A rare winter storm that's slamming the southern U.S. with "dangerously cold temperatures," historic snow and icy conditions has been linked to at least 10 deaths as it disrupts travel across the region.
The big picture: Schools, government offices and roads across the southern U.S. closed and thousands of flights were delayed or canceled due to the cold weather that's brought record snowfall to places including New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida.
Threat level: Rare winter storm and blizzard warnings and advisories stretched from South Texas to Jacksonville, Florida.
The once-in-a-generation winter storm with "heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain, was spreading eastward from parts of the Florida panhandle through the eastern Carolinas, per a National Weather Service forecast discussion.
"Major highway and air traffic disruptions, including possible road closures and flight cancellations, may continue for several days even after the snowfall ends," the NWS noted.
"The Arctic Air Mass will create widespread sub-freezing overnight lows along the Gulf Coast and throughout the Southeast. The cold weather will exacerbate power outages," it added.
"From Tuesday evening into Wednesday, 0.10 inches of freezing rain will develop across northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia."
Record snowfall was set in Mobil, where 6.2 inches fell, and Pensacola, which saw 5 inches on Tuesday, per the local NWS office. New Orleans also recorded its biggest-ever snowfall total — a whopping 10 inches.Screenshot: NWS Mobile/X
Five deaths were reported in a vehicle crash on a highway between La Pryor and Batesville in Zavala County, Texas, on Tuesday morning.
The Dale County, Alabama coroner confirmed two storm-related deaths.
Austin-Travis County emergency officials "have responded to more than a dozen cold exposure calls since Monday, including two fatal incidents," per a city of Austin, Texas, statement
Georgia officials said at least one person had died of hypothermia in the Atlanta area.
Zoom in: Winter weather warnings are affecting areas not usually affected by icy conditions and snow, with the NWS Jacksonville noting on X that southeast Georgia into northeastern Florida among the areas facing snow, sleet and ice.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in a Facebook post urged people to stay off the roads if possible Tuesday night into Wednesday.
"We are expecting some winter weather we're not used to in Northeast Florida," per the post. "The safest place you can be Tuesday night and Wednesday is at home!"
Zoom out: "Bitterly cold" high pressure extended from the Ohio Valley to the Southern Plains, bringing temperatures 25 to 30 degrees below average from parts of the Mid-Atlantic in addition to the Central Gulf Coast, per the NWS.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in 13 counties on Tuesday, with communities near Lake Ontario forecast to receive up to 3 feet of snow and those in the state's west up to 2 feet.
The escalating bird flu crisis is ravaging the nation's supply of eggs, leading to increased prices and presenting an immediate challenge for the Trump administration.
Why it matters: An outbreak of avian influenza is growing and has affected nearly 13 million birds in the last 30 days, according to USDA data.
Some retailers are limiting how many eggs consumers can purchase while others are having a hard time keeping shelves stocked.
"It's really a crazy situation and an unfortunate situation for consumers because the supply situation is what it is due to the bird flu," Jason Hart, CEO of grocery chain Aldi, tells Axios.
State of play: Egg prices are climbing to new record highs daily, Karyn Rispoli, managing editor for eggs in the Americas for price-reporting service Expana, tells Axios.
A dozen large eggs in the Southeast and South Central "will be north of $7," while Midwest eggs are $6.95, Rispoli said Tuesday.
Brian Moscogiuri, a global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited, an egg supplier based in Irvine, California, told Axios that the "transactional values of eggs are as high as we've ever seen them."
"Some of the retailers are short because their suppliers have been directly impacted and their replacement cost is extremely high right now because there's not much egg to be had in the market," he said.
Meanwhile, Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, said demand "for eggs at retail has been exceptionally high for a sustained period, and failing to act quickly and identify new ways to fight [highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI] could mean continued challenges for customers and consumers who need the nutritious foods impacted."
What's next: Egg prices are expected to fly to new highs in the coming weeks and months.
Hart said Aldi is committed to keeping prices as low as possible on eggs, consistent with its general pricing philosophy. "We view ourselves as that shock absorber for the consumer, so wherever we can we hold the line" on prices, he said.
Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, told Axios in a statement that it "does not have a purchase limit on eggs, and although supply is very tight in some areas, we're working with suppliers to try and help meet customer demand."
What we're watching: It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will take any action in addition to efforts already underway to address the crisis.
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it would give Moderna approximately $590 million to accelerate bird flu vaccine trials.
The American Egg Board tells Axios it's eager to work with the Trump administration as farmers, distributors and retailers all grapple with egg shortages and price hikes.
