President-elect Trump promised Tuesday that his Justice Department will "vigorously pursue the death penalty," one day after President Biden announced he had commuted sentences for most of the people on federal death row.
The big picture: The Trump administration set records with a spree of executions during his first term, and he appears poised to reverse Biden's moratorium on federal use of capital punishment once he's sworn into office.
Biden, in a statement announcing he would commute the inmates' sentences to life without the possibility of parole, said he could not "stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted."
Driving the news: "As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters," Trump wrote in a Christmas Eve Truth Social post.
He added, "We will be a Nation of Law and Order again!"
Context: Biden emphasized in a statement that he does "condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss."
The three men who did not receive a commutation are the convicted gunman in the Mother Emanuel AME Church shooting, the Tree of Life synagogue shooter and the surviving Boston Marathon bomber.
The Biden administration in 2021 announced a moratorium on federal capital punishment pending a study of policies and protocols.
The president said his Monday commutations were in line with the standard of the administration's moratorium, which applies "in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder."
Flashback: The first Trump administration announced in 2019 that it would instruct the Federal Bureau of Prisons to reinstate the death penalty after a 16-year hiatus.
There were 13 federal executions during Trump's first term. They mainly occurred toward the end of his White House tenure.
Zoom out: Trump has previously said he plans to expand the use of the death penalty to drug crimes.
"We're going to be asking everyone who sells drugs, gets caught selling drugs, to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts," Trump said during his official announcement of his 2024 presidential candidacy.
Former President Clinton,78, was hospitalized in Washington, D.C., this afternoon, his spokesperson said in a statement.
Driving the news: Clinton was admitted for "testing and observation after developing a fever," Angel Ureña, his deputy chief of staff, said on X.
What they're saying: "He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving," Ureña said.
Clinton is receiving care at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
Flashback: Clinton was previously hospitalized in California in 2021 when an infection spread to his bloodstream.
He has had two heart procedures — a quadruple bypass in 2004 and the insertion of two stents into an artery in 2010. Both were performed at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Congress' long-simmering debate over the age of its members has resurfaced over revelations that Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) has been living in an independent living facility in Texas.
Why it matters: The retiring former House Appropriations Committee chair's absence from votes since July has led some of her colleagues to raise concerns.
The latest: Granger acknowledged in a Sunday statement to Axios that she has "been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year."
"Since early September, my health challenges have progressed making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable."
Granger's son Brandon told the Dallas Morning News that she has been "having some dementia issues late in the year."
Yes, but: Brandon Granger pushed back on a report from the Dallas Express – whose CEO Chris Putnam ran against Granger in 2020 – that his mother was living in a memory care facility.
Instead, he said, she resides in the independent living facility of Tradition Senior Living in Fort Worth, which advertises itself as a "luxury senior living community."
A source familiar with the matter told Axios that Granger moved into the independent senior living facility around July.
What they're saying: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) told Axios in a statement that the public "is entitled to far greater transparency about the health of the elected officials who represent them."
"The incapacitation of an elected official is a material fact that should be disclosed to the public, rather than concealed by staff," he added.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) called for term limits in a post on X, saying Granger's absence "reveals the problem with a Congress that rewards seniority & relationships more than merit & ideas."
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said in a post on X responding to the Dallas Express report that he is "more concerned about the congressmen who have dementia and are still voting."
Zoom in: A House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity regarding Granger's absence, said it's "absolutely" worrying because her constituents "don't have a vote."
The lawmaker said there's not enough political will yet to address Congress' age issue, but "there should be."
What we're hearing: The first source told Axios that Granger would have made different preparations had she known she would be unable to vote towards the end of the session, citing the unforeseen progression of her illness.
Granger was also clear with leadership about her situation and said she would return to D.C. to vote if she was needed, the source said.
The source also argued that her resignation would have left the seat vacant until January and still created a representation issue.
Zoom out: Granger stepped down as the Appropriations Committee chair in April and will retire on Jan. 3 when her term expires.
Granger's status was highlighted by her missing a vote on Friday to avert a government shutdown, despite her past leadership of the panel that deals with government funding.
She was, however, present at the Capitol in November when her portrait was unveiled to honor her long-standing work as a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
Granger said in her statement on Sunday that, while in D.C. last month, she was able to hold "meetings on behalf of my constituents, express my gratitude to my staff, and oversee the closure of my Washington office."
Between the lines: While leadership may have been kept in the loop, several rank-and-file House members from both parties told Axios they were unaware of Granger's living situation until this weekend.
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), a member of Granger's delegation, said Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation" that he was not aware of Granger's condition but acknowledged there was "no doubt a lot of us knew she was gaining in age like a lot of members do."
President-elect Trump suggested Sunday that he might let TikTok stick around in the U.S., boasting his success on the app.
Why it matters: The popular short-form video app could be banned in the U.S. in less than a month — but Trump, who threatened to boot the app during his first term, has suggested he'd offer TikTok a lifeline.
