A move by Allen Media Group to centralize weather operations at the Weather Channel, rather than keeping meteorologists at its local stations, has met with fierce resistance from viewers.

Why it matters: Local meteorologists know the communities they serve, and viewers tend to trust them over national sources. In severe weather situations, those factors can save lives.

• Many broadcasters also are trusted messengers on climate change.

Zoom in: Allen Media Group, owned by billionaire Byron Allen, owns both the Atlanta-based Weather Channel and a slew of local TV stations, mainly in smaller media markets.

• These range from KITV and KIKU in Honolulu to WCOV in Montgomery, Ala.
• The company announced a plan on Jan. 18 to use its state-of-the-art studios in Atlanta and move some of its local meteorologists there, while leaning on the Weather Channel's resources and personnel as well.
• The plan — set to play out during 2025 — also involves letting go of some local TV forecasters, prompting a wave of meteorologists to post online looking for new job opportunities and at least one to tell viewers goodbye during a newscast.
• Allen Media Group later appeared to reverse the decision, reportedly informing some local stations that their weather teams would remain in place for now.

The intrigue: In some of these TV markets, losing local meteorologists could create a TV weather desert in much the same way that losing newspapers nationwide has led to news deserts.

• Some in the TV weather industry fear that the Allen Media move represents a coming consolidation of local meteorologists to centralized weather hubs, given that just a few companies own a large number of local stations.

Friction point: Viewer reactions to the planned changes has illustrated the bond between local meteorologists and their viewers.

• WTVA in Tupelo, Miss., was among the stations where the weather was reportedly set to be outsourced to Atlanta, prompting viewers to organize a petition to save the meteorology team's jobs.
• Six state senators also drafted a resolution to urge Allen Media to reconsider layoffs.
• When an EF-3 tornado struck Amory, Miss., in March 2023, the forecast and warning from WTVA's Chief Meteorologist Matt Laubhan saved lives, Amory resident Jenny Hutson told Axios.

Hutson's home was severely damaged in the tornado, but her family took refuge in a community shelter thanks to Laubhan's guidance about exactly where the storm was headed.

• Laubhan also went viral during his forecast for that storm when he briefly prayed for the city live on television.
• "I just was just so thankful that he took the time to pray over people he doesn't personally know. …. That will always mean something to me," she said.

The other side: According to a person closely familiar with Allen Media's strategy, it stems from recognizing that extreme weather events are becoming more severe and frequent, largely because of climate change.

• As a result, how TV weather is presented needs to change, and the company's state-of-the-art weather production facilities in Atlanta offer significant advantages for their local stations to tap into, the person said.
• The Weather Channel's studios boast advanced immersive media production capabilities that can show viewers the effects of everything from storm surge flooding to an EF-5 tornado.

Allen Media intends to take the next year to implement its plan, with some of its local TV meteorologists already interviewing and being offered jobs in Atlanta.

• Others may stay at their stations, and some may lose their jobs.

State of play: Matt Chisolm, another WTVA viewer, told Axios he is concerned about the impact that outsourcing weather forecasts will have on an area that's notorious for tornadoes and severe weather.

• That's especially true, he said, when many residents don't have storm shelters in their homes and rely on advance warnings to have time to get to a community shelter.
• Chisholm, a self-proclaimed weather geek, said when forecasters use local landmarks, schools or churches to give you a storm's path, "it feels more real."
• "It's just the way people think, and they're going to be more apt to take heed of the warning," he said. Forecasters in Atlanta can't possibly know local landmarks and backroads in rural areas, he added.

The bottom line: Given climate change-related extreme weather trends, the push to broadcast local weathercasts from Atlanta strikes many as ill-suited to keeping people safe.

• It is also a warning sign of the future for TV meteorology.

With eight days until Jan. 20, President-elect Trump and his team are preparing to unleash an onslaught of executive orders regarding the border.

Vice President-elect JD Vance said Sunday those day-one actions should send a message to "illegal immigrants all over the world: You are not welcome in this country illegally."

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, January 12.

1. Vance: "America is closed to illegal immigration"

Vance said in an interview aired Sunday that the Trump administration will release "dozens of executive orders" on day one signaling that "America is closed to illegal immigration."

The big picture: He dismissed questions about the humanitarian concerns surrounding Trump's mass deportation promises, arguing that family separation is a "dishonest term."

• "If you say, for example, in the United States we have a guy who's convicted of a violent crime and has to go to prison, we want that guy to go to prison," he said. "But yes, it does mean that that guy is going to be separated from his family."
• Vance argued Democrats "hide behind" raising alarms about a lack of compassion for families at the border.
• "It is not compassion to allow the drug cartels to traffic small children," he argued. "It is not compassionate to allow the worst people in the world to send minor children, some of them victims of sex trafficking, into our country. That is the real humanitarian crisis at the border."

Fox News' Shannon Bream pushed back, noting that violent criminals are a small slice of the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

• Vance replied that law enforcement action is necessary to end the border crisis, saying the country can't buy into "the lie ... from the extreme left" that "law enforcement at the American southern border is somehow not compassionate to families who want to cross illegally."

Flashback: A federal judge in 2023 banned the separation of families at the U.S. southern border until 2031 to deter migrants from crossing.

• That ruling could prevent the return of the first Trump administration's controversial policy that saw thousands of children separated from their parents.
• Tom Homan, Trump's incoming "border czar," played a key role in crafting the policy.

