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“Saturday Night Live” has been a staple of American television comedy for 50 years, launching stars and shaping culture. On Sunday night, fans and famous alumni gathered in New York City to celebrate this milestone. Aron Ranen reports from the Big Apple. …

BEIJING/TAIPEI — China on Monday urged the United States to “correct its mistakes” after the U.S. State Department removed previous wording on its website about not supporting Taiwan independence, which it said was part of a routine update. The fact sheet on Taiwan, updated last week, retains Washington’s opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own. But as well as dropping the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence,” the page added a reference to Taiwan’s cooperation with a Pentagon technology and semiconductor development project and says the U.S. will support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations “where applicable.” Beijing regularly denounces any international recognition of Taiwan or contact between Taiwanese and foreign officials, viewing it as encouraging Taiwan’s separate status from China. The update to the website came roughly three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in to his second term in the White House. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the revisions for Taiwan on the U.S. State Department’s website were a big step backwards and “sends a seriously wrong message to Taiwan independence separatist forces.” “This is yet another example of the United States’ stubborn adherence to the erroneous policy of ‘using Taiwan to suppress China’. We urge the United States side to immediately rectify its mistakes,” Guo said. The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer, bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. “As is routine, the fact sheet was updated to inform the general public about our unofficial relationship with Taiwan,” a State Department spokesperson said in an email sent late Sunday Taiwan time responding to questions on the updated website wording. “The United States remains committed to its one China policy,” the spokesperson said, referring to Washington officially taking no position on Taiwan’s sovereignty and only acknowledging China’s position on the subject. “The United States is committed to preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” the spokesperson said. “We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We support cross-Strait dialog, and we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to people on both sides of the Strait.” On Sunday, Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung expressed his appreciation for … “China urges US to ‘correct its mistakes’ after State Department removes Taiwan web reference” →

President Donald Trump’s administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in its bid to fire the head of an independent U.S. agency that protects government whistleblowers, bringing its first legal battle involving Trump’s actions to the nation’s highest judicial body since he took office in January. The Justice Department asked the court to immediately lift a federal judge’s Feb. 12 order that temporarily blocked Trump’s removal of Hampton Dellinger as the head of the Office of Special Counsel while litigation continues in the dispute, according to a copy of the filing reviewed by Reuters. The case has not yet been docketed by the court. The federal judge’s action blocking the termination is an “unprecedented assault on the separation of powers,” Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris said in the filing. “This court should not allow lower courts to seize executive power by dictating to the President how long he must continue employing an agency head against his will,” Harris wrote. Appointed by former President Joe Biden, Dellinger’s five-year term was set to expire in 2029. He sued after receiving an email on Feb. 7 informing him that Trump had fired him from the watchdog role, “effective immediately.” Dellinger’s lawsuit said Trump exceeded his power in purporting to fire him, given that federal law permits removal only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” The Special Counsel’s “ability to protect the civil service and investigate alleged misconduct is needed now more than ever,” Dellinger’s lawsuit said. “Over the preceding three weeks, an unprecedented number of federal employees with civil service protections have been terminated without cause.” U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C. issued a temporary restraining order on Feb. 12, restoring Dellinger to his position pending a further, preliminary order. Jackson said Dellinger was likely to prevail in the suit given that the effort to fire him without identifying any cause “plainly contravenes” the Special Counsel’s job protections under federal law. “This language expresses Congress’s clear intent to ensure the independence of the Special Counsel and insulate his work from being buffeted by the winds of political change,” Jackson wrote in the order. The District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the administration’s appeal in a 2-1 decision on Saturday, saying it was premature, given that Jackson’s order was only temporary. The Special Counsel Office allows whistleblowers to make disclosures about alleged … “Trump administration turns to US Supreme Court in bid to fire agency head” →