TikTok is staring down a Jan. 19 ban. But before then, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether the bipartisan law that forced the app's sale by its parent company is constitutional.
Driving the news: "We did go on TikTok and we had a great response with billions of views," Trump said to cheers at AmericaFest, hosted by Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action. He added, "They brought me a chart ... and as I looked at it, I said, maybe we got to keep this sucker around for a little while."
Trump touted his success among young voters, who the campaign courted for months — in particular, they targeted young men with podcast appearances and macho man messaging.
He's previously said he has a "warm spot" in his "heart for TikTok."
Catch up quick: Trump joined the embattled app in June and has since amassed 14.7 million followers.
His TikTok-friendly tone is a sharp departure from his stance during his first White House tenure when he issued an executive order that would have banned U.S. companies from making transactions with Bytedance, the app's parent company.
His TikTok flip-flop was a surprise given his bullish approach to China.
Reality check: It's unclear how Trump would intervene to stop the TikTok time bomb created through federal law and signed by President Biden.
He'd likely receive pushback from members of his party who supported the legislation on Capitol Hill.
Trump also doesn't take office until Jan. 20 — and a president-elect can't enact policy via speech or social media post.
Congress stopped the clock ticking toward a government shutdown early Saturday after the Senate followed the GOP-controlled House's lead in passing a stopgap measure that runs through March.
The latest: The resolution came after a Trump-backed plan to suspend the debt ceiling failed in the House Thursday and was nixed from the funding plan.
What he's saying: Despite President-elect Trump's Friday comment on Truth Social that "If there's going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden administration," Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), told reporters after the vote he was in "constant contact" with Trump.
"He knew exactly what we were doing," Johnson said.
State of play: An earlier version of the stopgap measure lost 38 Republican votes and gained two Democratic ones before legislators pushed a revised bill through both chambers.
The approved resolution will fund the government until March, provide about $100 billion for disaster aid and extend the farm bill for a year, but legislators nixed elements of the earlier plan that would have suspended the debt ceiling until January 2027.
Congressional leaders unveiled legislation Tuesday to keep the government funded until March, setting up a showdown — with Johnson in the central pressure cooker.
It included around $100 billion in disaster relief, an extension of the farm bill and restrictions on investments in China. The 1,547-page bill includes wants from both Democrats' and Republicans' wish lists.
But some measures raised eyebrows: Notably, a pay raise for members of Congress (their first since 2009), caught the attention of Musk and others bashing the bill.
The mid-March extension date tees up another funding fight toward the end of Trump's first 100 days in office.
What's next, and what does it mean?
Lawmakers were ableto push a deal through just after a midnight Saturday deadline, and Biden signed the resolution later Saturday.
The legislative save means stopping a shutdownjust as lawmakers were meant to go on holiday recess.
For thousands of non-essential federal employees, a shutdown would have meant they stopped working.
During the last government shutdown (the longest on record) from December 2018 to January 2019, 420,000 federal employees were required to work without pay while another 350,000 were furloughed from their jobs without pay, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, a federal employee union.
"Excepted" employees are those who keep working. Their responsibilities may include services like "emergency work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property," according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Federal employees would have been eligible for retroactive pay once funding was appropriated, per the OPM, and those who were furloughed could also have received unemployment benefits.
What government programs are impacted?
None now that the shutdown was avoided, butif legislators had failed, a number of government programs could have been impacted.
Social Security: Social Security and Medicare checks are still sent out during a shutdown, but some operations could have been impacted.
A contingency plan shared in September said that benefit verifications and the issuance of replacement Medicare cards would have been among discontinued activities.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Food benefits via SNAP are mandatory. But a shutdown could have impacted the ability to renew benefit card licenses.
Depending on the length of a shutdown, the timing of benefit issuances could have also been impacted.
Veteran benefits: Veteran benefits would continue to be processed and delivered, but some resources, like cemetery grounds maintenance, could have been restricted.
Passport issuance: The issuance of passports, along with visa and consular services, is expected to continue but could have been slowed depending on the length of a closure.
Education and student loans: Pell Grants and Federal Direct Student Loans would continue during a shutdown, per the Department of Education. But the longer a shutdown dragged on, the greater the chance of disruptions for borrowers.
Most grantmaking activities, the department said in a contingency plan last year, would have been paused.
Last time the government shuttered, students faced inter-agency issues when trying to access student aid, CNN reported, such as Internal Revenue Service closures that prevented them from accessing necessary tax documents ahead of the spring semester.
National parks and Smithsonian museums: Services at national parks and the Smithsonian museums in D.C. would close during a shutdown.
As mystery drone sightings popped up across the Northeast, federal officials assured the public there was nothing to fear. But the internet didn't buy it, and conspiracy theories began to fill the information void.
The big picture: The situation has the right components to feed conspiracy theories, experts say.
A key force at play in driving conspiracy theory beliefs, especially in the internet era, is that stories are more likely to spread if they provoke emotion, said David Dunning, the University of Michigan's Walgreen professor of the study of human understanding.
