The Trump administration is axing 92% in foreign assistance-related grants to save nearly $60 billion as part of a budget cuts drive across all federal agencies, the State Department confirmed on Wednesday night.

The big picture: It plans to terminate nearly 10,000 contracts and grants given out by the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), per a Wednesday court filing from administration attorneys.

• It's the administration's latest effort to cap U.S. spending abroad, after a federal judge this month ordered the administration to resume $1.9 billion in foreign aid payments it had frozen — which the Supreme Court temporarily paused on Wednesday night.
• The impacts of the freeze on aid have been felt by organizations across the globe, as have the firings at USAID, despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing waivers for "life-saving humanitarian assistance programs."

Driving the news: Nearly 5,800 USAID awards and another 4,100 from the State Department will be cut, the filing states.

• Some 500 USAID awards and about 2,700 State Department ones will remain.
• "USAID evaluated 6,200 multi-year awards with $58.2 billion in value remaining," a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Zoom in: The State Department conducted a 90-day review of foreign assistance at the State Department and USAID that saw it examine 9,100 grants valued at $15.9 billion, the Washington Free Beacon first reported.

• "At the conclusion of a process led by USAID leadership, including tranches personally reviewed" by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, State Department the spokesperson said "nearly 5,800 awards with $54 billion in value remaining were identified for elimination as part of the America First agenda."

What we're watching: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts granted a stay and requested aid groups that sued the administration respond by 12 noon Friday ET.

• Meanwhile, the State Department and USAID is set to undergo a process in consultation with Congress to reform the way the U.S. delivers foreign assistance.

Go deeper: Supreme Court pauses order on Trump administration foreign aid payments

President Trump announced Tuesday the administration plans to offer $5 million "gold cards," which grant individuals permanent U.S. residency.

The big picture: The new system would replace the existing EB-5 program — a system launched in 1990 that offers green cards to individuals who invested in the U.S. — and serve as a route to citizenship, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

• It wasn't immediately clear whether the administration could terminate or change the existing program without congressional approval.

Driving the news: "We're going to be selling a gold card," Trump said, adding that he believes it will bolster the economy.

• "Wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card, they'll be wealthy and they'll be successful, and they'll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people."
• The U.S. could sell 1 million or more of the "gold cards," Trump said.

Between the lines: By potentially eliminating the EB-5 program and replacing it with the so-called "gold card," the new program would effectively let the wealthy buy their way into the U.S. without having to create jobs or build businesses.

• In that sense, it differs from many "Golden Visa" programs around the world, which usually require the purchase of real estate or some other domestic investment. Some do allow residency by charitable donation, or opening a bank account.

Zoom in: The minimum investment needed under the U.S. plan would also be one of the most expensive such programs in the world, per firms that specialize in helping arrange visa deals for the rich.

• The new offer continues an early theme of the Trump administration, which is that money is the way to dispense with the usual rules — as when he promised anyone investing $1 billion in the U.S. would get all their permits expedited.

Flashback: DHS reforming investor visa, despite last-minute Trump doubts

Editor's note: This article was updated to clarify that the EB-5 program was launched in 1990.

Justice Clarence Thomas issued a scathing dissent Monday after the Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging free speech rights around abortion clinics, suggesting he wants to revisit the matter after the court ended the federal constitutional right to abortion in 2022.

The big picture: The high court's move marked a loss for abortion opponents who claimed their First Amendment rights are violated by laws that limit demonstrations near clinics.

• The Supreme Court majority did not explain their decision Monday in finding that the rules were in line with precedent set by Hill v. Colorado (2000). In that case, the high court held that the restrictions on speech-related conduct are constitutional because they regulate the places where some speech may occur, and not the speech itself.

Zoom in: Both Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito dissented, but only the former conservative justice filed writing explaining his reasoning.

• Thomas argued against the high court's decision not to revisit precedent set in Hill v. Colorado (2000), which upheld free speech in buffer zones around abortion clinics.
• "I would have taken this opportunity to explicitly overrule Hill," he wrote in his dissent.
• He argued the court erroneously treated the Hill case differently than others pertaining to the First Amendment because abortion was involved, writing, "Hill's abortion exceptionalism turned the First Amendment upside down."

State of play: The case in question on Monday, Coalition Life v. City of Carbondale, originated in Carbondale, Illinois, where local officials passed an ordinance prohibiting protesters from getting within 8 feet of patients at the clinic without consent.

• The ordinance, which reflected precedent upheld in Hill, was repealed last year but an anti-abortion group based in Missouri proceeded with a lawsuit against it, taking aim at similar laws across the country.
• Carbondale is located near Illinois' southern border and became a destination for people in nearby states that ban abortions.

Zoom out: In Hill, the high court upheld a state law "restricting peaceful speech" within 100 feet of abortion clinics, Thomas wrote in his dissent. He was on the high court at the time Hill was decided and dissented in the 6-3 decision.

