(NEW YORK) — The Department of Homeland Security has now picked another state on which to focus its immigration enforcement action: Maine.
On Wednesday, DHS launched “Operation Catch of the Day” — an operation targeting criminal illegal migrants in the state, according to a DHS spokesperson.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Two former One Direction bandmates are debuting new music.
Zayn kicked off his seven-show Las Vegas residency Tuesday night at Dolby Live at Park MGM, debuting five new unreleased songs: “Nusrat,” “Used to the Blues,” “Take Turns” and the new single “Die for Me.”
He also performed hits including “PILLOWTALK,” “What I Am” and “Swear.” Zayn continues his residency Wednesday night; it runs through Jan. 31.
Meanwhile, Louis Tomlinson debuted his new song, “Imposter,” Wednesday, along with a music video.
“Imposter was written in the jungle in Costa Rica,” Louis says in a statement. “Conceptually it leans into the idea of identity. It’s probably the most melodic moment on the record, I’m really excited for the world to finally hear it!”
He’ll be performing and sitting for a chat on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Thursday. His new album, How Did We Get Here?, comes out on Friday.
As previously reported, Louis and Zayn will be reuniting for a 2026 Netflix series that will find them traveling across the U.S. and “opening up about life, love, loss, and fatherhood.”
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Kyle Gass of Tenacious D has given his first interview since making a joke about assassinating President Donald Trump.
“It was terrible judgment, obviously,” Gass tells Rolling Stone. “I’ve felt terrible ever since, because it’s such a responsibility to not screw up like that.”
Gass made the joke during the D’s show in Sydney on July 14, 2024, which was also his 64th birthday. When asked to make a wish onstage, Gass quipped, “Don’t miss Trump next time.” A day earlier, Trump had survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
As Gass’ comments began to spread online, the other half of Tenacious D, Jack Black, issued a statement saying he was “blindsided.” He added, “I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.” Black also said the remainder of the D’s tour dates would be canceled.
Gass issued an apology, which he deleted from his Instagram a few days later.
“[The apology] was out for four or five days, and I thought, ‘It looks like a dead fish just laying there,'” Gass says of removing the post. “I really did apologize, but I took it down because it’s out there. … If I would have recanted, I would’ve said, ‘I’m taking this down because now on further reflection …’ But no. It’s out there.”
As for his relationship with Black, Gass says, “We hashed it out.”
“It was hard,” Gass says. “It is like a marriage. You go through these ups and downs, and try to understand your partner.”
Gass also declares that Tenacious D will be back.
“It’s gonna be bigger than Oasis!” Gass says.
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(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday sharply questioned President Donald Trump’s assertion of unchecked power to remove a member of the Federal Reserve over the mere allegation of gross negligence and without any opportunity for a hearing to dispute the claims.
A majority of justices also appeared likely to deny Trump’s request to immediately remove Lisa Cook from her position as litigation continues, though it was less clear whether the court would definitively weigh in on the substance of the allegations or the proper standard for removal under the law.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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If you’re a fan of “House Again” hitmaker Hudson Westbrook, you may want to get up early on Thursday.
“Going to be playing the @thetodayshow with the band tomorrow!” he posted on Instagram Wednesday. “Who gonna watch me and the boys?”
This will be Hudson’s national TV performance debut, and it’s set to take place in the 9 a.m. ET hour.
He’s promoting his new EP, Exclusive, which comes out Friday.
“This Friday, can’t wait for y’all to hear the whole album,” he wrote in another post, along with a clip of “Lovin’ on Me,” one of the collection’s five tracks.
Meanwhile, his breakthrough song, “House Again,” continues its run in country’s top 10.
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In November, Talking Heads released Tentative Decisions: Demos and Live for Record Store Day Black Friday, featuring early band recordings. Now they are expanding the release.
The original Tentative Decisions: Demos and Live collection included 11 songs that showed the evolution of the band. The new release, dropping March 6, has been expanded to three CDs with the addition of 15 unreleased demos the band made for CBS in September 1975, along with live recordings from their early days in New York City.
