Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.
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Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
1. The Biden administration warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could come within days.
The U.S. has picked up intelligence that Russia is discussing next Wednesday as the target date for the start of military action, officials said. Americans should leave Ukraine in the next 24 to 48 hours, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said.
The Pentagon ordered 3,000 additional troops to Poland, bringing to 5,000 the total number of reinforcements sent to Europe. U.S. intelligence officials had thought that President Vladimir Putin of Russia was prepared to wait until the end of the Beijing Olympics, on Feb. 20, before possibly ordering an offensive. In recent days, the timeline began moving up, they say.
Ukraine’s military said that Russia-backed separatists in the country’s east had been put on a high level of alert, completing a near encirclement of Ukraine by forces poised for military action.
2. President Biden plans to split $7 billion in frozen Afghan funds between humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and the relatives of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The funds were left behind after the collapse of the Afghan government in August. The Taliban claimed the money, but a group of relatives of the Sept. 11 victims sought to seize it after winning lawsuits against the group. The economy of Afghanistan has collapsed, leading to mass starvation.
Instead of deciding who deserved the funds more, Biden will split them in half, doling out roughly $3.5 billion to each.
Separately, the Taliban released two Westerners working for the U.N. refugee agency, who had announced their detention. They had been held in Kabul for several days.
3. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told protesters in Canada he hoped they would “go home.”
Trudeau said there would be “an increasingly robust police intervention” to put an end to protests by truckers opposed to vaccine mandates. He said that blockades at the border with the U.S. were severely damaging his country’s economy.
Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, declared a state of emergency as Ottawa, Canada’s capital, braced for thousands of protesters to descend for a third consecutive weekend.
In the U.S., the closure of a crossing between Detroit and Canada slowed the sourcing of crucial auto parts, shutting Toyota plants as far as West Virginia and Alabama. Similar trucker protests may disrupt U.S. cities this weekend, the authorities warned.
4. In a reversal, the F.D.A. delayed a decision on Covid shots for young children.
The regulators said they would wait for complete data on the effectiveness of three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine before authorizing it for children 5 and younger. They had initially planned on making a determination on two doses for the age group.
Peter Marks, the head of the F.D.A.’s vaccine division, said it would take another two months of gathering and analyzing evidence before a decision.
Separately, C.D.C. data released today showed that Covid booster shots lost much of their potency after about four months. Some public health officials believe a fourth dose may be needed, especially for the immunocompromised.
Also, the F.D.A. gave emergency authorization to a new monoclonal antibody drug that has been found to fight off the Omicron variant.
5. Russia’s star figure skater tested positive for a banned drug.
Kamila Valieva, 15, was found to have had trimetazidine, a banned heart medication, in her system weeks before the Beijing Olympics, calling into question both the gold medal her team has already won and her continued participation. It is the latest in a string of doping scandals involving Russian athletes.
A Ukrainian athlete displayed a “no war in Ukraine” sign after finishing a run in the men’s skeleton competition, despite a ban on political demonstrations.
Shaun White concluded his Olympic career with a fourth-place finish in the halfpipe, which was dominated by Ayumu Hirano of Japan.
Here are the latest updates, the medal count and how to watch.
6. The Australian government declared the koala an endangered species.
Drought, bush fires, disease and habitat loss have drastically reduced the numbers of an animal that is an emblem of the country’s unique wildlife. Government estimates suggest the animals could go extinct by 2050 without intervention.
In the U.S., gray wolves will regain federal protection across most of the country. A court ruling struck down a Trump administration decision to take the animals off the endangered species list.
7. Location trackers are now easy to use and affordable. Is that a problem?
That’s the question our technology reporter, Kashmir Hill, sought to answer when she recently tested out a handful of trackers — by following her husband around.
Though some of the trackers were more responsive than others, they all provided accurate feedback of specific locations where her husband was, even though he was unaware of where his wife had placed them.
Designed mostly to find lost keys, or maybe a stolen car, makers of these devices like Apple and Tile say it’s wrong for them to be used as surveillance devices. But with the technology at anyone’s disposal, our reporter found that it wouldn’t take an expert to keep tabs on someone.
8. A translator has a message for the publishing industry: We matter.
After spending years translating the Polish author Olga Tokarczuk’s novel “Flights,” Jennifer Croft was disappointed to discover that her name wasn’t on the cover. While it wasn’t atypical, she decided to make a stand for herself and her peers, declaring that she would never do the work without credit again.
Her statement resonated with many in the literary world, garnering support from prominent translators and notable writers. A few publishers have now begun naming all translators on book covers.
Beyond receiving recognition, Croft believes that highlighting the translators brings more transparency to the process. Translation isn’t just a technical skill, but a creative act, she argues.
9. A documentary about the rise of Kanye West will finally be released after two decades.
In the early 2000s, as Kanye West started his career as a nerdy Chicago beatmaker for Jay-Z, a camera followed him, collecting hundreds of hours of tape. Only now, after disputes were reconciled between the filmmakers and West, will that footage see the light of day.
“Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy,” a three-part documentary on Netflix, examines his early years and more recent controversies, including a presidential run and mental health struggles.
In an interview with The Times, Clarence Simmons — who, along with Chike Ozah, directed the film — said he believed over the years that they would eventually return to the project. “One day in God’s time, this is going to happen,” Simmons said.
10. And finally, football and a whole lot more.
The Rams and the Bengals will face off at the Super Bowl on Sunday in what is almost certain to be the most watched television broadcast of the year. Even those who aren’t fans of football have plenty to look forward to.
The halftime show will feature Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar performing the first ever rap-focused intermission. And if you watch only for the commercials, you may notice a pattern: lots of cryptocurrency.
If you come for the snacks, we’ve collected loads of mouthwatering recipes — chicken wings, chili, nachos and more.
Have a super weekend.
Eve Edelheit compiled photos for this briefing.
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