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U.S. District Judge Murphy Investiture Ceremony in Boston

BOSTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Trump administration had adopted an unlawful policy that allows for the rapid deportation of migrants to countries other than their own without providing them a ‌chance to object and raise concerns for their safety.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston issued a final ruling declaring the ‌U.S. Department of Homeland Security's policy invalid in a case that the administration expects will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The policy, which was adopted in ​March 2025 as part of Republican President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, failed to protect the due process rights of migrants who without notice could be swiftly deported to "an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous country," Murphy said.

Murphy said the administration had argued it would be "fine" for immigration officers under that policy to quickly deport people to so-called third countries they did not come from as long as DHS does not know someone is waiting to kill them upon ‌their arrival.

"It is not fine, nor is it ⁠legal," wrote Murphy, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden.

DECISION ON HOLD PENDING LIKELY APPEAL

The judge set aside the policy and declared that migrants who had been subject to it had a right to meaningful ⁠notice and a chance to raise objections to being deported to third countries. But he paused his ruling from taking effect for 15 days to allow the administration time to pursue an appeal, citing the case's "importance and its unusual history."

He noted the Supreme Court's earlier interventions in the case. The court previously ​lifted ​a preliminary injunction Murphy issued in April protecting the due process rights of ​migrants facing deportation to third countries and later cleared ‌the way for eight men to be sent to South Sudan.

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While it was in effect, that earlier injunction hindered the administration's efforts to send migrants to countries other than their places of origin, including South Sudan, Libya and El Salvador.

A spokesperson for DHS, in a statement, pointed to the Supreme Court's earlier rulings in its favor in the case and said the department was "confident we will be vindicated again."

"DHS must be allowed to execute its lawful authority and remove illegal aliens to a country willing to accept them," the DHS spokesperson said.

Wednesday's ruling came ‌in a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of migrants facing deportation to countries not ​previously named in their removal orders or identified in their immigration court proceedings.

The policy allows ​migrants to be deported to such countries if immigration authorities ​either have credible diplomatic assurances they will not be persecuted or tortured if sent there, or have given ‌the migrants as little as six hours of notice that ​they are being sent to such ​a place.

Trina Realmuto, a lawyer for the plaintiffs at the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, called Murphy's ruling "a forceful statement from the court that the administration's third-country removal policy is unconstitutional."

"Under the government's policy, people have been forcibly returned to countries where U.S. immigration ​judges have found they will be persecuted or ‌tortured," Realmuto said in a statement.

Department of Justice lawyers had argued the policy satisfied immigration law requirements and due process ​standards and was essential for deporting migrants whose home countries refused them due to crimes they committed.

(Reporting by Nate ​Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Nia Williams and Bill Berkrot)

TheJalisco New Generation Cartelresponded to themassive Mexican army operationto capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes,known as "El Mencho,"on Sunday with an even bigger wave ofretaliatory violencein some 20 states. More than 70 people were killed.

But in addition to real accounts of death and destruction and the warnings from governments for their citizens to shelter in place, the internet was flooded with disinformation — fake videos and images generated byartificial intelligence. They were designed to stoke fear, Mexican officials said.

"We didn't know what was true and what was false," said Victoria Elizabeth Peceril, 31, who was walking with her three children in the now-calm streets of Guadalajara on Wednesday. "We were really scared."

Some posts falsely claimed the president hid and an airport was seized

One fake post purported to show a commercial plane on fire at Guadalajara's international airport. Messages spread that gunmen had seized the airport and tourists had been taken hostage.

The government said there were between 200 and 500 troublesome and inaccurate posts — including up to 30 that have received more than 100,000 views — since Sunday's army operation.

Officials presented data compiled by Tecnologico de Monterrey, a private university, during President Claudia Sheinbaum's daily news briefing Wednesday. It said 35% to 40% of those posts lacked context, at least 25% were misleading, and nearly 25% were manipulated by AI or fabricated.

