President-elect Trump's inner circle rushed to claim a report acknowledging that FBI informants (but not undercover agents) were present at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as proof of a baseless right wing belief that the bureau instigated the riot despite the report saying the opposite.

Why it matters: Vice President-elect Vance, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in their social media posts falsely conflated the FBI's acknowledgement that several informants were at the riot and even entered the Capitol with a long-running conspiracy theory that the FBI staged the attack to discredit then-President Trump. The report explicitly said that no FBI employees were present and that no FBI informants were authorized to participate.

• For years, right-wing media personalities and politicians have promoted the conspiracy theory.
• Musk's team didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
• Incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung did not answer Axios' questions when reached for comment.

Driving the news: The Justice Department's Inspector General put those theories to rest in a new report Thursday that shed new light on the activities of the FBI on the day of the insurrection.

• The bureau had no undercover employees at the U.S. Capitol or rally at the Ellipse that day, the report stated.
• The FBI did, however, have 26 informants in Washington, D.C., that day, some of whom were tasked with reporting on "domestic terrorism subjects."
• The informants were not authorized to enter the Capitol or other restricted areas or to break the law — or to encourage others to break the law, the report stated.
• Some of the informants nevertheless did enter the restricted areas, though none have been prosecuted for taking part in the violence.

The big picture: Although the report established the FBI was not involved in spurring the events of Jan. 6, members of Trump's incoming administration propped up the presence of the informants as proof of the exact opposite.

• "For those keeping score at home, this was labeled a dangerous conspiracy theory months ago," Vance wrote on X Thursday after reposting a story about the 26 informants.
• Musk, one of Trump's most powerful backers, reposted Vance's missive and wrote: "What's the difference between a 'right-wing conspiracy' and reality? About 6 months."
• Vivek Ramaswamy crowed on X that if someone had "uttered the facts" in the report a year ago, they would have been branded a "conspiracy theorist."
• "It's also notable that the IG report came out literally the day after Christopher Wray resigned," Ramaswamy added.

Zoom out: Many senior officials and cabinet members of the incoming Trump administration are steeped in supposed conspiracies about the very government agencies they're about to oversee.

• Trump himself — who has loudly promoted conspiracy theories about former President Obama and the 2020 election — has attempted to downplay the deadly Capitol riot, claiming a "peaceful transfer of power" took place after his 2020 loss.

Go deeper: Trump's conspiracy cabinet is about to take over the deep state

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

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Thursday evening published his first story for the newspaper since returning home from Russia.

Why it matters: Gershkovich was freed as part of a historic prisoner exchange in August after spending more than 16 months imprisoned in Russia.

The big picture: Before Thursday, Gershkovich's last story for the paper was on March 28, 2023 — just before he was detained by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the city of Yekaterinburg.

• The new story Gershkovich published Thursday alongside several of his colleagues is a deep dive into the spy unit responsible for his arrest, known as the Department for Counterintelligence Operations (DRKO).
• The DRKO is the "Kremlin's most elite security force" and "responsible for "surveilling, intimidating, or arresting foreigners and the Russians it suspects of working with them," Gershkovich and his colleagues wrote.

State of play: Gershkovich was the first journalist to be arrested and stand trial on espionage charges since the Cold War.

• The U.S. State Department officially declared him "wrongfully detained," as Gershkovich spent more than a year in pretrial detention, primarily at Moscow's infamous Lefortovo prison.
• In July, following a speedy closed door trial — resembling the sort of sham trials faced by other critics of the Kremlin — Gershkovich was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
• Weeks later, he was released alongside former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan as part of the largest prisoner exchange between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.

Go deeper:

• Russia frees Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan in major prisoner swap with U.S.
• Evan Gershkovich timeline: "Wrongfully detained" and on trial in Russia

Some of America's closest allies are melting down politically and sputtering economically, even before President-elect Trump takes office promising tariffs and unpredictability.

The big picture: South Korea's president impeached, warnings of economic crisis in Germany, an unprecedented government collapse in France — and that was just last week.

• Most of the world's leading democracies are struggling with significantly slower economic growth and persistently higher inflation than the U.S.
• Those economic struggles are reverberating politically. Remarkably, the German and French governments crumbled within a single month. Ruling parties also got walloped in parliamentary elections this year in the U.K., Japan and South Korea.

Breaking it down: President Biden's 37% approval rating looks stratospheric compared to some of his peers, many of whom are unlikely to last much longer.

• South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached Saturday after his strange and shocking declaration of martial law.
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is unlikely to survive snap elections in February.
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is running on fumes ahead of elections next year.

Enter, Trump.

• After years of hand-wringing around the world about his potential return — the lack of commitment to NATO and Ukraine, sweeping tariff threats — he's now hardly the biggest challenge some key allies face.

Still, his return could exacerbate the existing crises.

• If Trump follows through on his promise to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, it could push all three North American trading partners close to — or even into — recession, a new analysis from Oxford Economics found.
• The European Union would also struggle to absorb additional tariffs, given the already sluggish growth in its economic powerhouses, France and Germany.

