Today&#x27;s Briefing

EconomyTechPolitics

FTC warns Apple that alleged news suppression may violate federal law

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson notified Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday that the company’s news curation practices may violate the FTC Act. The warning follows allegations that Apple News systematically promotes left-leaning news outlets while suppressing conservative publications. Ferguson stated that such practices, if inconsistent with Apple’s terms of service or consumer expectations, could constitute material misrepresentations or omissions under Section 5 of the FTC Act.

9 outlets reporting—

ConflictPoliticsWorld

Trump Administration Ends Minnesota Immigration Surge Following Fatal Shootings and Protests

Border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday the conclusion of "Operation Metro Surge" in Minnesota, a federal immigration crackdown that resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens and sparked nationwide protests. President Trump approved the drawdown following intense criticism of the operation's use of force and its impact on the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. A significant withdrawal of the approximately 2,000 remaining agents is scheduled to conclude next week, though a "small footprint" will remain for transition and criminal investigations.

9 outlets reporting—

EvolvingPoliticsEconomy

Department of Homeland Security Faces Shutdown as Funding Negotiations Stall

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is scheduled to begin a partial shutdown at 12:01 a.m. Saturday after the Senate failed to pass funding legislation or a short-term extension on Thursday. Lawmakers in the House and Senate have departed Washington for a 10-day recess, leaving the department without a budget agreement as negotiations between the White House and Democrats remain unresolved. While the shutdown will affect agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), its impact on immigration enforcement is expected to be minimal due to existing funding reserves.

9 outlets reporting—

Anthropic Secures $30 Billion in Funding at $380 Billion Valuation

South Korean Intelligence Identifies Kim Jong Un’s Daughter as Designated Successor

US Energy Secretary Pledges Oil Investment in Venezuela Amid Interim Government Cooperation

FBI Doubles Reward to $100,000 and Releases Suspect Details in Nancy Guthrie Abduction

Antitrust Chief Gail Slater Resigns Amid Disputes Over Corporate Influence and Independence

ICE Director Discloses 37 Misconduct Probes Following Fatal Shootings of US Citizens

Major US Stock Indices Decline as AI Disruption Fears Impact Logistics and Real Estate

US to reduce conventional forces in Europe as Pentagon demands NATO defense overhaul

Rivian Shares Jump 15% as Automaker Forecasts 59% Delivery Increase for 2026

US and Taiwan Finalize Trade Deal to Cut Tariffs and Secure $85 Billion in Purchases

Wednesday, February 11

25 stories

EvolvingWorld

FAA Reopens El Paso Airspace After Brief Grounding Linked to Drone Incursion

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, allowing all commercial, cargo, and general aviation flights to resume. The reversal came just hours after the agency had issued a surprise 10-day grounding order for "special security reasons," which had designated the region as national defense airspace and authorized the use of "deadly force" against non-compliant aircraft. The FAA stated that there is no longer a threat to commercial aviation and operations have returned to normal.

—11 sources

SportsPoliticsSociety

Amber Glenn Addresses Social Media Backlash Following Olympic Gold Medal Victory

U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn resumed social media activity on Tuesday to address online harassment and threats following her gold medal victory in the team event. Glenn posted a photo with teammate Alysa Liu on TikTok with a caption stating, "They hate to see two woke b----es winning." She defined the term "woke" as referring to individuals who use their platforms to advocate for marginalized communities in the country they represent.

11 sources—

EvolvingEconomyPolitics

US Job Growth Surges to 130,000 in January as Unemployment Rate Dips to 4.3%

The U.S. Labor Department reported Wednesday that employers added 130,000 jobs in January, significantly exceeding economist forecasts that ranged from 55,000 to 75,000. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3% from 4.4% in December, defying expectations that it would remain unchanged. While the monthly figure suggests a stabilizing labor market, the report included substantial downward revisions to 2025 data. Total job growth for last year was adjusted to 181,000, down from the previously reported 584,000, marking the weakest annual performance since the 2020 pandemic.

10 sources—

CrimeSociety

Ten Dead Including Suspect Following Mass Shooting at British Columbia School and Residence

Ten people are dead, including a suspect, following a mass shooting Tuesday at a secondary school and a nearby residence in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that six victims were found dead inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, one died while being transported to a hospital, and two others were discovered at a connected residential property. The suspect was found deceased at the school from what appears to be a self-inflicted injury.

VIDEO

ConflictWorldPolitics

Trump Insists on Continued Iran Negotiations Following Meeting With Netanyahu

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he "insisted" negotiations with Iran continue following a three-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While expressing a preference for a diplomatic deal to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Trump referenced the June "Midnight Hammer" military operation as a warning of the consequences should talks fail. The meeting concluded without a definitive agreement, though both leaders agreed to maintain close coordination on regional security and the status of Gaza.

7 sources—

Global Retail Stagnation and Pricing Shifts Pressure Consumer Spending

Zelenskyy Evaluates Spring Election and Peace Referendum as Russian Strikes Kill Four

Canadian Authorities Identify 18-Year-Old Woman as Suspect in Shooting That Killed Nine

Iran President Apologizes for Deadly Crackdown Amid Revolutionary Anniversary and U.S. Naval Threats

Goldman Sachs General Counsel Resigns Amid Expanding Epstein File Disclosures and Lutnick Testimony

—6 outlets reporting

Society

James Van Der Beek, 'Dawson's Creek' Star, Dies at 48 Following Cancer Battle

Speaker Johnson Joins Democrats in Criticizing DOJ Tracking of Lawmakers Reviewing Epstein Files

U.S. Alleges China Conducted Secret Nuclear Tests Amid Expanding Global Espionage Investigations

Bangladesh Election Projections Indicate Landslide Victory for BNP as Polls Close