One post claimed a U.S. agent had strangled Oseguera Cervantes. Another said Sheinbaum was hiding on a naval vessel off Mexico's Pacific coast. Others speculated that Mexico killed Oseguera Cervantes rather than turn him over to the U.S., or tried to tie his killing to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to the university's report.

The university did not suggest who, or what, was producing the content.

"There was a lot of badly intentioned news Sunday, looking to generate terror," Sheinbaum said a day earlier.

The Jalisco cartel is known for extraordinary violence

Many people in Mexico learn about what is happening in their communities via chat groups on messaging apps or from accounts on the social platform X. In the northern border cities that live in the grip of organized crime, these sometimes read like traffic reports, telling drivers the location of convoys of criminals so they can stay away.

The Jalisco cartel has built a reputation for spectacular acts of violence, including downing a military helicopter and attempting to assassinate Mexico City's police chief, so social media posts proclaiming extraordinary cartel brutality are difficult to doubt.

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"At first, we believed everything," said 28-year-old Nicolás Martín, who lives in Mexico City but had been staying at a resort near Puerto Vallarta when the violence began. He said the images posted online resembled "what you see in movies."

Martín said he was surprised by the quality of posts that circulated early Sunday — including what appeared to be drone footage — supposedly showing explosions and fires in Puerto Vallarta. In the initial moments of chaos, you would expect the images to be less steady, more haphazard, he said.

Organized criminals are becoming tech-savvy

Vanda Felbab-Brown, an expert in organized crime at the Brookings Institution — a Washington-based public policy think tank — it's possible that people tied to the Jalisco cartel were behind at least some of the disinformation.

Among Mexico's organized crime groups, the Jalisco cartel in particular has invested in its online presence.

"The criminals are becoming very tech-savvy," Felbab-Brown said.

"It was impressive to see the level of misinformation," she said, citing the images purporting to show the cartel had taken over the airport in Guadalajara. She said those "impressive and sophisticated" posts are likely generated by AI from chatbots controlled by Jalisco Nueva Generación.

They "certainly added to the aura of chaos and meltdown in Mexico," Felbab-Brown said.

Even though Mexican authorities and the U.S. Embassy tried to knock down some of the false information circulating Sunday, Sarai Olguín, a 22-year-old college student in Guadalajara, said it was difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction.

Friends sent her videos and photos they found online as she and other residents hid inside their homes. She credits the posts in part with keeping people off the streets.

One post warned that "after a certain hour they were going to kill everyone," she said. "In a way it's good, because all of this false news helped take care of people even though they sowed immense fear."

Verza reported from Mexico City. Associated Press fact checker Abril Mulato in Mexico City contributed.

Gates answered questions at the twice-a-year meeting Feb. 24 on a range of issues, "including the release of the Epstein files," the foundation said. "In the townhall, Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions," the foundation said.

The statement came in response toa Wall Street Journal reportthat said Gates had apologized to staff at the event over his ties to Epstein.

More:Larry Summers, Bill Gates: Fallout from Epstein files is widening

Bill Gates "took responsibility for his actions" over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, the group said in a statement. Photos of Bill Gates were part of the Epstein files that have been released.
Bill Gates and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, stand in a handout image from the estate of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in Washington, DC, on Dec. 12, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bill Gates appears with a woman, whose identity has been obscured, in this image from the Epstein estate released by House Oversight Committee Democrats in Washington, DC, on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bill Gates appears with a woman, whose identity has been obscured, in this image from the Epstein estate released by House Oversight Committee Democrats in Washington, DC, on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bill Gates, right, appears with Jeffrey Epstein's pilot Lawrence Visoski in this undated photo released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in Washington, DC, Dec. 12, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See photos of Bill Gates from the Epstein files

Bill Gates "took responsibility for his actions"over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, the group said in a statement. Photos of Bill Gates were part of the Epstein files that have been released.Bill Gates and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, stand in a handout image from the estate of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in Washington, DC, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Documentsreleasedby the Justice Department have indicated Gates and Epstein met repeatedly to discuss expanding the Microsoft founder's philanthropic efforts. The meetings came after Epstein was imprisoned for 13 months, ending in 2009, for a conviction on state charges in Florida of soliciting the prostitution involving a minor. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in custody on federal charges that he had sex-trafficked underage girls.

