February 13, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Update from regional conflicts:

• Reversing its earlier plan for a delay, Hamas announced today that it will release the next group of Israeli hostages on Saturday, as planned – a move that appears to resolve a major dispute between Israel and the Palestinian militant group that threatened to undermine the tenuous Gaza cease-fire. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1085 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and suggested that a meeting between the two leaders could take place in the near future – possibly in Saudi Arabia. [more]
• Trump noted that he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after speaking with Putin, but was noncommittal about whether Ukraine would be an equal participant in U.S. negotiations with Russia. [more]
• The Trump statements came hours after U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels, said Ukraine should abandon the “illusory goal” of a return to pre-invasion borders and that Ukraine should not become a NATO member. [more]

U.S. INSPECTORS GENERAL | Eight inspectors general fired from their positions at various federal agencies filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the heads of their respective departments yesterday seeking redress and a return to their positions. The IGs claim in the lawsuit that the White House ignored regulations around their removal that exist to protect them from political interference and retribution. [court filing] [more]

U.S. FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT | A federal judge ruled yesterday that the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, which allows federal employees to resign and receive months of pay, can go forward. Boston-based U.S. District Judge George O’Toole Jr. did not rule on the lawfulness of the resignation program, but said the labor unions who filed legal challenges to the program did not have legal standing as they weren’t directly affected. About 75,000 federal employees are reported to have accepted the deferred resignation offer. [more]

U.S. IMMIGRATION LAW | U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced yesterday that the Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against multiple New York State officials seeking to overturn a state law that allows residents to obtain driver’s licenses without having to prove they are in the country legally. [more]

CALIFORNIA | Emergency officials in Southern California have issued warnings of potential widespread flooding as the region prepares for heavy rains today in areas affected by recent wildfires. [more]

ILLINOIS | Former long-time Illinois House Speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois head Michael Madigan was convicted on 10 counts of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud yesterday by a federal jury in Chicago in a case in which Madigan was accused of using his influence to pass legislation favorable to utility companies that doled out kickbacks, jobs, and contracts to his loyalists. [more]

U.S. AND INDIA | Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, today, with trade relations, tariffs, immigration, and Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region expected to be among the main topics of discussion. [more]

GLOBAL HEALTH | World Health Organization chief Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus says the sudden suspension of overseas aid by the United States has disrupted health services and disease prevention efforts in at least 50 countries, with programs battling HIV, polio, mpox, and bird flu among those most strongly affected. [more]

GERMANY | Authorities in Munich, Germany, say at least 28 people were injured today when a driver drove a car into a union demonstration in the city. Police say the suspect in the attack – an Afghan asylum seeker – was arrested at the scene. [more]

FRANCE | Reports say at least 12 people were injured last night when a yet-unidentified suspect threw a grenade into a crowded bar in the southern French city of Grenoble. Authorities have suggested the attack may have possible connections to a “settling of scores” linked to drug trafficking. [more]

TAIWAN | Authorities say at least four people were killed, and 26 others were injured, today in a gas explosion in the food court of a department store in Taichung, Taiwan. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. [more]

BELGIUM | Air travel, public transportation, postal services, and some public safety services are among the sectors being disrupted today in Belgium amidst the start of a planned multi-day strike by workers and trade unions over planned pension reforms. [more]

MUSIC AWARDS | This year’s nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were announced yesterday, and include Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, and The White Stripes. Final selections for induction are expected to be announced in late April. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1649, English author John Milton published his first political tract, The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates, in response to the execution of King Charles I. [more history]