"And regrettably, the emotions that work the best in terms of promoting spread are negative ones: anger, contempt, fear," Dunning said.
The intrigue: The reports of drones have sparked an Orson-Welles-reminiscent hysteria on social media, and the theories have been both far-ranging and, in some cases, far-fetched.
Some have suggested that the drones are secretly sniffing out radioactive materials, while others have questioned whether their origins are from another foreign power.
The sightings have also sparked mentions of "Project Blue Beam," a conspiracy theory that the government or global elites would fake an alien invasion using futuristic NASA technology to implement a new world order and religion.
Some claim they are aliens — and another sect of theories contends the sightings could be angels.
Zoom in: There's a trifecta at play to bolster the conspiracy theories about the drones, said Joanne Miller, a professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware.
Americans are faced with an information vacuum, overlapping with a scary unknown and a political landscape where some elected officials are willing to peddle conspiracy theories, she said.
That drives the search for an explanation and an "actionable response."
But Miller and other experts say Americans are not more susceptible to conspiracy theories than others around the globe.
Some datasuggests that those who are on the political extremes, have less education and are more socially isolated could be likely victims of conspiracy theories, Dunning told Axios.
But "no one is protected," Dunning said. If a conspiracy theory could fit the plot of a Hollywood movie, it's more likely to gain traction, "and you can see how the drone situation can fit a Hollywood movie script."
Reality check: Just because something is trending on social media, Miller noted, that doesn't mean every view, like and post is a declaration of belief in a conspiracy theory: "Some of the most outlandish ones are shared because they're funny."
Yes, but: Federal officials have said they believe a large share of drone sightings stem from members of the public misidentifying small, legally operating manned aircraft as drones — or, they could be privately owned and legally flown drones.
There have certainly been moments of mistaken identity: former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan fell victim, sharing a video online of the night sky that he said captured "what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky."
A meteorologist in the comments responded "with immense respect," writing, "Mr. governor, this is the constellation 'Orion.'"
Four federal charges were filed against Luigi Mangione in connection to the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a federal complaint unsealed Thursday.
The big picture: The anticipated federal complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, piles onto state charges Mangione is already facing, including 11 counts in New York and 5 in Pennsylvania.
Mangione was charged with murder through use of a firearm, two counts of stalking and a firearms offense, according to the federal complaint.
The complaint was unsealed just after Mangione waived extradition to New York from Pennsylvania, where he had been held since his arrest last week.
Driving the news: The complaint alleged that the notebook authorities said Mangione possessed "contained several handwritten pages that express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular."
Per the filing, an August 15 entry in the notebook says "the details are finally coming together" and that "I'm glad – in a way – that I've procrastinated," because it allowed "me to learn more about" a company name that was redacted by prosecutors.
The notebook entry also stated that "the target is insurance" because "it checks every box." Prosecutors also allege the writings in the notebook referenced the investor conference Thompson was set to attend the day of his death.
"This investor conference is a true windfall . . . and – most importantly – the message becomes self evident," an Oct. 22 passage read, per the complaint.
Catch up quick: The 26-year-old was arrested last week after a days-long search that drew nationwide attention.
After being indicted by a New York grand jury on charges including first-degree murder, Mangione faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office said in a statement that the New York case and the federal case will "proceed in parallel."
What's next: Mangione arrived in New York Thursday afternoon and is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan later today.
Luigi Mangione, who was indicted on the first-degree murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, waived extradition to New York Thursday, agreeing to be transferred from Pennsylvania.
The big picture: Beyond state charges, including an 11-count indictment from the Manhattan district attorney's office, the 26-year-old is also expected to face federal charges out of the Southern District of New York.
The case sparked nationwide attention, culminating in Mangione's arrest in Pennsylvania last week days after Thompson was shot and killed in New York City.
Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate and member of a wealthy Baltimore family, has been glorified by some social media users, a trend New York officials have condemned.
Driving the news: Mangione formally waived extradition Thursday in Blair County courthouse, per severalreports after initially fighting the process. He'll be transported to New York without returning to Huntingdon State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania.
He could appear in front of a New York City judge in just a matter of hours, CBS News New York reported.
The 11 charges he faces in New York include one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder, one of which is charged as "killing as an act of terrorism."
He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole, per Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office.
The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled Thursday to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from President-elect Trump's state 2020 election interference case over a conflict of interest.
Why it matters: It's another major legal victory for Trump, who has repeatedly accused Willis of impropriety due to a relationship with the lead prosecutor on the case.
The Georgia 2020 election case is Trump's last remaining criminal case that was set to go to trial. Two federal cases against him have been dropped since his election win.
Willis' disqualification casts the case into limbo, while Trump is also fighting to have his New York hush money case thrown out following his May 2024 conviction.
Driving the news: "After carefully considering the trial court's findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office," the Georgia appeals court said in its ruling.
The court noted that "an appearance of impropriety generally is not enough to support disqualification," but said this is a "rare case" in which "no other remedy" but disqualification "will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings."
