Judge blocks Trump administration from ending protections for Haitians
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary protections that have allowed roughly 350,000 Haitians to live and work in the United States. The judge in Washington on Monday granted a request to pause the termination of temporary protected status for Haitians. The TPS designation for Haitians was scheduled to end Tuesday. Without that protection, Haitian TPS holders could face deportation to Haiti. The temporary designation that can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary if conditions in home countries are deemed unsafe for return due to a natural disaster, political instability or other dangers. President Donald Trump has sought to end the protections for migrants from many countries.
Every Homeland Security officer in Minneapolis is now being issued a body-worn camera, Noem says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The secretary of Homeland Security is requiring that all the department's officers on the ground in Minneapolis wear body cameras. Secretary Kristi Noem made the announcement Monday on the social media platform X. Minneapolis has been the site of intense scrutiny over the conduct of immigration enforcement agents. There have been increased calls by critics of Homeland Security to require all of the department’s officers who are responsible for immigration enforcement to wear body cameras. President Donald Trump said the decision was up to Noem but added that he thought it was generally good for law enforcement to wear cameras.
Trump urges House to vote quickly to end the partial government shutdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is imploring the House to end the partial government shutdown. But neither Republicans nor Democrats appear ready to quickly approve the federal funding package he brokered with the Senate. They want to first debate their own demands over immigration enforcement operations. That means tough days ahead for Speaker Mike Johnson. A partial shutdown started over the weekend when funding lapsed for several agencies. Pentagon, Homeland Security and others are without funds, but much of their operations are deemed essential and they continue operating. Some workers may go without pay.
Iran’s president seeks 'fair and equitable negotiations' with the United States
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s president says he has instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States. The comments on Tuesday from reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian represent the first clear signal from Iran that it may take part in negotiations being organized by Turkey. Pezeshkian made the comments on X. He said: “I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists — one free from threats and unreasonable expectations — to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency.”The U.S. has yet to acknowledge the talks will take place.
Trump plans to lower tariffs on Indian goods to 18% after India agreed to stop buying Russian oil
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he plans to lower tariffs on goods from India to 18%, from 25%, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. The move comes after months of Trump pressing India to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude. India has taken advantage of reduced Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Authorities believe 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie's mother was taken against her will
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities believe the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will. The Pima County sheriff says it’s imperative Nancy Guthrie is found soon because she could die without her medication. Guthrie was last seen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at her home in the Tucson, Arizona, area where she lived alone. Guthrie had limited mobility and officials don’t believe she left on her own. The sheriff says it was Guthrie was of sound mind and her disappearance is not dementia-related.
Government says it's fixing redactions in Epstein-related files that may have had victim information
NEW YORK (AP) — The Justice Department says it has taken down several thousand documents and “media” that may have inadvertently included victim-identifying information after lawyers for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's victims complained of insufficient redactions. The government said in a letter to a judge Monday that “technical or human error” caused the errors. Lawyers for victims said in a letter to the judge Sunday that botched redactions had damaged the lives of nearly 100 victims. The judge who oversaw the sex trafficking case against Epstein in Manhattan federal court scheduled a hearing for Wednesday and invited lawyers to bring their clients, although he said he was not certain how helpful he could be.
Football, politics and protest: This year's Super Bowl comes at a tinderbox moment in the US
WASHINGTON (AP) — The NFL faces pressure to take a stance against the Trump administration's immigration policies ahead of the Super Bowl. Over 184,000 people have signed a petition urging the league to denounce Immigration and Customs Enforcement's potential presence at the game. The liberal group MoveOn plans to deliver the petition to the NFL's New York City headquarters on Tuesday. Bad Bunny, the halftime show's headliner, is expected to address the moment. The Grammy-winning artist has criticized President Donald Trump on various issues. Trump has said he doesn't plan to attend this year's game and has derided Bad Bunny as a “terrible choice.”
Musk Inc.? Billionaire combines his rocket and AI businesses before an expected IPO this year
NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk is joining his space exploration and artificial intelligence ventures into a single company before a massive planned initial public offering for the business later this year. His rocket venture, SpaceX, announced on Monday that it had bought xAI in an effort to help the world’s richest man dominate the rocket and artificial intelligence businesses. The deal will combine several of his offerings, including his AI chatbot Grok, his satellite communications company Starlink, and his social media company X.
Appeals court overturns former UCLA gynecologist's sex abuse conviction
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California appeals court has overturned the conviction of a former campus gynecologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, on sex abuse charges. Dr. James Heaps was sentenced in 2023 to 11 years in prison after his conviction on charges of sexually abusing female patients. The court ruling on Monday ordered the case to be retried. A three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled Heaps was denied a fair trial because his defense counsel was not made aware of a note pointing out concerns that one juror lacked sufficient English to carry out their duties. Heaps was convicted in October 2022 of three counts of sexual battery by fraud and two counts of sexual penetration of two patients.
