10 things you need to know today: February 5, 2017

1. Appeals court denies DOJ request to immediately reinstate Trump immigration order

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit on Sunday denied President Trump's request for an immediate stay on a federal judge's temporary block on enforcement of his immigration executive order. The first ruling was issued Friday night in response to a suit from the states of Washington and Minnesota. On Saturday, the Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) appealed, arguing that the "power to expel or exclude aliens is a fundamental sovereign attribute, delegated by Congress to the executive branch of government and largely immune from judicial control." The appeals court denied the DOJ's request for an immediate stay, instead leaving the order suspension intact while asking both sides to file legal briefs before Monday afternoon so a final ruling can be reached.

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2. State Department and Homeland Security suspend immigration order enforcement

The State Department on Saturday restored provisionally revoked travel papers to as many as 60,000 would-be visitors to the United States from the seven majority-Muslim nations listed in President Trump's immigration executive order. However, visas stamped or otherwise marked canceled will not be restored, and it is unknown how many of the 60,000 canceled visas will stay canceled because of a physical mark. Also Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in "accordance with the judge's ruling, DHS has suspended any and all actions implementing the affected sections of the Executive Order entitled, 'Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,'" including "actions to suspend passenger system rules that flag travelers for operational action subject to the Executive Order."

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3. Trump decries 'ridiculous' order from 'this so-called judge'

Saturday morning, President Trump tweeted an angry reaction to the temporary block on his immigration executive order. "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!" he wrote, after a series of tweets defending the substance of his order. "When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot , come in & out, especially for reasons of safety &.security - big trouble!" Trump argued, adding, "Interesting that certain Middle-Eastern countries agree with the ban. They know if certain people are allowed in it's death & destruction!" Trump's legal challenge to the block is so far unsuccessful.

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4. Global protests continue over suspended Trump immigration order

Protesters demonstrated around the world for the third straight weekend, this time to oppose President Trump's temporarily suspended immigration order. About 2,000 people rallied at Trump Plaza in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, chanting "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has to go" and "No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here." Protests were also organized at a number of major airports and city centers in the United States, as well as in cities abroad including London, Paris, and Jakarta.

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5. Trump defends respect for Putin: 'You think our country's so innocent?'

An advance excerpt of a Fox News interview between President Trump and Bill O'Reilly sees the president defending his respect for Russian President Vladimir Putin by suggesting those who believe the United States does not engage in strongman practices are naive. "Well, I respect a lot of people but that doesn't mean I'm going to get along with him," Trump said of Putin, adding that Russia could be a valuable ally to the United States in the war on terror. "But he's a killer, though," O'Reilly pushed back. "Putin's a killer." Trump nodded, and said, "There are a lot of killers. We've got a lot of killers. You think our country's so innocent?" The full conversation between Trump and O'Reilly will air Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on Fox.

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6. Trust documents show Trump retains close ties to his businesses

Documents obtained by The New York Times show President Trump's business empire, held in a trust managed by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s chief financial officer, can be put back under the president's direct control "at any time" of his choosing. The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust is linked to President Trump's Social Security number alone for federal tax purposes, and its assets are held for his "exclusive benefit." Trump has been urged to sell his namesake businesses and place the proceeds in a blind trust, an option he has refused to pursue, citing his lack of legal obligation. "After being forced to apologize for its bad and inaccurate coverage of me after winning the election, the FAKE NEWS @nytimes is still lost!" Trump tweeted Saturday morning after the Times article published.

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7. White House backs off plan to reopen 'black site' prisons

The Trump administration has revised an executive order draft pertaining to detention of terrorism suspects by removing language that asked the CIA to evaluate the merit of reviving "black site" prisons, overseas facilities where the United States used "enhanced interrogation" techniques later denounced as torture. A senior White House official said the first version of the document "was a transition draft never under serious consideration." The current draft still provides for expanded use of the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, where several dozen suspects remain subject to indefinite detention. President Trump has nominated Gina Haspel, who formerly managed one of the black site locations, to be deputy director of the CIA.

Reuters The Washington Post

8. Turkey detains 445 with alleged ISIS ties

Turkish police have detained some 445 people alleged to have ties to the Islamic State, Turkish state-run media reported Sunday. The detentions took place after counterterror raids spread across six provinces, many near the Syrian border, and most of those held are foreign nationals. The single largest raid was responsible for around 100 arrests, and police say they found ISIS materials in the suspects' possession. Nine of those arrested are believed to have been actively planning an attack in northern Turkey.

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9. German magazine depicts Trump beheading Lady Liberty

The latest cover from Der Speigel, a German magazine, was released Saturday to international uproar as it depicted President Trump beheading Lady Liberty — a commentary clearly directed at the blocked executive order suspending all U.S. entrance from seven majority-Muslim nations. The caption reads, "America First," and the image was quickly adopted by protesters. The illustration is the work of Cuban-born Edel Rodriguez, who arrived in the United States as a political refugee three decades ago. "It's a beheading of democracy, a beheading of a sacred symbol," Rodriguez told The Washington Post.

The Week

10. Super Bowl LI: Falcons up 7-0 over Patriots

Devonta Freeman scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl LI during the second quarter, giving the Atlanta Falcons a 7-0 lead over the New England Patriots. The Patriots are aiming for their fifth Super Bowl win in their ninth overall Super Bowl appearance. The Falcons, by contrast, have not competed in the Super Bowl for nearly two decades and have never won. Before the start of the game, country singer Luke Bryan performed the National Anthem, and former President George H.W. Bush, accompanied by former First Lady Barbara Bush, tossed the coin. Lady Gaga will headline the halftime show with Tony Bennett.

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