The briefing for Sunday, February 8.

A federal appeals panel ruled Friday that the Trump administration can continue detaining immigrants without bond hearings, marking a major legal victory for federal immigration enforcement. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals determined in a 2-1 decision that the Department of Homeland Security's mandatory detention policy is constitutional and consistent with federal immigration law. The ruling specifically allows the government to jail immigrants arrested anywhere in the United States without bond eligibility, regardless of how long they've lived in the country.

The decision reverses nearly 30 years of precedent under both Democratic and Republican administrations. Previously, noncitizens without criminal records arrested away from the border typically had opportunities to request bond hearings while their cases proceeded through immigration court. The case involved two Mexican nationals who had lived in the US for over 10 years without criminal records, both of whom were detained for months before a lower Texas court granted them bond in October. The majority opinion argued that prior administrations choosing to use less enforcement authority "does not mean they lacked the authority to do more."

Circuit Judge Dana Douglas dissented sharply, writing that Congress "would be surprised to learn it had also required the detention without bond of two million people," many of whom are "the spouses, mothers, fathers, and grandparents of American citizens." She accused the federal government of overriding the lawmaking process through executive action. The ruling contradicts a November district court decision in California that granted detained immigrants with no criminal history the right to request bond hearings. Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated the decision as "a significant blow against activist judges" and pledged to continue defending the administration's policies in courts nationwide.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed Saturday that the United States has given Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach an agreement ending the nearly four-year war. Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy said the Trump administration "will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule" if the deadline isn't met. He announced that the US has proposed holding the next round of trilateral talks in Miami next week, marking the first time negotiations would occur on American soil. Ukraine has confirmed its participation.

The deadline follows US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi that produced no breakthrough, with both sides maintaining mutually exclusive demands. Russia continues pressing Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas region, which Kyiv flatly rejects under its "we stand where we stand" position for any ceasefire. Zelenskyy said no common ground was reached on managing the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and expressed skepticism about a US proposal to turn the Donbas into a free economic zone as a compromise. Russia presented the US with a $12 trillion economic proposal as part of broader negotiations.

As diplomatic efforts continue, Russia launched over 400 drones and about 40 missiles at Ukrainian energy infrastructure overnight Saturday. The attacks forced all nuclear power plants in Ukrainian-controlled territory to reduce output after strikes hit key high-voltage substations. Ukraine's state energy operator Ukrenergo said the power deficit increased "significantly," extending hourly blackouts across all regions during the bitter winter. The attacks marked the second mass strike on energy infrastructure since the start of the year, leaving thousands without electricity and disrupting heating and water supplies for families.

Pakistani security forces arrested four suspects, including the alleged mastermind, behind Friday's suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque that killed 31 people and wounded 169 others, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced Saturday. The attack in Islamabad's Tarlai area was the deadliest in the capital since a 2008 suicide bombing at the Marriott Hotel killed 63 people. The Islamic State's regional affiliate, identifying itself as Islamic State in Pakistan, claimed responsibility and suggested it views Pakistani Shiites as legitimate targets.

Naqvi described the suspected mastermind as an Afghan national linked to IS, alleging the attack was planned and the bomber trained in Afghanistan with financial backing from India. He provided no immediate evidence for these claims, and there was no comment from New Delhi or Kabul. One counter-terrorism officer was killed and three wounded during the raids to arrest the suspects. Naqvi alleged that several militant groups operate from Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan and urged the international community to take notice.

More than 2,000 grief-stricken mourners gathered Saturday for funerals at the same mosque where the attack occurred, joined by Shiite community leaders and senior government officials. The Islamic State group, a Sunni organization, has targeted Pakistan's Shiite minority in the past, apparently seeking to stoke sectarian divisions in the majority Sunni country. In 2022, IS claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Peshawar that killed at least 56 people. The attack drew international condemnation, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying international support remains critical to Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts.