Zoom in: Europe may also have to figure out how to bear the primary burden for arming Ukraine — and how to ensure its own security — if Trump equivocates on NATO's mutual defense pledge.

• Ditto for South Korea and Japan. In his first term, Trump pushed both East Asian allies to pony up more cash if they want U.S. troops to remain on their territory.
• America's intelligence partners won't necessarily find picks like Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence particularly reassuring.

The flip side: If you've lost a prime minister (like France) or have ousted your your president (like South Korea), you have less time to worry about who will be leading the Pentagon.

The bottom line: The U.S. is moving from "America is back" to "America first." But for the many crisis-stricken U.S. allies, America isn't the problem or the solution.

Go deeper:

• The U.S. economy comes out on top, IMF forecasts
• Trump's shadow presidency clouds Biden's final weeks
• Trump inherits a Middle East in flux

President-elect Trump said in his TIME "Person of the Year" interview out Thursday that he would be open to using camps to hold detained immigrants in the U.S.

Why it matters: Cracking down on undocumented immigrants, including via mass deportations, was a cornerstone pledge of Trump's 2024 campaign.

• But the details of how Trump will implement his sweeping immigration plans — and how the country will shoulder the economic burden and repercussions — remain murky.
• Trump in the TIME interview suggested deporting 21 million people, which would likely require an increase in detention centers to hold people suspected of being in the U.S. without authorization before they're deported.
• Americans are split on the idea of setting up encampments for undocumented immigrants, per an October survey.

Driving the news: Asked by TIME whether he would need to build more detention facilities to hold detained migrants, Trump said there "might be" more.

• "Whatever it takes to get them out. I don't care. Honestly, whatever it takes to get them out," he said.
• The president-elect continued: "If it needs new camps, but I hope we're not going to need too many because I want to get them out, and I don't want them sitting in camp for the next 20 years."
• Trump emphasized he'd act "absolutely within the confines of the law."

If receiving countries don't "take them back," Trump said, he'd employ one of his favorite punishments: He would "tariff those countries very substantially."

• He seemed to reject economists' view that deporting millions of migrant agricultural workers could trigger a spike in the price of goods, saying, "No, because we're going to let people in, but we have to let them in legally. We don't want people to come in from jails."

Zoom out: Trump said would prefer to deport families together rather than separate children from their parents, echoing a statement he made during his "Meet the Press" interview aired Sunday.

• Speaking to NBC's Kristen Welker, Trump suggested he'd boot families together, even if the children were in the country legally.

Go deeper: Trump confirms plans to use military for mass deportations

FBI Director Chris Wray announced Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Biden's term, the FBI confirmed to Axios.

Why it matters: Wray was appointed by President-elect Trump in 2017 for the typical 10-year term. However, in recent years he has come under intense criticism from Trump and his allies.

• Last month, Trump announced his intent to appoint hardline loyalist Kash Patel to replace Wray.

The big picture: Wray told FBI staffers during a townhall Wednesday that the decision to step down was "not easy," but that he had chosen to do so to "avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray."

• His departure, Wray said, would "keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you're doing on behalf of the American people every day."

State of play: Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly criticized Wray for his handling of issues relating to both the president-elect and Biden.

• Last year, House Republicans threatened to hold Wray in contempt of Congress over access to a 2020 document purportedly containing allegations about the Biden family — though they ultimately backed away from the effort.
• In July, Trump called on Wray to resign from his post for allegedly lying about Biden's mental competency.
• During an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, Trump said he was not "thrilled" with Wray, who he said had "invaded" his home — a reference to the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago for classified documents.

What they're saying: Trump reacted jubilantly to the news Wednesday, writing in a Truth Social post that Wray's resignation would be "a great day for America."

• "Kash Patel is the most qualified Nominee to lead the FBI in the Agency's History, and is committed to helping ensure that Law, Order, and Justice will be brought back to our Country again," Trump added.

What's next: If Patel is confirmed as Wray's replacement, it will be an affront to the intelligence community.

• Patel, who served in Trump's National Security Council during his first term, has echoed Trump's calls to clean out the so-called "Deep State" and outlined drastic changes to the FBI.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details and context throughout.

Americans should strive to eat less meat and saturated fats, while upping their intake of fiber-rich legumes, fruits and vegetables, according to new recommendations issued Tuesday by a panel of nutrition experts.

Why it matters: The fresh recommendations build on existing evidence that foods like red meat, and the overconsumption of salty and sugary foods, can be linked to health risks.

• More than half of American adults struggle with chronic health conditions — like type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease — for which unhealthy diets are a risk factor, according to the introduction to the new Scientific Report from the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC).

The big picture: The DGAC's recommendations will help inform the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) as they craft the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, per a USDA press release.

• These guidelines are set to be published in late 2025.
• "The Dietary Guidelines serve as the foundation for national nutrition programs, standards, and education ... they help HHS, USDA, and others in the federal government to tailor our policies to best serve the American people," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the press release.

Saturated fats

Reducing consumption of saturated fats has been one of the DGAC's "most consistent recommendations" since its first guidelines were issued in 1980, per the report.