Trump has suggested he'll use the military for immigration raids and has said he'd be open to detaining immigrants in camps.

• He's also floated deporting families with mixed immigration status together and threatened to end birthright citizenship for babies of non-citizens.

2. Newsom taking Trump's threats to withhold California aid seriously

Trump has threatened to withhold federal aid from California on several occasions — both during and after his first White House stay.

• And amid the catastrophic fires tearing through Los Angeles County, Trump has repeatedly heaped blame on California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
• It's not immediately clear how Trump would handle the fires if they're still blazing when he takes over the White House.

Driving the news: "That's his style," Newsom said on NBC's "Meet the Press," highlighting a slate of times Trump delayed or threatened to block aid to the Golden State and others.

• He said he takes the threats "seriously to the extent that in the past it's taken a little bit more time" to deliver federal aid during political tension with Trump.

Zoom out: Vance, asked in a "Fox News Sunday" interview aired Sunday if Trump would withhold aid to Californians, said Trump "is the president for all Americans."

• But he blamed the fires' rampant spread in part on a "serious lack of competent" California officials.

Reality check: The fires ignited amid a rare overlap of climate factors: the worst high wind event in Southern California in over a decade, and extremely dry conditions.

What they're saying: Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday that he's ready to work with Trump to make sure there is "no gap, no air between us" when rebuilding and helping victims heal after the deadly fires.

• "I've been in Congress a long time, approving aid after disasters. I never once even considered, is this hurricane hitting a red state or a blue state?" Schiff said.
• He added: "We need the incoming president to view it that way."

3. Lankford flips on Tulsi

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) made former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's path to confirmation a bit easier Sunday when he said he would vote yes for her as director of national intelligence.

Why it matters: With the GOP's Senate majority so small, all of Trump's Cabinet appointees can only risk losing a few Republican votes, and several in the party have seemed reluctant to vote for Gabbard.

Between the lines: Lankford previously said he wanted Gabbard to explain where she stands on Section 702, which allows the U.S. to engage in targeted surveillance of foreign nationals living outside the United States, which Gabbard opposed while in Congress.

• Last week, Gabbard said she supports Section 702 and that she would "uphold Americans' Fourth Amendment right" if confirmed as the nation's top spy.

What they're saying: "[Section 702] was a very important piece for me," Lankford said on NBC News' "Meet the Press."

• He added that Section 702 is a key part of the DNI job, "to make sure we're actually watching for people to come attack us and stopping them before they do."

State of play: 13 proposed members of Trump's Cabinet will sit for confirmation hearings this week, including Pete Hegseth (Sec. of Defense) on Jan. 14 and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (Sec. of Homeland Security) on Jan. 15.

• A date for Gabbard's confirmation hearing has not been set.

More from Axios' Sunday coverage:

• JD Vance says there's "a deal to be made in Greenland"
• LA fires could be the U.S.' worst natural disaster, Newsom says
• Trump's Cabinet disruptors soften key views as hearings loom

Melania Trump will be the subject of an Amazon Prime Video documentary, an Amazon spokesperson said Sunday.

The big picture: The movie, called an "unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look" into Trump's life, began filming last month and is currently scheduled for a 2025 release, the spokesperson said in a statement.

• The movie will be a theatrical and streaming release, the statement said.

Zoom in: Though no details were shared as to what the documentary will cover, its filming corresponds with President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House.

• Melania Trump will be an executive producer on the documentary, along with New Element Media's Fernando Sulichin.
• Brett Ratner, of RatPac Entertainment, will direct the project, per the statement.

Between the lines: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has been mired in controversy regarding President-elect Trump in recent months, including allegedly barring the Washington Post from endorsing Vice President Harris in 2024.

• Bezos denied that he knew of the decision not to endorse, but said he agreed with it as newspaper endorsements "create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence."
• "Ending them is a principled decision, and it's the right one," he wrote in a column for the Post.

Go deeper: Melania Trump skips the White House

In the wake of the New Year's Day attack that killed over a dozen people in New Orleans, officials are reckoning with how they protect against — and track — enemies within U.S. borders.

Meanwhile, a new congressional class faces a snowy start to its session and a sweeping agenda from the incoming president.

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, January 5.

1. Balancing threat surveillance and protected speech

Lone wolf attackers are "extraordinarily difficult to detect," said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the ranking member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

• That difficulty is further compounded when surveilling budding threats from Americans, Himes explained on CBS News' "Face the Nation."

The big picture: "If you're in this country, you have constitutional rights — meaning the FBI can't say, without a warrant, I want your Facebook posts, I want your e-mails," he said. "That's what makes this very hard."

Zoom out: The exact motivations and plan of the New Orleans attacker, identified as U.S. citizen and Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, are under investigation.

• But in several social media posts, Jabbar proclaimed support for ISIS, and an ISIS flag was recovered from the rented truck used in the attack.

Friction point: In the aftermath of the deadly attack, local leaders have been under scrutiny over whether they could have prevented the tragedy via physical security measures, leaving the crowded street less exposed.

On a broader level, the intelligence community faces the challenge of monitoring threats before an attack is implemented — in this case, when a threat actor begins showing signs of radicalization on social media.

Yes, but: It's not as easy as it may seem.

