope remains in good spirits and is grateful for such prayers.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended little changed following the holiday weekend.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained just 10 points, so virtually flat.

The Nasdaq added nearly 15 points, so a small gain there.

The S&P 500 added about 15 points to close at a new all-time high.

Still to come on the "News Hour": questions intensify about the authority of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency; the accident at Toronto's airport and a wave of layoffs at the FAA highlight concerns for air safety; and former U.S.

Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young looks back on his long career fighting for civil rights.