The details: The plan centers on a phased withdrawal of American troops in exchange for a Taliban cease-fire. The insurgent group would also pledge not to allow international terrorist groups to use Afghanistan as a hub.

What’s next: The Taliban are debating the requirement that the group enter talks with the Afghan government and agree to a lasting cease-fire, two points they have long resisted.

Another angle: The idea of a U.S. troop withdrawal worries Afghan women, who fear that their rights will be taken away.

Shutdown is over, but the clock is ticking

Negotiators from the House and Senate have less than three weeks to hash out a plan to secure the southwestern border, after President Trump signed a stopgap funding bill last week to end the partial government shutdown. Mr. Trump said he would shut down the government again or invoke emergency powers to build a wall if Congress doesn’t offer a solution he likes by Feb. 15.