• However, the new report did not take a stance on consuming ultra-processed foods, which studies have shown can be linked to adverse health effects, prompting an outcry from some health experts, the Washington Post reported.

Zoom in: For instance, the report acknowledged that replacing butter with healthier vegetable oils "may be associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality" but deemed evidence supporting this "limited."

Protein

Given that red meat is high in saturated fat, the report outlined recommended substitutions.

• The report highlighted the benefits of replacing red meat with "plant sources of protein" — including beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds — as well as whole grains and vegetables. These plant-based options are also higher in fiber.
• "No benefit for cardiovascular disease risk was identified when red meat was substituted or replaced with other food sources of saturated fat, including white meat or eggs," the report stated.

Beverages

The DGAC recommended that plain drinking water be Americans' "primary beverage."

• Secondarily, it approved of "unsweetened fat-free and low-fat dairy milk and unsweetened fortified soy beverages."
• However, the report recommended Americans limit their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.

What's next: A 60-day public comment period on the report will commence Thursday.

• The public will also be able to provide oral comments on the report's recommendations at a hearing on Jan. 16, 2025.

Go deeper: FDA applying new limits to the term "healthy" on food products

Just 2 in 10 Americans surveyed this month said they approve of President Biden's decision to issue a sweeping pardon for his son, according to an AP-NORC poll out Wednesday.

Why it matters: The controversial move, which Biden had previously said he would not make, drew bipartisan backlash from lawmakers in Congress and appears to have frustrated a large swath of the American public, per the poll.

The big picture: Only 22% of Americans approve of the president's decision to pardon Hunter Biden, AP reported.

• That figure is higher among Democrats (38%) and lower among Republicans (7%); 12% of independents said they approve of the pardon.
• Overall, 51% of Americans say they disapprove of the pardon, while another 18% say neither approve nor disapprove.
• About a quarter of Democrats surveyed said they disapprove of the decision, while 80% of Republicans said the same.

Driving the news: Biden issued the pardon for his son this month for any crimes "he has committed or may have committed" between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024.

• The decision reversed Biden's previous promises that he wouldn't pardon or commute his son's sentence.
• The president issued the pardon shortly before Hunter was scheduled to face sentencing for his conviction on felony gun charges and his guilty plea on felony tax charges.

Zoom out: The pardonhas particularly irked Congressional Democrats, some of whom feel the decision ceded the moral high ground that has buttressed the party's identity in the Trump era.

• Members of Congress from both parties have since inundated the president with requests for additional pardons.

Methodology: The nationwide poll of 1,251 adults was conducted December 5-9, 2024 using the AmeriSpeak® Panel, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. The margin of sampling error is ±3.7 percentage points.

Go deeper: Biden hits a low point with House Democrats

Even before police arrested Luigi Mangione in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, some on the internet were hailing him as a 21st-century Robin Hood.

The big picture: Mangione's arrest has done little to slow the internet's lionization of him, but Thompson's death has spurred online vitriol toward the insurance industry and a tsunami of memes celebrating the suspect.

• "Luigi Mangione serves face as he is led into court!" Luigi Mangione Updates, a fan account, wrote a post on X Monday alongside a photo of the suspect being escorted by police.
• Another X user posted a winking joke about Mangione's Italian heritage, writing: "Luigi Mangione: i hata paying da premiums, i shoota da ceo" alongside a movie gif of Robert De Niro.
• As more photos of Mangione began to circulate online, so too did a fancam video edit.
• On Instagram, influencers and others looking for clout began tagging an account that seemingly belonged to Mangione, The Cut reported.

The latest: Mangione was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania Monday and subsequently charged with murder in connection with Thompson's killing.

• Law enforcement officials said Mangione was carrying a ghost gun and fake IDs when he was arrested, as well as a handwritten document that criticized corporations and health insurance companies.

State of play: Over the weekend, before Mangione was named a person of interest, the internet collectively swooned for the "hot assassin" after CCTV images showing part of his face were released.

• Others cracked jokes after police discovered a backpack allegedly belonging to the shooter that was filled with monopoly money.
• UnitedHealthcare was forced to turn off Facebook comments after a post about Thompson's death received more than 36,000 "laugh" reactions, the New Yorker reported.

Zoom in: After authorities said shell casings had been found at the crime scene etched with the words "deny," "defend" and "depose" — referring to tactics the insurance industry has used to avoid paying claims — the words became a rallying cry.

• On TikTok, folk singer Joe DeVito went viral after posting a song with a chorus that included the phrase.
• Merchandise, including sweatshirts, wine tumblers and hats emblazoned with the words, began making their way around online storefronts, though some have since been removed, the Washington Post reported.

Zoom out: The public's reaction to Thompson's killing has highlighted the avarice and inequality that many Americans believe is at the root of the country's health care system.

• For as many jokes internet users cracked casting the suspected shooter as a "folk hero," others pointed to the systemic wealth inequality governing a society in which UnitedHealthcare reported over $16 billion in operating profits in 2023.

Go deeper: UnitedHealth CEO's killing unleashes social media rage against insurers

President-elect Trump on Friday defended his embattled Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth as his path to Senate confirmation appears in jeopardy.