Department of Agriculture representatives did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment from Axios.
Reality check: "There's no real silver bullet for this thing right now, outside of trying to stop the spread of the virus and get birds repopulated as quickly as possible," Moscogiuri said, adding that "farms are doing to their best of their ability."
"It's unlikely that the new administration will be able to bring about significant change in just a matter of weeks, especially when it comes to the bird flu itself," Rispoli said.
The bottom line: Eggs are considered safe to eat but don't expect them to get cheaper until bird flu is under control.
The Trump administration is directing agencies to move to close federal diversity, equity and inclusion offices and place DEI staff on paid leave by 5pm Wednesday ET ahead of being laid off.
The big picture: The memorandum that the Office of Personnel Management sent to federal agencies on Tuesday follows President Trump's signing of an executive order a day earlier to dismantle DEI initiatives within the federal government.
Details: The OPM's memo directs agencies to report on steps taken to implement the order by 12pm Thursday ET.
This includes providing a "complete list" of DEI offices and workers as of Election Day 2024, according to the memo.
The agencies must provide a written plan for "executing reduction-in-force action" for DEI employees by 5pm Friday ET, the memo says.
What they're saying: "President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a media statement.
This is another win for Americans of all races, religions and creeds. Promises made, promises kept."
Trump in Monday's order calling for the termination of all federal government DEI programs described the Biden administration initiatives to increase diversity, equity and inclusion as "illegal and immoral discrimination programs."
Zoom out: Companies have in recent months responded to Republican lawmakers and activists railing against DEI by rolling back programs.
The top Democrat on the DOGE subcommittee is ready to "fight back" against any attempts to dismantle federal agencies and programs like Social Security and Medicare, she told Axios on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), a former OMB staffer, is very skeptical that DOGE will live up to its public billing.
"All you need to do is see that they put [Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in charge of the committee to know that this is likely going to be very much a political committee," she said.
Driving the news: Stansbury was named the ranking member of the DOGE Subcommittee on Oversight, the congressional arm of the Elon Musk-led government department.
Stansbury said that there are "a lot of good government, bipartisan solutions" that she supports, including modernizing federal agencies and spending federal resources more efficiently.
She said that she has not yet spoken to her GOP counterpart since being named as the Democratic ranking member earlier on Tuesday.
Zoom out: Stansbury said that she will "fight back against efforts to dismantle federal agencies, to take away critical programs like Social Security and Medicaid and Medicare, we'll fight back against the dismantling of environmental programs."
She also said that she will "be on watch" to make sure that Musk, the billionaire founder of SpaceX, does not use his role in government to benefit his private companies.
The bottom line: Stansbury highlighted a number of executive orders that Trump signed on his first day in office, including reinstating his first-term Schedule F executive order and dismantling government diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within 60 days.
"These are the kinds of things that I'm prepared to fight back against and to lead Democrats in the battle to make sure that we're protecting the American people," she told Axios of her role with the new subcommittee.
President Trump pushed his top two leaders to play outside the lines in Tuesday's White House meetings.
Why it matters: Trump hasn't shown much interest in resolving the GOP's big internal fight over reconciliation strategy. But he's showing a high level of interest in how to gain leverage over the Democrats.
Trump urged Senate GOP leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to be ready to roll on recess appointments if Democrats gum up confirmations, Politico reports.
Trump told Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) that California wildfire aid could be good leverage to get the big debt limit hike he's been pushing.
After the meeting, Johnson disputed suggestions from reporters that the House and Senate were still divided on process, insisting they had "a plan pretty well formulated now.
Thune said the discussion was more focused on "what we can get done," he said. "We're obviously all interested in getting to the same destination."
That doesn't sound like identical readouts of the same meeting.
The bottom line: At this stage, the GOP trifecta seems to be spending more time admiring its problems than solving them.
President Trump on Tuesday announced billions in private sector investments to grow artificial intelligence in the U.S. and build massive new data centers for OpenAI.
The big picture: OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle and the UAE's MGX will convene under a joint venture called Stargate, and will commit $100 billion to start with a potential of up to $500 billion over four years.
The new company will create more then 100,000 American jobs, Trump said.
Stargate will open a data center project in Texas and later expand to other states.
Driving the news: "This monumental undertaking is a resounding declaration of confidence in America's potential under a new president," Trump said Tuesday.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Oracle founder and chairman Larry Ellison appeared with Trump at the White House for the announcement.
Son will serve as the company's chairman, according to an Oracle press release.
Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle and OpenAI are the initial technology partners, per the release.
Zoom out: The announcement comes a day after Trump signed an executive order rescinding a Biden-era executive order regulating AI.
Flashback: SoftBank's Son made a similar promise of $50 billion investment in Dec. 2016 on the eve of Trump's first term.
Our thought bubble: Trump will take credit for these spending commitments, but the rush to build AI data centers has been building for two years, and this money would likely have flowed regardless of who occupied the White House.
The big picture: This once-in-a-generation event for millions across the Gulf Coast has closed schools, government offices and roads across the region and caused massive flight delays and cancelations.
The scene in Eleanor Tinsley Park in Houston, Texas, on Jan. 21. Both this extreme weather event and the serious California fire weather threat, are tied to the polar vortex-related Arctic blast affecting the majority of the Lower 48 states. Photo: Danielle Villasana/Getty Images
Electrical workers in Galveston, Texas, on Jan. 21, as nearly 300 million people in the Lower 48 states were under some type of cold weather. Photo:Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
People at Eleanor Tinsley Park on Jan. 21, as the National Weather Service's Houston office noted on X there had been "many reports 2-4" of snowfall, with the highest reaching 6 inches" in the Houston-Galveston area. Photo: Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Statues covered in snow inside New Orleans Musical Legends Park on Bourbon Street , New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 21 during record snowfall. Photo: Michael DeMocker/Getty Images
The scene on Jan. 21, 2025 in Cayce, South Carolina, where 2 to 4 inches of snow was expected to fall. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Snowfall on Jan. 21 in Tallahassee, Florida, where the local NWS warned on X: "Heavy snow bands over the FL Panhandle into southeast AL w/ gusty winds of 25-30 mph could cause blowing snow and near whiteout conditions." Photo: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images
A CenterPoint Energy substation during a winter storm in Houston on Jan. 21, as the cold blast threatens electrical grids across Texas, where research shows there have been a rising number of extreme weather-related power outages over the past two decades,. Photo: Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Allen Toussaint Boulevard during the winter storm in New Orleans on Jan. 21. Over longer timescales, Freedman notes that studies suggest polar vortex shifts may be more likely due to human-caused climate change — though this is an area of active research. Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images
President Trump'snear-total pardon of Jan. 6 rioters was denounced by the Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the U.S., and the International Association of Chiefs of Police on Tuesday.
The big picture: The groups said they're deeply discouraged by pardons and commutations made by both the Biden and Trump administrations of individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers.
Driving the news: The groups said in a statement they firmly believe those convicted of such crimes should serve full sentences.
"Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families," per the statement.
"When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence," the unions said.
Between the lines: The group did not specifically mention which pardons they were referring to, but the only ones issued in the second Trump administration concerning such violent assaults involve Jan. 6.
Zoom in: Newly inaugurated Trump signed an executive order on Monday granting a "full, complete and unconditional pardon" to the vast majority of Jan. 6 defendants charged with participating in the Capitol riot four years ago.
Among the roughly 1,500 pardoned and 14 others whose sentences were commuted were leaders of the extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were convicted of the seditious conspiracy for their roles in the attack.
Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Representatives for Biden could not immediately be reached for comment.
Flashback: The Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
Immigration officials can raid churches and schools to arrest undocumented immigrants after the Trump administration scrapped a policy thatprotected sensitive spaces.
The big picture: President Trump has promised aggressive immigration crackdowns, and the latest directive signals the Department of Homeland Security will consider operations at sites previously deemed off-limits.
"Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest," DHSannounced Tuesday.
The policy, issued by Acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman, removes prior guidance to avoid so-called sensitive areas.
State of play: Trump, hours after being sworn in on Monday, issued executive orders that clear the way for the military to help combat illegal immigration.
He declared a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border, called for more barriers at the southern border and designated Mexican cartels as a terrorism threat.
Flashback: Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in a 2011 memo directed officers to avoid arrests, interviews, searches and surveillance at sensitive locations if possible.
Those locations included schools, hospitals, churches, synagogues, mosques, funeral sites, weddings, marches, rallies or parades.
Zoom out: Immigration advocacy groups in places like Chicago, which Trump has singled out for potential raids, are encouraging undocumented populations to learn their rights.
President Trump on Tuesday announced he signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the unlawful Silk Road marketplace who was convicted of drug trafficking charges.
The big picture: Trump vowed on the campaign trail to commute Ulbricht's sentence as he sought backing to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee from Libertarians, who view the Silk Road founder as a hero.
