this is Shades of the Day — bringing you different shades of opinion in news & culture so that you can see the big picture quickly. We believe that seeing multiple POVs is the best way to stay informed.

It’s Sunday, February 9 — here are today’s three featured stories:

1. Democratic shutdown drama

2. Alaska flight tragedy

Shades makes it fun to stay informed on today’s top stories — check out our latest app update here.

1) Three more Israeli hostages freed under Gaza ceasefire, highlighting humanitarian concerns and geopolitical tensions.

2) Experts worry Trump's plan to relocate Gaza's population could worsen the humanitarian crisis, reports Yahoo.com.

3) Yahoo.com sparks debate with Trump's proposal to resettle white South Africans in the U.S., following paused aid to South Africa over racial discrimination concerns.

4) Starting February 2025, NIH will cap indirect costs on grants at 15% to align with private funders and focus on direct research.

5) Federal workers who took Trump's buyout are in limbo after a judge paused the controversial plan, affecting over 60,000 employees.

6) Trump's executive actions face legal roadblocks for potentially violating the APA standard against arbitrary federal agency actions.

Democratic shutdown drama

Yahoo.com highlights Democrats’ strategies against Trump amid looming shutdown — they’re split on how hard to push without risking weakness.

Theguardian.com suggests Dems plan to go hard against Trump: They’re adopting a radically aggressive opposition strategy when the stakes are high.

Cnn.com says Dems intend to use shutdown deadline as leverage: They're debating demands and the cost of Democratic support against Trump.

Semafor.com reveals Democrats are cornering Republicans with funding talks — they demand ironclad deals to curb Trump’s spending plans.

Rollcall.com shows Dems are rallying public support and outside help, featuring “Stop the Steal” Act as a tool to curtail Trump's Treasury system overhaul.

Alaska flight tragedy

Yahoo News says the wreckage of a missing Alaska flight was found with all 10 aboard deceased -- this marks a tragic incident in aviation history.

Independent explains further: The flight encountered a brutal winter storm, emphasizing the dangers of flying in harsh Alaskan conditions.

VOA News highlights the huge joint effort it took to locate the wreckage: Many teams worked under tough weather conditions.

Dawn reinforces the tragic end: The crash site led searchers to conclude the incident was ‘not survivable’, with seven of the deceased unreachable in the wreckage.

CNN simply sums up the grim outcome: All 10 people on the regional flight perished -- an example of the risks in regional air travel.