Why it matters: Trump had remained conspicuously silent over the past few weeks as his Pentagon pick became embroiled in mounting scandals that threatened to tank his nomination.

• While Hegseth denied negative news reports and repeatedly claimed to still have Trump's full backing, the president-elect was reportedly considering backup options.

What he's saying: Trump's social media message Friday is the first public comment he's made in support of Hegseth, whom he said was "doing very well."

• "His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe," Trump wrote, praising Hegseth's "military state of mind."
• "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" Trump added.
• Vice President-elect JD Vance also chimed in on X Friday, writing that "we're fighting for Pete Hegseth ... because Pete Hegseth wil fight for our troops."

The big picture: Hegseth has faced allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement and excessive drinking that have left multiple GOP Senators with reservations about his nomination.

• One of his top skeptics is Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran and sexual violence survivor, who has emerged as a key vote in determining the viability of Hegseth's nomination and has not yet committed to supporting him.
• If Hegseth is forced to withdraw, he would be the second Trump nominee to do so amid sexual misconduct allegations, after former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general last month.

Go deeper: What to know about Pete Hegseth, Trump's embattled pick for Defense secretary

Nearly 100 former national security officials signed a letter to Senate leaders raising concerns about President-elect Trump's nomination of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence.

Why it matters: Gabbard is yet another controversial Trump Cabinet pick who faces a rocky path to secure Senate confirmation.

• Her most infamous controversy is a 2017 trip to Syria, when she met Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. She subsequently declared that Assad — the Russia-and Iran-backed leader accused of using chemical weapons against his own civilians — was "not the enemy."

Driving the news: In a letter addressed to incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and current Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the officials said they were "alarmed" by Trump's nomination of Gabbard.

• The former officials urged Thune and Schumer to hold closed-door hearings to review "all information available to the U.S. government" regarding Gabbard.
• "Several of Ms. Gabbard's past actions call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus," the letter stated.
• The letter highlighted both Gabbard's trip to Syria as well as her statements about debunked claims about Ukraine.
• "Her sympathy for dictators like Vladimir Putin and Assad raises questions about her judgement and fitness," the letter added.

The big picture: As director of national intelligence, Gabbard would be tasked with overseeing 18 agencies, including the CIA and FBI.

• The former officials added that if confirmed, Gabbard would be the "least experienced" person to hold the position since the role was created, noting her lack of executive branch and managerial experience.

Go deeper: What to know about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for national intelligence director

Tech titans with billions at stake are scrambling for access and influence with President-elect Trump in the wake of his reelection.

Why it matters: Trump's victory will have enormous consequences for the tech industry — particularly the nascent AI boom — as it grapples with federal regulations and antitrust efforts.

• The Big Tech CEOs who rushed to congratulate Trump after his victory have steadily worked to insinuate themselves into his orbit since then.
• Most recently, Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos told the New York Times DealBook Summit Wednesday that he's "very optimistic" about Trump's second term and his deregulatory agenda.
• Trump "seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation," Bezos said. "And my point of view is, if I can help him do that, I'm going to help him."

The big picture: Trump has frequently had an adversarial relationship with tech industry titans, previously lambasting Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Bezos' Amazon, and Google.

• In a sign of changes to come, Trump's second presidential campaign was bolstered by one of the tech industry's biggest heavyweights — Elon Musk.
• Musk is now set to play a role in the new Trump administration, helping lead the advisory panel the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

State of play: Bezos isn't the only tech titan cozying up to Trump. Late last month, Meta CEO Zuckerberg dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

• Zuckerberg has been "very clear about his desire to be a supporter of, and a participant in, this change that we're seeing all around America," Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy Stephen Miller told Fox News last week.
• Venture capital billionaire Marc Andreessen, who donated to Trump's campaign and spent Election Night at Mar-a-Lago, is helping recruit staff for Musk's DOGE advisory panel, the Financial Times reported.
• Billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel told Bari Weiss' "Honestly" podcast after the election that Musk's embrace of Trump helped many in Silicon Valley feel safe publicly supporting him.

Go deeper:

• Trump 2.0 will face Big Tech antitrust test
• Tech leaders line up behind Trump

President-elect Trump announced Wednesday that he has nominated Jared Isaacman, billionaire and commercial astronaut, as the next head of NASA.

Why it matters: Isaacman is a close associate of Elon Musk, who has emerged as one of Trump's biggest backers, and his selection is a boon for Musk's company SpaceX.

• Though he lacks government experience, Isaacman will be one of the rare NASA administrators who has been to space, having flown on SpaceX missions.

Driving the news: "Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday.

• Trump touted Isaacman's achievements as the founder of Shift4, a payment processing company, and the co-founder of Draken International, a private air defense firm.
• Isaacman wrote on X Wednesday that he was honored to receive the nomination and looked forward to helping "usher in an era where humanity becomes a true spacefaring civilization."

The big picture: In 2021, Isaacman led the first all-civilian mission to space on a chartered flight with SpaceX.

• Earlier this year, he led the Polaris Dawn mission as SpaceX's crew of civilian astronauts conducted the first commercial spacewalk.
• NASA has significant ties to SpaceX, relying on the company's rocket launches to take astronauts into space and bring supplies to the International Space Station.