Flashback: Ulbricht was sentenced in 2015 to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted on charges that included distributing narcotics online.
What he' saying: Trump said on Truth Social that he called Ulbricht's mother to inform her of the pardon "in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly."
He added, "The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me."
It's one thing for the new President to support the blockchain industry, but veterans aren't so crazy about him joining their ranks.
Why it matters: The president-elect nominally making $50 billion on a crypto asset that didn't exist a day prior speaks to the industry's power — but there's growing debate within the community about a stain on crypto's burgeoning credibility.
The big picture: Just days before taking office, Trump launched the Official Trump meme coin, sparking immediate questions of whether it could be used as a vehicle to funnel money to the Trump Organization by people seeking to curry favor with the administration.
That said, it also brought a huge crush of new buyers into the market.
"Crypto changed forever last night," Udi Wertheimer, a blockchain entrepreneur tweeted the next day.
"I think the Trump coin represents one of the largest events in crypto history, without a doubt," Alon, a cofounder of Pump.fun, the biggest meme coin launching platform, tells Axios in an interview.
Others are more circumspect. "[The President] creating a bunch of meme coins and DeFi protocols opens the possibility to rampant violations of the emoluments clause," Nic Carter, an investor in the space and fan of the new president said on X.
When the Trump Organization endorsed decentralized-finance project World Liberty Financial back in August, Carter criticized that, too.
Echoing Carter, long-time crypto lawyer, Hailey Lennon, wrote on X, "I don't think Trump knows or cares what the ramifications of his meme coins are besides his short term personal profit."
And Lee Bratcher of the Texas Blockchain Council put out a statement this weekend saying, "in my subjective opinion it isn't" a healthy development.
Some are conflicted. "I'm 50:50 on this," Matti, a partner at Zee Prime Capital, tells Axios over Telegram.
Matti bases his whole investing strategy on the memetic nature of digital assets. He acknowledged the Trump token could make the industry look bad, but added that "it makes you feel crypto is truly part of the zeitgeist."
Meanwhile, Investor Maya Bakhai, general partner at Spice Capital, which has backed a meme trading app, Hype, tries to keep her eye on the retail investor, which she sees as diverging from the crypto illuminati right now.
To her, the president getting in makes meme coins credible. The negativity we're seeing today from other crypto investors, Bakhai pins on the fact that they missed so much of the meme coin boom.
Speaking to the financial risks for meme coin traders, Bakhai pushes back on those concerns. "If you think about retail, they know it's a gamble," she says. "They want to gamble."
By the numbers: The energy sparked by the Trump token is showing up on chain. In terms of volume, this has been the best month ever on the blockchain that the token runs on, Solana.
And it's clearly the new coin that's driving that. Daily volume had been around $4 billion or $5 billion a day through January, but Friday through Saturday were all over $30 billion daily.
On the other hand, overall daily volumes across the market look fairly normal still.
The intrigue: While the Trump token unquestionably enriched the President, at least on paper, its launch doesn't seem to have included a special handout to his blockchain fans.
The meme coin was released at the same time as a party for crypto leaders in D.C. ahead of the inauguration. Sources who were there tell Axios that there was no announcement of the new token at the event.
In other words, a lot of the best traders were away from their terminals when the token's price was lowest.
What we're watching: It's too early to predict possible political implications from the launch, although the first voices from official Washington are starting to weigh in.
House Financial Services Committee ranking member Maxine Waters (D.-Ca.) put out a statement Monday saying, "the launch and sale of this coin is yet another reason why all Americans and policymakers should exercise extreme caution on crypto."
That's notable, as Waters has been a crucial voice on the topic — one that has become tentatively willing to pass legislation in recent years.
The bottom line: The last thing the crypto lobby needs is for Democrats like her to get cold feet.
Fox News host Sean Hannity will interview President Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday. It's Trump's first Oval interview since returning to the White House.
Why it matters: Trump has hinted at shaking up the briefing room and allies have praised unconventional news sources. But his first sit-down is with a longstanding, well-known TV host on the president's beloved network.
The interview will be pre-taped and will air on Hannity's Wednesday night program, which starts at 9pm EST.
Trump is expected to discuss his second presidential term, recent executive orders and what to expect from the first 100 days, Fox exclusively confirmed to Axios.
Between the lines: Trump tapped 19 people for his administration who have worked for the news company at one point, according to an analysis by NPR.
Hannity's show averages 2.8 million viewers, the highest rated cable show for the hour.
