The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon will be extended until February 18, the White House said on Sunday.
Why it matters: The extension was a result of mediation efforts by the Trump administration that were aimed at preventing the collapse of the ceasefire.
The extension will allow another three and a half weeks for Israel's military to finish its withdrawal from Southern Lebanon and for the Lebanese army to finish its deployment along the border.
Driving the news: According to the ceasefire agreement, Israel had to finish its withdrawal by Sunday at the end of a 60-day period defined in the deal.
On Friday, the Israeli prime minister's office said the IDF would not complete its withdrawal.
Hezbollah warned that it would consider the ceasefire null and void if Israel breaches Sunday's withdrawal deadline.
The White House said on Friday afternoon that "a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed" and the U.S. will work with "regional partners" to secure it.
The Trump administration has been negotiating with Lebanon and Israel in the last 96 hours to prevent the ceasefire from collapsing.
A few minutes before midnight local time the White House issued the statement announcing the extension of the ceasefire.
What to watch: The White House said Lebanon, Israel, and the U.S. will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after Oct. 7, 2023. Many of these prisoners are Hezbollah militants.
President Trump on Sunday said he was imposing large tariffs and significant sanctions on Colombia after its government refused to accept two military cargo flights carrying deported Colombians.
Why it matters: The Latin American country has long been a crucial U.S. ally, even under the tenure of leftist President Gustavo Petro.
The U.S. is Colombia's largest trade and investment partner, with over $39 billion in goods and services traded between both countries in 2022, according to the U.S. State Department.
Catch up quick: Petro ordered Colombian officials to turn away military planes carrying deportees this weekend. He said in a post on X that the U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants like criminals and should return them on civilian flights.
"I can't force migrants to stay in a country where they're not wanted, but that country should return them with dignity and respect toward them and also our country," Petro wrote.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that he was imposing emergency 25% tariffs on all goods coming into the U.S. from Colombia, a travel ban on Colombian government officials and other major financial sanctions in response to the refusal to accept the flights.
The latest: Petro said in response on X he had ordered Colombia's foreign trade minister to "raise tariffs on imports from the U.S. to 25%."
He added: "The ministry should help direct our exports to the rest of the world, other than the U.S. Our exports must expand."
State of play: In one week, Trump wrote, the tariffs will rise to 50%.
Beyond the travel ban and tariffs, the president said he directed his administration to revoke visas for Colombian government officials and place visa sanctions on all party and family members, as well as supporters, of the Colombian government.
Additionally, he ordered enhanced inspections of Colombian nationals and cargo "on national security grounds."
What they're saying: "These measures are just the beginning," Trump wrote. "We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!"
Zoom out: Trump throughout his campaign vowed to expel millions of undocumented people from the U.S. — and during his first week in office, his immigration crackdown began with a series of sweeping executive orders.
Tom Homan, Trump's "border czar," told ABC News that the U.S. government will conduct deportation flights every day. The administration issued a new rule Tuesday that dramatically expanded expedited removal for immigrants who cannot prove they have continually lived in the U.S. for the past two years.
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it would send an additional 1,500 troops to the southern border as Trump declared a national emergency in the region, and the administration is working to secure more aircraft to speed up deportations.
Two Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants removed from the U.S. landed Friday morning in Guatemala, the Associated Press reported. Another two deportation flights touched down on the same day in Honduras.
Another flight to Brazil landed on Saturday, prompting outrage from the nation's government when those on the flight arrived in handcuffs which the foreign ministry called a "flagrant disregard" for the rights of the 88 passengers.
What we're watching: Trump's retaliatory tariffs could further increase already surging coffee prices, meaning a pricier cup of joe for American consumers, Axios' Ben Berkowitz reports.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Colombia is also a leading supplier of flowers to the U.S. The country provided about 37% of U.S. cut flower and nursery stock value from 2018 to 2022.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.
President Trump's retaliatory 25% tariffs on Colombia may exacerbate an ongoing surge in coffee prices, one likely to leave Americans paying even more for their morning cup.
Catch up quick: On Sunday Trump said he would impose an emergency 25% tariff on all goods imported from Colombia — rising to 50% in one week — after the country refused to accept two deportation flights from the U.S.
Zoom out: Coffee prices were already surging before the tariff.
Coffee futures are up 45% in the last six months.
Bloomberg reported last week that wholesale prices recently eclipsed all-time highs set in the late 1970s, and that it was only a matter of days to a few weeks until retail prices followed suit.
As it stands, consumer coffee prices are already at multi-decade highs, per Consumer Price Index data.
The intrigue: Bird flu is causing record price shocks and shortages in eggs as well.
