President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship is "blatantly unconstitutional," a federal judge said Thursday, temporarily blocking it nationwide, multipleoutlets reported.
The big picture: The decision came a day after the presidentoffered his first defense of the order, which seeks to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to noncitizen parents and undocumented immigrants.
The president's order would also extend to parents in the country legally but temporarily, like foreign students, workers or tourists.
Driving the news: U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour sided for now with four states that sued — Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington.
They had argued the 14th Amendment and Supreme Court case law guarantee the right to birthright citizenship.
Zoom out: Trump signed the order on his first day in office Monday, and was swiftly met by lawsuits from every state with a Democratic attorney general.
The case ruled on Thursday is just one of five lawsuits brought by 22 states, along with other challenges filed by immigrants rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union.
Flashback: Trump had floated the prospect of ending birthright citizenship in his first term too, but didn't follow through at the time.
The Defense Department announced Wednesday it's sending an additional 1,500 troops to the southern border to carry out President Trump's immigration orders.
The big picture: Soon after being sworn in, Trump signed executive orders declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and calling for more barriers as part of an crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
Driving the news: Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement Wednesday that he's carrying out a series of actions to gain "complete operational control of the southern border."
The Department of Defense will send an additional 1,500 people, along with helicopters and intelligence analysts "to support increased detection and monitoring efforts," Salesses said.
There are already about 2,500 U.S. National Guard and Reserve forces there.
Zoom in: The Pentagon will also provide military aircraft to support the Department of Homeland Security's deportation flights of more than 5,000 undocumented immigrants from the areas of San Diego, California; and El Paso, Texas.
The DOD will also start helping with the construction of temporary and permanent physical barriers at the border, aimed at curtailing illegal border crossings and trafficking.
What they're saying: "This is just the beginning," Salesses said.
"President Trump directed action from the Department of Defense on securing our nation's borders and made clear he expects immediate results. That is exactly what our military is doing under his leadership."
The other side: Civil liberties groups promised to take legal action against any misuse of military on civilian populations.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) tells Axios they are gathering information and will look at taking action.
MrBeast, one of the most successful internet creators, may join a bid by real estate mogul and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt to buy TikTok's U.S. arm, McCourt told Axios' Sara Fischer in Davos on Wednesday.
Why it matters: McCourt has said that he's gotten $20 billion in commitments to his bid but hasn't detailed who the investors are — as the popular app's future has remained in flux.
Zoom in: The group in on the bid is composed of "all the major investment firms that you would imagine," including private equity firms, large family offices and alternative asset managers, McCourt said.
In addition, he suggested the existing investors in Chinese-owned ByteDance will also want to roll over their investments into a U.S. TikTok spin-off.
What he's saying: McCourt said he's spoken to MrBeast — born Jimmy Donaldson — who has publicly expressed interest in buying TikTok. "MrBeastis going to be a part of this bid, too. So he's very entrepreneurial," McCourt said.
"We welcome everyone," McCourt said.
A spokesperson for McCourt later told Axios, "We have only had conversations with MrBeast. Nothing set in stone."
Representatives for MrBeast did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Asked if he'd partner with Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and X owner Elon Musk, McCourt responded, "if there was an agreement on the values and principles."
Between the lines: "There is oodles of capital here. That's not the issue at all," McCourt said. "It's really the politics of this that's very, very challenging."
By the numbers: When asked if his bid would be enough to suffice the deal given the value of TikTok's U.S. arm is uncertain, McCourt said he believes his $20 billion bid accurately reflects the value.
"You can buy shares of ByteDance on the secondary market now at a valuation with a $200 billion-plus number in front of it for the entire company," he said.
"U.S. TikTok represents about 8%, and we're talking about buying that piece without the technology," he continued.
The law requires that any future U.S. arm of the platform be disentangled from the Chinese technology that runs it.
Catch up quick: TikTok restored its service Sunday after going dark the previous night. A U.S. law passed last year had set a deadline of Jan. 19 for the app to face a ban unless sold to a U.S. owner.
President Trump, on his first day in office, signed an executive order to delay enforcing the law by 75 days.
What to watch: The investor group has been in touch with ByteDance through bankers, McCourt said. But other than acknowledging receipt of the offer, "ByteDance is silent right now," he said.
Their offer was the only one that went to the Justice Department, got approved and was ready to go if ByteDance signed it, according to McCourt.