• "If somebody is standing out on the street corner right now saying, ISIS is the greatest thing in the world, and the president is a traitor ... people would say, boy, we should interview that person — that is constitutionally protected speech," Himes explained.
• Himes continued, "This individual in New Orleans did post some Facebook posts saying, I pledge allegiance to ISIS ... What if we had that debate? Should Facebook have instantly submitted that to the FBI? And if so, where's the line?"

Threat level: There "seem to be some real ISIS connections here that need to be followed up," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said on ABC's "This Week."

• He likened the attack to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, pointing to Jabbar's trip to Cairo, Egypt, which FBI officials said occurred in 2023.

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said that beyond the threat of lone wolves, there are actors who have come across the border affiliated with outside groups that "still pose a threat to Americans and to the United States."

• Turner said the New Orleans investigation may uncover times when "we could have intervened."
• "Those will give us greater opportunities at which we'll look to how we might be able to, in the future, find others," he said.

2. The reconciliation bill(s) battle

Get ready for "one big, beautiful bill."

• At least, that's what House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) says he and Trump are envisioning: a single reconciliation package that covers a myriad of MAGA goals, addressing the border, tax reform, the debt ceiling and more.
• If it comes to fruition, Axios' Mike Allen and Stef Kight report, it could be the biggest bill in American history.

State of play: The bill would harness the budget reconciliation process to push its way through. That method allows budget-related bills to bypass the Senate's filibuster (60 votes), with only a simple majority needed.

• The benefit of presenting a plethora of policies together, Johnson said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," is that there's something everyone can enjoy.
• "No one's going to love every element of a large package like that, but there'll be enough elements in there to pull everyone along," he said.

Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said he's "for doing it in one bill" on CNN's "State of the Union."

• But he added he wants to see the Trump agenda done "as quickly as we can," whether that's in "one reconciliation bill, if it's two, if it's ten."

Yes, but: Not everyone loves the idea. Some Senate Republicans have voiced concern that pushing one massive bill through will slow down securing the border.

• "I'm very worried that if we don't put border first and get it done, it's going to be a nightmare for our national security," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Fox's Maria Bartiromo.

The bottom line: While the GOP will hold a Washington trifecta, Johnson faces a razor-thin majority in the House and Trump's one-bill vision could test party unity.

3. No snow day for Congress

Neither rain nor snow will keep Congress from working tomorrow, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."

The big picture: Washington D.C. is forecast to see between 6 to 10 inches of snow on Monday, but federal law mandates Congress certify election results on Jan. 6.

What he's saying: "We encouraged all of our colleagues 'do not leave town, stay here,'" Johnson said.

• "Whether we are in a blizzard or not, we are going to be in that chamber making sure this is done," he said.

State of play: Other Republicans have weighed in on the weather, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posting to X that she "will walk to the Capitol" if she has to.

• "Unless @elonmusk has figured out how to control the weather it looks bad. If you are a Republican member of Congress I'd get to Washington," Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) wrote on X.

More from Axios' Sunday coverage:

• John Thune is still willing to challenge Trump
• "Major" winter storm to usher in severe Arctic outbreak across U.S.
• Klobuchar knows of no Democrats objecting to certifying Trump's win

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) warned his Republican colleagues on Sunday about potentially removing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from his post when the 119th Congress is sworn in this week.

Why it matters: With a slim GOP majority in the House, Johnson can only afford to lose one vote among Republicans when the House votes on its new leader, and a battle over who that will be could delay other aspects of Congress — including certifying President-elect Trump's win.

What they're saying: "The fact is that Mike Johnson inherited a disaster when Matt Gaetz and several of my colleagues teamed up with 208 Democrats to remove Kevin McCarthy, which will go down as the single stupidest thing I've ever seen in politics," Lawler said Sunday on ABC News' "This Week."

• "Removing Mike Johnson would equally be as stupid. The fact is that these folks are playing with fire. And if they think they're somehow going to get a more conservative speaker, they're kidding themselves," Lawler said.

Zoom out: Johnson's odds of keeping the gavel grew slimmer after Trump torpedoed the stopgap spending bill and Congress spent the Friday before Christmas working to fend off a government shutdown.

• The bill that eventually passed didn't include a debt ceiling increase, a key demand from Trump and several MAGA allies.
• Following the bill's passage, several Republicans have openly voiced their opposition to Johnson continuing to lead the House, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) saying he won't vote for him.
• Others, including Reps. Scott Perry (R.Pa.) and Andy Harris (R-Md.), have said they're undecided on how they'll vote.

Driving the news: "Mike Johnson is arguably the most conservative speaker that's ever been elected to the office," Lawler said before praising the job Johnson has done "despite the best efforts of some of these same people" who now want him ousted.

• "I'm not going to bend to their will," Lawler said of those pushing to remove Johnson. "So, if they think somehow that they are going to end up in a stronger position by removing Mike Johnson, they're not."

Lawler also cautioned that Congress has a "lot of work to do on behalf of the American people" and a House Speaker battle would delay the start of that.

• "We can't get anything done unless we have a speaker, including certifying President Trump's election on January 6th. So, to waste time over a nonsensical intramural food fight is a joke," he said.

President-elect Trump is set to return to the White House in a few weeks, but New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said Sunday that he hasn't permanently altered the GOP.