Our thought bubble: The 2021 all-civilian mission was a proof-of-concept that the workforce needed to support visions of thousands — if not millions — of people living and working in space wouldn't require professional astronauts and government resources.

• But some people fear focusing on space as a business will come at a cost to science and exploration, which are central to NASA's mission.

President-elect Trump is considering replacing Pete Hegseth — his current nominee to lead the Defense Department — with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, multiple outlets reported.

Why it matters: Hegseth's path to confirmation appears in jeopardy. Some Senate Republicans have expressed reservations about the Fox News host after a sexual assault allegation against him resurfaced last month.

• If four Republicans withhold their support, Hegseth's nomination would founder — a prospect that could preempt his withdrawal.

Driving the news: Trump and DeSantis have personally discussed the possibility of DeSantis replacing Hegseth as the Defense Secretary nominee, The Bulwark's Marc Caputo, who is joining Axios in 2025, reported.

• DeSantis is reportedly "receptive" to the idea, The Bulwark reported.
• The discussion comes as Trump is reportedly concerned that Hegseth won't secure the necessary GOP support to be confirmed.
• Other than DeSantis, Trump is also weighing former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby and Sen. Joni Ernst (R–Iowa), a combat veteran, as replacement nominees, the Wall Street Journal reported.

DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Catch up quick: In addition to the sexual misconduct allegation, Hegseth is facing allegations of financial mismanagement, the New Yorker reported.

• Several of his Fox News colleagues have also raised concerns about his drinking habits, NBC News reported, citing unnamed sources.
• Hegseth's lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, told Axios Wednesday that the allegations about Hegseth's alcohol use were "entirely false."

Flashback: Trump and DeSantis haven't always seen eye-to-eye.

• DeSantis ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary before dropping out and endorsing him.
• The Florida governor criticized Trump's handling of the COVID pandemic as well as his flip-flopping on abortion.
• Trump has repeatedly attacked DeSantis for being insufficiently loyal. He also gave him the disparaging nickname "Ron DeSanctimonious."

Go deeper: Hegseth police report detailing alleged sexual assault released

A lightning offensive in Syria that began late last month successfully toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime this weekend, after 14 years of civil war.

Why it matters: Though Syria's future remains uncertain, the collapse of the regime is sure to send shockwaves through the Middle East. It could also have vast implications for Assad's allies — Russia and Iran — who, though recently bogged down by other conflicts, helped Assad stay in power for years.

The big picture: The Syrian civil war began during the Arab Spring in 2011 after Assad forcefully cracked down on anti-government protests.

• More than 14 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes as a result of the war, with millions becoming refugees abroad, according to the United Nations.
• The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a human rights group based in the U.K., estimated last year that more than 600,000 people had been killed during the war.
• Assad infamously used chemical weapons against his own civilians.

What do we know about the offensive?

A coalition of armed rebel groups launched the offensive in late November and in a matter of days retook nearly all of Aleppo, Syria's second biggest city's and the country's economic capital.

• That was both a symbolic and strategic victory for the rebels. Assad's capture of Aleppo in 2016 was seen as a turning point that pushed the war in his favor.
• The rebels also captured other areas of Northwest Syria in the Idlib and Hama provinces.

State of play: The rebels then pushed onward towards Hama city — located between Aleppo and the capital, Damascus — liberating towns along the way, even as Russia and Syria targeted the rebels with airstrikes.

• The rebels continued to press forward, retaking the cities of Homs and Daraa, as they advanced on Damascus with no meaningful resistance from government forces. In the face of their advance, Syrian regime forces in some places abandoned their posts or fled for Iraq.
• On Sunday, the rebel groups officially seized control of Damascus and declared it "free."

Zoom in: President-elect Trump on Saturday urged the U.S. to not intervene as the rebels advanced on Damascus.

• Trump wrote on Sunday in a Truth Social post that Assad had fled Syria because Russia "was not interested in protecting him any longer."

What has happened since

The rebel offensive's success officially ended 53 years of rule by the Assad family in Syria.

• Assad and his family have fled Syria and been granted political asylum in Moscow, Russian state media reported Sunday.
• After the collapse of the regime, Israel recaptured territory on the Syrian side of the Syria-Israel border in the Golan Heights in what Israel said was a temporary security measure.
• The U.S. carried out airstrikes in Syria targeting Islamic State camps and operatives. U.S. Central Command said Sunday the strikes were mean to "ensure that ISIS does not seek to take advantage of the current situation" in the country.
• The U.S. is also working with other countries in the Middle East to ensure the Assad regime's chemical weapons stockpiles are responsibly destroyed or secured.

Who are the rebels?

The opposition fighters are a patchwork of rebel groups, some of whom have been opposed to each other at different points of the war, the New York Times reported.