What he's saying: As companies are increasingly pulling back on moderation, McCourt suggested that if his deal goes through, he would not regulate TikTok's free speech policy, privacy policy or moderation policy.
"We need technology that is actually optimizing for what we as society want for these policies," he said. "What we have right now is a few people deciding."
McCourt views this as a unique opportunity to solve a national security issue, help fix the Internet and begin the third generation of the Internet where users are in charge.
Catch up quick: McCourt launched Project Liberty, which includes both a for-profit company and a non-profit institute, in 2021 to help build and advocate for a safer and more equitable internet.
He announced his intentions to assemble an investor group to buy the app in May, shortly after the bipartisan law that would instate a ban was signed.
Alongside its research and policy efforts, Project Liberty has also developed its own blockchain-based, decentralized web infrastructure in an effort to make social media safer and more secure.
In 2022, MeWe, a free and subscription-based social media platform that bills itself as a privacy-focused alternative to Facebook, became the first social network to launch using Project Liberty's decentralized social networking protocol (DSNP).
President Trump on Tuesday announced billions in private sector investments to grow artificial intelligence in the U.S. and build massive new data centers for OpenAI.
The big picture: OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle and the UAE's MGX will convene under a joint venture called Stargate, and will commit $100 billion to start with a potential of up to $500 billion over four years.
The new company will create more then 100,000 American jobs, Trump said.
Stargate will open a data center project in Texas and later expand to other states.
Driving the news: "This monumental undertaking is a resounding declaration of confidence in America's potential under a new president," Trump said Tuesday.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Oracle founder and chairman Larry Ellison appeared with Trump at the White House for the announcement.
Son will serve as the company's chairman, according to an Oracle press release.
Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle and OpenAI are the initial technology partners, per the release.
Zoom out: The announcement comes a day after Trump signed an executive order rescinding a Biden-era executive order regulating AI.
Flashback: SoftBank's Son made a similar promise of $50 billion investment in Dec. 2016 on the eve of Trump's first term.
Our thought bubble: Trump will take credit for these spending commitments, but the rush to build AI data centers has been building for two years, and this money would likely have flowed regardless of who occupied the White House.
President Trump'snear-total pardon of Jan. 6 rioters was denounced by the Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the U.S., and the International Association of Chiefs of Police on Tuesday.
The big picture: The groups said they're deeply discouraged by pardons and commutations made by both the Biden and Trump administrations of individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers.
Driving the news: The groups said in a statement they firmly believe those convicted of such crimes should serve full sentences.
"Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families," per the statement.
"When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence," the unions said.
Between the lines: The group did not specifically mention which pardons they were referring to, but the only ones issued in the second Trump administration concerning such violent assaults involve Jan. 6.
Zoom in: Newly inaugurated Trump signed an executive order on Monday granting a "full, complete and unconditional pardon" to the vast majority of Jan. 6 defendants charged with participating in the Capitol riot four years ago.
Among the roughly 1,500 pardoned and 14 others whose sentences were commuted were leaders of the extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were convicted of the seditious conspiracy for their roles in the attack.
Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Representatives for Biden could not immediately be reached for comment.
Flashback: The Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
President Trump on Tuesday announced he signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the unlawful Silk Road marketplace who was convicted of drug trafficking charges.
The big picture: Trump vowed on the campaign trail to commute Ulbricht's sentence as he sought backing to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee from Libertarians, who view the Silk Road founder as a hero.
Flashback: Ulbricht was sentenced in 2015 to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted on charges that included distributing narcotics online.
What he' saying: Trump said on Truth Social that he called Ulbricht's mother to inform her of the pardon "in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly."
He added, "The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me."
The big picture: The U.S. is the WHO's top donor, contributing about $130 million per year to help cover its global health preparedness and response, along with efforts to address HIV, tuberculosis, and childhood vaccination, per Devex.
Trump started the process to withdraw from WHO during his first term, claiming the agency failed badly responding to COVID-19 and had not demonstrated its independence from China.
However, then-President Biden reversed it on his first day in office.
Driving the news: Monday's executive order states that the U.S. issued a notice about its withdrawal in 2020 "due to the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic ... and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states."
Additionally, "the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries' assessed payments," it continues, noting China pays less despite having a larger population.