American breakfasts suddenly risk getting a lot more expensive, even as Trump begins a new term with a promise to lower grocery prices.
Yes, but: Not everyone in the MAGA masses is singing the same tune.
Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, Jan. 26.
1. Trump, Biden face pardon pushback
Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Jan. 26.
Monday's flurry of pardons from President Trump and former President Biden exposed a glimmer of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill — with many lawmakers agreeing both took their power too far.
Minutes before leaving office, Biden preemptively pardoned five family members. And just after Trump took over the Oval Office, he pardoned some 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants.
What they're saying: Pardoning those who beat up law enforcement officers on Jan. 6 was "a mistake," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"I will be consistent here, I don't like the idea of bailing people out of jail or pardoning people who burned down cities and beat up cops, whether you are Republican or a Democrat," he continued.
Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, Graham also criticized Biden's use of pardons and suggested there should be "an effort to rein in the pardon power of the president" if perceived abuses persist.
The other side: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called for additional guardrails on the president's vast pardon power on "Fox News Sunday," highlighting legislation he introduced following Trump's Jan. 6 pardons.
"These decisions are made in the shadows; they are a black box," he said.
Worth noting: It's not just lawmakers who would be on board with a change. Some participants in Axios' latest Engagious/Sago swing-voter focus group said Trump and Biden both went too far with their presidential pardons and that they'd back a theoretical constitutional amendment to taper presidential pardon power.
Zoom out: Both the Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the U.S., and the International Association of Chiefs of Police condemned Trump's near-total pardons of Jan. 6 rioters.
Among the roughly 1,500 pardoned and 14 others whose sentences were commuted were individuals who attacked officers and leaders of the extremist groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
Threat level: Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) highlighted the hyper-partisan environment violent Jan. 6 rioters and members of extremist groups were released into, saying on CBS News' "Face the Nation," "None of this is making us safe."
While he defended Biden's decision to pardon his family members in the wake of persistent threats from Trump and fears of political retribution, Crow said, "what I would like to see overall is pardon reform."
"People need to know that the person sitting in the Oval Office has their best interests in mind at all times," Crow said, "and certainly not with Donald Trump right now can they have that feeling of trust and confidence, because ... five days into this administration, the abuse is already rampant."
2. Trump's inspectors general firings generate some shrugs
Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaks during a Jan. 26 interview on "Fox News Sunday."
Trump's ongoing civil service shakeup saw more than a dozen inspectors general booted from their posts across the federal government Friday.
The intrigue: The terminations, as stated by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, appear to violate federal law requiring a 30-day congressional notice of intent to fire a Senate-confirmed inspector general.
"There may be good reason the IGs were fired," Grassley said in a Saturday statement to CNN. "We need to know that if so. I'd like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30-day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress."
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) described Trump's move as "a clear violation of law," while Blumenthal challenged his GOP colleagues to "join me in opposing these firings."
Blumenthal added, "Elon Musk ought to be also joining because he is against wasteful spending," something watchdogs would likely monitor.
Yes, but: Graham noted that while Trump "technically" violated the law, he has "the authority" to dismiss personnel.
Zoom out: Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) echoed Graham Sunday, brushing off concerns that Trump may install loyalists in inspector general posts.
"It's very common as new administrations come in that specifically these positions be replaced," he said.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) similarly shrugged off the dismissals, telling Fox's Shannon Bream, "Ultimately, these inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the president — he wants new people in there."
While it is normal for political appointees to be replaced during presidential transitions, a report from the Congressional Research Service notes that the "practice has disfavored removal of IGs during presidential transitions" following sweeping action at the beginning of former President Reagan's term.
Since 1981, the report states, "IGs have remained in their positions during each presidential transition."
3. Republicans urge Trump to rethink pulling security details for ex-officials
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) speaks during a Jan. 26 interview on "Fox News Sunday."
Trump's decision to strip security protections from former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others could expose those individuals to threats from abroad and have a chilling effect on future officials, Cotton said Sunday.
Beyond Pompeo, Trump revoked former national security adviser John Bolton's and former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci's security details.
Pompeo's top aide Brian Hook also reportedly lost his security.
Context: Pompeo has criticized Trump on foreign and fiscal policy, while Bolton warned his former boss was "unfit" to be president again.
Fauci has been open about receiving death threats. Pompeo, Bolton and Hook have faced threats from Iran.
What they're saying: "I would encourage the president to revisit the decision for those people who are being targeted by Iran as the president was targeted for assassination by Iran," Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said on "Fox News Sunday."
The threat to those involved in the strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, once one of the Iranian regime's most powerful figures, is "persistent" and "real," Cotton said.