• However, they're now united under the leadership of Hayʼat Tahrir ash-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist opposition group backed by Turkey and designated a terrorist organization by the U.S.
• HTS — under the banner of its leader Abu Mohammad al Jolani — is the successor organization to former Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and has long held power in much of Idlib province, per the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
• Another umbrella group in the rebel forces is the Syrian National Army (SNA), a coalition of Turkish-backed forces who have captured the city of Tel Rifaat, per CSIS.
• Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are a coalition of primarily Kurdish-led militias, who were backed by the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State. The SDF, which has previously clashed with the SNA, claimed Tuesday to have captured seven villages from government control, though state media denied the reports, per AP.

Why is this happening now?

The fresh offensive comes as Assad's main backers in the war have become embroiled in other conflicts.

• "For many years the Syrian government has been engaged in this civil war, backed by three main players: Iran, Russia and Hezbollah. All three of those players have been distracted and weakened by conflicts elsewhere," U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, alluding to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Zoom in: U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement Saturday that the U.S. was "closely monitoring the situation" but that it had "nothing to do with this offensive."

• The Biden administration, he added, urged de-escalation.

Go deeper: Toppling of Assad transforms Middle East after year of chaos

Editor's note: This story was updated with new developments.

President Biden sent shockwaves through Washington Sunday night when he issued a pardon of his son Hunter — a move he'd previously vowed he wouldn't make.

Why it matters: Biden's pardon for his son is the most sweeping presidential pardon in decades, since then-President Ford issued a blanket pardon for former President Nixon, Politico reported.

• His decision infuriated Republicans and raised questions regarding the precedent that it could set for future presidents.

Yes, but: Biden is far from the only president to have issued a pardon for a family member or close ally.

Donald Trump

President-elect Trump is no stranger to controversial pardons. He issued one for Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, at the end of his first term.

• Kushner had pleaded guilty in 2004 to filing false tax returns, retaliating against a witness and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission as part of a prosecution by then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.
• He was sentenced to two years in prison and served 14 months, per the Washington Post.
• After being pardoned by Trump in 2020, Kushner was recently announced as Trump's pick for ambassador to France.

Some of Trump's friends and allies also received pardons at the end of his first term.

• In the final hours of his presidency, he pardoned his former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who was facing federal criminal charges stemming from a scheme to privately finance a southern border wall.
• Trump also issued last-minute pardons for his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and longtime associate Roger Stone.

Bill Clinton

Former President Clinton issued a presidential pardon for this half-brother Roger Clinton on his last day in office.

• Roger Clinton had pleaded guilty to drug charges in 1985 and spent a year in prison, but the pardon cleared his criminal record, the Washington Post reported.

Zoom out: Clinton's pardon of his relative was less controversial than his pardon of the financier Marc Rich, per CNN.

• Rich was an international fugitive who had fled to Switzerland to escape prosecution for tax evasion, racketeering, and wire fraud.
• Rich's ex-wife had donated over $1 million to Democrats and Clinton's presidential library, raising questions about the pardon, NBC News reported.
• Clinton also issued a pardon for Susan McDougal, his former business partner at the Whitewater Development Corporation.

Gerald Ford

One of the most defining moments of former President Ford's presidency came when he decided to pardon former President Nixon in the wake of Watergate.

• In September 1974 — just weeks after taking office — Ford announced that he would "grant a full, free and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon."
• The two men had been close friends and political allies.

Go deeper: Why Biden pardoned Hunter: Guilty feelings, family solidarity

President-elect Trump made instituting sweeping tariffs one of the cornerstone pledges of his 2024 campaign, a move experts warn could lead to price hikes for many everyday goods.

Why it matters: Voters' frustration with the economy pushed many to support Trump, but experts warn levying tariffs could reignite inflation and even spark a trade war.

Driving the news: In social media posts Monday, Trump announced a tranche of new tariffs on the U.S.' top three trading partners — Canada, Mexico and China.

• Trump said that on his first day in office he would sign "all necessary documents" to charge a 25% tariff on all goods coming from Canada and Mexico.
• He also added that imports from China be levied a 10% tariff "above any additional Tariffs."

Between the lines: On the campaign trail, Trump had floated proposals to impose 10% or 20% tariffs on all imports, as well as a 60% tariff on all Chinese imports.

• Ed Brzytwa, the Vice President of International Trade at the Consumer Technology Association, told Axios Tuesday that the situation remains "unpredictable," and while the tariff on China is lower than anticipated, more tariffs could be announced down the line.
• "We're still anticipating that he wants to follow through on 60%," if not higher, Brzytwa said.

The big picture: Because of the integration of the North American market, tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports could lead to "massive supply chain disruptions," according to Brzytwa.

• He called it "a recipe for disaster for the North American economy" and U.S. consumers.
• The National Retail Federation warned in a statement Tuesday that "lower prices and increased tariffs are mutually exclusive. It's one or the other; not both."
• "Blanket and indiscriminate tariffs on a limitless range of consumer goods will be inflationary and hurt American families and workers," the NRF added.

A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

Zoom out: Many retailers — including Walmart and Lowe's — have already indicated they might raise prices for consumers if tariffs are implemented.

• Others have begun stocking up on inventory to navigate the new tariff regime.