President-elect Trump is expected to launch his second term with a slew of executive orders as soon as Day 1 in office.
The big picture: Trump, with more support from Republicans and voters than in his first term, has expressed every intention of using executive power to address the border and immigration.
Axios reported Monday that Trump was expected to bring as many as 200 executive actions, including orders.
Trump's first-day actions were expected to include declaring an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, Jan. 6 pardons and a TikTok reprieve after the popular app briefly went dark over the weekend.
Zoom out: Trump issued more than 220 executive orders during his first term — the most in a single term since former President Carter.
President Biden had signed 155 executive orders as of last week.
What is an executive order?
This directive is a signed, consecutively numbered official document through which the president manages the operations of the federal government, per the National Archives.
Such an order directs a federal official or administrative agency to engage in a course of action or refrain from a course of action.
Some executive orders can take effect immediately, while others require time for a federal agency to take action.
Between the lines: An executive order is enforceable as long as the action is within the president's Constitutional authority.
What can't an executive order do?
A president can't issue a new law if it surpasses the power given to them by the Constitution or Congress.
Executive orders that require action by an agency are subject to the federal Administrative Procedure Act, which requires a public comment period for new rules and does not allow rules deemed "arbitrary and capricious."
Can an executive order be revoked?
Yes, a president who issued the executive order can revoke it.
An incumbent president also has the power to nix an executive order issued by their predecessor — as Biden did in early 2021 when he revokedseveral executive orders issued during the Trump administration.
Congress, too, has the power to overturn an executive order by passing legislation that invalidates it, according to the American Bar Association. The president can veto the legislation, but Congress can override that with a two-thirds majority.
Congress can also halt an executive order from taking effect by denying necessary funding for an action.
Courts, too, have the power to stay enforcement or ultimately overturn an executive order that is found to be beyond the president's constitutional authority.
For example, a judge in January 2020 blocked Trump's executive order that allowed state and local governments to refuse accepting refugee resettlements.
The ruling was upheld by a federal appeals court a year later.
Mayors across the country, representing nearly 35 million Americans, are warning of a severe and worsening housing shortfall, according to a new survey from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The big picture: There aren't enough homes in the U.S. to keep up with demand, with some estimates putting total housing shortage in the millions of units.
A lack of affordable homes to buy or rent are keeping prices high. That's paired with record-high mortgage rates, putting monthly payments out of reach for many.
Zoom in: Mayors from 120 cities in 43 states responded to the national survey from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the American Institute of Architects.
The study found that the housing deficit will increase by more than two million more units in the next five years.
By the numbers: 42% of households spend more than 30% of their income on rent, mortgage payments and other housing costs, per the report.
The median rental price increased 18% over the past three years, to $1,779.81.
The median sale price increased 21% in the same period to $488,272, according to the report.
Between the lines: The survey found that mayors believe inaction at the federal level will exacerbate an already deepening crisis.
89% of the mayors surveyed indicated thatflexible and direct funding for cities to stimulate housing supply, preservation, or access is important.
While the mayors value existing federal housing programs, they strongly urged for an expansion, including of low-income housing credits and housing vouchers.
Zoom out: The cost of housing was a key issue during the 2024 presidential race, making clear it's a top-of-mind issue for Americans.
Vice President Harris had framed the housing shortage largely as a problem of supply, Axios' Emily Peck reported.Harris' solution, broadly, was to build more homes.
President-elect Trump painted it as mostly as a demand issue and blamed the housing shortage on immigrants.
Flashback: Today's housing shortage is rooted in the 2008 housing bust when a huge number of homebuilders went out of business, from which the industry never recovered, Peck reports.
The big picture: The former New York City mayor, who will now avoid trial, has been in litigation with Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss over which of his properties and belongings to hand over to them as part of the damages he was ordered to pay more than a year ago.
Driving the news: The trial to determine whether ownership of Giuliani's Florida condominium and three World Series rings would satisfy the damages he owed was supposed to start Thursday.
Details of the settlement were not immediately disclosed.
Zoom in: Giuliani said in a post on X that he was able to retain his New York and Florida homes and all of his personal belongings.
He added that the "resolution does not involve an admission of liability or wrongdoing" by either party and that he's "satisfied with and have no grievances relating to the result we have reached."
Giuliani said he and the plaintiffs "have agreed not to ever talk about each other in any defamatory manner, and I urge others to do the same."