"It's better to be safe than sorry," he said, "because it's not just about these men who helped President Trump carry out his policy in his first term, it's about their family and friends, innocent bystanders every time they're in public."
Zoom out: Graham seemingly agreed, telling NBC's Kristen Welker Sunday, "if there is a legitimate threat against people who have served our government from a foreign adversary, I don't want to pull that protection."
"The last thing we want to do in this country is tell somebody, come into our government ... come up with policies to stand up to rogue nations like Iran, they come after you, we pull the rug on you," Graham said.
Vice President Vance said in an interview aired Sunday that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has "not been a good partner in common sense immigration enforcement" after the assembly condemned several of President Trump's executive orders.
Why it matters: A number of Christian organizations rebuked Trump's immigration executive orders in the days after his inauguration, noting how they violate core tenets of Christianity and endanger vulnerable populations.
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, the USCCB president, said in a Wednesday statement that some provisions of Trump's executive actions, including those that affect immigrants and refugees, "are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences."
A day later, the group released a separate statement condemning the revised DHS policy that scraps prior guidance for immigration officials to avoid so-called sensitive areas, like schools and churches.
"[N]on-emergency immigration enforcement in schools, places of worship, social service agencies, healthcare facilities, or other sensitive settings where people receive essential services would be contrary to the common good," the USCCB statement read.
Driving the news: Vance, who is Catholic, said he was "heartbroken" by the USCCB statement on CBS News' "Face the Nation."
"I think that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns?" Vance questioned. "Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?"
According to the USCCB website, the United States Catholic Bishops' Migration and Refugee Services department help to resettle around 18% of the refugees that arrive in the country each year.
Vance argued in the interview aired Sunday that not "all of these refugees" had been "properly vetted."
Zoom out: While several clergy members and organizations have condemned Trump's executive actions through statements, the Right Rev. Mariann Budde made headlines when she asked Trump to his face to "have mercy" on immigrants and LGBTQ+ people from the Washington National Cathedral pulpit.
The president slammed Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, as a "Radical Left hard line Trump hater" in a Wednesday Truth Social post.
Threat level: According to the USCCB's statement condemning DHS' new guidelines on sensitive spaces, the move has already had a chilling effect: "[W]e are already witnessing reticence among immigrants to engage in daily life, including sending children to school and attending religious services."
CBS' Margaret Brennan noted the possibility of a chilling effect prompting immigrants not to send their children to school, to which Vance replied he "desperately" hopes it has a "chilling effect on illegal immigrants coming into our country."
He added he hopes as "a devout Catholic" that the USCCB will "do better."
President Trump is surprising — even frustrating — some longtime friends in his second administration's early days with fewer leaks, a lack of exploitable rivalries, and tighter restrictions on access to him.
Why it matters: No modern president has done more — across more areas of American policy, culture and life — than Trump in the past six days. This new operating style and system enabled a strategy of flooding the nation with so many huge moves that it's hard for critics to attack specific ones.
Behind the scenes: Trump's inner circle is hellbent on running a more functional White House than his chaotic first term — partly to act quickly on his most controversial plans before critics can attack.
It's stunning to veterans of Trump's first West Wing. But at least in Week 1, the new government has mirrored the discipline of his 2024 campaign operation — another sharp contrast with his previous teams.
"It's a total black box," a lobbyist close to the administration told Axios. "Nothing is leaking except what they want."
There's a "strong silo system" that has kept advocates and special interests from forum-shopping and end-running administration officials, the lobbyist added.
The biggest change of all, Axios has learned, is that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and other aides have clamped down on the ability of random friends and reporters to call Trump directly.
Until now, if you had his phone number and called, Trump would answer and talk to you — and maybe even act on whatever you suggested.
Now, Trump wants to focus more on work and has less time for bull sessions so he's less prone to answer his phone.
Zoom out: Another huge difference between the two Trump administrations' first weeks is how this one started — with a deluge of deeply researched executive orders and actions targeting immigration, DEI and more, overwhelming the administrative state.
"There are more questions about how all this is going to work, and right now, there just aren't enough bodies to answer them," said a Washington consultant who worked in the first Trump administration.
Zoom in: Sergio Gor, Trump's director of presidential personnel, told Fox News from the White House on Thursday that the administration has filled about 1,300 of 4,000 positions.
Trump's first administration was often a free-for-all, driven by rivalries between Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, adviser Steve Bannon and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
This time, Trump and Wiles — along with deputy chiefs of staff Taylor Budowich, James Blair and Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump's controversial crackdown on immigration — wanted a unified team.
