Steve Bannon will "do anything" anything to keep Elon Musk out of the Trump administration, the former Trump White House adviser said in a new interview.

Why it matters: The conservative media firebrand's comments to Corriere della Sera about the tech billionaire marks an escalation in a MAGA-world civil war over immigration as Trump prepares to begin his second term.

What he's saying: "I will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day" on Jan. 20, Bannon told the Italian outlet, per excerpts from the interview published by Bannon's former employer Breitbart over the weekend.

• "He will not have full access to the White House. He will be like any other person," said Bannon about Musk, whom Trump has tapped to co-lead the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE).
• "He is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down."

Driving the news: The MAGA world division emerged last month over the H-1B visa scheme that's designed to attract foreign workers to the U.S. and which the South African-born naturalized U.S. citizen Musk has said he held.

• Some want in MAGA world want to restrict immigration and promote U.S. workers, but Axios' Ben Berkowitz and Zachary Basu note others want to cut costs and increase efficiency no matter who does the work.
• "This thing of the H-1B visas, it's about the entire immigration system is gamed by the tech overlords, they use it to their advantage, the people are furious," said Bannon in his interview, adding that Musk's "sole objective is to become a trillionaire.
• Bannon said Musk should "should go" back to South Africa. "Why do we have South Africans, the most racist people on earth, white South Africans, we have them making any comments at all on what goes on in the United States?" he said.

Zoom out: Musk donated millions of dollars to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign after endorsing him in July following the assassination attempt on the Republican leader at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally,

• Musk has said he voted for Democrats Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in previous presidential elections.

Meanwhile, Trump fired Bannon during his first administration but the "War Room" podcast host remains an influential figure in MAGA world and was released from prison in October after serving a four-month sentence on contempt of Congress charges for refusing to comply with a subpoena related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

• Representatives for Trump and Musk's companies did not immediately respond to Axios' comments in the evening.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a "60 Minutes" interview airing Sunday he's retiring early because he didn't want to thrust the Bureau "deeper into the fray" after facing intense criticism from President-elect Trump.

Why it matters: Trump nominated Wray in 2017 for what's typically a 10-year term, but the FBI chief has in recent years been criticized by the Republican leader and his allies over issues related to Trump and President Biden.

• During the interview, Wray addressed being criticized over FBI investigations by both a Republican and a Democratic president.

Context: The president said after issuing a presidential pardon for his son Hunter Biden following his conviction on felony gun charges and guilty plea on felony tax charges that he believed "raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice."

What he's saying: "This is a hard job. You're inevitably going to make different people angry, often very powerful people," Wray said on "60 Minutes."

• "But part of the essence of the rule of law is to make sure that facts, and the law, and proper predication drive investigations, not who's in power, not who wants it to be so or not so," he told CBS' Scott Pelley.
• On his relationship with Trump souring after the FBI investigated alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, Wray said an investigator's job was to "follow the facts wherever they lead, no matter who likes it."

Zoom in: On criticism about Trump's classified documents investigation that saw the FBI searching the Republican leader's Mar-a-Lago home, Wray said the FBI strived to follow the rules throughout, and he believed they did this.

• Wray said a search warrant is "not anybody's first choice" and they always try less intrusive means, like getting information back voluntarily and after that via a subpoena.
• "Only if, after all that, we learn that the agents haven't been given all of the classified material and in fact those efforts have been frustrated, even obstructed, then our agents are left with no choice but to go to a federal judge, make a probable cause showing, and get a search warrant," Wray said.
• "That's what happened here," added Wray, who described himself during the interview as a "conservative Republican."
• He said he hadn't had "any interaction with the Biden White House about investigations into the former president and neither to his knowledge had anyone else from the FBI.

The bottom line: Wray said in his 7.5 years of experience as FBI chief he'd seen "people often claim to be very interested in independence and objectivity until independence and objectivity lead to an outcome they don't like." 

• He added: "Truth is truth, not necessarily what either side wants it to be. And ultimately all we can do at the FBI is make sure that we stay focused on doing the work in the right way. Following our rules and not letting preferences, partisan or otherwise drive or taint the approach."

Threat level: Wray told Pelley that China's government targeting U.S. civilian critical infrastructure was the biggest threat the incoming Trump administration faced.

