morning! Welcome to the daily briefing. This morning’s breaking news is:
nicole farato here. Are you brave enough to put your backpack in the overhead bin of a plane? We’ve got Wednesday’s headlines, including the latest on ICE enforcement across America, President Donald Trump’s visit to Switzerland, and a message from Taylor Swift.
USA TODAY Exclusive: ICE releases some detained families
Despite pledging “zero releases,” the Trump administration has quietly begun releasing dozens of immigrant families it had held in Texas detention centers but not deported.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released about 160 people, half of them minors, into border detention facilities since Jan. 17, and plans to release up to 100 to 150 people a day over the next two to three weeks, according to shelter directors and people with direct knowledge of the releases. The reason for the release remains unclear.
Meanwhile, USA TODAY is tracking intense scrutiny of tactics employed by federal immigration officials, including allegations that American citizens are being stopped on the street.
More news you need to know right now
- Will there be a takeover of Greenland? Trump is scheduled to address European leaders in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, as key US allies reject his heavy-handed rhetoric about acquiring Greenland and prepare retaliatory tariffs. Meanwhile, the United States and several European countries have sent troops to the Arctic island in recent days, sparking speculation that a military conflict between the historic allies could be imminent.
- Will the Supreme Court allow President Trump to take control of the Fed? As the Supreme Court decides whether President Trump’s sweeping tariffs are legal, the justices on Wednesday will take up another major attempt by the president to assert unprecedented control over the U.S. economy: his attempt to remove members of the Federal Reserve Board.
- Brrrrrr! Much of the United States feels cooler due to arctic air blowing in from Canada. Freezing temperatures are expected in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and South due to the polar vortex system.
tennis clap
american below
The second round of the Australian Open begins in Melbourne on Wednesday, and a draw could not be more appealing. That’s especially true for American women. Stars like Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are each looking to win their first Australian Open, while defending champion Madison Keys will face Ashlyn Krueger as she seeks to become the first American to win the tournament back-to-back since Serena Williams.
I want to talk to you about something.
Text: Taylor Swift
On Tuesday, hundreds of exhibits were unsealed in the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni lawsuit. These include text messages allegedly exchanged between Lively and Taylor Swift in December 2024, in a filing obtained by USA TODAY. In an exhibit filed by Baldoni’s team on Dec. 5, 2024, Swift appears to have sent Lively a screenshot of a People magazine report in which Baldoni talked about the “trauma” of a previous relationship, along with a message that read, “I think this guy knows something is going to happen because he pulled out a little violin.”
before going
Have feedback about the daily briefing? Email Nicole at NFallert@usatoday.com.