When Trump was elected in 2017, he was new to politics, and essentially a foreign agent in the GOP.
That led Trump to make relatively conventional choices for his Cabinet and top staff — many of whom he wound up hating. This time, it's all Trump loyalists.
"Back then, he was trying to consolidate power in the Republican Party," said Marc Short, chief of staff to then-Vice President Mike Pence. "Today, Trump is the party."
The debateover COVID's origins has included two main theories: that it came naturally from a market in Wuhan, China, or that it came from a lab leak there. In a new assessment, the CIA says it's more likely that COVID originated from a lab leak.
Why it matters: "John Ratcliffe, the new director of the CIA., ... has said it is a critical piece of intelligence that needs to be understood and that it has consequences for U.S.-Chinese relations," The New York Times' Julian E. Barnes reports.
Catch up quick: There's no new evidence. These conclusions came from a review ordered by the Biden administration and released this week by Ratcliffe.
According to a CIA spokesperson, "CIA assesses with low confidence that a research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely than a natural origin based on the available body of reporting. CIA continues to assess that both research-related and natural origin scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible."
"We have low confidence in this judgement and will continue to evaluate any available credible new intelligence reporting or open-source information that could change CIA's assessment."
What to watch: "Ratcliffe has promised a more aggressive CIA, and it is possible that he will order more actions to penetrate the labs in Wuhan or the Chinese government in a search for information," Barnes writes.
"It will not be an easy secret to steal. The senior ranks of the Chinese government do not know, and do not want to know, American officials have said. So if there is intelligence, it is probably hidden in a place that is hard to get to."
Elon Musk told members of the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party that "there's too much focus on past guilt," days after he gave what scholars and rights groups said was a Hitlergruß, or Nazi salute.
Why it matters: The world's richest man made the remarks Saturday, seemingly referring to the burden Germany carries for the Holocaust, two days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The big picture: The comments also follow a series of Nazi-related "jokes" Musk posted on X, which were a series of puns referencing prominent Nazis like chief propagandist Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler.
He's also failed to stop the posting or amplification of pro-Nazi content on X.
The latest: Musk spoke virtually to cheering members of AfD while denouncing multiculturism and defending Germany's past.
"There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that," Musk said.
"Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents."
"It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything."
Reality check: Neo-Nazi and skinhead leaders often tell followers at rallies not to be shamed of their grandparents or parents who were members of the Nazi Party before and during World War II. They've also criticized growing multiculturalism in Germany.
Germany has garnered international recognition for allowing the placement of Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) across the country to commemorate sites linked to victims of the Nazi regime.
Context: Germany will hold a snap election in February after a center-left coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed.
AfD became the first far-right party this year to win a regional election in Germany since World War II.
Zoom in: Musk's latest comments were quickly denounced by some Jewish groups in the U.S.
"Again: Musk is a shameless and unrepentant antisemite, and those who defend him only further embolden him and the neo-Nazis he so inspires," Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnicksaid in a statement.
Yes, but: None of the controversies around antisemitism appearto have done him or his companies any visible harm, Axios' Felix Salmon reports.
Financial markets have been bidding up Tesla stock as Musk cemented his bonds with President Trump.
The event will mark the 80th anniversary of Soviet forces liberating Auschwitz-Birkenau, and many experts believe the commemoration is the last major milestone with many survivors present.
Survivors are expected to warn the world about rising antisemitism — and could bring up Musk.
President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday that he wants Jordan and Egypt to take Palestinians from Gaza into their territory "temporarily or long term."
Why it matters: Since the start of the war in Gaza, Egypt and Jordan have led the Arab world's opposition to any forced transfer by Israel of Palestinians from Gaza.
Driving the news: Trump on Saturday spoke on the phone with Jordan's King Abdullah, who congratulated him on his inauguration.
King Abdullah "stressed the pivotal role of the U.S. in pushing all sides to work towards achieving peace, security, and stability for all in the region," the Jordanian royal court said in a statement.
But Trump said the two leaders discussed an entirely different topic — the millions of Palestinians who live in Jordan, and the possibility that more will move there from Gaza.
What they're saying: "I said to him, 'I'd love you take on more,' because I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it's a mess. It's a real mess," Trump said.
He added that he planned to speak to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Sunday and ask him to accept Palestinians from Gaza.
"You're talking about a million and half people, and we just clean out that whole thing," Trump said.
"It's literally a demolition site. Almost everything is demolished and people are dying there, so I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change."
The big picture: The absorption of Palestinian refugees in Jordan after the 1948 war, some of them forcibly displaced by Israel, became one of the most significant events in the history of the kingdom.