A federal judge ruled Friday that the Trump administration must continue funding child care subsidies and other social service programs in five Democratic-controlled states, granting a preliminary injunction while the lawsuit proceeds. US District Judge Vernon Broderick in New York blocked the administration from withholding more than $10 billion annually from programs in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York. The programs include the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for 1.3 million children from low-income families nationally, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and the Social Services Block Grant.

The government's explanation for its actions has shifted throughout the case. When the Department of Health and Human Services initially announced it was withholding the money, it said there was "reason to believe" the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally but didn't explain the source of this information. In court, a federal government lawyer revealed it was largely responding to news reports about possible fraud. Federal lawyers also clarified they weren't "freezing" money as initially stated, but rather requiring more information from the states, including names and Social Security numbers for beneficiaries.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said the illegal funding freeze "would have caused severe chaos in the lives of some of the most vulnerable families in our state." California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the administration's actions "not only unlawful — they are cruel, targeting the most vulnerable among us." Advocates warn that cutting off child care subsidies could force day cares accepting the subsidies to face layoffs or closures, affecting both lower-income families receiving subsidies and those who don't. For many families, losing child care makes it hard or impossible to work.

Haiti's nine-member presidential council stepped down Saturday after almost two years of tumultuous rule, with US-backed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé expected to remain in power as the country prepares for its first general elections in a decade. The dissolution came days after the US deployed a warship and two Coast Guard boats to waters near Haiti's capital, where gangs control 90% of Port-au-Prince. An analyst with the International Crisis Group said the naval presence "appears to provide the latest proof of Washington's willingness to use the threat of force to shape politics in the Western Hemisphere."

The council's tenure was marked by political instability and accusations of corruption. In late January, two influential council members announced a majority vote to oust Fils-Aimé, defying US government calls to uphold political stability. Days later, the US revoked visas for four unidentified council members and a Cabinet minister. The plan to remove the prime minister appeared to fall by the wayside as the council stepped down. Outgoing council president Laurent Saint-Cyr said "we need to put our personal interest to the side and continue progress for security." Fils-Aimé pledged to address the nation later Saturday.

February 7 marks a historic date for Haiti representing the start of democratic rule after nearly 30 years of dictatorship, traditionally when presidents are sworn in. However, Haiti failed to hold general elections Saturday as envisioned, with gang violence gripping much of the capital and swaths of the country's central region. Tentative election dates were announced for August and December, but many believe it's unlikely voting will occur this year. The council was established in April 2024, nearly three years after President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his residence. Analysts say clarity on who will govern Haiti is essential as a new multinational security mission prepares to transform the understaffed UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police.

Washington Post publisher Will Lewis announced Saturday he's stepping down, ending a troubled tenure three days after the newspaper said it was laying off one-third of its staff. Lewis announced his departure in a two-paragraph email to staff, saying that after two years of transformation, "now is the right time for me to step aside." The Post's chief financial officer, Jeff D'Onofrio, was appointed temporary publisher. Neither Lewis nor billionaire owner Jeff Bezos participated in Wednesday's meeting announcing the layoffs, which were deeper than expected and included shutting down the renowned sports section, eliminating the photography staff, and sharp reductions in metropolitan Washington and overseas coverage.

The British-born Lewis was a former Wall Street Journal executive who took over at The Post in January 2024. His tenure was rocky from the start, marked by layoffs and a failed reorganization plan that led to the departure of former top editor Sally Buzbee. His initial choice for replacement, Robert Winnett, withdrew after ethical questions were raised about both men's actions while working in England, including paying for information that produced major stories—actions considered unethical in American journalism. Lewis didn't endear himself to journalists with blunt talk about their work, at one point saying in a staff meeting they needed to make changes because not enough people were reading their work.

The layoffs came on top of widespread talent defections following Bezos' order late in the 2024 presidential campaign pulling back from a planned endorsement of Kamala Harris, which led to the loss of tens of thousands of subscribers. Former Post editor Martin Baron condemned Bezos this week for attempting to curry favor with President Trump and called what has happened "a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction." The Washington Post Guild called Lewis' exit long overdue, saying "his legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution," and urged Bezos to rescind the layoffs or sell the paper to someone willing to invest in its future.