The appeals court stopped short of throwing out the charges Willis' office brought against Trump in the case, writing in its ruling, "We affirm, however, the denial of the appellants' motion to dismiss the indictment."
What's next: The case appears headed to Georgia's Supreme Court after the state filed its notice of intent to appeal on Thursday, hours after the ruling came down.
There is no timeline for when the case might be heard or when a ruling will be issued.
Catch up quick: Thursday's decision reverses an earlier ruling that Willis and her office could stay on the case if special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom she had a romantic relationship, stepped aside.
Judge Scott McAfee in March ruled that despite the "appearance of impropriety, " Willis' relationship with Wade brought no conflict of interest. Defense lawyers had argued that she improperly benefited from Wade taking part in the case.
What they're saying: Trump said the Georgia case is "entirely dead" when speaking to Fox News Digital on Thursday.
He added that the "wonderful patriots" involved in the case — the 18 co-defendants indicted alongside him — should "receive an apology."
Trump spokesperson Steven Chung said in a statement that Americans have "demanded an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system" and want a "swift dismissal of all the Witch Hunts against him."
The big picture: Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted in August 2023 over alleged efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results.
The initial 41-count indictment has since been whittled down by McAfee, but Trump still faces eight charges in the case, down from the original 13.
Several of the 19 co-defendants in the case accepted plea deals. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Editor's note: This story was updated with reaction, additional details from the ruling and background.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters launched a strike against Amazon Thursday morning, saying workers at seven facilities would take to the picket line.
The big picture: The strike, which the union is calling the largest against Amazon in U.S. history, coincides with the final week of holiday shopping — one of the company's busiest times of year.
Driving the news: The union says workers decided to walk out after Amazon ignored a Dec. 15 deadline for contract negotiations.
"If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members," said Teamsters President Sean O'Brien said in a statement. "They ignored it."
Walkouts began at 6 am Thursday at seven facilities in New York City, Atlanta and California. Local unions are also setting up primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon fulfillment centers, per a Teamsters statement.
The union said about 10,000 workers have joined the Teamsters, fighting for higher wages, benefits and safer conditions.
Reality check: Those striking are just a small percentage of Amazon's massive workforce.
The other side: Amazon said in a statement that the Teamsters' claims of representing thousands of the company's employees are misleading.
"They don't, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative about the independent small businesses who deliver on our behalf," said Eileen Hards, an Amazon spokesperson.
"The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union," Hards said in a statement to Axios.
What we're watching: The Teamsters said workers at other facilities are prepared to strike, but did not specify where or how many additional union members would join the picket line.
House Republicans in a new report pushed for former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) to be criminally investigated over her work on the House Jan. 6 select committee.
The big picture: The Republican party's years-long recasting of the deadly U.S. Capitol attack has culminated with the possibility that the rioters themselves are pardoned and those who sought to penalize President-elect Trump for his role in the attack face retribution.
In an overnight Truth Social post, Trump said Cheney "could be in a lot of trouble based on the evidence obtained by the subcommittee," which dissolved in early 2023.
Trump's post came hours after a House Republican panel led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) released a 128-page report that called for Cheney, who lost her primary bid in 2022, to be investigated by the FBI.
The president-elect has previously claimed that House Jan. 6 select committee members should be jailed.
State of play: Loudermilk, who chairs the oversight subcommittee of the House Administration Committee,painted the work of the Democratic-led Jan. 6 committee as biased against Trump, accusing the lawmakers of presenting "uncorroborated, cherry-picked, and, at times, false evidence."
Cheney, who served as vice-chair of the committee and one of its two Republican members, characterized the report's allegations as "a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth."
Zoom in: The report accuses Cheney of colluding with Cassidy Hutchison, a and former Trump administration official and star witness for the dissolved panel during high-profile hearings in 2022.
It alleged Cheney had conversations with Hutchinson without the knowledge of the former Trump aide'sattorney. The report claimed Cheney influenced a "dramatic change in testimony" from Hutchinson.
Hutchinson recounted to the select committee that she had experienced a "moral struggle," testifying that her attorney, Stefan Passantino, instructed her to downplay what she knew.
Hutchinson said she chose to use former White House aide Alyssa Farah Griffin,who has since become a public figure in television, as a back channel to reengage with lawmakers.
Loudermilk's report alleges Farah Griffin worked with Cheney to help Hutchinson "Change her Story."
What she's saying: Cheney refuted the findings of the report, which she said "intentionally disregards the truth and the Select Committee's tremendous weight of evidence," in a statement.
"The January 6th Committee's hearings and report featured scores of republican witnesses, including any of the most senior officials from Trump's own White House," she wrote.
Between the lines: The Biden administration has considered granting preemptive pardons to Trump targets including Cheney, but someDemocrats think the novel move could set a risky precedent.
What to watch: Trump has ramped up legal threats against his critics and media companies since winning the 2024 election.