Egypt, meanwhile, sees the transfer of Palestinians from Gaza to its territory as a threat to national security.
At the beginning of the war, when Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu raised this idea, Sisi made it clear that such a move would jeopardize the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.
President Trump challenged U.S. birthright citizenship the day of his inauguration, attempting to strike down a 19th century constitutional doctrine via executive order.
The big picture: Though a core part of American citizenship, unrestricted birthright citizenship is mostly a facet of the Western Hemisphere.
Many other nations make citizenship conditional on the legal status of the parents or a person's length of residency in the country, per the Library of Congress.
In Africa, Asia and Europe, most countries either don't offer birthright citizenship or offer it conditionally, some through an application process.
What they're saying: "The historical foundation of this principle in the U.S. reflects its aim to eliminate legal inequalities and promote inclusivity," the American Immigration Council said.
Another explanation of its foundation is colonialism,John Skrentny, a sociologist at the University of California, San Diego, told Politifact in 2015 when Trump first raised his qualms with birthright citizenship.
Europeancolonizers, he said, wanted to build populations in North and South America to outnumber Indigenous populations.
"Getting people to move in was a good way to establish authority," Skrentny added.
He pointed out that birthright laws remain in South America, which has historically had fewer immigrants.
Zoom out: Universal birthright citizenship was restricted or abolished in Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and India in recent decades, the New York Times reported.
Ireland in 2004 ended unrestricted birthright citizenship after 79% of voters supported a constitutional amendment that hinges citizenship on parents' residence and history.
The Dominican Republic's abolition of birthright citizenship in 2013 denationalized about 200,000 people, largely of Haitian descent, according to the Center for Migration Studies.
It was a decision the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemned and the Open Society Justice Initiative said was "part of a long history of discrimination against Dominicans of Haitian descent."
Catch up quick: Trump has also faced criticism for rhetoric used to push for more limits on immigration and promote mass deportations.
States and civil rights groups immediately sued his administration after the president signed the birthright citizenship order, which was set to take effect on Feb. 20.
A U.S. district judge sided with four Democratic state attorneys general who argued in lawsuits that the order was unconstitutional, and the decision Thursday temporarily blocked the order nationwide.
Trump's defense of the order was that children whose parents aren't citizens are "not subject to" American jurisdiction as envisioned in the 14th Amendment.
What's next: The case is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Justice Department "will vigorously defend President Trump's EO, which correctly interprets the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution," it said in a statement to NBC News.
The Trump White House instructed the Pentagon to release the hold imposed by the Biden administration on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, three Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: President Biden's decision to halt the delivery of one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs last May triggered one of the biggest crises the U.S-Israel relationship has faced during the 15-month war in Gaza.
State of play: The Israeli government was notified by the Pentagon about the release on Friday, an Israeli official said.
The officials said that 1,800 MK-84 bombs, which were held in storage in the U.S., will be put on a ship and delivered to Israel in the coming days.
"A lot of things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but have not been sent by Biden, are now on their way!" President Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday.
Zoom in: The hold — which Biden used to protest Israel's invasion of Rafah — became a political symbol much more than a military operational issue, and was used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to mobilize Republicans against Biden.
The Biden administration was concerned that Israel's use of the 2,000-pound bombs in densely populated areas of Gaza would cause significant civilian casualties.
Netanyahu and his loyalists in Israel and the U.S. used Biden's decision to falsely claim there was a U.S. "arms embargo" on Israel.
Biden's decision also generated significant criticism from the Jewish community in the U.S., which is mostly Democratic leaning.
On the other hand, the hold did little to diminish progressives' criticism of Biden over his support for Israel.
What they're saying: The outgoing Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Mike Herzog told Axios a week ago that Trump was expected to release the bombs.
"We believe that Trump is going to release, at the beginning of his term, the munitions that haven't been released until now by the Biden administration," Herzog said in an interview last Friday.
Seven Democrats joined Republicans in backing the nomination.
The role also places Noem in charge of FEMA — a part of DHS— which Trump has proposed eliminating to force states to do more disaster relief independently.
President Trump fired at least 12 inspectors general across the federal government Friday night, multipleoutlets reported.
The big picture: The terminations, the latest in a slew of government shakeups since Trump's inauguration, appear to be in violation of federal law requiring 30-day congressional notice of intent to fire a Senate-confirmed inspector general.
The Washington Post, which was first to report on the firings, said the departments impacted include Defense, State, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Zoom in: The Justice Department's inspector general was spared, the New York Times reported, citing three anonymous sources with knowledge of the situation.
The Department of Veterans Affairs' inspector general, Michael Missal sent an email to staff that was shared with Axios.
