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By Alexandra Banner, CNN

It’s Day 4 of the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, where nine gold medals will be decided over the coming hours. Take a look at today’s action-packed schedule of events.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1⃣ Nancy Guthrie

A second reported ransom deadline has passed in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for more than a week. An alleged note from her possible abductors demanded $6 million by 5 p.m. on Monday and threatened Nancy’s life if the family did not pay. It’s unclear if any financial transaction has taken place. Savannah Guthrie recently posted another plea on social media, saying the family is “at an hour of desperation” but believes her mother is “still out there.” The FBI has appealed to the public for tips and has yet to identify a suspect or person of interest in the disappearance.

2⃣ Epstein files

Ghislaine Maxwell, jailed for 20 years for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to abuse minors, sent a message to President Donald Trump on Monday saying that if he were to grant her clemency, she would clear his name of any wrongdoing related to Epstein. The extraordinary overture, disclosed by Maxwell’s lawyer during her virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee, raises further questions about accountability and transparency. Trump has not ruled out the possibility of granting Maxwell a pardon or commutation. Meanwhile, lawmakers on the committee accuse Maxwell of attempting to buy her clemency by refusing to testify.

3⃣ Mask ban

A federal judge in California on Monday temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its ban on most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operations. US District Judge Christina Snyder in Los Angeles granted the Trump administration’s request for a preliminary injunction, finding that the ban “unlawfully discriminates” against federal agents. Snyder, however, kept in place another law requiring federal officers operating in the state to display either their name or badge number. The ruling is a partial win for the Trump administration, which challenged the policies in federal court last year, insisting both be thrown out to protect federal agents.

4⃣ DHS funding

Republican and Democratic negotiators have made little progress on a funding deal for the Department of Homeland Security as they face an agency shutdown by the end of the week. Democrats have sought to make major reforms to ICE and Border Patrol, but Republicans are refusing their key demands. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Republicans for the stalled negotiations on a deal to fund DHS, which includes FEMA and TSA. “Either they’re going to agree to dramatically reform the way in which ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies are conducting themselves … or they’

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

It’s Day 4 of the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, where nine gold medals will be decided over the coming hours. Take a look at today’s action-packed schedule of events.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1⃣ Nancy Guthrie

A second reported ransom deadline has passed in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for more than a week. An alleged note from her possible abductors demanded $6 million by 5 p.m. on Monday and threatened Nancy’s life if the family did not pay. It’s unclear if any financial transaction has taken place. Savannah Guthrie recently posted another plea on social media, saying the family is “at an hour of desperation” but believes her mother is “still out there.” The FBI has appealed to the public for tips and has yet to identify a suspect or person of interest in the disappearance.

2⃣ Epstein files

Ghislaine Maxwell, jailed for 20 years for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to abuse minors, sent a message to President Donald Trump on Monday saying that if he were to grant her clemency, she would clear his name of any wrongdoing related to Epstein. The extraordinary overture, disclosed by Maxwell’s lawyer during her virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee, raises further questions about accountability and transparency. Trump has not ruled out the possibility of granting Maxwell a pardon or commutation. Meanwhile, lawmakers on the committee accuse Maxwell of attempting to buy her clemency by refusing to testify.

3⃣ Mask ban

A federal judge in California on Monday temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its ban on most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operations. US District Judge Christina Snyder in Los Angeles granted the Trump administration’s request for a preliminary injunction, finding that the ban “unlawfully discriminates” against federal agents. Snyder, however, kept in place another law requiring federal officers operating in the state to display either their name or badge number. The ruling is a partial win for the Trump administration, which challenged the policies in federal court last year, insisting both be thrown out to protect federal agents.

4⃣ DHS funding

Republican and Democratic negotiators have made little progress on a funding deal for the Department of Homeland Security as they face an agency shutdown by the end of the week. Democrats have sought to make major reforms to ICE and Border Patrol, but Republicans are refusing their key demands. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Republicans for the stalled negotiations on a deal to fund DHS, which includes FEMA and TSA. “Either they’re going to agree to dramatically reform the way in which ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies are conducting themselves … or they’re making the explicit decision to shut down the Coast Guard, shut down FEMA and shut down TSA,” Jeffries warned.