• He argued that errors in the case "were numerous" and that the decision "contradicted more than a half-century of well-established First Amendment principles."
• He wrote: "This Court had never—and since Hill, has never—taken such a narrow view of content-based speech restrictions."
• Thomas said the Hill case "manipulated this Court's First Amendment jurisprudence precisely to disfavor 'opponents of abortion' and their 'right to persuade women contemplating abortion that what they are doing is wrong.'"

Between the lines: Thomas noted that he wants to revisit Hill in order to give clarity to lower courts, "who feel bound by it," particularly after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

• "Following our repudiation in Dobbs, I do not see what is left of Hill," he wrote.
• "Hill has been seriously undermined, if not completely eroded, and our refusal to provide clarity is an abdication of our judicial duty," Thomas wrote.

Go deeper: Abortion clinics brace for reinvigorated protests after Trump's pardons

The Trump administration is rolling back protections for Haitian migrants in the U.S., allowing hundreds of thousands of people to be targeted for deportations this summer, the Department of Homeland said Thursday.

The big picture: The move is a part of President Trump's vow to crack down on illegal immigration, and comes after he amplified baseless claims about the Haitian American community on the campaign trail.

• Trump said at the time that he'd end Temporary Protect Status (TPS) designations for Haitians as he and his surrogates spread false information about Haitian immigrants in Ohio.

Driving the news: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem vacated a decision Thursday from the Biden administration to extend Haitians TPS by 18 months.

• Former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had extended TPS for Haitians until February 2026 before Trump took office.
• Noem's move ends TPS eligibility for an estimated 520,000 Haitians as of Aug. 3, 2025, unless extended.

Zoom in: TPS shields immigrants who entered the U.S. without authorization or overstayed visas.

• In addition to being safe from deportation, TPS recipients qualify for work permits and can also pursue asylum while they have TPS.
• Only people from certain countries qualify for the program.

What they're saying: A DHS spokesperson said in a statement that President Biden and Mayorkas "attempted to tie the hands of the Trump administration by extending Haiti's Temporary Protected Status by 18 months—far longer than justified or necessary."

• The spokesperson added: "President Trump and Secretary Noem are returning TPS to its original status: temporary."

Flashback: Trump attempted to end TPS designations for several countries during his first term.

• However, a federal judge's injunction stopped the change as a court battle played out. A three-judge appeals court panel sided with Trump, but the decision was appealed again, so TPS remained in place. Biden later reversed Trump's decision.

Go deeper: Axios Explains: The past and present of Temporary Protected Status

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday that it's working to reverse the firing of agency personnel tasked with the federal response to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The big picture: The bird flu crisis in the U.S. is in a troubling new phase as the outbreak intensifies and the Trump administration maintains a pause on some external federal health agency communications.

Driving the news: "Several job categories, including veterinarians, animal health technicians, and other emergency response personnel have been exempted from the recent personnel actions to continue to support the HPAI response and other animal health priorities," the USDA said in an emailed statement Tuesday evening.

• "Although several positions supporting HPAI were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters," the agency continued in the statement first shared with NBC News.
• The USDA sad it's Food Safety and Inspection Service frontline positions are considered public safety positions, and we are continuing to hire the workforce necessary to ensure the safety and adequate supply of food to fulfill our statutory mission.
• The agency did not immediately respond to a question on how many personnel were impacted.

Go deeper: Bird flu crisis enters new phase

The Justice Department on Friday evening moved to drop bribery and fraud charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Why it matters: At least seven prosecutors resigned this week rather than obey a DOJ order to withdraw the indictment, with some criticizing department leadership for making the decision for political rather than legal reasons.

• Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove reportedly pulled the DOJ's remaining public integrity prosecutors into a room and warned them that if one didn't agree to file the motion dismissing the charges within an hour, they could all be fired.

Driving the news: Two prosecutors ultimately did file the request with Judge Dale E. Ho asking for a dismissal of the case "without prejudice," meaning the charges could later be reinstated.

• The request, signed by Bove, argues the indictment interferes with the mayor's ability to do his job, including with regard to immigration.
• They also said they find the dismissal necessary "because of appearances of impropriety and risks of interference with the 2025 elections in New York City," per the letter.
• Judges have little leeway to deny such requests, though Ho had repeatedly denied Adams' efforts to dismiss the case, the NYT reports.

State of play: The request follows the resignations of at least seven top prosecutors in New York City and Washington, D.C., all of whom refused to follow the DOJ's order.

• Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove asked prosecutors on Monday to drop Adams' charges, which Trump has cast as political persecution much like the criminal cases against himself.
• Bove justified the decision in part because withdrawing the charges would make it more likely that Adams would comply with the Trump administration's immigration policies, according to two of the resignation letters.
• Adams then appeared in two joint interviews with Trump's immigration czar, Tom Homan, and promised to do just that.

Flashback: Adams in September became the first NYC mayor to face criminal charges while serving in office.

