The briefing for Saturday, February 14.

Federal immigration officials plan to spend $38.3 billion to expand detention capacity to 92,600 beds, according to a document released Friday by New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte. The plan includes 16 regional processing centers housing 1,000 to 1,500 detainees for three to seven days, and eight large-scale centers capable of holding 7,000 to 10,000 people for up to 60 days. All facilities are scheduled to be operational by November as part of a $45 billion expansion funded by President Trump's tax-cutting law.

ICE has quietly purchased at least seven warehouses—some exceeding 1 million square feet—in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas in recent weeks. Additional purchases in six cities were blocked after sellers backed out under pressure from activists, while deals in other locations including New York remain pending. City officials frequently cannot obtain details from ICE until property sales are finalized, creating tensions with local governments.

The expansion comes as more than 75,000 immigrants were being detained by ICE as of mid-January, up from 40,000 when Trump took office a year earlier. The situation escalated after interim ICE Director Todd Lyons testified that DHS had coordinated with Governor Ayotte on plans for a 500-bed processing center in Merrimack, a claim Ayotte called 'simply not true.' An economic impact summary sent to Ayotte after Lyons' testimony mistakenly referenced Oklahoma's economy and taxes that don't exist in New Hampshire.

Federal authorities announced Friday they are investigating two immigration officers who allegedly made untruthful statements under oath about a January 14 shooting in Minneapolis. The probe came hours after a federal judge dismissed felony assault charges against two Venezuelan men, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, after prosecutors said new video evidence contradicted allegations in the criminal complaint and at a previous hearing.

The shooting was initially described by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as an 'ambush' and 'attempted murder' of a federal officer who fired a 'defensive shot' after being attacked with a broom handle and snow shovel. However, testimony from the immigration officer at a January 21 court hearing differed significantly from that of defendants and three eyewitnesses, and available video evidence did not support the officer's account of being assaulted.

This marks at least the fifth shooting involving immigration enforcement where initial official descriptions were later contradicted by video evidence. Previous incidents include the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where bystander videos quickly raised questions about how the incidents were initially characterized. ICE acting director Todd Lyons placed both officers on administrative leave and said they may face termination and potential criminal prosecution following the investigation.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that the rules-based world order 'no longer exists' and that Europeans must be ready to make sacrifices to protect their freedom. Opening the annual security summit, Merz acknowledged that 'a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States' but appealed directly to Washington to 'repair and revive transatlantic trust.'

Merz referenced last year's speech by Vice President JD Vance attacking European policies on free speech and immigration, calling it prescient but drawing sharp distinctions. 'The culture war of the Maga movement is not ours,' Merz said. 'Freedom of speech ends here with us when that speech goes against human dignity and the constitution. We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade.' The comments come amid unprecedented transatlantic tension over President Trump's threats to annex Greenland and impose tariffs on European nations.

The German leader revealed that 'confidential talks' are ongoing with French President Emmanuel Macron on creating a joint European nuclear deterrent, though he provided no further details. France and the UK are currently the only nuclear powers in Europe, with Germany and other European nations traditionally relying on the US nuclear umbrella within NATO for deterrence. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended the conference, spoke of a 'new era in geopolitics' requiring countries to re-examine their roles.

A key measure of inflation fell to 2.4% in January compared to a year earlier, down from 2.7% in December and approaching the Federal Reserve's 2% target, according to data released Friday. Core prices, which exclude volatile food and energy categories, rose just 2.5% from a year ago, the smallest increase since March 2021. The monthly data showed consumer prices rising 0.2% in January from December, while core prices increased 0.3%.

Several factors drove the decline: used car prices plunged 1.8% in January alone, gas prices fell 3.2% for the third drop in four months, and rental price growth slowed significantly with rents increasing only 2.8% from a year earlier—much lower than the 8% increases seen in 2022. Grocery prices rose just 0.2% in January after a 0.6% jump in December, while hotel prices ticked down 0.1% and are down 2% from last year.

Some categories showed price increases that may reflect President Trump's tariffs: furniture prices jumped 0.7% in January and are up 4% from a year ago, appliances rose 1.3%, and clothing increased 0.3%. However, these increases were offset by broader price declines elsewhere. 'Inflation continues to decelerate and is not threatening to move back up, and that will enable more rate cuts by the Fed,' said Luke Tilley, chief economist at Wilmington Trust.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigned immediately as chairman and CEO of Dubai-based ports giant DP World on Friday after mounting pressure over hundreds of emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein spanning more than a decade. The resignation came after UK development finance agency British International Investment and Canada's La Caisse pension fund suspended new investments with the company until 'required actions have been taken.'

The emails, released as part of Justice Department documents, appear to show a close relationship between Sulayem and Epstein from at least 2007 until 2017, two years before Epstein's death and years after Epstein's 2008 conviction. In one 2013 email, Epstein described Sulayem as 'one of my most trusted friends,' to which Sulayem replied about sampling a 'fresh 100% female Russian' at his yacht. The emails discussed business ideas, travel plans, and included exchanges about women, with some referencing porn, sexual massages, and escorts.

US lawmakers Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie accused Sulayem of being one of 'six powerful men' associated with Epstein whose names were improperly redacted from the files. One redacted 2009 email from Epstein referenced a 'torture video,' with the recipient—later identified as Sulayem—replying about traveling between China and the US. Being mentioned in the files is not a sign of wrongdoing, and the context of many emails remains unclear. DP World named Essa Kazim as chairman and Yuvraj Narayan as CEO.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman is expected to become prime minister following his party's landslide election victory, despite never before holding power or contesting an election. The 60-year-old returned to Bangladesh just five days before his mother Khaleda Zia's death last year, after 17 years of self-imposed exile in London. This marks the first time he's formally leading the BNP, which has alternated power with Sheikh Hasina's Awami League for decades.

Rahman faces accusations of benefitting from nepotism during his mother's tenure and allegations of corruption, though he's viewed by many as an untested leader—a status that may work in his favor. 'That he doesn't have prior experience probably works for him, because people are willing to give change a chance,' says political scientist Navine Murshid. The party's first priority is restoring democratic institutions destroyed over the past decade under Hasina's rule.

The new government faces massive challenges including controlling violence that has marred the tenure of interim leader Mohammad Yunus, reviving the economy, reducing food prices, and creating jobs for Bangladesh's large young population. Young voters who participated in the July 2024 uprising that ousted Hasina appear less tolerant of broken promises. 'We don't want to fight again,' says 19-year-old Tazin Ahmed. 'When our country runs smoothly without any corruption, and the economy becomes good, that will be our main victory.'