The Evening: Judge halts Trump’s resignation push

Also, New Orleans is rattled but ready for the Super Bowl.

View in browser|nytimes.com February 6, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday. A delayed resignation push Super Bowl security in New Orleans Plus, the solitary Wanderer at the Met President Trump speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast today. Eric Lee/The New York Times A judge delayed Trump's plan to persuade federal workers to quit A federal judge in Massachusetts today temporarily barred the Trump administration from offering about two million federal workers the chance to leave their jobs in exchange for seven months of pay. The offer, which had a deadline of midnight tonight, was part of a sweeping effort by President Trump and Elon Musk to drastically cut the size of the federal work force. Judge George O'Toole Jr., a Clinton appointee, paused the deadline until at least Monday, when the court would consider a legal challenge. It is not clear how the delay will affect the more than 40,000 federal employees who had already signed up to resign through the program. The Trump administration has been pressuring workers for the last week to accept the offer, while the biggest government unions have been urging them to decline. The judge's decision appeared unlikely to end the broader effort by Trump and Musk to sharply reduce the size and cost of the federal government. The administration is planning to reduce the number of workers at the U.S. foreign aid agency from more than 10,000 to about 290 positions. Officials at the agency were also told that about 800 awards and contracts administered by U.S.A.I.D. were being canceled. Already, cuts at U.S.A.I.D. have resulted in the freezing of dozens of clinical trials, leaving people with experimental drugs and medical products in their bodies and cut off from the researchers who were monitoring them. Displaced Palestinians at a camp in Gaza on Tuesday. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times Confusion swirled around the Gaza takeover plan Just hours after Trump's aides sought to walk back parts of his proposal to seize control of Gaza and relocate the Palestinians from there, the president doubled down in an early morning social media post. He insisted he was serious about Israel turning the land over to the U.S., and Israel's defense minister said he had ordered the military to draft a plan to allow people to leave voluntarily. Trump added to the confusion by stressing that he would not deploy U.S. troops. But as far-fetched as the idea may be, it abruptly shifted attention away from the future of the cease-fire deal, whose initial six-week phase ends in early March. For more: Trump's own advisers were shocked by his plan. Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago is named in the lawsuit. Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Trump officials sued Illinois leaders over immigration The Trump administration filed a lawsuit in a Chicago federal court today arguing that sanctuary laws in Illinois and Chicago are obstructing the federal government's ability to enforce its immigration policies. The suit says that the result is "countless criminals being released into Chicago" who should have been deported. It was believed to be the first legal action of its kind in the two and a half weeks since Trump took office and began a crackdown on undocumented migrants. This week, the U.S. sent 10 migrants to Guantánamo Bay, where a tent camp has been set up. The president's immigration policies have received some pushback. Today, a second federal judge issued an injunction blocking Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship. In other politics news: The N.C.A.A. announced that it would enforce Trump's order to bar transgender athletes from women's sports. A Justice Department memo signaled a first step in Trump's push for retribution. Trump nominated Anthony Tata, a retired general known for his inflammatory comments, to a senior Pentagon post. Senate Democrats pulled an all-nighter to protest Trump's pick to lead the White House budget office. He is expected to be confirmed tonight. Trump spread an unfounded conspiracy theory over government payments to Politico. The president is attacking D.E.I. programs. Some Democrats approve. The Transportation Department said it would prioritize funds for high-birthrate areas. We're tracking all of Trump's major decisions so far. A Louisiana National Guard soldier near Bourbon Street. Gerald Herbert/Associated Press New Orleans is rattled but ready for the Super Bowl Security was always going to be tight for this weekend's Super Bowl, which attracts attention and enthusiasm unlike almost anything else. But after New Orleans, the game's host, suffered a deadly New Year's Day ramming attack, officials decided to add new security measures. Perhaps the most visible change is the "enhanced security zone" around Bourbon Street. Law enforcement officers were granted permission to search the bags of people entering the area and deny entry to anyone who refused. More top news Los Angeles: Southern California Edison said it had found equipment irregularities near the origin of the Eaton fire near Altadena. D.C. crash: Tracking technology was turned off on the Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet last week. Climate: Despite La Niña conditions that tend to reduce global temperatures, last month was the hottest January on record. Sweden: This is how the shooting at an adult educational center, which killed 11 people, unfolded. Economy: Tomorrow's jobs report will be a bit confusing because of revisions to previous months. Here's how to make sense of it. Health: Marijuana dependence was linked to higher rates of death and instances of schizophrenia and psychosis, two Canadian studies found. Law: Shen Yun, the touring dance group run by the Falun Gong religious movement, is said to be under federal investigation. Music: Daniel Barenboim, the eminent conductor and pianist, has announced that he has Parkinson's disease. Entertainment: Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, announced on a podcast that he had been diagnosed with autism. Lives Lived: Virginia Halas McCaskey, the longtime owner of the Chicago Bears, died today at 102. TIME TO UNWIND Valerio Mezzanotti for The New York Times The first big trend of the season There are several good reasons to pay attention to ready-to-wear fashion season, which began today in New York and will soon roll on through London, Milan and Paris. For one, there will be a handful of designer debuts that could change the way we dress. But the first major trend of the year is already clear, our fashion critic Vanessa Friedman pointed out: Big-name fashion houses are combining their men's and women's shows into one huge event. Vanessa has more on what to expect. One early shock: Gucci's designer is leaving. Caspar David Friedrich's "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog."  Karsten Moran for The New York Times The solitary Wanderer arrives at the Met For the first time, Caspar David Friedrich's circa 1817 painting "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" will be displayed in the U.S. this weekend. The artwork epitomizes German Romanticism, and its subject, the Wanderer, has become a metaphor for Germany itself. But the exhibition at the Met offers much more than just one painting, as our critic Jason Farago explains. It's a historic showcase of Friedrich's art, which gives us a blueprint for how to think and feel in a changing environment. Bruce Damonte Dinner table topics Vacation home: In a remote area high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, a couple embarked on a major renovation. Cover design: For years, Na Kim has made great books stand out. Cracked the code: Scientists said they found the right way to boil an egg. It takes 32 minutes. That's my old coach: My colleague was browsing the newspaper when a photograph transported him to the green infield grass of childhood. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Cook: This stromboli recipe is perfect for anytime you have guests. Watch: Check out the best shows and movies coming to Netflix this month. Read: Professional organizers offered their favorite books about decluttering. Look: Kendrick Lamar has turned introspective rhymes into his own visual language. Consider: Alcohol can negatively affect your gut health. Hunt: Which Manhattan apartment would you buy with a $700,000 budget? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Marc Quintin Whales sing the way we speak English speech follows a pattern: The most frequently used word ("the") is used about twice as often as the second most common ("of") and three times as much as the next ("and"). The pattern is called Zipf's law, and it's universal across human languages. Now, researchers say the law also applies to the long, elaborate songs made by humpback whales. Recordings from 2010 identified groan-groan-moan as the most common "word" among a group of whales, appearing about twice as often as the next most common sequence, which was a moan followed by three ascending cries. Have a melodious evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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