• "Things like water treatment plants. We're talking about transportation systems. We're talking about targeting of our energy sector, the electric grid, natural gas pipelines," he said.
• "Recently we've seen targeting of our telecommunications systems.  … we believe that they have collected their content, the actual communications of those people."

Meanwhile, "the most challenging type of terrorist threat we face" is online radicalization from extremist groups.

• Wray noted that the FBI's investigation into the New Orleans New Year's Day terrorist attack indicates at this stage that the suspect was "radicalized online" and he "appears to have been inspired — from afar — by ISIS."

Flashback: House GOP drops plan to hold FBI director in contempt

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

None of the Los Angeles County fires that have killed at least 10 people are among California's 20 largest wildfires, but they're among the most destructive on record as they burned more structures overnight.

The big picture: Mayor Karen Bass described this enduring "firestorm" that prompted tens of thousands to evacuate after erupting Tuesday amid extremely dry conditions and Santa Ana winds that reached hurricane-force intensity as "the big one in magnitude."

State of play: Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a Thursday briefing it's "safe to say" the largest blaze, the Palisades Fire, is "one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles."

• It's estimated the wildfire that erupted on Tuesday in Pacific Palisades has burned 5,316 structures across 19,978 acres at 6% containment in the affluent L.A. area between Malibu and Santa Monica as of late Thursday.
• That makes the blaze that's killed at least two people California's third-most destructive on record, in terms of structures burned, per Cal Fire.
• The Eaton Fire, which has killed at least three people since igniting on Tuesday, ranks fourth in Cal Fire's top-20 most destructive wildfires, with "5,000+" structures destroyed.
• It's burned at 0% containment over an estimated 13,690 acres north of Pasadena as of late Thursday, though fire officials said growth had been "significantly" stopped.

Context: The largest fire ever recorded in California, 2020's August Complex Fire, razed more than one million acres north of Sacramento and destroyed 935 structures, per Cal Fire.

Driving the news: Many of the fires were sparked in densely populated areas during an extreme wind event that's been more catastrophic than the last big one to hit Southern California in 2011.

• No major wildfires ignited during the 2011 Santa Ana wind event, but Yale Climate Connections notes this was "largely because Los Angeles was not experiencing drought at that time," but the region is currently in severe drought.
• There's been no meaningful rainfall for months in some areas, which Axios' Andrew Freedman notes are experiencing the driest conditions on record for early January following an unusually hot summer that dried out vegetation. This time of year is typically the region's wet season.
• Bass noted at a briefing Wednesday, "Hurricane-force winds are usually accompanied by rain storms, but these hurricane-force winds are combined with extremely dry drought conditions."
• Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell at the same briefing described the situation as "unprecedented."

Between the lines: "Climate change, while certainly not the only relevant factor, has indeed increased the risk of extreme California wildfires," wrote UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain on Bluesky.

• "The main reason is increasing temperatures & atmospheric 'thirstiness,"' but increased precipitation 'whiplash'/seasonal shifts is also an emerging factor," he added, referring to when there are rapid swings between intensely wet and dangerously dry weather.
• "The evidence shows that hydroclimate whiplash has already increased due to global warming, and further warming will bring about even larger increases," said Swain in a statement announcing a study he led on the matter that was published in Nature Review Wednesday.
• "This whiplash sequence in California has increased fire risk twofold: first, by greatly increasing the growth of flammable grass and brush in the months leading up to fire season, and then by drying it out to exceptionally high levels with the extreme dryness and warmth that followed."

What we're watching: Swain said during a livestream he expects SoCal's "urban firestorm" will likely become "the costliest wildfire disaster in California, if not national history, along with a number of other superlatives."

• But the extreme weather threat is far from over. Wind gusts of up to 55 mph were forecast into Friday, with more gusty north-to-northeast winds expected to develop over the weekend.
• A stronger offshore wind event could occur over Monday night and Tuesday, per the National Weather Service.

More from Axios:

• The landmarks impacted by the LA County fires
• LA's wildfires sparked by rare collision of climate factors
• California fires stress already pressured insurance industry
• Los Angeles County fires' destruction shown in before and after images

A separate Los Angeles wildfire that ignited in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night was still threatening homes and iconic L.A. landmarks early Thursday morning.

The big picture: The Sunset Fire was one of multiple fires burning out of control across Los Angeles County as of Thursday.

