By SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press

A federal appeals court ruled late Wednesday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it ended legal protections that gave hundreds of thousands of people from Venezuela permission to live and work in the United States.

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A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she ended temporary protected status for Venezuelans.

The decision, however, will not have any immediate practical effect after the U.S. Supreme Court in October allowed Noem’s decision to take effect pending a final decision by the justices.

An email late Wednesday night to the Department of Homeland Security was not immediately returned.

The 9th Circuit panel also upheld the lower court’s finding that Noem exceeded her authority when she decided to end TPS early for hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti.

A federal judge in Washington is expected to rule any day now on a request to pause the termination of TPS for Haiti while a separate lawsuit challenging it proceeds. The country’s TPS designation is scheduled to end on February 3.

Ninth Circuit Judges Kim Wardlaw, Salvador Mendoza, Jr. and Anthony Johnstone said in Wednesday’s ruling that the TPS legislation passed by Congress did not give the secretary the power to vacate an existing TPS designation. All three judges were nominated by Democratic presidents.

“The statute contains numerous procedural safeguards that ensure individuals with TPS enjoy predictability and stability during periods of extraordinary and temporary conditions in their home country,” Wardlaw, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton, wrote for the panel.

Wardlaw said Noem’s “unlawful actions have had real and significant consequences” for Venezuelans and Haitians in the United States who rely on TPS.

“The record is replete with examples of hard-working, contributing members of society — who are mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, and partners of U.S. citizens, pay taxes, and have no criminal records — who have been deported or detained after losing their TPS,” she wrote.

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, authorized by Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990, allows the Homeland Security secretary to grant legal immigration status to people fleeing countries experiencing civil strife, environmental disaster or other “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevent a safe return to that home country.

Designations are granted for terms of six, 12 or 18 months, and extensions can be granted so long as conditions remain dire. The status prevents holders from being deported and allows them to work, but it does not give them a path to citizenship.

In ending the protections, Noem said that conditions in both Haiti and Venezuela had improved and that it was not in the national interest to allow immigrants from the two countries to stay on for what is a temporary program.

Millions of Venezuelans have fled political unrest, mass unemployment and hunger. The country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.

Haiti was first designated for TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed and wounded hundreds of thousands of people, and left more than 1 million homeless. Haitians face widespread hunger and gang violence.

Mendoza wrote separately that there was “ample evidence of racial and national origin animus” that reinforced the lower court’s conclusion that Noem’s decisions were “preordained and her reasoning pretextual.”

“It is clear that the Secretary’s vacatur actions were not actually grounded in substantive policy considerations or genuine differences with respect to the prior administration’s TPS procedures, but were instead rooted in a stereotype-based diagnosis of immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti as dangerous criminals or mentally unwell,” he wrote.

Attorneys for the government have argued the secretary has clear and broad authority to make determinations related to the TPS program and those decisions are not subject to judicial review. They have also denied that her actions were motived by racial animus.

BEIJING (AP) — Stability. Consistency. Ever-changing complexity.

With language like that, deployed in separate meetings in three Asian capitals this week, government leaders forged closer ties driven in part by a figure halfway around the world: the president of the United States. And much of the time, they didn’t even mention Donald Trump’s name.

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IN BEIJING: The U.K. and Chinese leaders called Thursday for a “long-term, stable, and comprehensive strategic partnership” between their two countries. The important words are long-term and stable. The two countries committed a decade ago to building a comprehensive strategic partnership but progress has been halting at best.

IN HANOI: About 700 miles to the south, Vietnam and the European Union used the same phrasing on the same day. They upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The agreement places Vietnam on the same diplomatic footing with the EU as the United States, China and Russia.

IN NEW DELHI: Two days earlier, the EU and India reached a major free trade accord that had been mired in negotiations for years. It covers everything from textiles to medicines and will bring down India’s high tariffs on European wine and cars.

Trump was not the only factor behind the agreements, but his shaking up of the global order is worrying friends and foes and driving them closer. From a purely economic perspective, his import tariffs have sent countries seeking new markets to reduce their dependency on the American consumer.

More broadly, all the agreements have been accompanied by words from the leaders referring to the uncertainty that Trump has introduced to global affairs, though mostly without mentioning his name. The systems they have relied on to manage the world since the end of the Cold War and, in some cases since World War II, appear at risk.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for working with China on global stability “during challenging times for the world.” Chinese leader Xi Jinping described the international situation as “complex and ever-changing.” In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the partnership with the EU “will strengthen stability in the international system” at a time of ”turmoil in the global order.”

European Council President António Costa summed up the sentiment Thursday in the Vietnamese capital: “At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side by side as reliable and predictable partners.”

