A judge has ordered the U.S. to release a father and 5-year-old son who were taken into custody during the immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Images of preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos in a bunny hat and Spiderman backpack being surrounded by federal agents in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20 added to the outcry about the immigration actions of President Donald Trump’s administration. The government says the father and son, originally from Ecuador, entered the U.S. in 2024. They were taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. The judge previously ruled that they could not be removed from the U.S. for now.

Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to become the league’s first 40-goal scorer this season and the Colorado Avalanche continued their dominance of Detroit with a 5-0 victory over the Red Wings. MacKinnon also had an assist, giving him 699 for his career. He failed to score in the previous five games, his longest drought of the season. MacKinnon increased his season point total to 91, trailing only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. Mackenzie Blackwood secured his third shutout this season by making 28 saves.

The Buffalo Bills have hired Jim Leonhard as their defensive coordinator under new head coach Joe Brady. The 43-year-old Leonhard spent the past two seasons with the Denver Broncos, including last year as the team's assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator. He is the second Broncos assistant to join Brady’s staff. Pete Carmichael was hired as offensive coordinator. The Bills also filled their special teams coordinator vacancy by hiring Jeff Rodgers, who spent the past eight years holding the same position with the Arizona Cardinals.

Britain’s royal family is facing a fresh round of embarrassment after the latest release of documents from the U.S. investigation into Jeffrey Epstein revealed unsavory details about the relationship between the convicted sex offender and a correspondent who appears to be the man formerly known as Prince Andrew. Emails released by the U.S. Justice Department include an invitation for Epstein to dine at Buckingham Palace, Epstein’s offer to introduce his correspondent to a 26-year-old Russian woman, and photos that appear to show Andrew kneeling over an unidentified woman who is lying on the floor. The revelations come three months after King Charles III stripped Andrew of his royal titles, including the right to be called a prince.

A federal judge says she won’t halt the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota and the Twin Cities as a lawsuit over it proceeds. Judge Katherine M. Menendez on Saturday denied a preliminary injunction sought in a lawsuit filed this month by state Attorney General Keith Ellison and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul. It argued that the Department of Homeland Security is violating constitutional protections. The lawsuit sought a quick order to halt the enforcement action or limit its scope. Lawyers with the U.S. Department of Justice have called the lawsuit “legally frivolous.” Federal officers have fatally shot two people on the streets of Minneapolis: Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24.

Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers has been suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA's anti-drug program. The league announced the suspension on Saturday but did not disclose the substance involved. This is George's first violation, according to the agreement between the NBA and the Players Association. The suspension will cost him approximately $11.7 million of his salary. George is expected to return on March 25 when Philadelphia faces Chicago. The 76ers are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference. George has averaged 16 points in 27 games this season, ranking third on the team.

Meteorologists sometimes warn of a winter storm that could “bomb out” or become a bomb cyclone. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this happens when a storm's central pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. The lower the pressure, the stronger the storm. These rapidly strengthening storms can produce heavy rain and intense winds, creating dangerous conditions. Bomb cyclones mainly occur in fall and winter when Arctic air clashes with warmer air masses. Regions prone to these storms include Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and the Great Lakes.

President Donald Trump acted quickly to negotiate with Democratic senators on a deal to avert a government shutdown. It was a big change from his stance during last year's record-long standoff, when he refused to budge for weeks during a shutdown. Trump’s urgency reflects a changed political landscape and mounting pressure on the Republican administration. Republicans are still dealing with the fallout from two recent fatal shootings by federal agent shootings in Minneapolis and from the 43-day shutdown last year. Some Republicans are frustrated by Trump's deal with Democrats and are raising the possible of a prolonged shutdown fight when the House returns Monday to vote.

The shooting deaths of white protesters Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis have followed a playbook that is painfully familiar to Black Americans. Authorities quickly moved to disparage the victims, only to be contradicted as more evidence emerged. Black families who have lost loved ones to police violence say the killings in Minnesota have brought back painful memories of their own fights for justice as law enforcement agencies spun up narratives to suggest officers had no other choice but to kill their relatives. Some advocates say the Minneapolis shootings should be a reminder to all Americans that injustice disproportionately impacting Black people can impact them, too.

Emergency power cuts swept across several Ukrainian cities as well as neighboring Moldova, officials said, following a commitment from the Kremlin to U.S. President Donald Trump to pause strikes on Kyiv as Ukraine continues to battle one of its bleakest winters in years. Ukraine’s Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal, said that the outages had been caused by a technical malfunction affecting several power lines. The shortages follow weeks of Russian strikes against Ukraine’s already struggling energy grid, which have already triggered long stretches of severe power shortages. Moscow has sought to deny Ukrainian civilians heat, light and running water over the course of the war, in a strategy that Ukrainian officials describe as “weaponizing winter.”

People use music to set moods, create a desired atmosphere and evoke memories of family and friends. The right song at the right time can have similar effects for some dogs. Pet owners and animal shelter workers sometimes use music as a training tool, a distraction from triggers and to create a relaxing environment for dogs kept in kennels or left alone at home. But researchers say music is context-dependent, meaning the effects vary based on dogs’ temperament, the setting, the type of tune and the volume at which it’s played. Experts say music can be a paw-sitive experience, but it's crucial to know your dog and to stay attuned to signs of distress.

The partial government shutdown is a lot different from the record-long shutdown in the fall. That's mostly because the shutdown that began Saturday may not last long. When the House returns on Monday, lawmakers will try to pass legislation quickly that would end the shutdown. Congress has passed half this year’s funding bills, and that means several important federal agencies and programs continue to operate. Nutrition assistance programs should be unaffected. But funding is lapsing, at least temporarily, for the Pentagon and agencies such as the departments of Homeland Security and Transportation. Essential functions will continue, but workers could go without pay if the impasse drags on.

Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification are subject to a new fee starting Sunday. The non-refundable $45 charge isn't a penalty or fine, but payment for non-compliant travelers to use the Transportation Security Administration's new alternate identity verification option called ConfirmID. The process can take up to 30 minutes and doesn't guarantee passengers will make their flight if their identity can't be verified.

Separatists from Pakistan's Balochistan province have claimed responsibility for nearly a dozen coordinated attacks across southern Pakistan. The attacks targeted a high-security prison, police stations and paramilitary installations. At least 11 civilians, 10 security personnel and 67 insurgents were killed, authorities said. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility, releasing videos showing female fighters. The attacks began early Saturday and included the destruction of rail tracks, prompting train service suspensions. Authorities said nearly 100 militants have been killed across Balochistan over the past 48 hours. Balochistan has long been the site of an insurgency by separatist groups seeking independence from Pakistan’s central government.

North Carolina and South Carolina have become two hot spots for growth in the United States. North Carolina was the top destination for domestic migrants in the U.S., attracting 84,000 people from other states last year. South Carolina had the highest overall growth rate at 1.5%. Florida, previously a top choice for domestic residents, fell to eighth place as more people chose to move elsewhere. Texas saw a year-to-year decrease in domestic migration, with 67,300 new domestic residents. North Carolina's appeal includes its location, job opportunities and diverse landscapes. Despite changes in domestic migration, Texas and Florida still had the highest number of new residents overall.