Flashback: Trump gave his first TV interview to ABC's David Muir his first time around.
A small core of Senate Republicans — including former GOP leader Mitch McConnell — has denounced President Trump's near-blanket pardon of Jan 6 rioters.
Why it matters: These voices will be a distinct minority on Capitol Hill. Many Republicans are in lock-step with Trump, even over an issue as personal to lawmakers as Jan. 6.
McConnell (R-Ky.) told Semafor "no one should excuse violence. And particularly violence against police officers."
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said: "I've got concerns with any pardons for people who did any harm to police officers. Full stop. And I've also got serious concerns with all of the pardons by Biden."
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called Monday a "terrible day" for the Justice Department, citing the pardons by both Trump and former President Biden.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska): "I'm disappointed to see that and I do fear the message that is sent to these great men and women that stood by us," she told HuffPost.
Between the lines: Look to Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) as others who could criticize Trump on issues like the pardons.
That core group of GOP Senate resisters is the likeliest to break with Trump on a host of issues, including tariffs and TikTok.
President Trump began his pledge to give America a MAGA makeover Monday, taking a slew of executive actions to walk back Biden-era policies and fulfill bold campaign promises.
The big picture: Trump's radical expansion of executive power will dramatically change life for millions of people if the orders withstand the barrage of legal challenges that are already coming.
President Trump executive orders list 2025
What Trump's Day 1 executive orders do...
Immigration executive orders
Many of Trump's first orders curtail immigration at the southern border.
He promised mass deportations but hasn't detailed how he would implement, staff and fund such a massive, costly operation.
Trump declares national emergency at Mexico border
Trump declared an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, vowing to deploy troops to the region, including the National Guard. He also instructed the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to construct additional border barriers.
Trump designated "certain international cartels" and organizations, such as Tren de Aragua and MS-13, as foreign terrorist organizations and announced plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target them.
Trump suspended U.S. Refugee Admissions Program resettlements "until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States." Homeland Security will report back within 90 days whether resuming refugee entries would "be in the interests" of America.
Nearly 1,660 Afghans cleared by the U.S. to resettle in the country, including family of active-duty U.S. military personnel, had their flights canceled following Trump's orders, Reuters reported.
Trump also ordered Homeland Security to terminate "all categorical parole programs that are contrary to the policies of the United States established in my Executive Orders," including those for refugees fleeing Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Remain in Mexico policy
Trumpreinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy, ending a program that released asylum seekers into the U.S. while their cases were considered.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection website said Monday that appointments made through the CBP One app at certain border crossings have been canceled. Hours later, Trump nixed the program.
Trump empowered officials to "repeal, repatriate, or remove any alien engaged in the invasion" of the southern border.
Trump birthright citizenship executive order
One of his boldest moves was an attempt to end birthright citizenship for those born to undocumented immigrants.
Trump ordered agencies (starting 30 days after the order) not to recognize babies as citizens if their mothers were "unlawfully present" at the time of birth and their father was not a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
That also applies to children born to mothers who were lawful, temporary residents and fathers who were not citizens or lawful permanent residents.
Energy and environment executive orders
Trump declared a "national energy emergency," ordering expedited, deregulated drilling as he's repeatedly vowed to "drill, baby, drill."
One order specifically targets energy production in Alaska — rescinding former President Biden's protections around the state's coastal areas.
In a separate memorandum, Trump paused offshore wind leasing in federal waters.
"[T]he heads of all other relevant agencies, shall not issue new or renewed approvals, rights of way, permits, leases, or loans for onshore or offshore wind projects," pending a review of federal wind leasing, per the order.
Paris Climate treaty
State of play: He also signed an order withdrawing the U.S., the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Trump had pulled out of the pact during his first term, but Biden rejoined the deal in a Day 1 order of his own.
It takes a year to withdraw from the agreement, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.
Trump directed the Energy secretary to restart application reviews for liquefied natural gas export projects, which were paused by Biden over climate change concerns.
Tump also revoked a 2021 Biden executive order that set a goal for 50% of US vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.
Executive orders targeting DEI and transgender Americans
Trump established Monday that "it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female" on official documents.
"These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality," his executive order read.
Transgender Americans were a central target of Trump's often hyperbolic and outright false campaign trail messaging.
Zoom out: He also rescinded a Biden administration provision that allowed transgender people to serve in the military.
Trump did not immediately ban trans military personnel from serving, as he did under his first administration, but he paved the path to revive the ban.
Trump, as part of his crusade against what the GOP decries as "woke" culture, ordered the dismantling of government diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within 60 days.
