Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday.
A judge halted Trump's plan to end birthright citizenshipA federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump's executive order declaring that children born on U.S. soil to undocumented immigrants would no longer be treated as citizens. The judge, John Coughenour, sided with states that had sued Trump arguing that the president's order violated the 14th Amendment. "This is a blatantly unconstitutional order," he said today. "Frankly," Judge Coughenour, a Reagan appointee, added, "I have difficulty understanding how a member of the bar would state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order. It just boggles my mind." The order to end birthright citizenship, set to take effect on Feb. 20, also extends to babies born to mothers who are in the country legally but temporarily, such as tourists, university students or temporary workers. The judge's injunction, which lasts two weeks, marks the beginning of what will almost certainly be a long battle between the new administration and the courts over Trump's ambitious second-term agenda.
The Senate pushed Hegseth toward approvalThe vast majority of Senate Republicans voted today to advance Pete Hegseth's nomination as secretary of defense. His final confirmation vote in the Senate is expected tomorrow evening. Every single Democrat in the Senate voted against Hegseth, some citing a sworn statement from his former sister-in-law calling him "abusive." Hegseth has denied the account, along with several other allegations of misconduct. Just two Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined the Democrats in opposition to Hegseth. Murkowski said that she could not "in good conscience" support installing him at the Pentagon. Two more Republicans would need to oppose Hegseth in order to sink his nomination.
The Sacklers increased their settlement offer, with a catchMembers of the Sackler family reached a tentative deal to resolve thousands of opioid cases against Purdue Pharma, the company they own. They would pay up to $6.5 billion — $500 million more than their previous offer — without receiving immunity from future opioid lawsuits, a provision the Supreme Court had rejected. Instead, claimants, including states, municipalities and individuals, would have to set aside as much as $800 million in an account akin to a legal-defense fund for the billionaires to fight such cases. New York's attorney general hailed the deal, but thousands of other claimants would still need to sign on.
A start-up said its device could cure cancer. Then patients died.Dozens of patients were lured to Antigua by a start-up and its secretive billionaire partner that promoted a blood filtering treatment they said could cure cancer. However, those claims have yet to be backed up by any human clinical trial. And the treatment, which costs $45,000 per course, is out of reach of U.S. regulators. Of the more than 20 patients treated in Antigua, The Times has identified at least six who have died since their treatments. Read the full story from my colleague John Carreyrou. More top news
This year's Oscar nominationsThe Academy Award nominations, which were announced this morning, showered praise on little-seen movies rooted in progressive politics. "Emilia Pérez," a musical exploration of trans identity, led the way with 13 nominations. "The Brutalist," a three-and-a-half-hour study of immigrant trauma, received 10. Check out the full list. "It's an eclectic bunch," our awards season columnist, Kyle Buchanan, told me. "It also makes a lot of Oscar history." Karla Sofía Gascón, the "Emilia Pérez" star, became the first openly trans actress to earn an Oscar nod. Also, Kyle pointed out: "Two of today's nominees have mothers who were also nominated in the past." (Fernanda Torres is the daughter of Fernanda Montenegro; Isabella Rossellini is the daughter of Ingrid Bergman.) For more: Kyle explained this year's snubs and surprises. Here's how to stream the nominees.
A good book can help you appreciate the winter monthsThe next few days are going to be freezing across most of the country. Such conditions can be pretty dreary, or — if you're willing to look on the bright side — they can make for a compelling backdrop to a novel. Here are 10 worthwhile books that embrace the spirit of the season.
Dinner table topics
Cook: Embrace the nontraditional with a cabbage parm. Action verb: These booze-free beverages can help you get through Dry January. Watch: "I'm Still Here" has been a major hit in Brazil, and it's easy to see why. Plan: We have tips for visiting Quebec City. Rest: These are the sleep myths that experts want you to ignore. Hunt: Which house in New Jersey would you buy with an $800,000 budget? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
'Just use it'My colleague Rukmini Callimachi received feedback from hundreds of Times readers after she wrote a story about the declining use of fine china, and how one mother was grappling with it. Many suggested just doing away with the formality and using the fancy dishes as much as possible. That advice was reminiscent of a comment the writer Joan Didion made to this newspaper nearly a half century ago. Didion said she used her "good" silver every day, because "every day is all there is." Have an elegant 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.
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