As a preview of the release, an early CBS demo of the song “Love Goes to a Building Fire” has been released via digital outlets.
In addition, the Record Store Day version of the album, previously available on clear vinyl, will be released on black vinyl, also on March 6. In addition to 10 early demos and a live track, it comes with a 7-inch single of the Talking Heads classic “Psycho Killer” and “Warning Sign,” a track that appeared on the band’s album More Songs about Buildings and Food. They were both recorded when band members David Byrne and Tina Weymouth performed under the name The Artistics.
Tentative Decisions: Demos and Live is available for preorder now.
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(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that it is increasing its stipend for those who are in the United States illegally and self-deport by $1,600.
Previously, DHS offered $1,000 to those who use the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App to self-deport, but now, it’s raising that number to $2,600.
DHS claimed that since January 2025, 2.2 million people who are in the U.S. illegally have voluntarily self-deported — with “tens of thousands” using the CBP app. A report from the Brookings Institution released last week called DHS’ data into question, saying the department’s numbers “should not be considered a serious source.”
“To celebrate one year of this administration, the U.S. taxpayer is generously increasing the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this country illegally- offering a $2,600 exit bonus,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a release. “Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport because if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.”
The increased amount is to mark to the first year of President Donald Trump’s term in office, and may only be temporary, DHS said in the release.
For months, the department has been pushing self-deportations — spending millions on advertisements that showcased it’s previous $1,000 payment and a plane ticket that people who register to self-deport are given.
It’s not clear how much money in total has been given to people who have self-deported.
DHS said in the first year of Trump’s term, there were 675,000 deportations. The authors of the Brookings Institution report estimated a figure much lower last week — saying there were between 310,000 and 315,000 removals in 2025.
Deporting migrants who are illegally in the U.S. was one of Trump’s key campaign promises, but advocates have said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol tactics have gone too far in some cases.
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(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — Deliberations are underway in the trial of former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales on Wednesday after prosecutors and defense lawyers delivered their closing arguments.
Before jurors were sent to deliberate, District Attorney Christina Mitchell gave an impassioned plea, saying, “I know this case is difficult, and it has been difficult. But we cannot continue to let children die in vain.”
“What happened to Uvalde on May 24 can happen anywhere, at any time,” she said. “If it’s going to happen, and if we have laws mandating what the responsibility of a law enforcement peace officer is for a school district, then we better be ready to back it up.”
At issue is whether Gonzales — one of the first officers to arrive at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022 — ignored his training and endangered dozens of students when he responded to the shooting, which became one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.
Nineteen students and two teachers died, with police officers waiting 77 minutes to confront the gunman. While the shooting response has been the subject of hearings and investigations, the case against Gonzales marks the first criminal trial related to the shooting and the delayed police response.
Prosecution’s closing argument
The jury has an opportunity to “set the bar” for how officers should respond to school shootings, prosecutor Bill Turner said on Wednesday.
“If it’s appropriate to stand outside hearing [hundreds of] shots while children are being slaughtered, that is your decision to tell the state of Texas,” Turner said.
While teachers and students were sheltering in their classrooms — doing exactly what their training taught them to do in an active shooter scenario — the police officer trained to help them failed to act, Turner said. Turner argued that each gunshot fired at Robb Elementary was “notice to Adrian Gonzalez to advance toward the gunfire,” but he failed to follow his training and act in the crucial first minutes of the shooting.
“If you have a duty to act, you can’t stand by while the child is in imminent danger,” Turner said.
Turner pointed jurors to the testimony of teaching aide Melodye Flores, a key prosecution witness who said she pleaded with Gonzales to intervene. Turner argued that the warning from Flores and the clear sound of gunfire should have triggered Gonzales to act.
“The training is, you hear shots, you go to the gunfire. He heard shots, and Melodye Flores was pointing where to go to the gunfire. There’s nothing complicated about that,” Turner said.