It eliminates policies that established several diversity initiatives, Axios' Emily Peck reports, including one that widened sex discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
He required a full-time return to in-office work for federal employees and ordered a hiring freeze on government positions.
The hiring freeze does not apply to the military or "immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety."
He also reinstated his first-term Schedule F executive order, which could make it easier to fire civil servants deemed disloyal.
The order could strip employment protections from thousands of federal employees, Axios' Mimi Montgomery reports.
Employees are "not required to personally or politically support the current President" — but they must "faithfully implement administration policies to the best of their ability," the order said.
Jan. 6 pardons
Trump pardoned the vast majority of Jan. 6 defendants charged with participating in the Capitol riot and commuted the sentences of 14 others.
Among those were leaders of the extremist groups the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers.
"These are the hostages, approximately 1,500 for a pardon, full pardon," Trump said from the Oval Office on his first night as president.
Pardoning rioters was a prominent campaign pledge, but Trump had previously said recipients would be determined on a "case-by-case" basis.
Health executive orders: WHO, COVID and drug costs
Trump signed an orderpulling the U.S. from the World Health Organization, a process he started during his first term.
Monday's order said the U.S. will withdraw "due to the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic ... and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states."
Zoom out: Trumpalso rescinded a 2022 Biden order to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
TikTok extension, DOGE and more executive orders
Trump signed a number of other executive orders and actions. Those include:
Ensuring government agencies do not "unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen," highlighting what Trump and his allies considered censorship under Biden.
Ordering a review of trade practices and agreements.
Revoking security clearances of Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, and former intelligence officials who signed a letter discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop story.
Declaring that federal buildings should "respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage" to "beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States."
President Trump threatened to purge officers from the U.S. military upon returning to the White House, and his new administration has already started making leadership changes.
The big picture: The first woman to lead the U.S. Coast Guard has been relieved of her command, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Tuesday.
Driving the news: Adm. Linda Fagan was relieved of her duties because of "leadership deficiencies, operational failures and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the U.S. Coast Guard," a senior DHS official said in a statement to Axios.
The statement cites the Coast Guard's role in national border security and the fentanyl crisis, as well as shortfalls in recruitment and the guard's implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment on the shift. The U.S. Coast Guard referred questions to DHS.
Flashback: Former President Biden tappedFagan, a four-star admiral, to lead the Coast Guard in 2022 after she served as its second-in-command.
Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, who became the branch's vice commandant in June, is now serving as its acting commandant.
Zoom out: Trump and his Secretary of Defense nominee, Pete Hegseth, have blamed DEI initiatives and what they broadly call "wokeness" for undermining military readiness and effectiveness.
In a confirmation hearing earlier this month, Hegseth tried to distance himself from his past inflammatory claims about women in the military, specifically their service in combat roles.
Pope Francis offered President Trump his congratulations on returning to the White House, but called his plan to deport millions of immigrants from the U.S. a "disgrace."
Why it matters: American Catholics strongly supported Trump in the 2024 election. Trump will need their support for any mass deportation plans, but crucial parts are being opposed by Catholic leaders.
Francis sent Trump a message Monday that he's praying God "will grant you wisdom, strength and protection in the exercise of your high duties."
"Inspired by your nation's ideals of being a land of opportunity and welcome for all, it is my hope that under your leadership, the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just society, where there is no room for hatred, discrimination or exclusion."
Yes, but: Before sending him the message, Francis told an Italian TV program thatTrump's plans for mass deportations of immigrants would be a "disgrace," per the BBC.
Francis said that if the plans were implemented, Trump would make "poor wretches that don't have anything foot the bill."
"That's not right. That's not how you solve problems," he said.
Zoom in: Within hours of returning to the presidency, Trump signed several executive orders aimed at restricting immigration, which are already drawing fierce opposition and lawsuits.
One executive order calls for ending "birthright citizenship" — a concept promised by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — for those born to undocumented immigrants.
Another suspends refugee resettlements and expedites the removal of those who have sought asylum but don't meet the requirements.
Another sends troops to the southern border, including the National Guard.
The intrigue: A new Axios-Ipsos poll released Sunday found that most U.S. adults say they support mass deportations of immigrants living in the country illegally — but that enthusiasm quickly erodes when presented with options over how to carry them out.
Just 38% of Americans support using active-duty military to find and detain undocumented immigrants in U.S. cities and towns; and only 28% want to use money allocated for the military to pay for deportations.