Driving the news: Fractures have formed among Trump allies and members of the Republican Party as they engage in battles over H-1B visas and the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), prompting conversations about the extent of the president-elect's hold on the party.

What they're saying: "Trump is Trump. There's no Trump-lite. There's no Trump 2.0 coming up. I always say that Trump is who he is, and because he's built up himself in the American psyche for 40 years," Sununu said on CNN's "State of the Union."

• When asked if the president-elect had permanently marked the GOP, the governor said no, but said Republicans are now more "hardcore" conservatives than the traditional conservatism of the past.
• Trump "brings a different style to it, which I have a lot of issues with at times, to be sure," Sununu said.
• "Fundamentally on principle," the GOP hasn't changed from its ideology, he said.

Zoom out: Sununu, who will leave office on January 2 after four terms, supported Nikki Haley in the 2024 GOP primary, said Sunday that the president-elect wasn't "my first choice and not my second or third or fourth choice."

• But "he won the primary. He won the nomination. And he won the vote handily of the American people," he said.
• "He's got to come through, right? At this point, it's about delivering. I think this term will be fundamentally different than the first term for a variety of reasons," Sununu said. "He's not in his fifth year as president. He's kind of in his ninth, if you will, especially as leader of the party and the voice of the party."

Former President Clinton was discharged from the hospital Tuesday, his spokesperson said in a statement.

Driving the news: Clinton, 78, was admitted to be treated for the flu a day earlier after developing a fever, Angel Ureña, his deputy chief of staff, said on X.

• Clinton received care at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Flashback: Clinton was previously hospitalized in California in 2021 when an infection spread to his bloodstream.

• He has had two heart procedures — a quadruple bypass in 2004 and the insertion of two stents into an artery in 2010. Both were performed at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Editor's note: This story was updated with news that Clinton has been discharged.

East Coast communities, local, state and federal authorities all are watching the skies as the drone conundrum deepens. As the White House works to quell concerns over the unmanned aerial vehicles spotted in several states, calls grow for more transparency and resources.

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, December 15.

1. Mayorkas: Americans will be told if drones are a threat

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a Sunday interview Americans will be told if evidence arises that foreign actors are responsible for the drones spotted flying over several East Coast states.

Driving the news: Two were arrested Saturday night on Long Island following a "hazardous drone operation" near Logan Airport, per the Boston Police Department.

• It's unknown if the arrests have any connection to other sightings.

The big picture: Mayorkas said there's "no question" drones are being spotted and that the federal government has deployed resources to assist New Jersey State Police.

• "We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the northeast," Mayorkas said on ABC News' "This Week."
• "If we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly," he said.

Conspiracy theories regarding the drones have certainly spread: Some have argued they are part of a phony alien invasion orchestrated by global elites, while Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) claimed an Iranian mothership was to blame.

• Jim Himes (Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said on "Fox News Sunday" that the answer of "we don't know" from some federal agencies is not good enough.
• But, Himes added, "Let me say something I know with confidence: It is not the Iranians; it is not the Chinese. [The drones] aren't Martians."
• Mayorkas suggested Sunday that 2023 FAA regulatory changes allowing drones to be flown at night could partially be behind the increase in sightings.

President-elect Trump suggested the drones be shot down in a Truth Social post, sharing a sentiment echoed by lawmakers from both parties.

• Mayorkas argued it's not that simple as only "certain agencies" can do that: "We are limited in our authorities."
• "We need from Congress additional authorities to address the drone situation," including allowing state and local agencies the ability to deal with drones, he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos in a "This Week" interview.

Reality check: A Joint Staff spokesperson acknowledged to reporters Saturday that there had been sightings of drones over two New Jersey military installations — but said that is not atypical.

What's next: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said she may present legislation to the upcoming Congress pushing for expanded authorities to regulate the proliferation of drones.

2. Klobuchar condemns some of Biden's pardons

President Biden unleashed an avalanche of commutations and pardons Thursday, setting a single-day record for clemency.

• He commuted the sentences of 1,500 Americans placed in home confinement during the pandemic and pardoned another 39 people.

Friction point: Not every Democrat is celebrating the move.

• One clemency recipient who has sparked criticism was convicted for wrongly sending kids to jail in exchange for millions in kickbacks from private for-profit juvenile facilities ("Did not like that one," Klobuchar said Sunday).
• Another was convicted of overseeing a more than $1.6 billion tax fraud scheme and described by prosecutors as "the most prolific, pernicious and utterly unrepentant tax cheat in United States history," per Forbes.

What she's saying: "I have no doubt there were some righteous pardons in this group," Klobuchar said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday. "But there were a number that I think make no sense at all."

• Klobuchar pointed to a commutation given to a Minnesota man who experts said sold enough synthetic drugs to cause a public health crisis in his town, per the Minnesota Star Tribune.
• She said she didn't approve of Biden pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, but noted she hasn't "agreed with a number of pardons that President Trump gave," either.

Zoom out: There has been rampant discussion of whether Biden should give preemptive pardons to those whom Trump may target once back in the White House.

• Democratic Rep. and Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (Calif.), who Trump has described as an "enemy," said on ABC's "This Week" that granting blanket preemptive pardons in the final days of an outgoing administration is "a precedent we don't want to set."

Klobuchar said Biden's sweeping use of pardons shows that the "whole process cries out for reform."