"All, I wanted to let you know that I was informed tonight by the White House that I had been fired as the inspector general," Missal wrote on Friday.
"My understanding is that a number of other inspectors general were also fired."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has not yet responded to Axios' request for comment.
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
After touring war-zone-like wildfire devastation Friday, President Trump plans to act as soon as Monday to bring federal regulatory relief to help Angelenos clean up and rebuild.
Why it matters: Trump was moved by talking to people who aren't being allowed to even see the remnants of their houses. Aides are researching requirements the White House can waive, or California rules that can be overridden, to get homeowners back and rebuilt quicker.
Trump is drawing on expertise about the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Commission, which'll play a massive role in residents' ability to rebuild, one of the sources said.
Trump is "tapping into his history of property development and regulation knowledge," the source added.
Context: During a stop to view flood damage in North Carolina before heading to California, Trump told reporters that disaster funding for LA will be contingent on changes to state voting laws and water-management policy.
"I want to see two things in Los Angeles," he said. "Voter ID, so that the people have a chance to vote, and I want to see the water be released and come down into Los Angeles and throughout the state. Those are the two things. After that, I will be the greatest president that California ... has ever seen."
Zoom out: In his first second-term trip, Trump surveyed disaster zones in LA and North Carolina, which is still recovering from Hurricane Helene, AP reports.
Trump flew over several LA neighborhoods in Marine One. Then, he and the first lady landed in the Pacific Palisades and visited a street where all the houses burned down, speaking with police officers and residents.
"We're going to need your support. We're going to need your help," Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom told Trump. "You were there for us during COVID. I don't forget that, and I have all the expectations we'll be able to work together to get a speedy recovery."
Four Israeli women soldiers who were kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 terror attack and held in Gaza were released on Saturday morning local time.
Why it matters: This was the second set of hostages released since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into effect a week ago. Seven hostages have been released so far as part of the deal.
However, the Israeli prime minister's office accused Hamas of violating the deal by not releasing a civilian woman who remains in captivity.
As a result, Israel said it won't allow Palestinian civilians to move to the northern Gaza strip — a process which was supposed to begin on Saturday — until the civilian woman is released.
The return of Palestinian civilians to northern Gaza is one of the key deliverables Hamas demanded as part of the deal.
Driving the news: The four hostages who have been released are Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev.
On Oct. 7 they were stationed in a military outpost near the Gaza border that was taken over by Hamas militants.
Videos of them being taken hostage by Hamas militants became one of the iconic images of Oct. 7.
Hamas held a ceremony on Saturday in the Gaza central square and paraded the four women soldiers, dressed in military uniform, before handing them over to the Red Cross.
The other side: Israel released on Saturday 200 Palestinian prisoners in return for the release of the four women soldiers.
120 of those prisoners were serving life sentences for killing Israelis.
70 of the prisoners who were released on Saturday were not allowed to return to the West Bank and were exiled to Gaza or Egypt for at least three years.
Behind the scenes: In recent days, Israeli officials became concerned that Hamas would not fully implement the agreement and release Arbel Yehud, a civilian women who was kidnapped on Oct. 7.
According to the agreement, civilian women were supposed to be released before soldiers.
Israeli officials say Yehud isn't held by Hamas, but by a faction affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. But Hamas committed to release her as part of the deal.
On Friday, when her name wasn't on the list Hamas gave of the hostages that were expected to be released the next day, the Israeli government protested to the Qatari mediators and warned it was a violation.
After consulting with the Israeli negotiations team on Friday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to move forward with the planned prisoner release on Saturday.
But after the four women soldiers were in Israeli territory he announced that Israel would not allow the passage of civilians to the north of the Strip until Yehud was released.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council told Axios: "We are continuing to push for Arbel Yehud's release through negotiation channels."
The latest: The Islamic Jihad falsely claimed on Saturday that Yehud was a soldier and therefore wasn't supposed to be released.
Hamas sources told Al-Jazeera Yehud is alive and will be released in the next round of hostage releases next Saturday.
Israel asked the Trump administration to demand that Qatar and Egypt press Hamas to fix the violation of the hostage deal and release Yehud.
Israeli officials said the request was conveyed to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
The White House celebrated Saturday's release but pressed for additional work to release the remaining hostages in a statement.
"Today the world celebrates as President Trump secured the release of four more Israeli hostages who were, for far too long, held against their will by Hamas in horrific conditions," the White House said.
"The United States will continue with its great partner Israel to push for the release of all remaining hostages and the pursuit of peace throughout the region."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional statements.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth won confirmation Friday night with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Vance — who also gave crucial tactical advice when the nomination was in crisis.