What they're saying: Freeman and Moss said in a statement that "the past four years have been a living nightmare" and called Thursday's settlement "a major milestone."
They added: "We have reached an agreement and we can now move forward with our lives. We have agreed to allow Mr. Giuliani to retain his property in exchange for compensation and his promise not to ever defame us."
Zoom out: Giuliani was held in contempt of court twice last week for continuing to defame Freeman and Moss, who are mother and daughter.
Context: Freeman and Moss accused Giuliani in a December 2021 lawsuit of making repeated false claims that they committed ballot fraud so President Biden would win the election.
In August 2023, a judge ruled Giuliani was liable for defamation, civil conspiracy and intentional infliction of emotional distress caused to the mother and daughter. A jury in December 2023 ordered him to pay $148 million in damages to poll workers.
Idaho, Kansas and Missouri can proceed with their push against abortion pill mifepristone, a judge in Texas ruled Thursday.
The big picture: The Republican-led states are seeking to roll back federal rules on the drug to make it harder for people to access the abortion pill through telehealth prescriptions.
Driving the news: The three states want the Food and Drug Administration to allow mifepristone to only be used in the first seven weeks of pregnancy instead of the current 10-week limit.
They're also seeking a requirement of three in-person doctor visits for patients looking to get the medication.
Context: Mifepristone is typically used in tandem with misoprostol to end a pregnancy in the first 10 weeks.
Both drugs are FDA-approved and have long safety and efficacy records.
President Biden took swipes at President-elect Trump during his farewell address Wednesday as he reflected on his legacy from the Oval Office.
The big picture: The 82-year-old, one-term president who has spent five decades in politics will hand over the White House keys to 78-year-old Trump next week, after initially running to rid him from Washington.
Driving the news: Biden in his speech took aim at Trump and the U.S. Supreme Court majority ruling that presidents have immunity for "official acts" in the Republican's since-dismissed federal Jan. 6 case.
"We need to amend the Constitution to make clear that no president is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office," Biden said.
In another prodat the incoming Trump administration, Biden said: "Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms."
He added that the tax code must be reformed, "not by giving the biggest tax cuts to billionaires, but by making them begin to pay their fair share."
Yes, but: Biden wished the incoming administration "success," saying he wants the U.S. to succeed, and pledged "to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power."
What he's saying: "I've kept my commitment to be president for all Americans through one of the toughest periods in our nation's history," Biden said in his first speech from the Oval Office since announcing he wasn't running for re-election.
He called Vice President Harris a great partner in that effort, and said she and husband Doug Emhoff have become "like family."
Zoom in: In a letter to the public Wednesday, Biden praised his administration's accomplishments and called on Americans to continue building on its progress.
"It has been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years ... I have given my heart and my soul to our nation," Biden wrote.
Zoom out: Rather than focusing on policy successes, Biden reflected on American values and on the importance of the institutions that "govern a free society."
He said: "After 50 years of public service, I give you my word I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands, a nation where the strengths of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure."
Addressing the American people, he added, "Now it's your turn to stand guard."
Flashback: Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in July after a poor performance in a debate against Trump.
He quickly endorsed Vice President Harris to be the party's nominee, though she ultimately lost.
Greenland must make its own decisions about independence from Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told President-elect Trump in a Wednesday phone call.
The big picture: Trump, since his first term, has repeatedly floated the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland even though the island's leaders have said it is not for sale.
The issue has taken on new importance since Trump hasn't ruled out using military force to take control of Greenland as he returns to the White House.
Denmark has sent Trump private messages expressing willingness to discuss boosting security in Greenland or increasing the U.S. military presence on the island, Axios previously reported.
Zoom in: Frederiksen in her call with Trump reiterated Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede's statement "that Greenland is not for sale," according to a Danish press release.
"The Prime Minister has argued that it is up to Greenland itself to make a decision on independence," a translated version of the release said.
Trump's representatives did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Flashback: Frederiksen and Trump have a tense history on the issue.
During his first term, Trump canceled a trip to Denmark after the prime minister called the idea of the U.S. purchasing Greenland "absurd." Trump at the time called her comments "nasty" and "inappropriate."
The bottom line: The main question is whether Trump would be content to cut a deal with Denmark and declare victory, or whether his true mission is to become the first president in 80 years to gain new territory for the U.S., Axios' Barak Ravid and Dave Lawler report.