• She characterized the clemency announcement as undermining the justice system, intelligence officials and prosecutors.
• "Let's at least look at these on a factual basis and a risk basis, instead of just in the middle of the night a month before a president leaves," she said.

3. Romney says GOP belongs wholly to Trump

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said Sunday that the future of the GOP is in President-elect Trump's hands.

Driving the news: "MAGA is the Republican Party, and Donald Trump is the Republican Party today," Romney told CNN's Jake Tapper when asked if there would be a post-Trump GOP.

What they're saying: "The Republican Party has become the party of the working-class, middle-class voter. And you've got to give Donald Trump credit for having done that, taken that away from the Democrats," Romney said on CNN's "State of the Union."

• He added that Democrats, like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pushed middle-class voters to the GOP with policies like defunding the police and "biological males in women's sports."
• Romney conceded that some of the GOP policies don't always align with those of its voters and "some reorientation" will be necessary.

Zoom in: Romney, who is leaving Congress next month, contended that Democrats are in trouble as many view the party as "college professors and woke scolds."

• "I'm not going to tell them what to do ... But they've lost their base," he said.

More from Axios' Sunday coverage:

• Ex-Google CEO warns there's a time to consider "unplugging" AI systems
• Fetterman on an island as he reaches out to MAGA
• U.S. asks Israel to approve urgent military aid to Palestinian security forces

President-elect Trump sat for his first network interview Sunday since winning the 2024 election — where he reaffirmed his intention to pardon Jan. 6 defendants, end birthright citizenship and implement his sweeping deportation plans.

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, December 8.

1. Trump: I don't need to pardon myself

President-elect Trump dismissed the idea of pardoning himself in a "Meet the Press" interview, saying he didn't need to do it as he's winning "almost all" of his legal cases.

Driving the news: Pardons have become a hot topic amid reporting that President Biden might issue them pre-emptively for individuals who have drawn the ire of Trump and his allies, including former Rep. Liz Cheney, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

• The idea for Trump to pardon himself was also floated during his previous presidential term, something which the president-elect said in the pre-taped interview that he "didn't want to do."
• Trump said he had the option to pardon himself, but a "very specific lawyer" in his administration advised him that doing so would imply guilt. "I could have saved myself a lot of legal fees," Trump said about a pardon.

What they're saying: Trump said he never considered if Biden would offer him a pardon, but added that he didn't think the president would do it.

• "He's the one that started this whole thing," Trump said. "He got the Justice Department to go after me."
• Trump also accused the Justice Department of running the two cases where he's facing violations of state laws — his hush-money case in New York and the election interference case in Georgia.

Read the full transcript of Trump's "Meet the Press" interview.

2. Syrian shock felt globally

The upheaval of leadership in Syria has thrust the region and several world powers into an unexpected period of uncertainty.

The big picture: 900 U.S. troops remain in Syria, where they have been conducting counterterrorism operations against ISIS.

• The U.S. has condemned Assad's brutal regime, which has been supported by Iran, Russia and Hezbollah. But Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has also been labeled a terrorist by the U.S.

House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" that he expects there will be an "assessment as to whether or not the (U.S.) troops should remain" in Syria.

• "This is going to be an area that's going to be volatile and in transition," he said, pointing to Russian bases in the region that are both at risk for Russia in the face of the rebel offensive and a lingering threat to the Syrian people.

Zoom out: Trump began his withdrawal of U.S. troops from Northern Syria in 2019, abandoning Kurdish partners in the region and earning him condemnation from fellow Republicans (including Marco Rubio, who he's tapped to serve as his secretary of state).

• "He [Trump] does absolutely support the Kurds," Turner said Sunday, predicting the president-elect is "going to look for a diplomatic solution."

Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, the former commander of CENTCOM, told ABC's Martha Raddatz Sunday he thinks there is "less danger" in the region for U.S. troops at the present moment, as Iran, Hezbollah and Russia are on their "back heels."

• But he noted that while the fall of Assad leaves U.S. enemies without a partner and is "bad news for them," it's not obvious "who it's good news for."
• He continued: "I'm not sure it's ultimately going to be good news for the people of Syria .... we could have an Islamic state arise there, which will have profound negative implications across the region."

Yes, but: While the future is murky, Syrians and others have rejoiced at the downfall of a regime that gassed its people and clung to power over more than a decade of civil war.

• Mouaz Moustafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, said on "Face the Nation" he is feeling "an indescribable feeling of happiness" at Assad's defeat.
• Asked what comes next as rebels take over political prisons, Moustafa told Brennan the "first thing that we are working really hard and ... all the rebel factions are working really hard to do is find Austin Tice."
• Tice, an American journalist who has been missing in Syria for 12 years, is believed to be alive, President Biden told reporters Sunday.

3. Congress wants answers on assassination attempts

Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), the ranking member on the bipartisan Trump Assassination Attempt Task Force, said in an interview aired Sunday that the Justice Department and FBI's lack of transparency with Congress over the two attempted assassinations of then-candidate Trump is "an unacceptable position."

Catch up quick: The Butler, Pennsylvania, shooting that left one rally-goer dead sparked a series of investigations into the security failures that day, eventually leading to a change of Secret Service leadership.