Zoom out: A poll by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found that Trump won the white Catholic vote, 59% to 39%.
However, the PRRI poll found that Trump lost the Hispanic Catholic vote, 43% to 55%.
The wild gyrations of the Canadian dollar offer a valuable reminder to markets: There's what other people say Donald Trump will do, and what Donald Trump says he'll do.
Why it matters: The difference between the two can be worth billions of dollars.
Catch up quick: On Monday Trump's team gave the Wall Street Journal an early look at an executive order mandating tariff investigations — but not actually imposing tariffs.
Trump's team told the Journal he was approaching trade "in a measured way."
The Canadian dollar promptly rallied to its strongest levels in more than a month, as the specter of Trump's long-threatened tariffs eased.
Between the lines: It was the latest in a series of leaks and trial balloons out of his camp, all aimed at shifting the narrative: Trump's not actually going nuts with tariffs, this will all be strategic and targeted.
Yes, but: Then the cameras entered the Oval Office.
Even as Trump signed the "measured" order, he told onlookers he was considering imposing a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods on Feb. 1.
As quickly as the C$ had rallied, it fell right back down.
The chart above makes it clear: The U.S. dollar plunged against the Canadian dollar on the initial report, and then surged when Trump spoke. (Higher tariffs = stronger dollar, as research has shown.)
Zoom out: Anyone who follows Trump knows there's often a gulf between what people around him say he's thinking or doing, and what he ultimately says (or does).
He knows it too, and leans into it.
"Some of Trump's closest advisers would clearly like to limit the scope and size of those tariffs, but we suspect that Trump himself remains steadfast in his protectionist intentions and he will eventually win the internal debate," Capital Economics chief North America economist Paul Ashworth wrote Monday.
The intrigue: Which to believe: His aides, with their careful preparation; or the president, a legendary crafter of soundbites?
It's always been an open question, one without a clear answer, though on balance Trump does tend to get what he wants.
As Axios' Marc Caputo notes, the days of Trump's staff undercutting him and keeping him from doing what he wants appear over.
The bottom line: All the documents, briefings and plans in the world don't really matter much when Donald Trump has access to a TV camera.
President Trump on Monday issued pardons for nearly all of the defendants charged with participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — an unprecedented act of clemency.
Why it matters: In doing so, Trump absolved those who sought to undermine the democratic process. He also dashed a years-long effort by former President Biden's Justice Department to hold accountable those responsible for the deadly violence.
In addition the roughly 1,500 pardons, Trump also commuted 14 defendants' sentences.
The big picture: Trump himself was indicted after special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. However, the DOJ case was dismissed after Trump won the 2024 election.
In his final report, Smith drew a direct line between Trump and the rioters, saying the president had "inspired his supporters to commit acts of physical violence."
Here are the most notorious Jan. 6 defendants impacted by Trump's executive order.
Enrique Tarrio: ex-Proud Boys leader
One of the most well known rioters to receive a pardon is Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, the former leader of the right-wing extremist Proud Boys group.
Tarrio was sentenced in 2023 to 22 years in prison after being found guilty of engaging in seditious conspiracy related to the Jan. 6 riot, the longest prison sentence handed down in the Jan. 6 cases.
Seditious conspiracy is committed when two or more people in the U.S. conspire to overthrow, destroy, seize the property of or levy war against the U.S. government, or to prevent the execution of any U.S. law.
Zoom in: While Tarrio wasn't at the Capitol riot himself, prosecutors argued that he maintained command over the Proud Boys during that time and took credit for what unfolded on behalf of the group.
Tarrio's mother posted on X Monday night that her son was being released. "Tarrio is free!" she wrote.
Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2023 for seditious conspiracy, after he helped lead a plot to halt the certification of the 2020 election results.
Rhodes was released from prison early Wednesday morning, Reuters reported.
Trump pardons Proud Boys leaders
Three other Proud Boys leaders — Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Ethan Nordean — were all military veterans and Proud Boy leaders who had their sentences commuted by Trump.
Biggs and Rehl were sentenced for seditious conspiracy and other charges in their Jan. 6 cases, with Biggs was sentenced to 17 years in prison and Rehl to 15 years in prison.
Nordean was sentenced to 18 years in prison after also being found guilty of seditious conspiracy.
It was not immediately clear when the trio would be released.
Kelly Meggs: Oath Keepers leader
One of Rhodes' top deputies, Kelly Meggs, also had his sentence commuted by Trump.
Meggs, a former Florida leader of the Oath Keepers, had been sentenced to12 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other felonies.