According to the Journal report, Gates told staff it was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein and bring Gates Foundation executives into meetings with the sex offender. The report cited a recording of Gates' comments in the town hall.

"I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made," he said, according to the newspaper.

More:Epstein pulled strings, paid tuition across world for kids of powerful

The Journal added Gates also acknowledged two affairs with Russian women that Epstein later discovered, but he said they did not involve Epstein's victims.

"I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit," Gates told the staff, according to the report.

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Justice Department documents from the criminal investigation of Epstein that have been released publicly include pictures of the Microsoft founder posing with women whose faces are redacted. Gates had said his relationship with Epstein was limited to philanthropy-related discussions and acknowledged it was a mistake to meet with him.

According to The Journal, Gates told the foundation's staff the images were pictures Epstein asked him to take with Epstein's assistants after their meetings.

"To be clear I never spent any time with victims, the women around him," Gates added, according to the report.

Other documents showed Epstein tried tomediate a falling-out between Gates and an adviser, Boris Nikolic, in 2013. Epstein wrote an email to himself saying Gates and his aides were mistreating him despite a friendship so close that Gates once asked for antibiotics to treat a sexually transmitted infection he had contracted from "Russian girls."

His former wife, Melinda French Gates,announced their divorcein 2021 after 27 years of marriage. She left the Gates Foundation in 2024.

"Whatever questions remain there of what I don't – can't even begin to know all of it – those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me," French Gates said in the Feb. 5 episode ofNPR's "Wild Card" podcast.

The Gates Foundationsaidearlier in February that it did not make any payments to Epstein or employ him at any time.

The billionairecanceled plans to attend India's AI Impact Summithours before his scheduled keynote speech Feb. 19.

The Gates Foundation, chaired by Gates and started by him and his then-wife in 2000, is one of the world's largest funders of global health initiatives.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Bill Gates admits to affairs, apologizes for Epstein relationship, WSJ reports

The Penguins announced the timeline and placed the star center on injured reserve Wednesday.

"Obviously, I want to be back out there as soon as possible," Crosby said. "Just have to figure out what that looks like, how long it's going to be and find a way to make sure that I'm at my best when I come back."

Also on Wednesday, Pittsburgh announced defenseman Kris Letang has been activated from injured reserve. He was placed on IR on Jan. 31 due to a broken foot.

Crosby, 38, suffered an apparent right leg injury in Canada's 4-3 overtime win against Czechia in the quarterfinals.

He was trying to avoid a hit from Radko Gudas by ducking. Gudas, at full speed, fell over Crosby, whose right leg bent underneath him in an awkward manner.

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"I didn't have a problem with the play," Crosby said. "He was trying to be physical and step up. Play hard as any defenseman would. It went the wrong way as far as my end of it. I don't think he should feel the need to reach out or anything like that. It's hockey and that stuff happens. Unfortunately, it's one of those things."

Crosby has recorded 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists) in 56 games this season for the Penguins, who reside in second place in the Metropolitan Division as the NHL returns to action Wednesday.

He has 1,746 career points (652 goals, 1,094 assists) in 1,408 games over 21 seasons with Pittsburgh. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and led Canada to Olympic gold at Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014 before settling for silver in Italy.

Letang, 38, has recorded 25 points (three goals, 22 points) in 50 games this season.

A two-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time All-Star, Letang has recorded 797 points (178 goals, 619 assists) in 1,211 games since Pittsburgh drafted him in the third round in 2005.