• But Crow and others still have questions: "Why did the shooter do this? What drove him to do it? Was he a lone wolf shooter? Did he have associates or affiliates? What was his motivation? How was he radicalized?"
• He said the agencies' safeguarding of information differs from what he's encountered in his past committee work.
• "You can't tell me there isn't a way to put us into a secure facility and get us information about an ongoing criminal investigation when I regularly am receiving briefs on what our spies and our military special operators are doing regularly around the world," he said.

More from Axios' Sunday coverage:

• Trump sticks by tariffs, but no guarantees on inflation
• Trump suggests deporting families with mixed immigration status
• Takeaways from Trump's "Meet the Press" interview

The White House won't switch ownership for weeks, but President-elect Trump is already dancing the tariff tango.

His announcement of a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico sent a shiver through markets last week.

• Republicans painted the threat as Trump exercising leverage in negotiations with foreign officials. But Democrats and some experts warn of tariff-induced price hikes, retaliatory measures and inflation should the proposal become reality.

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, December 1.

1. Ted Cruz's tariff teeter-totter

"A tariff is a tax on you, the American people," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on a 2016 debate stage, warning that his then-opponent Trump's proposed tariffs would hurt consumers and prompt retaliatory taxes from abroad.

• Trump replied that the proposed 45% tariff in question was a threat, "not a tax."
• But Cruz shot back: "It's not China that pays the tax, it's you, the working men and women."

The latest: Fast forward to Sunday when Cruz changed his tune as Trump 2.0 looms large.

• Asked by CBS News' Major Garrett, who noted Cruz's former skepticism of tariffs, if the economics around the trade tool have changed, the Texas Republican replied, "I tell you what hasn't changed is the importance of leverage."
• He continued, "The threat of tariffs against Mexico and Canada immediately has produced action."

The big picture: Trump's recent tariff proposals, some anticipate, are negotiating tactics. Simply put: Just because he's posting it, doesn't mean he's going to do it.

• Trump tied the looming tariffs to specific changes he wants to see, writing on Truth Social, "This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!"

Zoom in: Pressed by Garrett over whether he views Trump's tariffs as a real economic possibility or just as diplomatic pressure, Cruz pointed to Trump's prior threats of tariffs on Mexico and said they left Mexico's president "scared and concerned."

Zoom out: Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) seemed to share Cruz's vision, saying on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, "We need to take a very hard look at countries that don't have our best interests at heart, countries that are allowing our borders to be violated, and use those tariffs as a tool to achieve our ends."

• Asked by Kristen Welker if he feared a trade war, Hagerty replied, "What it needs to lead to is a correction of the behavior that's taking place right now, that is letting fentanyl flood into our border, that is allowing people to flood into our country ... It needs to stop, and President Trump is going to use every lever at his disposal to do it."

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) noted on ABC's "This Week," "by suggesting these tariffs right now, he's going to get the attention of the leaders in the other countries."

Reality check: All of this is not to say Trump didn't impose tariffs during his first term — he did, and President Biden kept many.

The other side: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) argued on "Meet the Press" that Trump's and Biden's tariff policies had different results, contending Trump "has no idea how to use tariffs in order to create American jobs" while Biden used them "the right way" with coordinated subsidy and restriction policies.

• If tariffs are "not used properly," he said, they "are just going to raise costs on ordinary Americans while the billionaires get off scot-free."

2. Jake Sullivan brushes off retribution risk

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has two major international conflicts and a presidential transition on his plate and said Sunday he can't spend "time worrying about other things."

Yes, but: Trump's pick for FBI director, Kash Patel, seemingly has his eye on Sullivan, whom he named as a member of the "deep state" in his book, "Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy."

• In promotional materials for the book, Trump is quoted as saying he will "use this blueprint to help us take back the White House and remove these Gangsters from all of Government!"

Driving the news: "I wake up every day to try to defend this country and protect the national interest," Sullivan said on CNN's "State of the Union" when asked if he feared personal retribution.

• "I've got 50 days left — I'm going to stay totally focused," he continued.
• Also asked about his placement on Patel's list of bad actors in the federal bureaucracy on ABC's "This Week," Sullivan replied, "I can't worry about after January 20. I have to worry about until January 20."

3. Murphy calls some Trump picks out of touch

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) listed his concerns about many of Trump's Cabinet picks Sunday, saying on "Meet the Press" that the appointees "don't understand what regular people are going through."

The big picture: Murphy said he worries Trump has put "the billionaire class in charge of the American government" by filling key Cabinet roles with wealthy allies.

What they're saying: "That is what the story of this Cabinet is, is Donald Trump and the billionaire class taking over government to enrich themselves and screw everybody else in this country," he said.

Between the lines: New York Magazine estimates the net worth of Trump's Cabinet picks at slightly over $9 billion. When including the world's richest man, Elon Musk, the number rises to $340 billion.

• Trump's previous Cabinet was the wealthiest in U.S. history, coming in at $3.2 billion according to Forbes. Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' wealth made up 73% of the total.
• In comparison, Biden's Cabinet is worth $120 million.
• At least five people — Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Howard Lutnik, Linda McMahon and Steve Witkoff — appointed to roles within Trump's administration are known billionaires.

More from Axios' Sunday coverage:

• Kash Patel gets quick praise from some Republicans as Trump's FBI pick
• Trump appoints businessman Massad Boulos as Middle East adviser

Some of President-elect Trump's Cabinet and White House picks have garnered a cacophony of criticism.