5⃣ US-Canada bridge

President Trump is threatening to block the opening of a new bridge connecting the US and Canada, again lashing out at his country’s north

Piper Hudspeth Blackburn

El lunes, una jueza federal de California bloqueó temporalmente que el estado aplique una prohibición que impedía a la mayoría de los agentes del orden usar elementos para cubrirse el rostro durante los operativos.

La jueza federal de distrito Christina Snyder concedió en Los Ángeles la solicitud de la administración Trump de una orden judicial preliminar, tras determinar que la prohibición “discrimina ilegalmente” a los agentes federales porque no se aplica por igual a los agentes estatales.

Snyder, sin embargo, mantuvo vigente otra ley que exige que los agentes federales que operan en el estado muestren su nombre o número de placa.

El fallo representa una victoria parcial para la administración Trump, que impugnó las políticas en un tribunal federal el año pasado, insistiendo en que ambas fueran derogadas para proteger a los agentes federales.

La administración había argumentado que las leyes, promulgadas en septiembre en respuesta a las redadas de inmigración del verano pasado en Los Ángeles, constituían un intento inconstitucional de regular a los agentes federales del orden.

La secretaria de Justicia Pamela Bondi promocionó el fallo del lunes como una “victoria judicial clave” en una publicación en X.

“Seguiremos luchando y ganando en los tribunales por la agenda de ley y orden del presidente Trump, y SIEMPRE respaldaremos a nuestros excelentes agentes federales del orden”, declaró.

En un comunicado emitido el lunes, el fiscal general de California, Rob Bonta, enfatizó que el fallo de la jueza “denegó el intento de la administración Trump de impedir que California exija a los agentes del orden, incluidos los federales, que se identifiquen visualmente por agencia, ya sea por nombre o número de placa”.

“Las comunidades seguras prosperan gracias a la transparencia y la confianza, y California se compromete a hacer su parte para defender la seguridad pública y las libertades civiles”, añadió.

La medida, la primera de este tipo en Estados Unidos según Associated Press, busca prohibir el uso de polainas de cuello, pasamontañas y otras coberturas faciales para los agentes locales y federales que realizan funciones oficiales. Hay excepciones para agentes encubiertos, mascarillas médicas y equipo táctico. La legislación surgió tras meses de arrestos de inmigrantes realizados por agentes federales enmascarados que emplearon tácticas agresivas en todo el país.

Actualmente, no existe una política federal que dicte cuándo los agentes pueden o deben cubrirse el rostro durante los arrestos. Históricamente, los agentes casi siempre se han ocultado el rostro solo cuando realizan trabajo encubierto para proteger la integridad de las investigaciones en curso, según informaron expertos en la aplicación de la ley a CNN.

Por su parte, el gobernador de California, Gavin Newsom, ha insistido en que la prohibición se opone al uso por parte del gobierno federal de agentes con los rostros cubiertos sin identificación ni número de placa para detener a personas en las calles durante las redadas migratorias.

“Es como una película de ciencia ficción distópica. Autos sin distintivos, personas con máscaras, personas que literalmente desaparecen”, declaró Newsom en una conferencia de prensa tras firmar la ley el año pasado.

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The post Jueza bloquea n

By Ben Church, CNN

Milan, Italy (CNN) — As tears streamed down her face, Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam saw all her sporting dreams come true.

The speed skating superstar had not only won the women’s 1000m gold medal, but also set an Olympic record in the process.

It was a defining moment in the 27-year-old’s incredible career, which has seen her transcend the sport of speed skating.

“The only thing I could do today was skate fast. That is exactly what I did, and it resulted in something very nice,” Leerdam told reporters after her gold medal moment on Monday.

Above anything else, Leerdam is an elite speed skater who is part of a Dutch team that has dominated the sport of late.

She had already won a silver medal in the women’s 1000m speed skate at the Beijing Games in 2022, in addition to 12 world championship medals, including six golds.