Why it matters: Scandal doesn't stick to President Trump. The trait seems to be shared by at least the first of his most controversial Cabinet picks, who even Vance was counting out last month.
"Pete isn't 100% dead. But he might be 90% dead," Vance said at the start of December, according to a transition official who heard the remark.
Hegseth's nomination was on life support at the time, as he was getting wrecked in the press for alleged sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse.
Trump was courting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement, and some GOP lawmakers thought Hegseth was going the way of former Rep. Matt Gaetz's nomination as attorney general.
Behind the scenes: Trump told Hegseth to fight. Vance told the nominee to attack the allegations head-on and to get on TV.
Donald Trump Jr. then rallied a network of online MAGA influencers to come to Hegseth's defense.
Hegseth took the advice. He began his turnaround with a defiant televised gaggle with reporters on Dec. 5.
Trump loved it.
Hegseth spent hours over the next several weeks meeting with Senate Republicans, and meeting with them again.
He swore he wouldn't drink on the job. He said he did support women serving in the military, despite past comments to the contrary. He denied every allegation of sexual misconduct.
Between the lines: It wasn't enough to win over Sens. Susan Collins (R-Me.) or Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who cited many of the scandalous reports that plagued Hegseth's nomination as contributing to their "no" votes.
It also failed to win over former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who put out a long statement suggesting Hegseth wasn't qualified for the job.
But Hegseth managed to keep support from other feared swing voters like Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and John Curtis (R-Utah).
What to watch: Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are next in the hot seat.
School leaders across the U.S. are working to reassure parents about potential immigration enforcement on campuses after the Trump administration reversed a long-standing policy discouraging enforcement in "sensitive" areas.
Why it matters: The mere possibility of immigration enforcement on campus could cause widespread fear, leading some students to skip school. This would disrupt their education and threaten school funding, which is often tied to attendance.
Catch up quick: The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it was ending the policy of avoiding arrests in churches, schools, hospitals, funerals, weddings, and public demonstrations.
"Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest," the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
"The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense."
Context: Children in the U.S. have a right to public education regardless of immigration status, meaning schools don't turn back — and in most cases, don't track — whether a student is in the country without authorization.
Zoom in: Some school districts are taking proactive steps to protect students and families, outlining policies that limit cooperation with immigration authorities and reinforce campus safety measures:
Denver Public Schools, a district with roughly 89,000 students, said on Jan. 14 that principals should deny entry to any government official who arrives without prior appointments or legitimate school business and also initiate "secure perimeter" protocols, locking all exterior doors and halting all entries or exits from school buildings.
The Salt Lake City School District has urged parents to update emergency contact information and reiterated that it doesn't track students' immigration status and will not report students to immigration authorities.
The Philadelphia School District said school staff are instructed not to provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers with any information about students, families or employees, nor will they be allowed in schools without approval from district lawyers.
Last month, San Diego Unified School District board adopted a resolution saying the district will not assist ICE in the "enforcement of federal civil immigration law" and won't allow access to its facilities or personnel unless officers have a warrant.
Reality check: The districts have long maintained policies that exclude immigration issues from schools; they are mainly reiterating these to alleviate fears among families.
Plus: Some districts in GOP-led states say they'll cooperate with ICE or are staying mum on their plans.
"Florida schools will cooperate with all law enforcement working to enforce the nation's laws on illegal immigration," Florida's education department spokesperson Sydney Booker told Axios Tampa Bay.
Northside ISD, San Antonio's largest district, does not plan to issue any communications or FAQs about immigration, district spokesperson Barry Perez tells Axios.
What they're saying: Nicholas Espíritu, deputy legal director at the National Immigration Law Center, says it's not clear what ICE enforcement in or around schools could look like.
Past administrations have avoided allowing ICE in schools, choosing instead to focus efforts on people with violent criminal histories and who pose a national security threat.
"One thing is for sure — little children trying to go to school and learn how to read and write don't pose threats to national security," Espíritu says, adding that even the possibility of enforcement could severely disrupt children's education and growth.
Young people are finding dating apps more appealing after watching paid influencers on TikTok share their experiences, per Tinder's recent brand sentiment study shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: The marketing strategy comes after reports that Gen Z and Millennials are not interested in swiping and are instead seeking in-person alternatives, negatively impacting Tinder parent Match Group's business.
The big picture: Match Group has struggled on the public market in recent years. The company has reported negative payer growth for the past eight quarters.
Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley says the campaign was intended to address the narrative that meeting in person is better than the apps.