He sued the Des Moines Register and its former top pollster this week over a shock poll that showed him on track to lose Iowa to Vice President Harris. Separately, ABC agreed over the weekendto a $15 million defamation settlement with the president-elect over a segment on "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos.
It's unclear how and whether Trump will actually go after his perceived enemies, like Cheney, once his second term starts next month.
Elon Musk, one of President-elect Trump's closest allies, railed against the bill to avert a looming government shutdown Wednesday, calling on lawmakers to strike down the stopgap measure in a series of tweets.
Why it matters: Musk's discontent is another pressure point on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the Tesla CEO's influence has grown among MAGA-minded lawmakers.
Musk — who will co-chair Trump's newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — could sway key GOP votes against the stopgap measure as Republican leadership tries to keep the deal afloat.
In his tweets, Musk lashed out against several measures in the 1,500-plus page continuing resolution, including the first pay raise for members of Congress since 2009. He also advocated for lawmakers to pass no bills until Trump takes office.
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance added fuel to the fire by publicly condemning the bill, saying in a statement that the GOP should call the Democrats' bluff and allow the government to shut down.
They also railed against a proposed pay raise for Congress included in the bill "while many Americans are struggling this Christmas" and expressed support for pairing the spending bill with an increase to the debt ceiling.
Several Republican lawmakers have already railedagainst the bill, arguing they had little time to review the measure before the Friday deadline.
Driving the news: Any member who votes in favor of the bill, which needs to pass before the Dec. 20 deadline to keep the government funded, should be voted out of office, Musk wrote, repeatedly characterizing it as "criminal."
"Ever seen a bigger piece of pork?" the richest man in the world wrote on X to his over 207 million followers.
What they're saying: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in an interview on Fox & Friends Wednesday that he spoke with Musk and his DOGE counterpart, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tuesday night.
He said they expressed to him that they understand his "impossible position."
Johnson continued, "They said, 'This is not directed to you, Mr. Speaker, but we don't like the spending.' I said, guess what fellas, I don't either."
Musk, in his series of Wednesday grievances against the legislation, quote-tweeted a post that read, "Johnson should be ashamed of himself. This is indefensible." He added, "This bill is terrible."
Ramaswamy also rejected the bill, writing on X Wednesday, "If Congress wants to get serious about government efficiency, they should VOTE NO."
Catch up quick: Congressional leaders unveiled the bill's text Tuesday, kicking off a push to pass it by the end of the week to keep the government funded until mid-March.
Johnson is again facing heat from conservative GOP House members, as he did when the government faced and avoided a shutdown in September.
The bottom line: The bill includes priorities for both Democrats and Republicans — but that doesn't guarantee passage.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with Trump and Vance's response to the spending bill.
Why it matters:The survey includes the views of more than 300 global public company CEOs, plus 380 institutional investors representing approximately $10 trillion of company and portfolio value.
What they're saying: "Buoyed by the 'Trump Effect,' the market expects a resurgence of M&A, increased hiring and greater levels of U.S. and foreign investment," said Teneo CEO Paul Keary.
"The U.S. will clearly be the beneficiary of much of this positive activity, solidifying its position as the most important investment destination for global businesses."
Driving the news: Seventy-seven percent of global CEOs — up from just 45% in 2024 — and 86% of investors expect the global economy to improve in the first six months of 2025, per Teneo's survey.
More than 80% of CEOs and investors predict a major return of mergers and acquisitions next year, the survey found, citing greater access to capital and the incoming Trump administration as the primary accelerants.
Among global CEOs, the U.S. ranks as the most attractive investment destination.
State of play: Global CEOs and investors reported being optimistic about the economic impact of Trump's return, an outlook that outweighs concerns about tariffs, trade barriers and geopolitical tensions.
Half of global CEOs are picking up pace in areas like investing and hiring as a result of the 2024 election, the survey reported.
More than 64% of respondents said they believe Trump's shift in tariff policies, along with rollbacks in taxes and regulations, will positively impact their businesses next year.
Zoom out: More than 76% of CEOs and 83% of investors reported believing the outcome of global elections in 2024 will improve the global economy and worldwide stability.
The New York judge overseeing President-elect Trump's hush money trial rejected his request to toss his guilty verdict due to the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity.
Why it matters: While Trump's federal cases have crumbled after his election win, New York prosecutors have refused to bow after securing a historic conviction.
Driving the news: Judge JuanMerchan rejected Trump's argument that his actions were protected under presidential immunity and were "official acts," writing in his 41-page ruling that they were "decidedly personal."
Earlier this month, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued that the Supreme Court ruling didn't apply in this circumstance. "President-elect immunity does not exist," Bragg wrote.
But Trump's attorneys have argued that prosecutors should not have been able to present evidence tied to "official acts" to the jury, an argument prosecutors — and Merchan — denied.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung slammed Merchan's ruling as "a direct violation of the Supreme Court's decision on immunity, and other longstanding jurisprudence."
Catch up quick: After Trump was convicted in May of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Merchan set his sentencing for July.
After the Supreme Court's landmark ruling on presidential immunity, the case has been in limbo.