• He was indicted on charges of bribery and fraud following a federal investigation that his campaign illegally conspired with foreign businesspeople and Turkish officials.
• He had denied all accusations and pleaded not guilty. He was scheduled to go to trial in April.

What they're saying: The DOJ order "allowed the Department of Justice to continue to bring those charges back and effectively, seemingly were designed to keep Eric Adams on a short leash," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told Spectrum News earlier Friday.

• "That's a very troubling situation."
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said on X Adams must be removed, if he won't resign, also before the DOJ dismissed his case.
• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove the mayor from his role. She said Friday that she needed time to weigh the situation.

Go deeper:

• READ: Prosecutors' resignation letters after refusing to drop Eric Adams case
• Trump's DOJ is at war with its own prosecutors

At least seven federal prosecutors resigned rather than comply with an order to dismiss corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams — an unprecedented exodus that includes veteran lawyers with deep conservative credentials.

Why it matters: This was perhaps the most dramatic battle yet between the Trump loyalists taking the reins across Washington and the career civil servants attempting to hold the line against alleged overreach.

• It ended with Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove pulling the DOJ's remaining public integrity prosecutors into a room and warning them that if one didn't agree to file the motion dismissing the charges within an hour, they could all be fired, Reuters reports.
• One prosecutor finally agreed to do so under duress, per Reuters.
• The DOJ declined to comment Friday.

How it happened: U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon resigned Thursday rather than comply with an order from Bove to drop the corruption charges against Adams.

• Bove, who previously worked on Trump's personal legal team and had already tussled with acting FBI leadership over a potential purge of agents who worked on Trump-related cases, argued that clearing the charges would allow Adams to comply with Trump's immigration policies.
• Sassoon, who clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia and is a member of the conservative Federalist Society, skewered those political motivations in a lengthy resignation letter.
• Bove accepted the resignation, writing: "In no valid sense do you uphold the Constitution by disobeying direct orders implementing the policy of a duly elected President, and anyone romanticizing that behavior does a disservice to the nature of this work and the public's perception of our efforts."

But Sassoon was far from alone.

• John Keller, the acting chief of the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, and Kevin Driscoll, the acting head of the DOJ's criminal division, also swiftly resigned.
• At least four more resignations have followed, including that of Hagan Scotten, an assistant U.S. attorney with the Southern District of New York.
• "No system of ordered liberty can allow the Government to use the carrot of dismissing charges, or the stick of threatening to bring them again, to induce an elected official to support its policy objectives," Scotten wrote in his own resignation letter.
• He added: "If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool or enough of a coward, to file your motion. But it was never going to be me."

Split screen: Amid the resignation drama, Adams appeared on "Fox & Friends" alongside Trump administration border czar Tom Homan on Friday morning.

• He promised to collaborate with Trump's immigration enforcement policies and skirted a question about the possibility New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will remove him from office.
• Adams was indicted last year on charges of bribery and fraud following a federal investigation into allegations that his campaign had illegally conspired with wealthy foreign businesspeople and Turkish officials to collect donations.

More from Axios:

• Eric Adams joins forces with Trump border czar after DOJ orders case dropped
• 3 federal prosecutors resign after DOJ order to drop NYC mayor's case
• DOJ moves to have NYC Mayor Eric Adams' charges dropped

Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest.

The pause on the Trump administration's deferred resignation program was lifted by a federal judge on Wednesday.

Why it matters: It's a win for President Trump as he pushes to overhaul the civil service and make large-scale cuts to the federal workforce.

Driving the news: U.S. District Judge George A. O'Toole wrote in his ruling that a lawsuit from the union challenging the program could not succeed because they lack standing and his court doesn't have jurisdiction.

• O'Toole had issued a temporary restraining order against the Office of Personnel Management last week to pause the program.

Context: The buyout deal was sent to all federal workers last month in an email entitled "A fork in the road," encouraging them to resign.

• The deal, conceived with Elon Musk's input, is a part of the Trump administration's broader purge of the federal workforce.
• Trump signed an executive order this week requiring federal agencies to work with the Musk-led DOGE to make "large-scale" workforce reductions.

Where it stands: Some 75,000 workers have taken the deal, the Office of Personnel Management said Wednesday evening.

• The deadline for workers to respond to the buyout deal had been extended while this case was in play.
• It's now unclear what the deadline is for workers to respond to the "buyout" offer.
• OPM told Axios a new deadline will be announced shortly.

What they're saying: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement the Boston buyout ruling "is the first of many legal wins" for Trump.

• "The Court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing. This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities," she added.
• Office of Personnel Management spokesperson McLaurine Pinover said in a statement the OPM is "pleased the court has rejected a desperate effort" to strike down the Deferred Resignation Program.
• "This program was carefully designed, thoroughly vetted, and provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures," Pinover said.

The other side: "Today's ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants," said Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, one of the plaintiffs in the suit.