NEW YORK — Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter opened the 50th anniversary special celebrating “Saturday Night Live” with a duet of his song “Homeward Bound.” The 83-year-old Simon has been a constant on “SNL” since its earliest episodes in 1975 and performed on the first show after the 9/11 attack. He was joined by the 25-year-old pop sensation of the moment, Carpenter. “I sang this song with George Harrison on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1976,” Simon said. “I was not born then,” Carpenter said, getting a laugh. “And neither were my parents,” she added, getting a bigger laugh. Fifty seasons of “Saturday Night Live” sketches, songs and special guests are being celebrated for the special’s landmark anniversary in a Sunday night special. The pop culture juggernaut has launched the careers of generations of comedians, from Bill Murray to Eddie Murphy and Tina Fey to Kristen Wiig. Many of those stars were on hand for “SNL50: The Anniversary Celebration,” airing live from New York, of course. “I grew up with the show, you know, and I was born in 1971, and it’s lived with me my whole life,” Amy Poehler, who was a cast member from 2001 to 2008,” said on Sunday ahead of the show’s start. “We have a show to do in just under two hours, and being back is an amazing privilege.” The three-hour extravaganza comes after months of celebrations of “Saturday Night Live,” which premiered Oct. 11, 1975, with an original cast that included John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner. “After the original cast, we were just going, Those guys just did it all for us,” Adam Sandler, a cast member from 1990-1995, said before the show. “They crushed it. We watched them at home. They made their movies. We worshiped their movies. And that’s all. What we wanted to do is just kind of continue that sort of stuff.” It’s become appointment television over the years as the show has skewered presidents, politics and pop culture and been a platform for the biggest musical stars of the moment. As streaming has altered television viewing, “SNL” sketches, host monologues and short comedy films remain popular on social media and routinely rack up millions of views on YouTube. While NBC has revealed some of the stars expected to appear, many of the special’s moments, cameos and music performances remain a surprise. On Sunday, NBC announced more guest appearances … “Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter open the ‘Saturday Night Live’ 50th anniversary celebration” →

Los Angeles — On a recent Sunday, Tracy Quinn drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to assess damage wrought upon the coastline by the Palisades Fire. The water line was darkened by ash. Burnt remnants of washing machines and dryers and metal appliances were strewn about the shoreline. Sludge carpeted the water’s edge. Waves during high tide lapped onto charred homes, pulling debris and potentially toxic ash into the ocean as they receded. “It was just heartbreaking,” said Quinn, president and CEO of the environmental group Heal the Bay, whose team has reported ash and debris some 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the Palisades burn area west of Los Angeles. As crews work to remove potentially hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous materials from the Los Angeles wildfires, researchers and officials are trying to understand how the fires on land have impacted the sea. The Palisades and Eaton fires scorched thousands of homes, businesses, cars and electronics, turning everyday items into hazardous ash made of pesticides, asbestos, plastics, lead, heavy metals and more. Since much of it could end up in the Pacific Ocean, there are concerns and many unknowns about how the fires could affect life under the sea. “We haven’t seen a concentration of homes and buildings burned so close to the water,” Quinn said. Fire debris and potentially toxic ash could make the water unsafe for surfers and swimmers, especially after rainfall that can transport chemicals, trash and other hazards into the sea. Longer term, scientists worry if and how charred urban contaminants will affect the food supply. The atmospheric river and mudslides that pummeled the Los Angeles region last week exacerbated some of those fears. When the fires broke out in January, one of Mara Dias’ first concerns was ocean water contamination. Strong winds were carrying smoke and ash far beyond the blazes before settling at sea, said the water quality manager for the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental nonprofit. Scientists on board a research vessel during the fires detected ash and waste on the water as far as 100 miles (161 kilometers) offshore, said marine ecologist Julie Dinasquet with the University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Things like twigs and shard. They described the smell as electronics burning, she recalled, “not like a nice campfire.” Runoff from rain also is a huge and immediate concern. Rainfall picks up contaminants and trash while … “Scientists race to discover depth of ocean damage from Los Angeles wildfires” →

Norfolk, Virginia — Like the other Founding Fathers, George Washington was uneasy about the idea of publicly celebrating his life. He was the first leader of a new republic, not a king. And yet the United States will once again commemorate its first president Monday, 293 years after he was born. The meaning of Presidents Day has changed dramatically, from being mostly unremarkable and filled with work for Washington in the 1700s to the bonanza of consumerism it has become today. For some historians, the holiday has lost all discernible meaning. Historian Alexis Coe, author of “You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington,” has said she thinks about Presidents Day in much the same way as the towering monument in D.C. bearing his name. “It’s supposed to be about Washington, but can you really point to anything that looks or sounds like him?” she remarked in an interview with The Associated Press in 2024. “Jefferson and Lincoln are presented as people with limbs and noses and words associated with their memorials. And he’s just a giant, granite point. He has been sanded down to have absolutely no identifiable features.” Here is a look at how things have evolved: Washington’s birthdays were celebrated, sometimes Washington was born Feb. 22, 1732, on Popes Creek Plantation near the Potomac River in Virginia. Technically, though, he was born Feb. 11 under the ancient Julian calendar, which was still in use for the first 20 years of his life. The Gregorian calendar, intended to more accurately mark the solar year, was adopted in 1752, adding 11 days. Either way, Washington paid little attention to his birthday, according to Mountvernon.org, the website of the organization that manages his estate. Surviving records make no mention of observances at Mount Vernon, while his diary shows he was often hard at work. “If he had it his way, he would be at home with his family,” Coe said. “Maybe some beloved nieces and nephews (and friend) Marquis de Lafayette would be ideal. And Martha’s recipe for an indulgent cake. But that’s about it.” Washington’s birthday was celebrated by his peers in government when he was president, mostly. Congress voted during his first two terms to take a short commemorative break each year, with one exception, his last birthday in office, Coe said. By then, Washington was less popular, partisanship was rampant, and many members of his original … “US Presidents Day: How did it evolve from reverence to retail” →