US National Debt Projected to Reach Record 120 Percent of GDP by 2036

Don Lemon Hires Former Federal Prosecutor to Defend Against Church Protest Felony Charges

NATO Launches Arctic Sentry Mission to Coordinate Regional Defense and Resolve Greenland Dispute

Sports

American Elizabeth Lemley Wins Moguls Gold as Defending Champion Finishes Last

Trump Administration Intervenes in Mortgage Market Amid Housing Affordability Challenges

Hong Kong Court Convicts Father of Overseas Activist Under National Security Law

Federal Judge Blocks Pentagon Effort to Punish Senator Mark Kelly Following Grand Jury Refusal to Indict

Governors Association Cancels White House Meeting After Democratic Governors Excluded

Tuesday, February 10

29 stories

EvolvingPoliticsEconomy

House Votes to Rescind Trump’s Canada Tariffs in Rare Rebuke

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 219-211 on Wednesday to terminate the national emergency used by President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on Canada. Six Republicans—Reps. Don Bacon, Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Kevin Kiley, Dan Newhouse, and Jeff Hurd—joined nearly all Democrats to pass the resolution. Representative Jared Golden was the sole Democrat to vote against the measure. The vote followed a failed attempt by Speaker Mike Johnson to block the resolution through a procedural rule change on Tuesday, which collapsed after several Republicans refused to support the maneuver intended to shield the administration's trade policy from legislative challenges.

—15 sources

EvolvingCrime

Authorities Release Man Detained for Questioning in Nancy Guthrie Abduction Case

Law enforcement officials in Arizona released a man on Wednesday who had been detained for questioning in connection with the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. The individual, identified as Carlos Palazuelos, was taken into custody during a traffic stop in Rio Rico on Tuesday, hours after the FBI released surveillance footage showing an armed, masked figure at Guthrie’s Tucson home. Palazuelos, a delivery driver, maintained his innocence and stated that investigators questioned him about his whereabouts before releasing him without charges. Authorities also conducted a court-authorized search of a residence in Rio Rico, approximately 15 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, which was cleared by Wednesday morning.

EconomyPoliticsWorld

US and China Prepare for High-Level Trade Talks Ahead of April Summit

Treasury officials are moving to stabilize the world’s two largest economies through high-level trade negotiations in Beijing, seeking to preserve a fragile truce ahead of a presidential summit in April. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent confirmed on Monday that senior staff traveled to China last week to strengthen communication channels and advance dialogue. Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng have emerged as the primary negotiators as both nations seek transactional gains to stabilize markets previously impacted by tariff threats and counter-threats.

CrimePolitics

Utah GOP Repeal of Anti-Gerrymander Law Faces Collapse Amid Fraud Investigation

A Republican-led effort to repeal Utah’s independent redistricting law is expected to fail following allegations of widespread signature fraud and a significant shortfall in required petitions. The campaign, which sought to overturn Proposition 4, faces a Sunday deadline but has verified only 76,079 of the necessary 140,679 signatures. If the repeal fails to qualify for the November ballot, a court-ordered redistricting map that includes a new Democratic-leaning congressional district will remain in place.

EconomyPoliticsWorld

Analysts Project Significant Inflation Increase Amid Federal Policy Shifts

Market analysts are projecting a significant rise in consumer prices as federal trade and energy policies create upward pressure on the national inflation rate. The warning follows a series of executive actions, including a crackdown on oil shipments to Cuba that has disrupted Caribbean travel markets and impacted regional energy costs. While specific programs like TrumpRx have reportedly reduced the cost of certain medications to a few hundred dollars, broader economic indicators suggest these localized savings may be offset by wider inflationary trends.

Sports

U.S. Figure Skater Amber Glenn Resolves Olympic Music Copyright Dispute

Estonia Warns of Russian Military Buildup as Transatlantic Tensions Increase

White House and Democrats Reach Stalemate Over DHS Funding as Shutdown Deadline Approaches

Federal Judges Accuse ICE of Defying Court Orders Amid Rapid Enforcement Expansion

Federal Judge Blocks California’s ICE Mask Ban While Upholding Identification Requirements

American Future Life Optimism Reaches Record Low Amid Economic and Political Shifts

Sports

Jutta Leerdam Breaks Olympic Record to Win Gold in 1,000-Meter Speed Skating

World

53 Dead or Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Libyan Coast

US Military Strike Kills Two in Pacific Narcotics Interdiction Operation

NYC officials to re-raise Pride flag at Stonewall following federal removal

Tech

Network Infrastructure Constraints Threaten to Stall Global AI Expansion

Analilia Mejia Advances to New Jersey Special General Election After Rival Concedes

ECB Warns Foreign Tariffs Will Suppress Eurozone Inflation and Economic Activity

Starmer Rejects Resignation Calls Following Police Investigation into Former Ambassador

Environment

Trump Administration to Rescind Legal Basis for Federal Greenhouse Gas Regulations

Susan Collins Launches Reelection Bid as Democrats Target Maine for Senate Control

Immigration Judge Blocks Deportation of Tufts Student Over Pro-Palestinian Speech

World

UN Warns of Financial Collapse as US Withholds Nearly $4 Billion in Dues

U.S. Captures Maduro and Strikes Iranian Targets in Strategy to Force Ukraine Peace Deal

Society

Chappell Roan Severs Ties With Wasserman Agency Following Epstein File Revelations

Sydney Police Defend Use of Force Following 27 Arrests at Anti-Herzog Protest

Takaichi Election Victory Secures Mandate for Japanese Security Policy Amid China Dispute

Internal DHS Data Shows 14 Percent of ICE Arrestees Held Violent Criminal Records

Social Media Giants Face Potential Billions in Damages as First Addiction Trial Begins