• "But it's not the end of that fight. AFGE's lawyers are evaluating the decision and assessing next steps," Kelley added in a statement.
• Kelley noted that Wednesday's decision does not address "the underlying lawfulness of the program."

Go deeper: Trump orders "large-scale" cuts to federal workforce, gives DOGE more power

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

President Trump on Tuesday alleged judges are trying to stop the administration from seeking out corruption amid attacks on the power of the judicial branch to curb orders from the executive.

The big picture: While influential voices like Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Elon Musk and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) have started calling for the power of courts to be restricted, others in the GOP are pushing back.

• The pressure against the court systems comes as some of Trump's executive orders have been met with legal challenges, none of which have resulted in a win in court for him just yet.

Driving the news: During a news briefing at the Oval Office alongside Musk on Tuesday, Trump said: "It seems hard to believe that judges want to try and stop us from looking for corruption."

• He added, "It seems hard to believe that a judge could say, 'We don't want you to do that,' so maybe we have to look at the judges because I think that's a very serious violation."

Catch up quick: A federal judge last week blocked the Musk-headed Department of Governmental Efficiency from accessing sensitive Treasury information.

• Musk then accused the judge of being corrupt on X Saturday, calling for him to be impeached immediately.
• Without specifically addressing the situation, Vance said on X the following day, "Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power."
• Rep. Eli Crane said on X Tuesday he's drafted articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer for Manhattan, calling his actions Saturday to limit the DOGE's access to the Treasury's sensitive personal data "judicial overreach."
• Speaker Johnson joined in on the chorus Tuesday, saying the courts should take a "step back" from the challenges to Musk and DOGE's efforts to transform the federal government and "allow these processes to play out."

Zoom out: Some Republican lawmakers are starting to push back on the attacks against judges and the court system, and are defending checks and balances.

• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Monday, "We've got a system of checks and balances, and that's what I see working," per ABC News. "I learned in eighth grade civics about checks and balances, and I just expect the process to work its way out," he added.
• Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said courts play an important role and among the three branches of government "the judiciary is the one that resolves some of the differences that often occur between executive and legislative branches."
• He said the judiciary has moderated both executive and congressional decisions over recent years and that he expects that to continue, per ABC.

Go deeper: Johnson: Courts should take a "step back"

President Trump has signed more than 75 executive orders, memos and proclamations during his first few weeks in office at a pace that surpasses his most recent predecessors'.

The big picture: The executive actions reflect much of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail: reducing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; cracking down on immigration; and formalizing "America First" foreign policy.

• Trump's executive actions — many of which have direct links to Project 2025 — have already had far-reaching impacts, triggering a rapid shakeup of the federal bureaucracy.
• Earlier this month, his administration froze humanitarian programs across the globe by empowering the new Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to take control and make cuts.
• The orders Axios has identified and grouped illuminate how the Trump administration is carrying out its agenda, though his actions have raised constitutional questions about the reach of his authority that courts will now weigh in on.

What they're saying: "President Trump has taken bold action to fulfill the promises that earned him a resounding mandate from the American people," spokesperson Harrison Fields told Axios in an emailed statement.

• "With every decision, President Trump is putting Americans first – and he's just getting started," he added.

Here are some of the most notable categories:

Foreign policy

Trump's foreign policy approach in his early days in office centered around tariff threats, shirking international agreements and bringing much foreign aid to a halt.

• Critics say his foreign policy approach may leave a vacuum for U.S. adversaries as Trump touts his "America First" agenda.
• Much of his dealmaking diplomacy has been done through threats of tariffs, a favorite tool of Trump's that economists warn could be passed on to U.S. consumers.

What we're watching: Trump has also floated expansionist ideas like making Canada a state, a "take over" of Gaza, and seizing control of Greenland and the Panama Canal.

DEI

Trump issued a sweeping executive order revoking decades of federal diversity and affirmative action practices.

• While the order makes a commitment to equality, it scraps the federal government's historical approaches to root out discrimination and guarantee equal opportunity, particularly among the federal contractors that employ about 3.7 million people.
• It mandates that federal agencies identify companies, foundations and schools that have diversity programs, and target them for civil enforcement actions.

Trans rights

Trump has moved to radically reshaping trans people's rights in the U.S, from sports to accessing gender-affirming health care and joining the military.

• He declared on Day 1 in office that the federal government would only recognize two sexes, male and female.
• He later signed an executive order banning federal funding or support for youth gender-affirming care for those under 19 and a separate an executive order banning trans women and girls from participating in female sports in federally-funded schools.

Immigration/national security

Trump pledged to curtail immigration and has declared an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, vowing to deploy troops to the region, including the National Guard.

• He instructed the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to construct additional border barriers.
• Trump reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which ends a program that released asylum seekers into the U.S. while their cases were considered.
• He took aim at ending "birthright citizenship" for those born to undocumented immigrants, which quickly got ensnared in the courts.