Editor’s note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com. Trump administration moves quickly with mass deportation plans Since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared illegal immigration a national emergency. The Trump administration ramped up its mass deportation efforts, expanding the use of expedited removal and using Guantanamo Bay as a detention site for certain migrants. The moves have raised concerns among immigration advocates, who argue that the policies lack transparency and could violate due process rights. VOA’s immigration reporter, Aline Barros, reports. US fires 20 immigration judges from backlogged courts The administration of President Donald Trump has fired 20 immigration judges without explanation, a union official said Saturday amid sweeping moves to shrink the size of the federal government. On Friday, 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice, said Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers. Two other judges were fired under similar circumstances last week. The Associated Press reports. With doors closed to US, asylum-seekers turn to a new life in Mexico When Angelica Delgado took a one-way flight to Mexico as she fled Cuba in December, she was set on seeking asylum in the United States. But after President Donald Trump effectively slammed the door on asylum-seekers crossing the U.S. border when he took office last month, the 23-year-old recalibrated her plans. She decided she would seek protection in Mexico. The Associated Press reports. US deports 119 migrants from several nations to Panama Panama has received the first U.S. flight carrying deportees from other nations as the administration of President Donald Trump takes Panama up on its offer to act as a stopover for expelled migrants, the Central American nation’s president said Thursday. “Yesterday, a flight from the United States Air Force arrived with 119 people from diverse nationalities of the world,” President Jose Raul Mulino said Thursday in his weekly news briefing. He said migrants from China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries were on board. The Associated Press reports. Chicago nonprofit helps undocumented migrants afraid to leave home Amid nationwide immigration raids, a community organization in Chicago is helping undocumented migrants who say they are afraid to leave their homes for fear of being detained. Veronica Villafane narrates this … “VOA immigration weekly recap, Feb. 9-15  “ →

The U.S. fully endorsed Israel’s war aims in Gaza on Sunday, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that Hamas “must be eradicated” and “cannot continue as a military or government force.”  Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem at the start of a regional tour as the first phase of a tenuous Israel-Hamas ceasefire expires in two weeks, with the second segment yet to be negotiated.  Rubio, on his first trip to the Middle East as the new top U.S. diplomat, told Netanyahu that “as long as [Hamas] stands as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible.”  Rubio is likely to face continued opposition from Arab nations about U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza into neighboring countries and then for Israel to hand over the narrow territory along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to the U.S. to own and redevelop.    While U.S. allies and adversaries alike have assailed Trump’s Gaza plan, Netanyahu has welcomed it, saying that he and Trump have a “common strategy” for Gaza’s future.  Echoing Trump, the Israeli leader said “the gates of hell would be open” if Hamas does not release dozens of remaining hostages abducted in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.   Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, freed three hostages Saturday in exchange for nearly 400 Palestinians who had been jailed in Israel. But the militants continue to hold dozens of hostages they captured in the terror attack that killed 1,200 people.   Israel’s counteroffensive during 15 months of fighting in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.  Israel, without proving evidence, says it has killed over 17,000 militants.   Rubio and Netanyahu met as the first phase of the ceasefire nears its end. In the second phase, the tentative plan calls for Hamas to release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, drafting of a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. But the detailed terms of the deal have yet to be negotiated.  The tough U.S. stance aligning with Netanyahu’s position could complicate efforts to continue talks with Hamas, which, despite suffering heavy losses in the war, remains intact and in … “US: Hamas ‘must be eradicated’     “ →