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick for Defense secretary, on Tuesday called the problem of extremism in the military "fake," but researchers warn there's a growing trend of military-linked terrorism.
The big picture: The rising number of people with military backgrounds engaging in domestic terrorism over the past three decades can partially be attributed to the difficulty transitioning from active duty to veteran status and a lack of community or purpose, experts say.
Driving the news: In the most recent high-profile cases, the New Year's Day attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas were both carried out by Army veterans.
Zoom in: The FBI said Tuesday the suspect in the deadly New Orleans vehicle attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar had been isolating himself from society and began following extremist views last year.
Investigators believe the 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran was "radicalized online" and he "appears to have been inspired — from afar — by ISIS," retiring FBI Director Christopher Wray told CBS' "60 Minutes" in an interview broadcast Sunday.
However, Hegseth said during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that the Pentagon overreacted in attempting to combat extremism and characterized it as "peddling the lie of racism in the military."
He added that efforts to weed out extremism pushed "rank-and-file patriots out of their formations."
By the numbers: A December report from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism found that from 1990 to 2023, 730 individuals with U.S. military backgrounds had committed criminal acts that were motivated by their political, economic, social or religious goals.
There has been an incline in the past decade or so: From 1990-2010, an average of 7.1 people per year with U.S. military backgrounds committed extremist crimes. Since 2011, that number has grown to 44.6 per year.
Some 84% were no longer serving in the military when they committed extremist crimes, per the report.
Zoom out: The National Institute of Justice said in analysis last year that people who encounter difficulties leaving the military may be attracted to the pull of domestic extremist groups.
This is possibly because they can be introduced to additional combinations of risk factors for radicalization, according to Jeffrey Gruenewald, professor and director of the Terrorism Research Center at the University of Arkansas. These include a lack of purpose, social alienation or struggles with mental health.
"Knowing this, terrorist groups may target individuals with military experience, as the ideologies underlying violent extremism have something to offer them, including a clear enemy to direct their anger, a sense of belonging and meaning, and a purpose bigger than themselves," he said.
Meanwhile, extremist groups are increasing recruiting online and specifically targeting veterans, Heidi Beirich, chief strategy officer and co-founder of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, told PBS.
The military has "not done a good job of rooting out extremism in its ranks in recent years," she added.
Yes, but: There isn't a single factor or profile that's predictive of radicalization to violence, Gruenewald told Axios.
"Nonetheless, it is feasible that military experience for some can increase or exacerbate risk factors associated with radicalization to violence," he said.
Being in the military may increase a person's chances of experiencing a significant personal loss, trauma, or feelings of social isolation and alienation, Gruenewald said.
It could also exacerbate struggles with identity, mental health and grievances, he added.
Situation report: The Defense Department said in a 2021 report that it "has long prohibited Service members from actively engaging in extremist activities" but after a number of threat attacks, it built a program to "detect, deter, and mitigate such threats."
This included efforts to combat extremist groups from recruiting military personnel and veterans.
Defense Department spokesperson Sue Gough said even a single incident in which those in the military commit prohibited extremist activities "can have an outsized impact on the Department and its mission."
She added in her email: "There is no place for prohibited extremist activities in the Department of Defense. Every attempt is made to ensure such behavior is promptly and appropriately addressed and reported to the authorities."
The bottom line: People with U.S. military backgrounds represent only 14.7% of the broader set of extremists who have committed criminal offenses in the United States since 1990, the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism report found.
"The problem is that somebody who has military training who gets radicalized can be far more deadly," Beirich said.
"Mass attacks that are perpetrated by active-duty military or veterans are more lethal than those that aren't."
The big picture: Hunter Biden was the first child of a sitting president to face criminal charges. He was convicted on felony gun charges in Delaware in June, and pleaded guilty on felony tax charges in California in September.
Driving the news: Weiss criticized President Biden in the report for claiming his son was unfairly prosecuted in the six-year investigation, calling those "baseless accusations" with "no merit."
Weiss said: "The president's characterizations are incorrect based on the facts in this case, and on a more fundamental level, they are wrong."
He wrote that "other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations."
Representatives for the White House and Hunter Biden did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.
Context: Weiss has been overseeing the Hunter Biden case since the first Trump administration as U.S. Attorney for Delaware.
