A Ukrainian skeleton athlete was barred from the Milan Cortina Games for refusing to remove a helmet honoring athletes killed in Russia's war, while the Justice Department fired a newly appointed U.S. attorney in New York hours after his selection by a panel of judges. Additionally, a CBS News analysis revealed a record number of detained immigrants are voluntarily leaving the United States, and the Department of Homeland Security is facing scrutiny over its claims regarding a shooting in Chicago. These events unfolded amidst ongoing legal battles and international tensions.
Vladyslav Heraskevych, the Ukrainian athlete, was informed by International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry that he could not use the helmet, which displayed the names of compatriots killed in the war. Coventry met with Heraskevych before the men's skeleton race, but the athlete refused to change his helmet. "It's hard to say or put into words. It's emptiness," Heraskevych said, adding, "This is price of our dignity," according to CBS News. He planned to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In New York, a panel of judges appointed Donald T. Kinsella as the new top federal prosecutor in Albany after determining a previous Trump nominee was serving unlawfully. However, the Justice Department swiftly announced Kinsella's firing hours later. This action highlighted ongoing friction between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary over who is authorized to lead U.S. attorney's offices, according to CBS News. The judges had cited a law allowing them to temporarily appoint someone if the role became vacant.
Meanwhile, a CBS News analysis of court records indicated that voluntary departures among detained immigrants reached a record high. Last year, 28% of completed immigration removal cases among those in detention ended in voluntary departure, a higher percentage than in any previous year. The percentage of voluntary departures grew nearly every month of 2025, reaching 38% in December. The analysis did not include those not given a hearing before an immigration judge. "It's set up for every ind," according to CBS News.
In other news, Attorney General Pam Bondi told members of Congress that Ghislaine Maxwell "will hopefully die in prison," after being pressed on allegations of special treatment for Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirator, according to ABC News. Maxwell, incarcerated since July 2020, is currently 64 years old. Bondi, however, could not say who ordered a controversial prison transfer.
Finally, analysis of body-camera footage and videos related to the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Chicago suggested that the Department of Homeland Security exaggerated its claims about the incident, according to ABC News. The DHS had claimed federal agents were "forced to deploy their weapons" after their SUV was "rammed by vehicles." However, the video evidence did not support these claims.
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