"We know that you want an IRL meet cute. That's great. It's really hard for it to happen," Hobley says. "Finding love on an app is so possible. It's really fun. It can lead to you finding someone great."
Zoom in: Tinder enlisted six TikTok influencers to produce a series of videos from September to December where they shared their experiences trying to find potential dates in-person and then dating through Tinder. They used the hashtag #theconnectionexperience.
Madi Webb, who has 2.6 million followers on TikTok, says she was excited to be a part of the campaign because when Tinder reached out she had recently gotten out of a relationship and saw it as a fun next step.
Webb says she sees value in both methods of dating and that two of her best friends have met their partners on dating apps. One benefit she found in using dating apps is being able to publicly identify as queer.
"I genuinely can count on two fingers how many times I have been in-person hit on by another woman, and that was because I was making the most crazy eye contact you've ever seen in your life," says Webb, who met a woman through Tinder in October. They are still dating.
By the numbers: According to the study by Hanover Research, prior to watching the TikTok series, 80% of Gen Z respondents said they had a positive perception of meeting a date in person and 50% said they had a positive perception of meeting via a dating app.
After watching the series, 53% of respondents said they found dating apps more appealing while 33% say that their impression remained unchanged.
For those who found dating apps more appealing, 50% cited the influencer's experience on the dating app and 48% cited the convenience of dating apps.
After watching the series, 58% of respondents said they are likely to use Tinder.
The fine print: The online survey, conducted Jan. 6-9, had 492 U.S.-based respondents, ages 18-28, who regularly use social media and have dated within the past year. They were compensated.
What we're watching: Match Group reports Q4 2024 earnings on Feb. 5.
Why it matters: A new real estate rule requires homebuyers to sign contracts with brokers to tour houses privately.
And that's making open houses, which don't require such contracts, a smart option for shoppers who aren't ready to commit to an agent.
The big picture: Private showingstraditionally represented an "opportunity for the agent to audition for the job," Stephen Brobeck, senior fellow at the Consumer Federation of America, tells Axios.
What they're saying: "Imagine walking into a store to browse and before you are let in the front door you have to sign a contract just to look," wrote a Reddit user on a discussion board for first-time homebuyers.
Catch up quick: The shift is part of a legal settlement the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reached last year that shakes up how agents get paid.
Reality check: Some agents say they're not sweating the change — buyers are already adjusting.
Home sales have jumped recently but remain historically low, according to NAR data.
The latest: Many brokers are open to signing short-term agreements, like showing one particular home, so buyers don't feel "stuck with us indefinitely," says Nate Johnson, NAR's 2024 vice president of advocacy.
Between the lines: The U.S. Department of Justice has said the new contract rule could hamper broker competition for clients.
Others say the agreements can be confusing for buyers to understand.
What we're watching: The Justice Department's concerns didn't stop a judge from approving the NAR settlement, though federal prosecutors could still step in.
The DOJ has scrutinized the real estate industry for decades, including during President Trump's first term.
The Senate voted 51-50 late Friday to confirm Hegseth, who has denied the allegations against him.
Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) voted no along with GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine).
It was only the second time in U.S. history that a vice president cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm a Cabinet nominee.
The intrigue: The final hours before the vote were full of uncertainty, as some worried that McConnell and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)would sink the nomination.
Tillis ultimately voted yes.
The big picture: Despite early uncertainty, Republicans largely rallied around Hegseth. The Armed Services Committee recommended his nomination Monday via a nail-biter 14-13 vote.|
Thursday, the AP reported that the nominee paid $50,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017.
It came shortly after Congress was provided a sworn affidavit from Hegseth's former sister-in-law who said the defense secretary nominee's ex-wife feared for her safety.
Between the lines: It's not the first time McConnell has been at odds with Trump, but it's his first big move outside of leadership.
McConnell's tangle with Hegseth is far from over, as he chairs the Defense Appropriations subcommittee.
McConnell has been clear he intends to push back on isolationism in the GOP.
What he's saying: "Mere desire to be a 'change agent' is not enough to fill these shoes," McConnell said in a lengthy statement after his vote. "And 'dust on boots' fails even to distinguish this nominee from multiple predecessors of the last decade. Nor is it a precondition for success."
"The United States faces coordinated aggression from adversaries bent on shattering the order underpinning American security and prosperity," McConnell continued, saying that throughout the confirmation process, "Mr. Hegseth did not reckon with this reality."
McConnell also said that Hegseth "wouldn't even commit to growing America's defense investment beyond the low bar set by the Biden Administration's budget requests."
Bolstering defense spending is a top issue for McConnell.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
/2025/01/26/1737901686998.gif)
/2025/01/26/1737901435603.gif)