When Biden took office, he kept Weiss on finish his work.
Attorney General Merrick Garland named Weiss as special counsel in 2023.
Zoom in: Defending his reasoning for the charges, Weiss that he concluded Hunter Biden "had committed each and every one of the elements of a criminal offense" and that "a faithful jury would be more likely to convict than acquit him."
At "no time did my decisions take into account personal opinions-mine or anyone else's-about Mr. Biden's moral character, his popularity or unpopularity among the general public or a certain subgroup like a political party, the ethical propriety of his conduct, or other value judgments," he wrote.
Weiss said Hunter Biden, "as a well-educated lawyer and businessman ... consciously and willfully" broke the law by failing to pay taxes "despite having access to funds to pay some or all" of them.
Zoom out: Weiss charged both Hunter Biden and former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov during his investigation.
In the report, Weiss said his team determined that Smirnov's allegations about Hunter Biden were fabricated.
Smirnov pleaded guilty last month to lying about a phone bribery scheme involving Hunter Biden and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
A years-long battle over TikTok's fate in the U.S. still isn't over, despite passing thedeadline for a sale or ban of the popular video-sharing platform.
The big picture: The app went dark for just hours over the weekend but returned after President Trump said he'd issue an executive order on his first day in office to delay enforcing the ban.
Trump on Monday issued an executive order delaying the ban by 75 days, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the law requiring it be sold to an American company or banned.
Context: The law passed last year required ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to either sell the app to a U.S. company or shut down operations by Jan. 19. The deadline could be extended 100 days if a sale is underway.
TikTok and a group of users challenged the law, saying it violates their First Amendment rights.
Congress said TikTok is a national security threat because ByteDance is controlled by the Chinese government and can harvest vast amounts of personal information from American users.
Jan. 18 and 19, 2025: TikTok (temporarily) goes dark
TikTok stopped functioning in America and was removed from Google and Apple's app stores late Saturday night ahead of the law taking effect.
It returned on Sunday with the message "As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!"
Jan. 17, 2025: Supreme Court decision
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the sale-or-ban law, unanimously rejecting the company's claim that it violates the First Amendment.
Jan. 10, 2025: SCOTUS hearing
During oral arguments,the justices seemed to agree the law would allow TikTok to keep operating if it used an algorithm other than the one created by ByteDance. And ByteDance, as a Chinese company, doesn't have First Amendment rights.
"The law doesn't say TikTok has to shut down. It says ByteDance has to divest," Justice Amy Coney Barrett said.
Dec. 27, 2024: Trump asks SCOTUS to pause ban
In a last-ditch effort, Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause the TikTok ban to allow him to "resolve the dispute through political means."
"President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government," his brief said.
Dec. 6, 2024: Federal appeals court upholds ban
A federal appeals court ruled the TikTok law is constitutional.
The three judge panel's opinion set the stage for the Supreme Court fight.
In June, TikTok began routing all its U.S. user data to Oracle's cloud infrastructure after pressure from the government.
Oracle began vetting TikTok's algorithms and content moderation to ensure they aren't manipulated by Chinese authorities.
It was part of Project Texas, a $1.5 billion plan to ensure Americans that TikTok is safe, their data is secure and "the platform is free from outside influence."
TikTok prepared for Project Texas for over a year by separating U.S. operations' backend functions and code.
2020: Trump attempts to force sale
Then-President Trump tried to ban TikTok via executive order in 2020, citing national security concerns.
He pushed for an acquisition by Microsoft, which fell through. Software giant Oracle then made a bid to become TikTok's "trusted technology partner" in the U.S.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information about the TikTok ban since the SCOTUS ruling. Axios' April Rubin contributed reporting.
A federal appeals court paved the way Thursday for special counsel Jack Smith to release a final report on President-elect Trump's two dismissed federal criminal cases.
The big picture: Trump and two of his former co-defendants have fought the release of the report on his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election and handling of classified documents. The ruling leaves open the possibility of a further appeal.
Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.
Zoom in: The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta comes in response to a request from Trump aid Walt Nauta and former Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira, who were both charged in the dismissed classified documents case.
The timing of the report's release remains unclear.
A lower court ruling from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, which temporarily blocked the report's release is in place for three days.
A separate part of the report, which details Smith's investigation into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents, appears likely to remain sealed for now, per the Washington Post.