Reshaping federal government

The Trump administration has swept through the federal bureaucracy during his first three weeks in office, eliminating DEI offices, reshaping the federal workforce and obstructing the flow of funding.

• In a day one executive order, Trump reinstated a policy that could strip protections from from thousands of civil servants, effectively bringing back his controversial first-term Schedule F employment category.
• He established his Department of Government Efficiency, an unofficial Elon Musk-led body that sought the disbanding of the U.S. Agency for International Development, slashing the workforce of the government's lead humanitarian aid arm.
• Trump also ordered federal employees to return to in-office work and mandated a hiring freeze on all executive branch positions, excluding the military and other categories like national security, public safety and immigration enforcement.
• He also signed an executive order asserting presidential authority over boards and commissions meant to operate largely independently from the White House, like the like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Energy/climate

Trump on Day 1 declared a national "energy emergency" and has moved to walk back a number of Biden-era regulations and made good on his promise to "drill, baby, drill" with orders aimed at expanding fossil fuel production

• He repealed the Biden administration's Justice 40 Initiative and federal procurement targets for EVs, clean energy and more.
• He's walked back EPA tailpipe emissions rules and moved to restart liquified natural gas terminal approvals.

Finance/technology

Trump revoked former President Biden's artificial intelligence guardrails and has since signed executive orders aimed at bolstering the country's competitiveness in AI and tech.

• His early actions, such as his executive order establishing a working group on digital asset markets, have also signaled a friendly approach to crypto.

Declaring holidays/months

On day one, Trump ordered the American flag be flown at full-staff every Inauguration Day. After the death of former President Jimmy Carter in January, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and some Republican governors ordered half-staff flags to be raised for Trump's inauguration.

• He also declared February as American Heart Month and as Career and Technical Education Month.
• He also recognized February 9, 2025, as the first ever Gulf of America Day after renaming the body of water from Gulf Of Mexico.

Reality check: The U.S. does not exclusively control the gulf and doesn't have full say over what it's called.

Other

• Trump signed an order to declassify files related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. in the name of "transparency and truth."
• He also issued an order aimed at expanding access to in vitro fertilization, calling for his domestic policy assistant to make recommendations to reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF.

What we're watching: The Trump administration has flooded the zone with a flurry of sweeping actions, some of which have been blocked by courts across the country.

• He's stretched — and in some cases, seemingly overstepped — the barriers of executive authority. While Democrats have chided some steps as unlawful, the MAGA majority on Capitol Hill keeps blowing wind in Trump's sails.
• But Trump does not seem intent on slowing down, with his barrage of executive actions piling up through his first three weeks in office.

Go deeper:

• All of the anti-trans executive orders Trump has signed
• Project 2025 parallels in Trump's executive order avalanche
• What is an executive order? Here's what Trump can and can't do with them

The Trump Department of Justice asked prosecutors Monday to drop federal charges against indicted New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), a source familiar with the matter confirmed.

The big picture: Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove requested the corruption case involving bribery and fraud charges against the first NYC mayor to be indicted while serving in office be dismissed without prejudice "as soon as is practicable."

• Trump has said he would consider pardoning Adams, who's denied any wrongdoing and has resisted pressure to resign.

Driving the news: The memo, first shared by the New York Post and addressed to the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, says the decision to dismiss the charges was not based on the strength of the case against Adams.

• Bove wrote the case could interfere with the mayor's November reelection bid and has "unduly restricted" Adams' ability to "devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that has escalated under the policies of the prior Administration."
• Bove's request is subject to conditions, including a review after November's mayoral election.

Catch up quick: Adams was indicted in September on five counts following a months-long federal investigation into allegations that his campaign illegally conspired with Turkish officials and wealthy foreign businesspeople to collect donations.

• Among the charges were two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national in relation to allegations stemming from 2014, when Adams was elected Brooklyn Borough president, through to his 2021 mayoral campaign.
• The mayor has pleaded not guilty to all charges and the case brought by the DOJ was scheduled to go to trial in the spring.

Zoom in: Adams was accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions from foreign individuals who were courting favor with him via straw donors in the U.S., per the indictment.

• Prosecutors accused Adams of accepting illegal travel perks worth over $100,000 from Turkish citizens and at least one official from Turkey's government.
• They alleged a diplomat from Turkey asked him to pressure the NYC Fire Department to open a Turkish consular skyscraper without an inspection.
• Another allegation was that a Turkish official messaged an Adams aide to "repeatedly" ask for assurances that the mayor would not make any statement about the Armenian Genocide on its remembrance day. The staffer confirmed Adams would not put out a statement, prosecutors alleged.

What they're saying: Adams' attorney, Alex Spiro, said in an emailed statement to Axios the DOJ has reevaluated the case and found good reason to stop it from moving forward.

• "As I said from the outset, the mayor is innocent — and he would prevail," Spiro wrote. "Today he has."
• He added: "Now, thankfully, the mayor and New York can put this unfortunate and misguided prosecution behind them."