His wife, Connie Meggs, also received a pardon for her role in the riot, per Reuters.
A once-in-a-generation snowstorm, tied to the polar vortex event across the Lower 48 states, is plastering the Gulf Coast with record-setting snow and ice on Tuesday.
Why it matters: This region isn't equipped to cope with heavy snow, particularly when it is accompanied by continued cold following the storm.
Situational awareness: At least 10 deaths have been reported in this rare winter storm.
Threat level: About 3 to 5 inches of snow fell in the Houston metropolitan area, and both the city's major airports shut down for the storm, as did city schools.
The National Weather Service forecast office in Houston-Galveston on Monday night described the storm as a "generational event" that is likely to eclipse the city's second-largest snowstorm on record.
The snow is moving east Tuesday, and is affecting coastal areas all the way to the Florida Panhandle and southern Carolinas.
New Orleans is also seeing its all-time snowiest day based on modern records taken at their current location. A whopping 10 inches fell across the city by Tuesday night.
Blizzard-like conditions were observed in the New Orleans metro area, with high winds and visibility down to a quarter-mile at times.
Snowfall reports ranged from about 5 inches just outside the city to as much as 9 inches already in Lafayette, with snowfall rates of at least an inch-per-hour at times.
This storm could shut down road and air travel along the coastal stretch from Houston to the Florida Panhandle for days due to the lack of snow plowing equipment and the region's inexperience with these winter hazards.
Any power outages or other cuts to basic services from the extreme cold and snow could also take days to restore.
Stunning stat: The snow that has fallen so far in New Orleans exceeds the January snowfall so far in the Twin Cities as well as Anchorage, Alaska.
Meanwhilein Southern California, strong offshore Santa Ana winds have prompted the highest category of red flag warnings for Tuesday.
And the Storm Prediction Center has issued an "extremely critical" fire weather outlook for parts of LA and Ventura Counties, as well as parts of San Diego County.
The threat may dissipate somewhat Tuesday afternoon local time, but more Santa Ana winds are on the horizon for later this week.
Zoom out: Both the snowstorms, as well as the serious California fire weather threat Tuesday, are tied to the polar vortex-related Arctic blast affecting the majority of the Lower 48 states.
Nearly 300 million people in the Lower 48 states were under some type of cold weather warning or advisory as of Tuesday morning.
In addition, the strip of winter storm and blizzard warnings stretching from South Texas to Jacksonville, Fla. is something rarely seen, as a low pressure area traverses the central Gulf of Mexico, directing abundant moisture northward, into the frigid air mass.
Why it matters: The world is a very different place today than in 2017, when Trump first moved to have the U.S. depart from the then-nascent agreement.
There may be sufficient momentum now in both the Paris regime as well as the burgeoning clean energy sector that this will make only a symbolic difference.
Zoom in: To have the U.S., which is the second-largest emitter behind China, exit the agreement even temporarily has the potential for other countries to start viewing the U.S. as an unreliable partner on climate and potentially other issues as well.
Last time the U.S. left, no other country followed that move. This time could be different, given the rightward, anti-climate policies tilt in some key countries.
However, the move also comes when clean energy innovation and deployment have hit new highs.
Between the lines: America's withdrawal from Paris doesn't take effect immediately, although the executive order notes the administration will treat it as such.
The executive order was written to be far-reaching, cutting off funding for the UN climate organization that oversees annual climate summits and facilitates activities under Paris and other climate agreements since 1992.
It would also squelch American contributions to international climate financing that would help countries adapt to climate impacts and boost clean energy production.
To become official, it takes one year after U.S. diplomats submit a document to the UN climate bureaucracy notifying them of an intent to withdraw (last time Trump withdrew, it took longer due to a feature in the then-young agreement's provisions.)
There are outstanding questions of whether the Trump administration will continue to send some representatives to the annual climate summits, as it did during his first term, or skip entirely.
The main beneficiary of a U.S. withdrawal and pro-fossil fuels policies domestically could be China, which already leads the U.S. in the clean tech space.
If the U.S.'s step back from international climate engagement results in a slower decline in global emissions, it would mean even worse climate impacts.
It would also ensure that the agreement's 2°C target, which many experts say is still feasible with rapid emissions cuts, could slip.
What they're saying: "There is no sugar-coating this — it will be harmful to global efforts to combat climate change, and so ultimately, also harmful to the future prosperity and security of U.S. citizens," said Kaveh Guilanpour of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, in a statement.
He noted, though, that the world has been here before, and the agreement survived.