What they're saying: Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that criticized Smith the decision from the 11th Circuit "keeps Judge Cannon's injunction in place and prevents any report from being issued."
He called on President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, whom Trump's lawyers have asked to block the release of Smith's report, to "do the right thing and put a final stop to the political weaponization of our Justice system."
Context: Smith initiated a winding down of his two federal criminal cases against Trump after the president-elect's November win.
The suspect responsible for the Tesla Cybertruck blast in Las Vegas on New Year's Day used AI to plan the explosion, authorities said Tuesday.
The big picture: Matthew Alan Livelsberger searched ChatGPT to get information on how to carry out his plot, including how many explosives he would need and what pistol would set them off, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said during a news conference.
Authorities did not share what responses the technology generated.
An OpenAI spokesperson, Liz Bourgeois, said in an email statement that the company is "committed to seeing AI tools used responsibly" and that its "models are designed to refuse harmful instructions."
Bourgeois added, "In this case, ChatGPT responded with information already publicly available on the internet and provided warnings against harmful or illegal activities."
Driving the news: Police said Tuesday a six-page document they're describing as a manifesto was found.
They also said evidence has emerged that Livelsberger's death was a suicide.
"This new information comes with more questions than answers. I will not provide an opinion on what the documents mean, nor will we release information or documents that have not been completely verified" Sheriff Kevin McMahill said.
The big picture: Yes, eggs sold at grocery stores remain safe for human consumption, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"The likelihood that eggs from infected poultry are found in the retail market is low and proper storage and preparation further reduce the risk," an FDA spokesperson said in an email Friday.
The person was exposed to sick and dead birds in a non-commercial backyard flock and to wild birds, state health officials said.
Yes, but: The risk of people becoming infected with bird flu through the consumption of contaminated shell eggs is low, the FDA and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service found in a 2010 risk assessment.
Kalmia Kniel, professor of animal and food sciences at the University of Delaware, told Axios that the poultry industry "has excellent biosecurity which is critical to reducing the risk of avian influenza and the spread of the virus to flocks."
There is a routine testing program for chickens in commercial production, she added, and the industry monitors the birds carefully for signs of infection or illness.
Be smart: It's recommended that consumers buy eggs sold from a refrigerator and that they open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked, Kniel said via email on Friday.
At home, refrigerate your eggs at a temperature of 40F or less, she added.
It is generally advised to cook eggs until the white and the yolk are firm.
"After cracking eggs and handling egg shells it is a good idea to wash your hands and also wipe any spills that may have occurred if cracking eggs and cooking with children," Kniel said.
The bottom line: Cooking poultry, eggs and other animal products to the proper temperature, in addition to preventing cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, are key for food safety.
To avoid contracting bird flu, people should also avoid touching sick or dead animals.
Four years after President-elect Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol, Congress on Monday peacefully certified his 2024 victory with Vice President Harris overseeing her own loss.
The big picture: Though the electoral college certification proceeded peacefully, local law enforcement stepped up security around the U.S. Capitol out of an abundance of caution.
Trump has repeatedly said pardoning the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters is something he will consider on his first day back in the Oval Office.
Driving the news: In a stark juxtaposition from the certification of the 2020 election, there were no disturbances or objections during Monday's joint session of Congress.
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, who was present at Monday's certification, won the election with 312 electoral votes to Harris and Gov. Tim Walz's 226 votes.
The whole count took roughly 30 minutes.
Trump had called the certification "A BIG MOMENT IN HISTORY" in a Truth Social post before the process began.
Vice President Harris joined the small club of vice presidents throughout history who had to preside over the certification of their defeat — a duty she characterized as a "sacred obligation."
"The chair declares this joint session dissolved," Harris said at the end of the session. "Thank you."
She shook hands with members as she exited.
What they're saying: Former Vice President Mike Pence, who four years ago was the target of rioters' ire for refusing to interfere in the certification of President Biden's victory, applauded the peaceful count in a Monday X post.
"I welcome the return of order and civility to these historic proceedings," he wrote, congratulating his former running mate and commending Harris as "particularly admirable" for overseeing the certification of her loss.
Zoom out: In response to Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results,Congress passed legislation to reform an 1887 law that determined how presidential elections are certified.
The Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 made it more difficult to contest electors and clarified the vice president's role in the counting as purely ceremonial among other changes.
