morning! Welcome to the daily briefing. This morning’s breaking news is:
jane homeWe buy Here’s the news you need to know on Friday, from monster winter storms to ICE’s latest operations in Maine to what you need to know ahead of the NFL playoffs.
When will the big winter storm hit?
A major winter storm forming in the southwestern United States is expected to bring heavy snow, freezing rain, and subzero temperatures from New Mexico to New England over the next few days.
More than 130 million people were under warning for snow, sleet or freezing rain on Thursday, and 106 million were under warning for low temperatures.
“This has the potential to be a large and historic storm, with significant impacts across a very wide area (over 20 states),” AccuWeather meteorologist Bob Larson said in an email to USA TODAY.
More news you need to know right now
- ICE launches in Maine. The Department of Homeland Security did not say how many immigration enforcement agents were sent to Maine, where the operation would be focused, or how long the mission would last.
- What is a “peace committee”? President Trump said his new initiative could be “one of the most consequential institutions,” but it was not clear what the board’s specific functions would be or under whose authority it would act.
- Her children and parents were an ocean away. Tej Pillai, 55, is one of the sandwich generation caregivers of immigrants from two different countries who care for both parents and children at the same time. That said, it may feel physically impossible.
Let’s take a look
Vance defends 5-year-old in Minnesota ICE custody
Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday defended the detention of a 5-year-old boy by federal agents, saying the Trump administration doesn’t think the Insurrection Act is necessary amid unrest over immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Vance’s comments came amid growing outrage over the detention of four students under the age of 18 by ICE agents in Minneapolis. School officials said preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were detained in their driveway after school Tuesday.
NFL
NFL playoff spots dwindle
There are four teams and only three games remaining in the 2025 NFL season. On Sunday, the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots open up a conference championship weekend that begins with a clash in the AFC title game later that day. Later that night, the Seattle Seahawks will host the Los Angeles Rams to determine who will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Here’s what you need to know about everything that happened in this year’s playoffs.
before you go
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