The DOJ did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Monday evening.

• Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, declined to comment.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Axios' Rebecca Falconer contributed reporting.

More from Axios:

• NYC mayor will meet with Trump, his office says
• Trump wishes indicted NYC mayor "good luck"

The escalating bird flu crisis is ravaging the nation's supply of eggs, leading to increased prices and low-to-no stock at grocery stores, while chicken supply appears largely unchanged.

The big picture: The hens that lay eggs are not the same as the chickens raised for consumption.

• Broiler chickens, raised for meat, are completely different from layer hens raised to lay eggs, according to Tom Super of the National Chicken Council, which represents the country's chicken producers.
• "They're raised on different farms in completely different industries," Super told Axios.

Zoom in: Egg-laying hens typically start laying eggs after around 18 weeks, at which point they can stay productive for a year or longer, said Matt Sutton-Vermeulen, a supply chain expert on eggs, milk and meat for management consultancy Kearney.

• Broiler chickens, on the other hand, are typically led to the slaughterhouse after anywhere from six to eight weeks, he told Axios.
• "It's a whole different cycle," Sutton-Vermeulen said. "You don't have the pressure of time that they can be exposed to the virus."

Between the lines: This helps explain why Tyson Foods recently projected a 2% increase in its chicken production for its 2025 fiscal year even as the bird flu ravages egg production.

• The company said its chicken business turned in its best performance in eight quarters in the latest three-month period on an adjusted operating income basis.
• Tyson also says it has a strong biosecurity plan to protect its operations from the bird flu.

Yes, but: Chickens have also been susceptible to the bird flu, just not to the same extent.

• Between Feb. 8, 2022, and Jan. 29, 2025, less than .0005% of all broiler production in the U.S. was impacted by the bird flu, per data from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA.
• The age of the chicken, geographic region and relation to migrant bird flyways can affect its susceptibility to avian influenza, Super said. Biosecurity on farms and different housing styles could also be factors.

More from Axios:

• Waffle House adds egg surcharge, citing bird flu-fueled shortage
• Egg shortages, higher prices spike as bird flu grows
• Bird flu causing egg prices to soar to new record high

President Trump announced on Friday he's cutting former President Biden's access to classified information and stopping his daily intelligence briefings.

The big picture: Trump revoked security clearances earlier this month for about 51 former intelligence officials who signed a letter in 2020 comparing the Hunter Biden laptop probe to a "Russian information operation."

Driving the news: "There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information," the president said on Truth Social.

• Access has historically been given to outgoing presidents as a courtesy by virtue of having been president.
• Citing the special counsel report from last year into Biden's handling of classified documents, Trump alleged the former president suffers from "poor memory" cannot be trusted with sensitive information.
• He added, "JOE, YOU'RE FIRED."

Zoom out: Trump was indicted in 2023 for allegedly mishandling classified information, but a federal judge later dismissed the case.

Flashback: Biden revoked Trump's classified intelligence briefings in the aftermath of the Capitol riot, citing Trump's "erratic" behavior.

Biden did not immediately comment on the move.

Go deeper: Trump says he'll remove Kennedy Center board members, name himself chair

Editor's note: This story has been updated with added context.

President Trump announced Friday he's instating himself as head of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C. and dismissing several of its board members.

The big picture: Trump, who had a tense relationship with the Kennedy Center in his first term, now appears to be taking control of the art institution and removing adversaries from its board.

What he's saying: "At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN," the president wrote on Truth Social.

• "I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture," he said. "We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!"
• It was not immediately clear which board members he was referring to.

Zoom in: Philanthropist David Rubenstein has been the chairperson of the Kennedy Center's board of trustees for 14 years.

• He'd announced he was going to retire in January 2025 but said after the presidential election that he'd stay on until September 2026.

Zoom out: The board, which has three dozen members each appointed for six-year terms, is currently pretty evenly split by appointees from Trump and former President Biden.

• Biden filled a dozen vacancies on the board during his final weeks in office, including naming former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
• Trump's first-term appointees include his current attorney general, Pam Bondi.

The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment and Rubenstein could not be reached immediately.

Go deeper: Trump administration 2.0: Confirmed Cabinet so far

In a rebuke of the Trump administration, Panama has refuted a claim by the U.S. State Department that American vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without being charged fees.

Why it matters: The dispute comes shortly after the State Department made the announcement Wednesday evening. President Trump has pushed to regain control of the canal — one of the world's most significant pieces of infrastructure.

The latest: "In response to a publication released by the United States Department of State, the Panama Canal Authority, which is authorized to set tolls and other fees for transiting the Canal, reports that it has not made any adjustments to them," the authority said in a statement posted to its X account.

Catch up quick: Trump demanded ahead of taking office that Panamanian authorities either lower fees for U.S. ships to transit the Panama Canal or return its control to the U.S.