Defense’s closing argument
Convicting Gonzales will send a clear message to officers who respond to this country’s next mass shooting, defense attorney Jason Goss said.
“What you tell police officers is, ‘Don’t go in. Don’t react. Don’t respond,'” Goss warned jurors. “We cannot have law enforcement feel that way.”
Goss argued that prosecutors tried to “massage the facts” of the case and
“twist them all into a pretzel” to argue Gonzales failed to act. According to Goss, Gonzales did the best he could with the information he had when he arrived at Robb Elementary. While other officers arrived within the same timeframe, only Gonzales is being penalized for attempting to take action that day, he argued.
Goss attempted to empathize with the jurors and the families of victims, arguing he understood the desire for criminal accountability. But he reminded jurors, “The monster who hurt those kids is dead.”
But convicting Gonzales, Goss argued, would do “an injustice” for the victims of the shooting.
“You do not honor their memory by doing an injustice in their name,” he said.
What is he charged with?
Gonzales was charged with 29 felony counts of abandoning/endangering children — one count for each of the 19 students who died in the shooting and the 10 children who survived in classroom 112.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, and Gonzales could spend the rest of his life in prison if he is convicted. While juries in Texas sometimes determine criminal sentences, Gonzales has opted to be sentenced by Judge Sid Harle if he is convicted.
What happened to the police chief’s case?
Along with Gonzales, prosecutors also charged former Uvalde schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who was the scene commander during the Robb shooting. His case has been indefinitely delayed due to a pending civil lawsuit involving the tactical unit that ultimately breached the classroom and killed the shooter.
Are there any comparable cases?
According to Phil Stinson — a professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio who maintains a database of police officers who have been arrested — the case against Gonzales is uncommon but not unprecedented.
Prosecutors in Florida attempted to similarly charge a law enforcement officer for his response to the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen were killed when a gunman opened fire that day, Feb. 14, 2018, in Parkland.
A jury in 2023 acquitted Scot Peterson, the former Broward County sheriff’s deputy, after he was charged with child neglect and culpable negligence for his alleged inaction following the shooting.
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Architects have announced a U.S. tour in continued support of their latest album, 2025’s The Sky, the Earth & All Between.
The headlining dates span from April 28 in Reno, Nevada, to May 15 in Indianapolis. Presales begin Wednesday at 2 p.m. local time, and tickets go on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. local time.
Architects’ upcoming live plans also include sets at the Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple festivals. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit ArchitectsOfficial.com.
Along with the tour news, Architects have premiered the video for the song “Broken Mirror,” a track off The Sky, the Earth & All Between.
“The narrative follows [vocalist Sam] Carter as he undergoes brutal militia-style training, building toward a tense and visceral firefight that mirrors the song’s emotional intensity,” a press release reads. “Gritty, moody, and visually arresting, the video balances raw vulnerability with explosive action, capturing the internal struggle at the heart of the track.”
You can watch the “Broken Mirror” video on YouTube.
The Sky, the Earth & All Between also includes the single “Everything Ends,” which hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
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When Brett Young kicks off his 2.0 Tour Thursday at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, he’ll likely have lots of memories floating through his mind.
“My first experience at the Ryman was sneaking into a Keith Urban performance there,” he tells People. “I remember just thinking, ‘What would it be like one day to play in this room?’ I mean, I’ve gotten to do some pretty cool things there. I’ve gotten to jump up [onstage] with Darius [Rucker] for one of his shows and I got to perform in front of Tim McGraw, but I’ve not gotten to kick off a tour at the Ryman until now, so that’s going to be really special.”
The trek coincides with the 10th anniversary of Brett’s debut single, “Sleep Without You,” which was released in April 2016.
“What made me fall in love with country music is the storytelling,” he tells People. “And so, I feel like I’ve gotten to a place in my career where my fans are familiar with me enough that I can slow things down a little bit and dig in further than the three and a half minutes of the song. I always say it’s our job to pull back the curtain a little bit more every year.”
Brett will play 18 dates on this tour before wrapping Feb. 28 in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.
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