But she’s become a huge name away from the ice, too. That’s mainly because of her giant social media presence and, more recently, her engagement to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

Leerdam has 5.5 million followers on Instagram and over two million on TikTok, where she regularly provides updates about her life and career.

It’s all led to her becoming a popular face on the speed skating circuit, with thousands of fans in Milan screaming whenever they spotted her around the track at the Milano Speed Skating Arena on Monday.

The noise amplified further when she stepped out to compete in the 1000m final, knowing she had to break the Olympic record set by teammate Femke Kok in the run just before hers.

“I do not think I ever felt as much pressure as today. But, on the other hand, I thrive off pressure. I always perform better under pressure,” she said.

“Femke’s time was super fast. It gave some pressure. But I also had respect for her and her time. If that was going to be the fastest time and I couldn’t skate faster, it would have been what it is.

“I did everything in my power to skate faster and it worked. I am super proud.”

Leerdam did, in fact, skate faster, setting a new Olympic record of 1:12.31.

After crossing the finish line, she had tears streaming down her face, with her hand over her mouth. She was then embraced by her coach, Kosta Poltavets, who later called Leerdam’s race a work of art.

“If he used those words, then it must be true,” Leerdam told reporters.

Her fiancé Jake Paul was also cheering from the stands and despite being filmed by everyone around him, he lived every moment of Leerdam’s race.

He was shown on the big screens, slumped in his chair, tears in his eyes and with a huge smile on his face. If there hadn’t been such a big drop from his seat to the ice, he almost certainly would have jumped down to celebrate with Leerdam.

The Dutch skater, and now Olympic champion, has a chance to win yet another medal while in Milan, in the women’s 500m on Sunday.

And while she’ll be aiming for another gold in the sprint race, she’s already content with her fi

By Dianne Gallagher, CNN

(CNN) — South Carolina’s “trial of the century” returns to the courtroom Wednesday, as Alex Murdaugh’s appeal of his double-murder conviction goes before the state’s five Supreme Court justices.

Oral arguments are scheduled for Wednesday morning at the South Carolina Supreme Court, where Murdaugh’s attorneys will argue their client deserves a new trial based on alleged jury tampering, prejudicial evidence and failures at trial and during the investigation.

The state maintains Murdaugh was convicted because the evidence against him was overwhelming, arguing in court records he was “obviously guilty” and the jury’s decision was not influenced by anything that Murdaugh’s attorneys allege.

Wednesday’s oral arguments will not feature any witnesses or new testimony but will focus on the legal process of Murdaugh’s case. Regardless, it will mark yet another major moment in a saga that for years has captivated the public, spawning multiple documentaries, miniseries, podcasts and books.

Here’s what you should know:

Who is Alex Murdaugh?

Murdaugh, a once prominent heir to a Lowcountry legal dynasty, is now a disbarred attorney serving two consecutive life sentences for shooting and killing his wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul, at the family’s hunting property in June 2021.

A Colleton County, South Carolina, jury found him guilty of their murders in March 2023 after a highly publicized six-week trial, which also featured extensive testimony about Murdaugh stealing millions of dollars from vulnerable clients and his own law firm.

Murdaugh later pleaded guilty to dozens of federal and state charges for financial crimes related to a yearslong, wide-ranging scheme to bilk his law firm, clients and the government out of about $9 million. He is serving concurrent state and federal sentences of 27 and 40 years, respectively, for those financial crimes in addition to his life sentences.

What is Murdaugh’s appeal about?

While Murdaugh admitted to the financial crimes, he has consistently maintained he did not kill his wife and son, and he is seeking a new trial to prove his innocence.

To that end, his attorneys’ arguments before the South Carolina Supreme Court will combine two separate appeals – one stemming from a 2024 denial of his motion for a new trial, and another stemming from the trial itself.

In the first, Murdaugh’s attorneys argue former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill improperly influenced jurors during the original trial by making comments implying Murdaugh’s guilt to jurors.

In January 2024, after a one-day evidentiary hearing, retired South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal determined those comments did not influence the jury’s verdict and denied Murdaugh’s request for a new trial. Still, Toal found Hill was “attracted by the si