Start your week smart: Hegseth confirmed, hostages released, South Korean president, FEMA’s future, religious charter schools

CNN’s 5 Things Sunday brings you all the news you need to start your week smart.

The richest man on the planet has a new enemy: the humble penny. Elon Musk’s fledgling Department of Government Efficiency wants to eliminate the 1 cent coin, which costs more than 3 cents to produce. Advocates say simply rounding up (or down) to the nearest nickel would solve any price issues. A nickel, by the way, costs more than 13 cents to produce, according to the US Mint’s 2024 annual report. Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart. • The Senate narrowly voted to confirm embattled Pete Hegseth as secretary of the Department of Defense, in a major win for President Donald Trump and his new administration. Vice President JD Vance cast the 51-50 tie-breaking vote after three Republicans joined Democrats to oppose Hegseth’s nomination. The Senate also confirmed Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary. Follow live updates.• Hamas freed four female Israeli soldiers in a second round of releases under a ceasefire deal that also saw Israel accusing Hamas of failing to fulfill its obligations to release civilians first. Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners from detention centers, including 121 prisoners who had been sentenced to life imprisonment.• South Korean prosecutors have indicted the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on insurrection charges over his brief declaration of martial law, making him the first sitting president in the country’s history to be indicted. His move in December plunged the country into political turmoil and was overturned within hours by parliament.• Trump suggested he might eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a trip to tour damage from Hurricane Helene flooding in North Carolina, a state he’s said “has been abandoned by the Democrats.” He also traveled to California, where wildfires have ravaged the Los Angeles area.• The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether states may reject religious charter schools from receiving public funding, agreeing to hear arguments in an appeal out of Oklahoma involving the first such school in the nation. MondayJanuary 27 marks a grim milestone — the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. In 2005, the UN declared the date as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Monday is also the first day the IRS will start accepting and processing 2024 income tax returns. WednesdayThe Federal Reserve will announce its first interest rate decision of 2025. In December, officials signaled they were leaning toward holding rates steady in the future since inflation remains stubbornly above the central bank’s 2% target. Policymakers penciled in just two rate cuts for this year — down from the four they projected in September.