This year is the most active for gunfire on school grounds since 2013, when Everytown for Gun Safety started tracking data.
The big picture: As the threat of gun violence has persistently grown, students often learn to prepare for an active shooter from teachers who had the same hide, fight and run mentality drilled into them as children.
Abbi Stinger, 23, remembers the first time she was corralled into a bathroom in fifth grade after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, sandwiched between classmates as they practiced an active shooter drill.
By the time she reached high school, active shooter drills became "a normal part of our culture at school," she told Axios.
Now as she instructs her students in shooter drills, the fear she felt while in that tiny bathroom rushes back.
Friction point: According to Everytown for Gun Safety,over 95% of American public schools now drill students on lockdown procedures.
Despite that, there is little research on the impact active shooter simulations have on students — or their efficacy in real-world applications.
Hyper-realistic drills — sometimes involving props and actors — can be deeply traumatizing for students, especially those who experienced gun violence in the past, Sarah Burd-Sharps, Everytown for Gun Safety's senior director of research, told Axios.
"Part of the issue is we don't have enough clarity at a federal level on what [school shooting drills] are, what they look like, how often they happen," she said.
Zoom in: Some schools have installed metal detectors. Others have invested in bulletproof glass. And across the board, school shooting drills have emerged as a norm — a routine reenactment of an all-too-real possibility.
On her first day at her school, Stinger immediately noticed the wall of windows between her classroom and the outside world: If someone broke in, there would be nowhere to hide.
She was terrified her first day, praying that she wouldn't "disappoint these 20 little children." More than fears of typical classroom chaos, there was an underlying reality: "I might have to lay my life on the line for these kids."
Zoom out: Bobbi Sloan, a 22-year-old senior at Vanderbilt University and a Students Demand Action volunteer leader, had her "ideal perception" of being a teacher shattered in March 2023.
As she sat in a college class, the sound of sirens signaled the arrival of victims to the university's hospital: The ambulances carried those injured in The Covenant School shooting that killed six, including three 9-year-olds.
By the numbers: As of Dec. 16, at least 205 incidents of gunfire on school grounds have occurred nationally this year, resulting in 58 deaths and 156 injuries, according to Everytown for Gun Safety's database.
That surpasses the 199 gunfire incidents on school grounds recorded in the database's previous record high in 2021.
The deadliest school shooting came just weeks into the 2024-2025 school year when a 14-year-old student killed four people with an AR-platform-style weapon at Apalachee High School in Georgia.
On Monday, a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, left three dead, according to law enforcement.
Behind the scenes: During their first active shooter drill of the year, Stinger was perplexed by the questions her 7- and 8-year-old students asked.
"Are we allowed to fight?"
"Can we throw our iPads at them?"
But Sloan guided first graders through a drill earlier this year and was struck by how few inquiries they had.
"I went to kindergarten — I remember what a lockdown drill is," her students told her matter-of-factly.
"It feels very disheartening to know that our children aren't safe and that they've grown up in a culture where they're expecting people to want to hurt them," Sloan said.
At the beginning of the school year, Stinger found a 7-year-old boy lying in the hallway while another student looked on — that student was showing him what to do if a shooter entered their classroom.
"When do we practice playing dead?" he asked, leaving Stinger stunned and scared.
The bottom line: "They can't even tie their shoes," Stinger said. "But they know how to play dead for a shooter."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new statistics from Everytown for Gun Safety.
East Coast communities, local, state and federal authorities all are watching the skies as the drone conundrum deepens. As the White House works to quell concerns over the unmanned aerial vehicles spotted in several states, calls grow for more transparency and resources.
Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, December 15.
1. Mayorkas: Americans will be told if drones are a threat
Alejandro Mayorkas discusses drone sightings during an interview aired Dec. 15 on ABC's "This Week."
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a Sunday interview Americans will be told if evidence arises that foreign actors are responsible for the drones spotted flying over several East Coast states.
Driving the news: Two were arrested Saturday night on Long Island following a "hazardous drone operation" near Logan Airport, per the Boston Police Department.
It's unknown if the arrests have any connection to other sightings.
The big picture: Mayorkas said there's "no question" drones are being spotted and that the federal government has deployed resources to assist New Jersey State Police.
"We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the northeast," Mayorkas said on ABC News' "This Week."
"If we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly," he said.
Conspiracy theories regarding the drones have certainly spread: Some have argued they are part of a phony alien invasion orchestrated by global elites, while Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) claimed an Iranian mothership was to blame.
Jim Himes (Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said on "Fox News Sunday" that the answer of "we don't know" from some federal agencies is not good enough.
But, Himes added, "Let me say something I know with confidence: It is not the Iranians; it is not the Chinese. [The drones] aren't Martians."
Mayorkas suggested Sunday that 2023 FAA regulatory changes allowing drones to be flown at night could partially be behind the increase in sightings.
Mayorkas argued it's not that simple as only "certain agencies" can do that: "We are limited in our authorities."
