Friday Briefing: Sanctions on the I.C.C.

Plus, Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl

View in browser|nytimes.com February 7, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court and the school shooting in Sweden. Plus: Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl moment. President Trump's executive order said the International Criminal Court had "abused its power" by issuing arrest warrants for top Israeli officials. Eric Lee/The New York Times Trump ordered sanctions on the I.C.C. President Trump signed an order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court yesterday, promising "tangible and significant consequences" for people who worked on investigations that he said threatened American and Israeli national security. The court faced backlash from the U.S. and Israel in November after issuing arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity as they carried out Israel's war in Gaza. Trump said the court's actions against Israel and preliminary investigations involving the United States had "set a dangerous precedent." He ordered sanctions that could block purchases of property and assets and bar I.C.C. officials and their immediate family members from entering the U.S. Neither the U.S. nor Israel recognizes the court's jurisdiction. Background: The top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, signaled support for the order, saying the court was "biased against Israel." Democrats recently blocked a Senate bill that would have imposed sanctions on officials affiliated with the court. Many argued that the legislation was too broad and could apply to American companies working with the court. Trump's Gaza plan: The president doubled down yesterday on his proposal that the U.S. take over the enclave, displacing Palestinians. Israel's defense minister said he had ordered the military to draft a plan for letting Gazans voluntarily leave. Trump's plan would probably sound the death knell for the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. More on the Trump administration For the second time this week, a judge issued an injunction to block Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship for babies born on U.S. soil to undocumented immigrants. A judge temporarily barred the government from imposing a deadline on federal workers to resign. More than 40,000 employees have accepted the program, the White House said. The Trump administration plans to retain only about 290 of the more than 10,000 employees worldwide at the U.S.AI.D. The stop-work order on U.S.A.I.D.-funded research has left thousands of people with experimental drugs and devices in their bodies, with no access to monitoring or care. Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency were told that some of them could soon be placed on administrative leave, four people familiar with the matter said. For Europe's right, the unpredictable Trump may be as much an adversary as an ally. Trump's funding freeze won't apply to a U.S. contractor supporting the police inside a Syrian camp that holds ISIS members and their families. Thousands protested across the U.S. against Trump, part of a grass-roots effort to kick off a national movement. Track what Trump has done since he took office. Police officers leaving the scene of the attack in Orebro, Sweden, on Tuesday. Jonathan Nackstrand/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images How the school shooting in Sweden unfolded Officials have begun to share new details about the mass shooting at an adult education center in Orebro, a quiet university town in central Sweden. The police said yesterday that they had identified a suspect in the Tuesday attack, which killed at least 11 people, and that they were awaiting DNA confirmation. The attacker was believed to be among the dead. The police did not share details about a possible motive, but they described the chaotic scene at the campus when officers arrived. They encountered smoke from pyrotechnics and a hail of gunfire, so intense that they could not tell how many gunmen were there. Police response: Amid the chaos, none of the 130 police officers chose to return fire, Orebro's police chief said. About an hour later, they found the body of the suspect, near three weapons and at least 10 empty magazines. A view of the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles during the wildfires that raged there last month. Mario Tama/Getty Images The hottest January on record Last month was the warmest January on record, scientists said yesterday, even as people in some parts of the world shivered. The extent of the heat surprised climate researchers because it came despite La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which tend to reduce temperatures. The Earth has been so warm for so much of the past two years that scientists have begun to look past carbon emissions and explore whether something else in the planet's chemistry might have changed. MORE TOP NEWS Andrew Testa for The New York Times U.K.: Grenfell Tower, the apartment building where a fire killed 72 people eight years ago, is set to be demolished. Wildfires: A power company in Southern California is looking into whether its equipment might have started the devastating Eaton fire in early January. Banking: The Bank of England cut interest rates for the third time in about six months. U.S.: Shen Yun, the touring dance group run by the Falun Gong religious movement, is said to be under federal investigation. Tesla: The company's board promised to do more to address complaints of racial discrimination at one of its factories. Climate: Orsted of Denmark and Equinor of Norway have both pumped the brakes on their green energy ambitions after setbacks and market shifts. Greenland: New research has challenged scientists' assumptions about how ice sheets are moving and causing sea levels to rise. Fashion: After only two years at Gucci, the designer Sabato De Sarno is leaving. Music: Daniel Barenboim, the eminent conductor and pianist, announced that he has Parkinson's disease. Entertainment: Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, revealed that he had been diagnosed with autism. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: The Professional Footballers' Association has threatened the Premier League with legal action if it tries to introduce a hard salary cap next season. Golf: President Trump met with the PGA Tour commissioner as the Justice Department considers a venture between the U.S. premier golf circuit and one backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. Rugby: Ilona Maher's social media viewership demonstrates how the women's sports ecosystem is thriving. Football: Follow the latest as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles prepare for the Super Bowl. MORNING READ Eric Hart for The New York Times Once a centerpiece of daytime TV, soap operas have mostly disappeared. "Beyond the Gates," the first to focus on a Black family, will try to revive the genre. "There is an audience out there that for decades had not been represented or catered to, to say, 'This is for you,'" said Tamara Tunie, who plays a leading role. Lives lived: One of the last surviving saxophonists of the golden age of R&B, Gene Barge, who was known by the nickname Daddy G, died on Sunday at 98. CONVERSATION STARTERS Feline diplomacy: Palmerston, the black-and-white cat who left the British Foreign Office in 2020, has a new posting — in Bermuda. Fashion forecast: Big-name fashion houses are combining their men's and women's shows into huge, single events. Here's what else to expect. Cracked the code: Scientists may have found the perfect way to boil an egg. It takes 32 minutes. Choir practice: The complex songs of humpback whales share structural patterns with human language that may make them easier to learn, a new study suggests. ARTS AND IDEAS Kendrick Lamar's big moment Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-sweeping "Not Like Us" is at once a Drake-slaying diss track, a No. 1 single, a West Coast unity anthem, a Kamala Harris rally singalong, a World Series fight song and a bar mitzvah dance floor party-starter. This weekend, it may become a star feature of Lamar's performance at the Super Bowl halftime show. Roughly 100 million people are expected to tune in for this cultural event on American football's biggest day. For more: If you're not already familiar with Lamar's music or his expressive performances, here's a look at how the rapper translates themes and intricate rhymes into videos and live performances. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS David Malosh for The New York Times Cook: Use a generous amount of spicy butter sauce to sizzle these shrimp with garlic and paprika. Watch: In "Kinda Pregnant," Amy Schumer stars as a jealous friend who fakes her own pregnancy. Read: These five books can provide strategies to help organize your life. Digest: Here are six effects alcohol can have on your gut. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you next week. — Natasha P.S. Dan Barry, a reporter for The Times, was browsing the newspaper when a photograph took him back to the green infield grass of childhood. Read about his bittersweet moment of serendipity. Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. 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