He ranks third in franchise history in games behind longtime teammates Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (1,254).

--Field Level Media

The funds were designated for the 11 American host cities in the Trump administration's "Big Beautiful Bill," which was passed in July.

The money is intended to "carry out the extensive security activities required to protect players, staff, attendees, venues and critical infrastructure across the host cities, strengthening them against potential terrorist attacks."

But in a Feb. 24 hearing before the House Committee on Homeland Security, representatives from Miami, Kansas City and New Jersey said that they had not yet received the funds.

With just more than 100 days until the World Cup kicks off, those who testified warned of major consequences should the money not arrive soon.

"We have to start making some really tough decisions and it starts with our fan festival," said Ray Martinez, chief operating officer of the Miami World Cup Host Committee.

"Without receiving this money, it could be catastrophic for our planning and coordination.

"The matches up at the stadium will take place, but preparing for all the impromptu events and watch parties that we are expecting to see will be in jeopardy."

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The current government shutdown is limited to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees a number of government agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the agency administering the $625 million in grants.

2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat

Rep. Nellie Pou, a New Jersey Democrat whose district includes World Cup final venue MetLife Stadium, warned that her constituents are "running out of time" to prepare for the tournament.

"Congress has appropriated $625 million for the 11 cities hosting World Cup matches, including my district," said Pou. "With only roughly four months to go, these cities still report they have not received this funding. This is completely unacceptable this close to kickoff.

"If DHS is going to play a role in this tournament, then DHS needs to be transparent, coordinated, and timely. The World Cup is a global stage. We need to act like we are ready for it. We're running out of time."

Kansas City Deputy Police Chief Joseph Mabin echoed the concerns of others who testified.

"Right now we're in a critical stage where we need those funds committed and released," Mabin said.

He added: "The 'drop dead' date for this funding is immediate."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:World Cup host cities raise security alarms amid stalled DHS funding

"Bringing James on has given us a renewed confidence, if that makes sense," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters Tuesday, whenhis charges whooped the New York Knicks 109-94. "We understand that we're a better team, and that spirit — that confidence, it for some strange reason makes you play harder and compete harder. And compete harder defensively.

"And I felt like we were kind of missing that edge, that belief, so I feel like we're regaining that."

We probably should have anticipated this, if we weren'ton the record with it already. This is what happens when Harden joins a new team. He makes his new team better. For a period.

The question is whether the Cavs can capitalize in the meantime. How long that meantime lasts, as Harden turns 37 years old in August, was the risk Cleveland's front office ran when it dealt 26-year-old two-time All-Star Darius Garland for a member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team. (In related news: On Wednesday, it was reported thatHarden suffered a fractured right thumbduring the Knicks game and is undergoing further evaluation.)

When Harden left the Houston Rockets for the Brooklyn Nets a few weeks into the 2021-22 season, the Nets won 32 of 41 games upon landing him, at one point winning 14 of 15, with a historic offense for its time. And then he strained his hamstring, an injury he blamed, in part, on poor conditioning, which ultimately aided in their downfall during his one playoff run in Brooklyn.

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When Harden essentially demanded a trade from the Nets to the Philadelphia 76ersthe following season, they won their first five games with him in uniform, finishing 14-7 down the stretch, before he flamed out in the second round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat.

They fared no better the following season, when Harden once again failed to meet his highest standard as a series' stakes increased, as his Sixers lost a seven-game set to the Boston Celtics.

When the long-term contract offer he desired never came, Harden called Philly executive Daryl Morey "a liar" and sought a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. He helped deliver a pair of 50-win seasons, only to lose consecutive first-round series to the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets.

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Harden has played in nine Game 6s or 7s since leaving the Rockets, and his scoring averages in those contests — 16 points on 38.1% shooting — are of serious concern, if you believe in track records. After all, Harden's playoff performances in big games were no different for the Rockets.