"We need from Congress additional authorities to address the drone situation," including allowing state and local agencies the ability to deal with drones, he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos in a "This Week" interview.
Reality check: A Joint Staff spokesperson acknowledged to reporters Saturday that there had been sightings of drones over two New Jersey military installations — but said that is not atypical.
What's next: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said she may present legislation to the upcoming Congress pushing for expanded authorities to regulate the proliferation of drones.
2. Klobuchar condemns some of Biden's pardons
Sen. Amy Klobuchar discusses President Biden's pardons during a Dec. 15 interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation."
He commuted the sentences of 1,500 Americans placed in home confinement during the pandemic and pardoned another 39 people.
Friction point: Not every Democrat is celebrating the move.
One clemency recipient who has sparked criticism was convicted for wrongly sending kids to jail in exchange for millions in kickbacks from private for-profit juvenile facilities ("Did not like that one," Klobuchar said Sunday).
Another was convicted of overseeing a more than $1.6 billion tax fraud scheme and described by prosecutors as "the most prolific, pernicious and utterly unrepentant tax cheat in United States history," per Forbes.
What she's saying: "I have no doubt there were some righteous pardons in this group," Klobuchar said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday. "But there were a number that I think make no sense at all."
Klobuchar pointed to a commutation given to a Minnesota man who experts said sold enough synthetic drugs to cause a public health crisis in his town, per the Minnesota Star Tribune.
She said she didn't approve of Biden pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, but noted she hasn't "agreed with a number of pardons that President Trump gave," either.
Zoom out: There has been rampant discussion of whether Biden should give preemptive pardons to those whom Trump may target once back in the White House.
Democratic Rep. and Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (Calif.), who Trump has described as an "enemy," said on ABC's "This Week" that granting blanket preemptive pardons in the final days of an outgoing administration is "a precedent we don't want to set."
Klobuchar said Biden's sweeping use of pardons shows that the "whole process cries out for reform."
She characterized the clemency announcement as undermining the justice system, intelligence officials and prosecutors.
"Let's at least look at these on a factual basis and a risk basis, instead of just in the middle of the night a month before a president leaves," she said.
3. Romney says GOP belongs wholly to Trump
Sen. Mitt Romney speaks about the GOP's future on CNN's "State of the Union" during a Dec. 15 interview.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said Sunday that the future of the GOP is in President-elect Trump's hands.
Driving the news: "MAGA is the Republican Party, and Donald Trump is the Republican Party today," Romney told CNN's Jake Tapper when asked if there would be a post-Trump GOP.
What they're saying: "The Republican Party has become the party of the working-class, middle-class voter. And you've got to give Donald Trump credit for having done that, taken that away from the Democrats," Romney said on CNN's "State of the Union."
He added that Democrats, like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pushed middle-class voters to the GOP with policies like defunding the police and "biological males in women's sports."
Romney conceded that some of the GOP policies don't always align with those of its voters and "some reorientation" will be necessary.
Zoom in: Romney, who is leaving Congress next month, contended that Democrats are in trouble as many view the party as "college professors and woke scolds."
"I'm not going to tell them what to do ... But they've lost their base," he said.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warned that when a computer system reaches a point where it can self-improve, "we seriously need to think about unplugging it."
Why it matters: The multi-faceted artificial intelligence race is far from the finish line — but in just a few short years, the boundaries of the field have been pushed exponentially, sparking both awe and concern.
Regulations are in a state of flux, with discussions on Capitol Hill sputtering as this chapter of Congress nears its close.
But companies are still charging ahead.
"I've never seen innovation at this scale," Schmidt said on ABC's "This Week." While he celebrated "remarkable human achievement," he warned of the unforeseen dangers of rampant development.
Driving the news: "We're soon going to be able to have computers running on their own, deciding what they want to do," he said.
When the system begins to "self-improve," he said, it may be time to consider pulling the plug. Asked if a powerful system could counter efforts to shut it down, Schmidt told ABC's George Stephanopoulos, "In theory, we better have somebody with the hand on the plug."
He continued, "the power of this intelligence ... means that each and every person is going to have the equivalent of a polymath in their pocket."
"We just don't know what it means to give that kind of power to every individual," Schmidt added.
Threat level: A chorus of industry experts have warned of the risks of rushing the development of generative AI.
Schmidt told Axios last year that computers making their own decisions may be only two to four years away, according to some experts.
There's a consensus among fans and foes of generative AI that the most powerful models could operate with the intelligence of a Ph.D. student as soon as next year, Axios' Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei report.
Within a year or two, Schmidt told ABC, systems may be able to do their own research.
Zoom out: He said that he used to think U.S. technology was a few years ahead of China — but in the last six months, Beijing has caught up "in a way that is remarkable."
But it is "crucial that America wins this race, globally, and in particular, ahead of China."
If he were given complete control over the world's handling of AI, Schmidt pointed to two steps he'd take:
"The most important thing I'd do is make sure that the West wins," he said, emphasizing the need for funding, hardware and manpower.