Mexico

Mexico is the U.S.' largest trading partner, with the U.S. importing almost $400 billion worth of goods from Mexico from January through September of this year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

• The U.S.' top imports from Mexico are cars, car parts, computer equipment, oil and gas, and electrical equipment, per the Congressional Research Service.
• The U.S. also imports a significant amount of alcohol and furniture from Mexico, CNN reported.

Canada

According to U.S. government data from 2022, the U.S imports more than $400 billion worth of goods from Canada per year.

• The U.S.' top import from Canada is crude oil and other energy-related imports, like petroleum gas and coal.
• The U.S. has been steadily growing its imports of Canadian crude oil over the past few decades and in July 2024 imports reached a record high of 4.3 million barrels per day, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said last month.
• But the U.S. also imports leather goods, plastics, iron and steel from Canada.

China

The U.S. is the largest destination market for Chinese exports, buying about 15% of everything it sends out, according to the research firm Trading Economics's 2023 data.

• The U.S. imports a significant amount of electronics from China, including smartphones and computers.
• It also imports a great deal of machinery, toys, sports equipment, furniture, footwear, clothing and textiles from China.

Go deeper:

• Trump promises Day 1 tariffs on Canada and Mexico, plus higher China levies
• Mexico's president would impose retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump's plan
• Trump's tariffs: How they work, and who would pay
• These retailers may raise prices if Trump's tariffs take effect

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro believes President-elect Trump's electoral victory has set the stage for his own political comeback — and he wants Trump to use his influence to help restore his eligibility to run in 2026.

Why it matters: More than perhaps any other leader, Bolsonaro borrowed from the Trump playbook, most recently by refusing to concede an election defeat. He's arguing that Trump's return will help power a resurgence of international hard-right populism.

The big picture: Bolsonaro's Trump-style claims that Brazil's voting machines might be rigged against him led the country's highest elections court in 2023 to ban him from holding office for eight years. That would preclude him from running in the 2026 presidential election.

• However, Bolsonaro told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published Friday that he plans to register for the 2026 election anyway and expects Trump to help him.
• Bolsonaro suggested that Trump could wield his influence — possibly via sanctions — to pressure Brazil to delay enforcement of the court ruling.

What they're saying: "Trump is back, and it's a sign we'll be back too," Bolsonaro told the Journal.

• In an unsubtle nod to Trump, the former president told the Journal that it was "time for MAAGA — Make All Americas Great Again."

Zoom out: Bolsonaro's remarks came just days after Brazilian police accused him helping plot a coup over his 2022 election loss to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

• Bolsonaro's implication in the plot follows an investigation into whether Bolsonaro incited a riot by his supporters in January 2023, when they stormed the presidential palace and other government buildings.
• Bolsonaro has previously denied playing a role in the riot.

Go deeper: Brazil police accuse ex-president of coup plot

Retailers small and large are urging their customers to buy their merchandise before President-elect Trump's tariff plans become a reality.

Why it matters: As Americans gear up for the holiday shopping season, the looming threat of tariffs has imbued their to-buy lists with a sense of urgency. Higher tariffs typically mean higher prices for consumers.

Driving the news: Trump announced a slate of forthcoming tariffs earlier this week targeting the U.S.' top three trading partners — China, Mexico and Canada.

• Trump promised to impose a a 25% tariff on all goods coming from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% tariff on imports from China "above any additional Tariffs."
• Tariffs were one of Trump's cornerstone campaign pledges. He previously floated the possibility of imposing 10% or 20% tariffs on all imports, as well as a 60% tariff on all Chinese imports.

State of play: Even before Trump's announcement this week, retailers have been using the prospect of tariffs to urge customers to shop.

• J&J Sports Service, a customer fishing rod seller based in Maryland, implored customers to "buy now" in a Facebook post earlier this month, noting that the coming tariffs are "not a joke."
• Furniture retailer Finally Home Furnishings issued a similar warning in a Facebook post earlier this month advertising a "pre-tariff sale."
• "This is not a drill. The very same items you are seeing now will be double the price once the tariffs kick in. This is not speculation. We went through this 4 years ago," the furniture retailer wrote.

Zoom in: Some small businesses and artists are doing the same.

• Etsy seller Buzzy Park, who sells handmade bamboo picture frames, also urged customers in a Facebook post this month to advertise a pre-tariff sale.
• "Hurry and get them at their current prices before they'll be both unaffordable and unobtainable in the future," Park wrote.
• Artist Anthony Ruiz, who makes custom stickers and pins, urged viewers on TikTok to take advantage of a pre-tariff sale. Once the tariffs go into place, he expects the price of a 2-inch pin to jump from $10 to $17, Ruiz told the Wall Street Journal.

The big picture: Big name retailers like Walmart, Lowe's and Best Buy have already warned the tariffs could force them to raise prices for consumers.

• Others have begun stocking up on inventory to navigate the new tariff regime.

Between the lines: The push to "buy now" happens to coincide with a historically short holiday shopping season, where every additional dollar is crucial to retailers.

• The National Retail Federation already forecast that holiday sales growth this year could be the lowest in at least six years.

Go deeper: Trump's tariffs: How they work, and who would pay

President-elect Trump used Thanksgiving as an opportunity to attack "Radical Left Lunatics" while outgoing President Biden emphasized gratitude in his final holiday message as president.