• The State Department said on X that the now-disputed agreement to allow passage without fees saves the U.S. government millions of dollars a year, per a post on X.
• Representatives for the State Department and Panama's presidential office did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment on further details of the deal.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a phone call with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino discussed the U.S. and Panama's shared security interests, per a readout from Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot.

• The pair "agreed to expand cooperation between the U.S. military and Panama's security forces," Ullyot said.
• "They also highlighted the extensive and expanding cooperation between the United States, including the Department of Defense, and the Panama Canal Authority."

State of play: During a visit to Panama on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panamanian officials including Mulino that Trump had made a preliminary determination that the current Chinese influence over the Panama Canal area was a threat to the artificially made waterway.

• Mulino had previously called claims of Chinese interference in the canal "nonsense," but he told reporters after meeting with Rubio that the government would conduct an audit of Beijing-operated ports on both sides of the canal and present the findings to the U.S.
• He also emphasized that Panama would not give up the control over the canal.

Flashback: Then-President Jimmy Carter signed treaties with Panama's leader in 1977 for the U.S. to gradually cede control of the canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

• Panama took over control of the waterway on Dec. 31, 1999.

Go deeper: Trump's talk of retaking Panama Canal becomes a GOP bill

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the Panama Canal Authority disputes the State Department claim, and with additional context.

Thousands gathered in front of state capitols across the U.S. on Wednesday to protest against the Trump administration's aggressive moves to reshape the federal government and American society.

The big picture: Demonstrators nationwide rallied against a slew of policies instated by the president less than three weeks into his term, with protesters denouncing his comments on a U.S. "take over" of Gaza, his immigration crackdown, anti-trans orders and Elon Musk's role in the White House.

Zoom in: The demonstrations were initiated by an online movement with the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501.

• The movement calls for 50 protests in 50 states in one day.

Zoom out: The resistance response to Trump's 2024 victory had so far been more muted than in 2016, when his win sparked shock, outrage and massive nationwide protests.

In Photos

Go deeper: Abortion clinics brace for reinvigorated protests after Trump's pardons

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos.

The U. S. Postal Service said Wednesday that it will continue to accept international mail and packages from China and Hong Kong, reversing a Tuesday announcement that it would halt the flow of inbound parcels from the areas.

The latest: The USPS in a statement Wednesday pointed to "new China tariffs," and said that it was working with Customs and Border Protection to implement an "efficient collection mechanism" for the taxes on imported goods.

The big picture: China's government announced counter-tariffs earlier Tuesday in response to 10% tariffs on Chinese products imposed by President Trump's administration.

• A pause on goods from China could delay or block shipments from e-commerce giants like Temu and Shein, which were already expected to be affected by a recent rule change following Trump's tariff announcement.
• Trump administration representatives did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Catch up quick: The USPS on Tuesday announced an abrupt halt on accepting packages from China and Hong Kong, only for the agency to later reverse that decision.

• The flow of letters and flats would not have been impacted, USPS said in its original post on the suspension that took effect on Tuesday.
• The USPS action could have impacted other retailers including U.S. multinational Amazon — and Kate Muth, executive director of the International Mailers Advisory Group, an industry group that represents shippers and logistics firms, expected customers to pay more and said parcels "may take a little longer to reach" them, per the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, the longstanding de minimis rule, which allowed shipments of less than $800 to avoid import duties and taxes, has ended, per U.S. Customs and Border Protection in guidance posted Saturday on Trump's executive order.

• "For companies like Temu and Shein this is obviously a very big deal because de minimis was one of the levers they used to be able to offer these low prices as well as ensure speed of products entering the country once they were shipped," said Juozas Kaziukenas, CEO of e-commerce data firm Marketplace Pulse, to Reuters.
• Representatives for Amazon, Temu and Shein did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

By the numbers: "Temu and Shein alone are likely responsible for more than 30% of all packages shipped to the United States daily under the de minimis provision, and likely nearly half of all de minimis shipments to the U.S. from China," per a 2023 report from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

Zoom out: After the Trump administration's 10% tariffs on Chinese products took effect Tuesday, China's government announced it would impose 15% tariffs on U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

• These measures are due to take effect Monday, along with 10% tariffs on U.S. crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement cars and pickup trucks.

What we're watching: Trump had vowed in his first term to overhaul the U.S. mail carrier in a move that could undercut reliable delivery, impact hundreds of thousands of government jobs and influence how the likes of Temu and Shein operate.

Go deeper: U.S. strikes deals to pause Mexico, Canada tariffs for 30 days

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Congressional Democrats vowed to intervene Monday to prevent Elon Musk from shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The big picture: Trump, who has yet to make an official statement on USAID's future, appeared to damper Musk's ambitious plans, telling reporters the billionaire can't take action without "our approval."