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Much of the United States faced another round of biting winter weather on Sunday, with torrential rains causing intense flooding in Kentucky and resulting in at least two deaths. The northern Plains faced life-threatening cold, and tornado watches were issued for parts of Georgia and Florida. In Kentucky, a 73-year-old man was found dead in floodwaters in Clay County, WKYT-TV reported. Clay County Emergency Management Deputy Director Revelle Berry confirmed the fatality but did not provide additional details. Severe storms also swept through parts of Florida and Georgia, where tornado watches were in effect early Sunday, the National Weather Service said. Elsewhere, bone-chilling cold is expected for the Northern Plains with low temperatures into the minus 30s F near the Canadian border. Dangerously cold wind chill temperatures in the Dakotas and Minnesota of minus 40 Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) to minus 45.6 C (minus 50 F) are expected.  Heavy snowfall amounts were expected in parts of New England and northern New York. In some areas, wind gusts could reach about 97 kph (60 mph) and create “hazardous whiteout conditions,” the NWS said. Kentucky faces severe flooding The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife said there was an investigation into a death and a rescue operation was under way in Hart County, WNKY-TV reported. The station reported a youth died and a second victim was missing in flooding Saturday evening. The Fish and Wildlife department and the Hart County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for more information from The Associated Press. Water submerged cars and buildings in Kentucky and mudslides blocked roads in Virginia. Both of the states were under flood warnings, along with Tennessee and Arkansas. The National Weather Service warned residents to stay off the roads. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear preemptively declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, where flash flooding was expected into Sunday. Flash flooding hit some roads in Bowling Green and parts of western Kentucky could face up to 20.3 centimeters (8 inches) of rain. “We want to specifically put assets in places that flood and have flooded in the past,” Beshear said on social media. Beshear later used social media to update residents on areas in danger of flooding, including Jackson County, and said Kentucky State Police officers were performing wellness checks while shelters were opening in Pike County and Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg. Beshear said … “Flooding in US Southeast leaves 2 dead while snow, ice and wind cause winter misery elsewhere” →

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — Some white South Africans showed support for President Donald Trump on Saturday and gathered at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria to claim they are victims of racism by their own government. Hundreds of protesters held placards that read “Thank God for President Trump” and displayed other messages criticizing what they see as racist laws instituted by the South African government that discriminate against the white minority. Many were from the Afrikaner community that Trump focused on in an executive order a week ago that cut aid and assistance to the Black-led South African government. In the order, Trump said South Africa’s Afrikaners, who are descendants of mainly Dutch colonial settlers, were being targeted by a new law that allows the government to expropriate private land.  The South African government has denied its new law is tied to race and says Trump’s claims over the country and the law have been full of misinformation and distortions.  Trump said land was being expropriated from Afrikaners — which the order referred to as “racially disfavored landowners” — when no land has been taken under the law. Trump also announced a plan to offer Afrikaners refugee status in the U.S. They are only one part of South Africa’s white minority.  In a speech to Parliament this week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the forced removal of any people from their land will never be allowed in South Africa again after millions of Blacks were dispossessed of property under the apartheid system of white minority rule and hundreds of years of colonialism before that.  “The people of this country know the pain of forced removals,” Ramaphosa said. He said the land law does not allow any arbitrary taking of land and only refers to land that can be redistributed for the public good.  The Trump administration’s criticism and punishment of South Africa has elevated a long-standing dilemma in the country over moves to address the wrongs of centuries of white minority rule that oppressed the Black majority.  According to the government, the land law aims to fairly address the inequality that the majority of farmland in South Africa is owned by whites, even though they make up just 7% of the country’s population.  White protesters on Saturday held banners referencing the expropriation law but also other affirmative action policies put in place by the government since the end of apartheid in … “White South Africans gather in support of Trump and his claims that they are victims of racism” →