Secondly, he said he'd identify the "worst possible cases" and build a second system to monitor the first.
"Humans will not be able to police AI," Schmidt said. "But AI systems should be able to police AI."
All that stands between Congress and its holiday recess is the rapidly approaching deadline to keep the federal government operating into the new year when Republicans will reign in both chambers.
Why it matters: While lawmakers in both parties expect the government to stay open past the Dec. 20 deadline, passing spending measures to keep the government's lights on in the past have been bruising exercises for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)
Lawmakers are considering a continuing resolution that would fund the government into March, according to severalreports, but they've yet to strike a deal.
State of play: With just over a week until the deadline, a CR seems to be the only way to keep the government open.
Pushing the deadline to March would start the 119th Congress with another looming shutdown soon after it is sworn in while Republicans are eager to spend the first 100 days pushing through President-elect Trump's priorities.
Republicans' incoming House majority is tiny, and they won't have the numbers to sidestep a filibuster in the Senate, giving Democrats some leverage in the process.
Flashback: The current time crunch is the result of lawmakers in September punting the shutdown deadline after Republicans balked at a longer funding bill.
That battle was tumultuous for Johnson who faced then-candidate Trump's demand that Republicans attach a measure requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote despite Democratic opposition.
Johnson ultimately dropped the voting provision and sought Democrats' help to get the continuing resolution across the line— sparking ire from his caucus' right flank.
What are lawmakers saying?
Johnson will likely have to lean on Democrats once again to get a stopgap bill to President Biden's desk.
Johnsonsaid Thursday that negotiators are "very close" to finishing work on the CR, the Hill reported. He added the text will "probably" be released Sunday.
Democrats are expected to accept a proposed CReven though party leaders preferred a full-year funding bill, the Washington Post reported.
Disaster aidfunding has emerged as a key factor in discussions, multiple outlets have reported.
House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told the Hill that while he thinks there should be "robust" disaster funding, there is "extra money for programs that are not disaster related" in Biden's nearly $100 billion request for hurricane relief.
The House Freedom Caucus, a coalition of GOP firebrands, said in a statement earlier this month that it opposes an "unpaid disaster supplemental," saying Congress should strike down the request.
"The House should consider only what is absolutely necessary," the statement read, urging lawmakers to "wait for President Trump to take office to better manage disaster relief."
What would a shutdown mean?
If the government does shut down, non-essential federal employees would stop working. However, employees whose jobs are deemed critical are expected to keep working.
Their responsibilities may include services like "emergency work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property," per the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
During the last government shutdown, which spanned 34 days from December 2018 to January 2019, 420,000 federal employees were required to work without pay, while 350,000 were furloughed, per the American Federation of Government Employees.
Government employees are eligible for retroactive pay once funding is appropriated, per the OPM. Those who were furloughed could also receive unemployment benefits.
How would air travel be affected?
A number of government programs could be impacted by a possible shutdown during what is expected to be a record-setting holiday travel season.
While commercial flights would continue as normal, air traffic controllers and TSA officers would have to work without pay, which could trigger staffing issues during the holiday season travel boom.
Services at national parks are suspended during a shutdown, and the Smithsonian museums in D.C. close their doors.
President-elect Trump pointed to his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as a relative who could carry on the Trump political dynasty in his TIME "Person of the Year" interview published Thursday.
Why it matters: Trump, 78, has reshaped the modern Republican Party, and though his upcoming White House term will be his last at least one family member has signaled openness to running for political office.
Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have played key roles in building his next administration and laying the groundwork for the MAGA movement's political progeny.
Lara Trump, Eric's wife, stepped down as co-chair of the Republican National Convention on Sunday — a role in which Trump says she helped to get "cheating" in the election to a "minimum." Some in the GOP are pushing for her to fill the Senate seat set to be vacated by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R).
Lara told the AP that she would "seriously consider" taking Rubio's seat if it were offered. "If I'm being completely transparent, I don't know exactly what that would look like. And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that's real for me."
If Rubio is confirmed as Secretary of State Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will appoint someone to fill his seat until a special election is held. The winner of that special election would hold the Senate seat until 2028 when the term expires.
Driving the news: "Lara has been amazing," Trump told Time when asked if he foresees a Trump dynasty in U.S. politics.
"Look, she was the head of the Republican Party," he said. "She's a young, a young woman, and she was the head of the Republican Party."
The president-elect said that when his term ends, he hopes he will "be able to also leave people that are extremely competent and get" the MAGA movement.
"I have some very competent members of my family," he said. "My kids are very competent."
Zoom out: He said both Don Jr. and Eric are "very capable."
His daughter, Ivanka Trump, he said, "would be a superstar in politics." But he noted she's "so family-oriented," which would make a political career "definitely more difficult."
Trump's eldest daughter said in 2022 that she no longer planned to be "involved in politics" after serving as a senior adviser during his first White House tenure.
The bottom line: Political dynasties are no rarity in American politics. But few figures — and families — are quite as polarizing as the Trumps.
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.