But while plenty of controversial picks remain, some Democrats have expressed leniency — even excitement — to cross the aisle and vote in favor of some of them.

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, November 24.

1. Duckworth could "absolutely" support some Trump nominees

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) has reservations about several Trump appointees — but she said Sunday there are others she could ultimately support.

The big picture: Democrats have slammed some Trump picks for their lack of experience, apparent conflicts of interest or other past controversies.

• With a slim GOP Senate majority, it's possible that all of Trump's picks don't make it through confirmation so convincing Democrats to vote for the nominees is all the more important.

State of play: Still, there are some candidates — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as Secretary of State, for one — who have an easier path to Senate confirmation via bipartisan support.

• Duckworth characterized her relationship with Rubio as one of the "strange alliances" that forms on the Hill in an interview with CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" Sunday.
• She continued: "We have a friendship; we've served together. I look forward to talking to him, to see what he's going to do and what his policies will be."
• Speaking to CBS News' Margaret Brennan, Duckworth said she could "absolutely" see herself supporting Trump's pro-union labor secretary pick, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), and others — after evaluating whether they are "willing to be independent and do the job that they are being nominated to do."
• She also named former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Trump's pick to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, as someone she could "talk with," saying she wants to know if he would support a push toward privatizing the VA.

Yes, but: Duckworth says other Trump appointees are unfit and unqualified.

• The congresswoman, a Purple Heart recipient and combat veteran, argued former Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth "does not have the experience to run an organization" the size of the Department of Defense.
• And she characterized ex-Rep. and veteran Tulsi Gabbard, who Trump intends to nominate as Director of National Intelligence, as "potentially compromised" and "wholly backing and supportive of Putin," pointing to Gabbard's controversial meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and accusations she's parroted Russian propaganda.

Zoom out: Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said on "Fox News Sunday" he would vote in favor of Rubio. Sen-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said he was "strongly inclined" to support Rubio during a "Meet the Press" interview.

• Fetterman said he's "open to dialogue" with Mehmet Oz — more commonly known as Dr. Oz — who Trump has tapped to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Fetterman bested Oz for his Senate seat in the 2022 midterms. And said Chavez-DeRemer is a "fantastic labor ... nominee."

2. We'll take the background check, please

Several senators across the political spectrum agree: Trump's appointees should be subject to FBI background checks.

Driving the news: But the president-elect's transition team has yet to sign agreements with the White House and Justice Department, delaying the routine FBI screenings.

• The team has opted instead to use private companies to vet potential candidates, CNN reported.

If the Trump transition team doesn't sign the agreements, the Senate could potentially vote on the president-elect's chosen Cabinet without traditional background checks — a dilemma further deepened by concerns over the controversial pasts of appointees.

• For those who need a security clearance, a background check is required, the AP notes. At least until Jan. 20, 2025, when Trump could order the necessary clearance to be issued.

What they're saying: "We require these background checks of ... drug enforcement agents. We require [them] of first-time prosecutors for the federal government. Why wouldn't we get these background checks for the most important job in the United States government?" Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D-Minn.) asked on ABC's "This Week" Sunday.

• While Klobuchar noted the background checks and confirmation hearings could be done concurrently, she warned background check delays could lead to a slower confirmation process.
• "I don't want to have a delay — I want to have the hearings. I want to make a decision on each one of them on the merits as I've done in the past, and I can't do that without the background checks," she said.

The other side: Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) downplayed the calls for background checks when speaking to ABC's Jon Karl Sunday, saying, "I don't think the American public cares who does the background checks."

• But when pressed, he added, "I've been through confirmation as well. They need to do these checks expeditiously."

The big picture: While Trump and close allies are at times distrustful of the FBI, several other Republicans have still called for the agency to conduct background checks of the president-elect's picks.

• Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told The Hill that a private firm could "supplement" an FBI investigation, but "the FBI does have access to information that probably a private firm wouldn't have, even a really good savvy one."

3. MTG floats defunding NPR to cut government waste

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) already has ideas for how the federal government can cut some of its debt  — defunding NPR and other government-funded media.

Driving the news: Defunding NPR was suggested throughout President-elect Trump's first term, and resurrected last week by Elon Musk.

What they're saying: Greene told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo that a new subcommittee working in support of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will look at cutting "everything from government-funded media programs like NPR that spread nothing but Democrat propaganda" and grant programs that "don't help the American people."

• Greene, who was stripped of her committee appointments in 2021, is the chair of the Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee, which falls within the purview of the House Oversight Committee.
• "We are going to be searching for the facts, we're going to be verifying if this is worth spending the American people's hard-earned tax dollars," she said.

Yes, but: Trump included cutting CPB's funding in budget proposals throughout his first term, none of which came to pass. Several congressional bills seeking to eliminate or drastically cut funding also failed.

Reality check: DOGE isn't an official government department and must rely on Congress to take action on proposed funding cuts.

More from Axios' Sunday coverage:

• Trump should fire DOJ workers involved with his cases, GOP senator says
• Trump's mass deportation plan could clog immigration courts for years
• The Resistance goes quiet

Some of President-elect Trump's Cabinet picks have stunned even the staunchest Republican lawmakers. From ex-Dem Tulsi Gabbard to the controversial former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the envelope has been pushed to new limits, even for Trump.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, a House Ethics Committee report concerning the investigation into Gaetz threatens a squabble between Republicans across congressional chambers.