It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Eggs Up Grill has 90 restaurants in nine southern states, up from 26 in 2018. Florida-based Another Broken Egg Café celebrated its 100th restaurant last year. Fast-food chains are also adding more breakfast items. Starbucks, which launched egg bites in 2017, now has a breakfast menu with 12 separate items containing eggs. Wendy’s reintroduced breakfast in 2020 and offers 10 items with eggs. Reviews website Yelp said 6,421 breakfast and brunch businesses opened in the United States last year, 23% more than in 2019. In normal times, producers could meet the demand for all those eggs. But an ongoing bird flu outbreak, which so far has forced farms to slaughter nearly 159 million chickens, turkeys and other birds — including nearly 47 million since the start of December — is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. In January, the average price of eggs in the U.S. hit a record $4.95 per dozen. The percentage of eggs that go to U.S. restaurants versus other places, like grocery stores or food manufacturers, is not publicly available. U.S. Foods, a restaurant supplier, and Cal-Maine Foods, the largest U.S. producer of shell eggs, did not respond to The Associated Press’ requests for comment. But demand from restaurants is almost certainly growing. Foot traffic at U.S. restaurants has grown the most since 2019 for morning meals, 2019, according to market research firm Circana. Pre-lunchtime hours accounted for 21% of total restaurant visits in 2024. Breakfast sandwiches are the most popular order during morning visits, Circana said, and 70% of the breakfast sandwiches on U.S. menus include eggs. Eggs Up Grill CEO Ricky Richardson said breakfast restaurants took off after the COVID pandemic because people longed for comfort and connection. As inflation made food more expensive, customers saw breakfast and lunch as more affordable options for eating out, he said. The growth in restaurant demand reverses a pattern that emerged during the pandemic, when consumers tried to stock up on eggs for home use but restaurants needed fewer of them because many of them had to close for a time, according to Brian … “Breakfast is booming at US restaurants. Is it also contributing to high egg prices?” →

A New Jersey man whose wife was killed in a horrific hippopotamus attack last year during a safari in Africa is suing the U.S. company that arranged the trip, alleging it failed to ensure their safety and did not adequately screen and supervise the tour guides. Craig and Lisa Manders were on a guided walk in Zambia in June when a hippo charged out of the water, grabbed Lisa Manders by its mouth and crushed her head and body with its bite, according to the lawsuit filed against African Portfolio, a safari tour company based in Greenwich, Connecticut. The company denies the lawsuit’s allegations. The lawsuit, filed Feb. 5 in Stamford, Connecticut, alleges that as a horrified Craig Manders watched the attack, the tour guides — including at least one armed with a rifle — walked away without helping the couple. Lisa Manders, 70, suffered catastrophic injuries and died shortly after, the lawsuit says. “We’re doing this because this should never have happened,” said Paul Slager, an attorney who is representing Craig Manders with his law partner, Nicole Coates. “There are basic safety standards that businesses are expected to follow, and that includes people in the safari tour industry. And those were not followed, and the consequences here were absolutely devastating.” Slager said the lawsuit seeks monetary damages that have not yet been determined, as well as accountability for Lisa Manders’ death and keeping others safe in the future. He said Craig Manders was not giving interviews. The Manderses, of Cranford, New Jersey, were on a special anniversary trip and it was their first time in Africa, Slager said. Lisa Manders had worked in the financial industry for over 40 years and loved cooking, traveling and visiting New York City, where she was born in Queens in 1953, according to her obituary. The couple had three children and a granddaughter. The company’s lawyer, Rodney Gould, said it was not negligent or reckless in connection with Lisa Manders’ death. He said African Portfolio only arranged the couple’s lodging and the owners of the lodging, Chiawa Safaris in Zambia, provided the tour guides. “It’s a horrible tragedy when somebody goes on one of these trips and is injured or killed. It’s awful,” Gould said. “I think it’s important to understand what African Portfolio’s role in this is. It’s a tour operator. It arranges trips. It puts together the pieces.” He added, “My … “US man sues travel company after hippo kills wife on Zambia trip” →

MUNICH — The United States, Japan and South Korea renewed their “resolute” pledge to seek the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea, according to a joint statement from the three allies released Saturday. The statement came after new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held his first meetings with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japan’s top diplomat Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. “The Secretary and Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs),” it said. “They expressed their serious concerns over and the need to address together the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs, malicious cyber activities including cryptocurrency thefts, and increasing military cooperation with Russia,” it added. The three sent a “strong warning” that they “will not tolerate any provocations or threats to their homelands,” and vowed to maintain and strengthen international sanctions against Pyongyang. They also said they were committed to “the immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war as well as the issue of separated families.” Largely cut off from the world diplomatically and economically, and under a bevy of sanctions, North Korea with its ongoing nuclear weapons program has been a major thorn in the side of the United States for years. President Donald Trump, who had a rare series of meetings with Kim Jong Un during his first term in office, has said he will reach out again to the North Korean leader, calling Kim a “smart guy.” Despite Trump’s diplomatic overtures, North Korea said in January that its nuclear program would continue “indefinitely.” Pyongyang also said earlier this month it would not tolerate any “provocation” by the United States after Rubio called it a “rogue state” in a radio interview. It has also slammed a visit by a U.S. nuclear submarine to a naval base in South Korea this month as a “hostile military act.” A summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi collapsed in 2019 over talks on sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.  …