Then again, Harden helped get his teams to those big games, and in Cleveland they are hoping Donovan Mitchell can carry them home once they get there. And early returns suggest they can get there. They are 6-1 since scoring Harden, including wins over the Knicks, Nuggets and red-hot Charlotte Hornets. Their lone loss came against the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden has helped transform Cleveland's offense from a solid outfit (117.6 points per 100 possessions) to an elite one (121.7) in a small sample size. This is no different from his efforts for the Nets, 76ers and Clippers. He is one of the great offensive talents in the game's history.

There is no doubt the Cavs belong among the Eastern Conference's elite once again. They are now tied with New York for the East's third-best record, trailing only the Celtics and Detroit Pistons. It would be a shock if those teams were not the conference's final four standing.

But are any of those teams really scared of Cleveland in the second round? That is precisely where the Celtics and Indiana Pacers have stopped the Cavaliers in each of the past two years.

The Cavs are exhibiting some of the same traits that past Harden-led teams have shown. While the offense is elite in the regular season, they are playing slower and passing less often, so any slippage in efficiency, which often occurs in the playoffs, is only magnified in fewer possessions.

In that same small sample size, Harden's defensive on/off numbers are the worst in the NBA,according to Cleaning the Glass, as opponents have been 21.6 points per 100 possessions better on offense when Harden is on the floor. He was not much better for the Clips in a larger sample size, as opponents' scoring increased by 7.9 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor. He is, essentially, a defensive liability, and we have known this for some time, too.

The Cavaliers traded for Harden with the belief that they can mask that, as well, as both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are rim-protecting forces. With Mobley, Allen and Dean Wade on the court, Cleveland is allowing 101.5 points per 100 possessions, almost five points better than the league's best defense, regardless of who is on the court with them, per Cleaning the Glass.

But did the Cavaliers really trade a young star for Harden, only to hope that Mitchell can mask his inefficiencies on offense in the highest-leverage situations and Allen and Mobley can make up for his deficiencies on defense? Absolutely not. They traded for Harden not only to get back to the second round of the playoffs, but to advance further — and compete for a championship.

They traded for Harden to come through when it matters most, and the next time he does may be the first. There is beauty in this honeymoon stage, as every team enters its partnership with Harden believing this time will be different, only to be disappointed in the end. Will this time be different? We will not know until the playoffs. Enjoy the love for him in Cleveland while it lasts.

• The affected fruit was distributed in Canada and four U.S. states and may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

• The FDA's Class I designation means consuming the product could cause serious health consequences or death.

Listeria is hitting a large batch of frozenblueberries—nearly 60,000 pounds, to be exact. Oregon Potato Company LLC voluntarilyrecalled55,689 pounds of individually quick-frozenblueberriesfor possible contamination withListeria monocytogenes. The affected fruit was distributed in four states: Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as throughout Canada.

While theblueberrieswere produced by Oregon Potato Company LLC, the recalled fruit was packed and distributed under the Willamette Valley Fruit Company brand. The FDA's Class I recall designation is the most serious type of recall and indicates a reasonable probability that consuming the product could cause serious adverse health consequences, including death.

The recalledfruitwas packaged in 30-pound corrugated cases with polyethylene liners and 1,400-pound totes, but it was not sold directly to consumers in retail stores. The recall was initiated on February 12, but it wasn't given a Class I designation until February 24.

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The affected fruit includes the following lot codes and expiration dates:

• Lot codes on 30-pound cases:

  • 2055 B2; best-by or expiration date of August 23, 2027

  • 2065 B1; best-by or expiration date of August 24, 2027

  • 2065 B3; best-by or expiration date of August 24, 2027

• Lot codes on 1,400-pound totes:

  • 3305 A1; best-by or expiration date of November 25, 2027

  • 3305 B1; best-by or expiration date of November 25, 2027

The FDA does not provide specific instructions for consumers who may encounter these blueberries, but, out of caution, they should not be consumed.

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