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, November 17.

1. GOP wants answers on Gaetz

Some GOP senators are calling for the report on what went down before the House Ethics Committee during its investigation into former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.

The big picture: When Gaetz, President-elect Trump's pick for attorney general, made his abrupt departure from Congress, the ethics panel investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and other accusations against the firebrand from Florida came to an abrupt stop.

• But with Gaetz's Senate confirmation on the horizon, the chamber wants the details on what lawmakers expect is a highly damaging report from the committee.
• The news of Gaetz being tapped for AG was met by a chorus of gasps from House Republicans, Axios' Andrew Solender and Juliegrace Brufke report, while several Republican senators sounded noncommittal on his confirmation chances.
• "This shows why the advice and consent process is so important, and I'm sure that there will be a lot of questions raised at his hearing," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said.

What they're saying: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) — no stranger to controversy himself — said in a Sunday interview the House Ethics Committee should "absolutely" release the report.

• "That should be definitely part of our decision making," Mullin, who has previously criticized Gaetz for alleged inappropriate behavior, said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
• But he added he believes Trump "surrounds himself with the right people," saying he plans to treat Gaetz the "same as every nominee out there."

Zoom out: He's certainly not alone in that request as Senators prepare for what is expected to be a thorough vetting process (or, if Trump gets his way, a much quieter recess appointment).

Yes, but: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) thinks releasing the report on Gaetz would open a "Pandora's box" and set a dangerous precedent.

• "I don't think we want the House Ethics Committee using all of its vast resources and powers to go after private citizens, and that's what Matt Gaetz is now," he said on CNN's "State of the Union."
• The House Ethics Committee has released reports on lawmakers who resigned from Congress in the past — but Johnson characterized those cases as "breaches of the tradition ... under very extraordinary circumstances."
• He added: "I don't think this meets that criteria."

The other side: Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) lambasted Gaetz as "completely unqualified" on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday, urging his GOP colleagues to consider how this moment will be regarded in history.

• "The Republican senator who votes to confirm Matt Gaetz or Robert Kennedy or Tulsi Gabbard, will be remembered by history as somebody who completely gave up their responsibility to Donald Trump," he said.

Gaetz was previously investigated by the Justice Department in a sex trafficking probe over allegations he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl. The DOJ did not bring charges.

• The ex-congressman has denied the allegations against him.

2. Intelligence community concerned about Gabbard

Sue Gordon, the former deputy director of national intelligence during Trump's first term, cautioned Sunday that ex-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard "comes in with strikes against her in the trust perspective" from members of the intelligence community.

The big picture: Gabbard, once a Democratic presidential candidate who left the party in 2022, became the target of bipartisan scrutiny after she secretly met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. She has also been accused of parroting Russian disinformation.

Zoom out: Trump transition officials have also triggered national security concerns over its ongoing delay in signing key agreements that would provide their team with access to federal agencies and national security briefings, among other key resources.

• "You're not protecting anybody by not signing those papers, and especially with some of the nominees we have that don't have the really deep experience base, these are big jobs," Gordon said.
• She added: "To start your gig without any foundation at all, especially when the institutions are begging to give you that foundation just seems wrong-headed."

State of play: While some Democrats have characterized Gabbard as a "Russian asset," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) wouldn't go that far Sunday, saying he wouldn't call her that at "this particular juncture."

• But he did question: "Is this the best that we can do in the context of some of these nominations? Is this the very best that America has to offer for a moment like this, with so many challenges that we confront?"
• "Of course not," Jeffries said. "America deserves better."

3. DOGE mulls eliminating some federal agencies

Vivek Ramaswamy said Sunday that "certain federal agencies" are on the chopping block via the Department of Government Efficiency.

Driving the news: The statement is the latest in a sweeping set of pledges and changes that Ramaswamy and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have made since the initiative — acronym DOGE — was announced last week by President-elect Trump. Ramaswamy and Musk have been tapped to lead the group.

• Speaking on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" Ramaswamy promised the agency would also reduce the federal government workforce and make cuts to federal contractors who are overcharging the U.S. for different services.

Yes, but DOGE isn't an official part of the federal government and any actions it recommends would require the approval of Congress.

What they're saying: Ramaswamy said DOGE would "score quick wins" in the early portion of Trump's second term via executive action to "show what can be done."

• That, he said, "will lay the groundwork for Congress to have to take meaningful steps in budget reductions for the future."
• Ramaswamy conceded that a lot of the ideas for DOGE — such as cutting entitlement programs — are theoretical, but it doesn't change that "there is massive waste, fraud and abuse" across government agencies.

Zoom out: Musk said during an October Trump rally that he thought he could cut $2 trillion from the current $6.5 trillion budget.

• Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who served under former President Clinton, said earlier in the month that he doubted Musk could find $200 billion to cut given the limits on discretionary spending in the U.S. budget.
• Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, told NBC News that DOGE "is an example where it does not yet appear to be a serious effort."
• "It's understandable why the goal of making our government more effective is a good one, but there are all kinds of reasons why this is not the way to achieve that," Stier said.

More from Axios' Sunday coverage:

• Jeffries denies Pelosi is undermining his leadership
• Johnson argues Gaetz report should stay sealed as ex-Rep a "private citizen"
• Johnson doesn't rule out use of recess appointments