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has fired 20 immigration judges without explanation, a union official said Saturday amid sweeping moves to shrink the size of the federal government.  On Friday, 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice, said Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers. Two other judges were fired under similar circumstances in the last week.  It was unclear if they would be replaced. The U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the courts and oversees its roughly 700 judges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.  Immigration courts are backlogged with more than 3.7 million cases, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Applicants can wait years for their asylum case to be decided. There is support across the political spectrum for more judges and support staff, though the first Trump administration also pressured some judges to decide cases more quickly.  The Trump administration earlier replaced five top court officials, including Mary Cheng, the agency’s acting director. Sirce Owen, the current leader and previously an appellate immigration judge, has issued a slew of new instructions, many reversing policies of the Biden administration.  Last month, the Justice Department halted financial support for nongovernmental organizations to provide information and guidance to people facing deportation but restored funding after a coalition of nonprofit groups filed a federal lawsuit.  The firings touch on two top Trump priorities: mass deportations and shrinking the size of the federal government. On Thursday, it ordered agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers. Probationary workers generally have less than a year on the job.  …

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — Much of the Eastern U.S. endured a renewed round of harsh, soggy weather Saturday, with snowstorms predicted in the Northeast and heavy winds bringing the threat of tornadoes to the Mississippi Valley. The states of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Arkansas were under flood warnings, and people were warned by the National Weather Service to stay off the roads. Parts of western Kentucky could face up to 20.3 centimeters of rain. Governor Andy Beshear preemptively declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, where flash flooding was expected into Sunday. “We want to specifically put assets in places that flood and have flooded in the past,” Beshear said on social media. Photos posted by authorities and users on social media showed cars and buildings underwater in Warren County, Kentucky, and in Buchanan County, Virginia, where the sheriff’s office said multiple roads were blocked by mudslides. The Simpson County Office of Emergency Management in Kentucky said authorities performed several rescues from stalled-out vehicles in floodwaters. “Stay home if you can,” the office said on Facebook. Flash flooding was possible in the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys, the weather service said. In Tennessee, flash flood warnings were issued for much of the middle of the state through the evening. The National Weather Service called the expected rain a “major, potentially historic, flash flood event.” Meanwhile heavy snow was expected to blanket much of New England and then transition to sleet, making travel nearly impossible. The heaviest accumulations — possibly 30.5 centimeters or more — were expected in upstate New York and portions of northern New England. “Ice accumulations up to a quarter inch (half a centimeter) are forecast for some areas, making driving conditions dangerous. Heavy icing in some locations may result in downed trees and power outages,” the weather service warned. Snow and arctic temperatures swept much of the Midwest and Upper Plains, covering roads in eastern Nebraska, northern Iowa and much of Wisconsin. Winter weather advisories were issued for parts of those states and Michigan, with up to 10.6 centimeters of snow predicted throughout Iowa, southern Wisconsin and most of Michigan by Sunday evening. Frigid polar vortex Meteorologists said the U.S. was about to get its 10th and coldest polar vortex stretching event this season, with the northern Rockies and northern Plains first in line. Weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air that usually … “US East faces flooding as snow forecast for Northeast, cold in Midwest” →

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency’s plans, and the cuts could happen as soon as next week. The Trump administration intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce. It is doing it by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection. It’s unclear how many IRS workers will be affected. Previously, the administration announced a plan to offer buyouts to almost all federal employees through a “deferred resignation program” to quickly reduce the government workforce. The program deadline was Feb. 6, and administration officials said employees who accept will be able to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until Sept. 30. However, IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told they will not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, according to a letter sent recently to IRS employees. It is unclear how many workers will be impacted by the layoff announcement plan. Representatives from the U.S. Treasury and IRS did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment. Jan. 27 was the official start date of the 2025 tax season, and the IRS expects more than 140 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 deadline. The Biden administration invested heavily in the IRS through an $80 billion infusion of funds in Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, which included plans to hire tens of thousands of new employees to help with customer service and enforcement as well as new technology to update the tax collection agency. Republicans have been successful at clawing back that money, and billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have called for the U.S. to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his plan to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities. Elected officials are trying to fight against DOGE plans. Attorneys general from 14 states challenged the authority of DOGE to access sensitive government data and exercise “virtually unchecked power” in a lawsuit filed Thursday. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, says the actions taken by Musk at the helm of DOGE can only be taken by a nominated and Senate-confirmed official. It cites constitutional provisions that delineate the … “IRS to lay off thousands of probationary workers in tax season” →