Why it matters: Trump made punishing "enemies within" central to his reelection bid, which saw Republicans rewarded with control of both chambers of Congress and the presidency.

• Trump's Thanksgiving message shows he feels no need to strike a more conciliatory tone as he returns to the White House.
• Biden has promised Trump a peaceful transition of power, while Trump has vowed to roll back many of the Biden administration's achievements.

State of play: "Happy Thanksgiving, America. May we use this moment to take time from our busy lives and focus on what matters most: our families, our friends, our neighbors, and the fact that we've been blessed to live in America, the greatest country on Earth," Biden wrote on X Thursday.

• In a separate video message, he said he and First Lady Jill Biden were "grateful for the trust you put in us these past four years."
• "It's been the honor of our lives to serve you in the White House," he added.

The other side: In contrast to Biden's nonpartisan message, Trump took time in his Thanksgiving message to boast about his "landslide victory" in November.

• "Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country, but who have miserably failed," Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.
• He also offered a separate Thanksgiving post of a photo of himself with a law enforcement officer.

Go deeper: What Biden can do as a lame duck president

Four top leaders of Vice President Harris' campaign defended their strategy and largely attributed her loss to "headwinds" beyond their control in their first post-election interview on Pod Save America.

Why it matters: Democrats are in soul searching mode, trying to establish why they lost and how to right the ship. The Harris campaign chiefs offered several explanations but none based on mistakes they or their candidate made.

• They defended the overall strategy, from how the campaign spent its billion dollar war chest to the main themes it decided to focus on.

What they're saying: "This political environment sucked. We were dealing with ferocious headwinds, and I think people's instinct was to give the Republicans and even Donald Trump another chance," said Harris campaign senior advisor David Plouffe.

• Plouffe mentioned President Biden's unpopularity, the short campaign timeline, concerns over inflation and the fact that "it's really hard for Democrats to win battleground states" because they need to dominate among moderates to reach 50%.
• "The fact that we got the race to a dead heat was a good thing," Plouffe said, "but we didn't get the breaks we needed on Election Day."
• Campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon pointed out that the battleground states the campaign focused on saw a smaller rightward shift than the rest of the country.
• "We needed it to be better than that, and perhaps if we had more time we could have done that," O'Malley Dillon said.

The big picture: Plouffe rejected the idea that the campaign focused too much on the cons of electing President-elect Trump versus the pros of Harris, arguing the campaign was effective boosting her favorability rating.

• Plouffe also rejected the idea that campaigning with former Rep. Liz Cheney and focusing on winning over disillusioned Republicans in the closing weeks hurt turnout among progressives.
• O'Malley Dillon pushed back on the notion Harris hadn't done enough to distance herself from Biden, arguing the campaign "focused from the get-go on how she was different" from both Biden and Trump.

Zoom in: The Harris chiefs dismissed the idea that Harris' position on trans rights or lack of forceful rebuttal to Trump's attack ads on those issues helped influence the election result.

• Harris principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks noted that trans issues are "at the bottom for voters," ranking below the importance of the economy, immigration, crime and inflation.
• "If there's a belief that, if only we had responded to this trans ad with national and huge battleground state ads we would have won, I don't think that's true," Plouffe said.
• However, Fulks acknowledged that Trump's ad claiming "Kamala is for they/them" had successfully painted Harris as "out of touch."

The intrigue: The campaign leaders acknowledged that Trump was more effective than they were at reaching persuadable young men, both organically through social media chatter and through podcast interviews.

• O'Malley Dillon said Harris had been "ready and willing to go on Joe Rogan" but not to leave the campaign trail for a day to tape in-studio, as Rogan requested.
• The interview would have "broken through," but not ultimately changed the outcome, O'Malley Dillon said.
• The campaign reached out to some left-leaning media figures, and popular shows like "Hot Ones," but they wanted to steer clear of politics, O'Malley Dillon said.
• She also argued that the campaign had to deal with the "bulls--t" narrative that Harris was unwilling to do mainstream media interviews.

Reality check: Harris went five weeks before doing her first interview on the campaign.

Friction point: The campaign chiefs stressed that the uniqueness of Trump as a candidate and his ability to reach voters and the challenges this poses for Democrats.

• Stephanie Cutter, a Harris campaign senior adviser, noted deeper conversations are needed about the appeal of Trump's masculine persona and why Democrats are perceived as "squishy."
• Democrats need to "ensure that people in this country see themselves in what we're selling and that we have solutions that make sense to people," O'Malley Dillon stressed.
• Fulks also pointed out that "Republicans don't make Trump apologize" but that Democrats often "punish" members who "step out of line." Republicans "stay in line" because they understand that disunity in the party weakens their candidate, he added.
• "Democrats are eating our own, to a very high degree. And until that stops we're not going to be able to address a lot of things that just need to be said," he added.

The bottom line: "We're losing the culture war and… we are not aligned on where we can be within that," Fulks said. "At the end of the day, we're all Democrats."

Go deeper: Democrats start clawing each other's eyes out