Are you in need of some comfort food? Between the weather and the ICE crackdown, it’s a tough time to be a Twin Citian.

To that end, I can hardly think of anything more cozy than a homemade chocolate chip cookie.

My ideal cookie is not for everyone. I like my cookies thin — they spread out almost to the point of being a lace cookie. Almost. They are crisp outside, chewy inside and have a deep, rich flavor.

To achieve the perfect consistency, I use a bit less flour than your typical back-of-the-chocolate-chip-bag recipe. For flavor, I brown half of the butter, which tastes amazing, but also helps the cookie spread out just the way I like it. A few teaspoons of espresso powder give the cookie a depth that you can’t really place until I tell you it’s there. And a little sprinkle of crystally sea salt takes the flavor to the next level. I like semi-sweet chocolate chips and usually toasted walnuts or pecans, but you can add whatever you like to this cookie. My kids love a mixture of M&Ms and chocolate chips, and I have added dried cherries, chocolate chunks, toffee bits and anything else languishing in my pantry. All have yielded delicious cookies as long as you don’t step over the 2-cup limit.

I spent many hours honing this recipe — I honestly do measure the flour to the gram for perfect results every time — and almost everyone who tries these cookies is hooked on their flavor. There’s just one slight problem: They’re not the prettiest cookies.

But give them a shot, and I promise you, they’ll disappear fast. And if you share them with friends and family, at least some of them will ask for the recipe, looks be damned.

Fug-licious Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)

245 grams (or 2 cups if you don’t have a scale) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling, optional

DIRECTIONS

Add one stick of butter to a medium skillet over medium heat. Allow it to melt and bubble up for 3 to 4 minutes, swirling the pan to keep the butter moving around. When the butter is a medium golden brown, remove the pan from the heat (it will continue browning in the pan over the next 30 seconds or so.) Pour butter (and any solids in the bottom of the pan) into a heatproof bowl and allow it to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the other stick of softened butter together with the brown sugar and regular sugar in a stand mixer or with a hand-held mixer at medium speed. Add the eggs and vanilla bean paste and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl if necessary to ensure everything is incorporated.

With the mixer on medium-low, slowly drizzle in the cooled melted butter, making sure to add all the darker brown solids. Scrape the bowl and mix again for 20-30 seconds, until everything is combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, coffee granules, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients in 1/3 increments, mixing on low until totally incorporated. Scrape the bowl and beat for a few more seconds. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.

In batches, scoop by heaping teaspoon onto a baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment paper. Bake for 7.5 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Wait a minute or two, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack using a thin, metal spatula.

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Today is Thursday, Jan. 29, the 29th day of 2026. There are 336 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 29, 2002, in his first State of the Union address, President George W. Bush said terrorists were still threatening America — and warned of “an axis of evil” consisting of North Korea, Iran and Iraq.

Also on this date:

In 1891, following the death of her brother Kalākaua, Lili‘uokalani was sworn in as the first and only queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. (Her reign would end two years later when the Hawaiian monarchy was abolished following a U.S. military-supported coup d’état.)

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In 1936, the first five inductees of baseball’s Hall of Fame — Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson — were elected in Cooperstown, New York.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter formally welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping (dung shah-oh-ping) to the White House, following the establishment of full diplomatic relations.

In 1995, the San Francisco 49ers became the first team in NFL history to win five Super Bowl titles, beating the San Diego Chargers, 49-26, in Super Bowl XXIX.

In 1998, a bomb rocked an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, killing a security guard and critically injuring a nurse. (The bomber, Eric Rudolph, also admitted to carrying out the deadly bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and other attacks and is serving multiple life sentences.)

In 2013, the Justice Department ended its criminal probe of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster and Gulf of Mexico oil spill, with a U.S. judge agreeing to let London-based oil giant BP PLC plead guilty to manslaughter charges for the deaths of 11 rig workers and pay a record $4 billion in penalties.

In 2017, six people were killed in a shooting at a Quebec City mosque during evening prayers. (Alexandre Bissonnette, who was arrested nearby, pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder charges and drew a life prison sentence.)

In 2025, a midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft as the jet was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy Potomac River.

Today’s birthdays:

Feminist author Germaine Greer is 87.
Actor Katharine Ross is 86.
Actor Tom Selleck is 81.
R&B singer Charlie Wilson is 73.
TV host and media mogul Oprah Winfrey is 72.
Olympic diving gold medalist Greg Louganis is 66.
Football Hall of Famer Andre Reed is 62.
Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hašek is 61.
Actor-director Edward Burns is 58.
Actor Sara Gilbert is 51.
Pop-rock singer Adam Lambert is 44.
Actor Jakob Davies is 23.