• Musk, head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), "can't do and won't do anything without our approval," Trump said Monday at the White House. "We'll give him the approval where appropriate. Where not appropriate, we won't."
• "Where we think there's a conflict or there's a problem, we won't let him go near it," Trump added.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was out of the country when Musk announced USAID was shutting down, said Monday he's now the agency's acting director.

Driving the news: House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) called the move to shut down the agency an "illegal, unconstitutional interference with congressional power," during a press conference outside the USAID headquarters,

• He noted that Congress created the agency and Musk "doesn't have the power to destroy it."
• "We don't have a fourth branch of government called Elon Musk, and that's going to become real clear," Raskin added.

What they're saying: Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) called Musk's efforts "an absolute gift to our adversaries — to Russia, to China, to Iran and others" because the agency "is an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy and U.S. national security policy."

• Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said a billionaire who hasn't been elected, vetted, or gone through confirmation "should not be telling American employees that they cannot access the building they work at."
• She added: "Privileged billionaires who don't give a damn about America and Americans should not be making decisions that put Americans at harm."

Where it stands: Staffers were barred from entering the agency's headquarters, a source familiar with the USAID situation told Axios.

• Most of the USAID's Bureau for Planning, Learning and Resource Management had their access to agency systems revoked as of Monday afternoon, the source said.
• Employees in the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security, — which houses teams for agriculture and climate, among others — were told they could lose access to their emails tonight or tomorrow, the source said.
• "We work in countries where this happens," the person told Axios. "We never imagine[d] it would happen here."

Catch up quick: Musk said Monday morning that Trump had "agreed" to "shut" USAID down.

• That was following reports that two senior USAID officials were placed on administrative leave after barring DOGE representatives from internal systems during a recent visit.
• Trump himself has railed against USAID, telling reporters over the weekend that the agency was run by "radical lunatics."

Axios' Avery Lotz contributed to this report.

Go deeper: Ending USAID climate programs could increase security risks

President Trump rallied against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in air traffic control as having contributed to the deadly plane crash outside of D.C. Wednesday, but the data paints a different picture.

The big picture: Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau and IPUMS show air traffic controllers and airfield operations specialists are predominately male and white.

By the numbers: 78% are men, while 22% are women, per data from the U.S. Census Bureau and IPUMS.

• 71% identify as non-Hispanic white.
• The data includes air traffic controllers and airfield operations specialists working in air transportation or services incidental to transportation.

Driving the news: Trump on Thursday repeatedly cited DEI policies at the Federal Aviation Administration as having played a role in the crash, and blamed Democrats including Presidents Biden and Obama, for advancing inclusive workplace policies.

• Trump implicitly equated racial, gender and other forms of diversity with a lower-quality federal workforce.

Reality check: In addition to the statistics showing the opposite is true, the cause of the crash has not been determined and there's no evidence that FAA hiring policies led to a decline in aviation safety.

Zoom in: Trump signed a memo Thursday alleging that Biden's administration "egregiously rejected merit-based hiring, requiring all agencies to implement dangerous 'diversity equity and inclusion' tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with 'severe intellectual' disabilities in the FAA," according to a person familiar with the matter.

• The "disabilities" language that Trump is opposing was in FAA regulations during the entirety of his first term and first appeared around 2013, per fact-checking website Snopes.
• The American Association of People with Disabilities said on X that FAA employees with disabilities did not cause the crash.
• "It is extremely inappropriate for the President to use this tragedy to push an anti-diversity hiring agenda," the AAPD said. "Doing so makes all Americans less safe."

Go deeper: D.C. plane crash is among country's deadliest in decades

The deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport outside D.C. Wednesday marks the deadliest air carrier crash in the U.S. since November 2001, when a passenger jet crashed in Queens, New York killing 265. Another 265 were killed in airplane crashes during the 9/11 terror attacks.

The big picture: Fatal crashes of commercial aircraft in the U.S. have become uncommon in the 21st century, as regulations have increased, technology has advanced and safety measures and controls have improved.

Driving the news: An American Airlines passenger jet with 64 people on board collided late Wednesday with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers.

• Both aircrafts went plunging into the Potomac River. There are no known survivors.

Zoom out: The last deadly aircraft incident with a mass casualty was in 2009 near Buffalo, N.Y. All 49 passengers and crew on Colgan Air Flight 3407 were killed when the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane crashed into a house. One person on the ground also died, bringing the death toll to 50.

• Prior to that, a Comair plane crashed while taking off from Lexington, Kentucky, on Aug. 27, 2006, killing 49 people onboard.
• The deadliest of the last quarter century in the U.S. was when 265 people died onboard in four plane crashes on Sept. 11, 2001. They were among nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks.
• Two months later, on Nov. 12, 2001, an American Airlines flight crashed into a residential area in Queens, N.Y., killing 265 people.

Zoom in: Prior to 9/11, Wednesday's crash is the worst air tragedy in the D.C. area since Jan. 13, 1982, when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed, killing 78 people on board.

Go deeper: D.C. plane crash: What we know about the collision as all passengers feared dead