• Five deaths were confirmed in one of the blazes which have razed at least 2,000 structures, including the homes of Hollywood actor Billy Crystal and media personality Paris Hilton, and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.

State of play: The Sunset Fire started around 6pm local time Wednesday. By Thursday morning it had grown to an estimated 43 acres at 0% containment near Runyon Canyon, only a few miles from the Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

• The majority of the mandatory evacuation orders spurred by the Sunset Fire were lifted by Thursday morning.
• Video from the scene Wednesday showed heavily congested roads in the densely populated area as residents raced to flee the blaze.
• L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said on X she's "deploying LAPD officers to respond to Hollywood to help alleviate evacuation traffic" and officials were "working urgently to close roads, redirect traffic and expand access for LAFD vehicles to respond to the growing fire."
• The Hollywood Bowl confirmed on X that the iconic amphitheater's staff were among those impacted by evacuation orders.

Threat level: The fires began on Tuesday as powerful Santa Ana winds moved in, reaching hurricane intensity in many places.

• While winds subsided Wednesday night into early Thursday morning, they are forecast to strengthen again, complicating firefighting efforts.
• The National Weather Service in L.A. warned that "critical" fire weather conditions will last through Friday at 6pm local time, with wind gusts of 35 to 55 mph and extremely low humidity levels.
• Downtown L.A.'s weather observing station has seen its second-driest period on record from early May to the end of December, NWS data shows, with just 0.16 inches of rain during that period. Heat waves during the summer further dried out vegetation, turning it into the equivalent of kindling during this extreme wind event.

What they're saying: Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart said Wednesday while it's normal for the region to have Santa Ana winds, the "strength of the winds is much higher" than the usual 30 to 50 miles per hour.

• "These are 50- to 80-some over 100 miles an hour," she said in a phone interview Wednesday.
• Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a Wednesday briefing: "We knew there was a potential for significant threat to our constituents due to the weather event. High, high, high winds. I've never seen the winds in my 25-year career."
• Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell added: "What we saw here in the last 24 hours is unprecedented. I've never seen anything like this."

Between the lines: Climate change is causing an increase in days with extreme wildfire weather conditions as vegetation dries out faster and temperatures warm, per Axios' senior climate reporter Andrew Freedman.

• UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said in a Wednesday evening livestream that "multiple studies" suggest the Santa Ana winds will become much drier in a warming climate, associated with lower relative humidity.
• "We've certainly seen some record breaking low relative humidity during Santa Ana events recently, so that extremely low humidity will continue for a couple more days, and actually the Santa Ana winds will pick back up again," Swain said.
• He added the later wind event should be "more traditional, moderate," and primarily confined to the mountains and the valley.

Go deeper: LA's wildfires sparked by rare collision of climate factors

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

Justice Samuel Alito spoke with President-elect Trump the day before the Republican leader's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to halt Friday's sentencing in his New York hush money case, the judge confirmed Wednesday.

What they're saying: Alito said in a statement first reported by ABC News that he agreed to take the call from Trump on Tuesday afternoon after his former clerk William Levi asked him to recommend him for a job in the incoming administration.

• "We did not discuss the emergency application he filed today, and indeed, I was not even aware at the time of our conversation that such an application would be filed," Alito said.
• "We also did not discuss any other matter that is pending or might in the future come before the Supreme Court or any past Supreme Court decisions involving the President-elect."

Why it matters: It's not unusual for justices to give job recommendations for former clerks, but the timing of the call, hours before the filing of an appeal against the conviction of what would be the first-ever criminal sentencing of a living president, drew criticism from advocates who've campaigned for more transparency in courts and raised ethics concerns.

What they're saying: Gabe Roth, executive director of the advocacy group Fix the Court, called the call "an unmistakable breach of protocol," per AP.

• "No person, no matter who they are, should engage in out-of-court communication with a judge or justice who's considering that person's case."
• Roth told the New York Times what made the call particularly problematic was recent ethical issues concerning the Supreme Court, and especially Alito.

The other side: Carrie Severino, president of the conservative advocacy group JCN, on X called the reaction to Alito's call "the newest manufactured 'ethics' scandal over a simple reference check."

• She added, "The Left is once again making up fake ethics rules as a way to smear a justice who they despise for authoring the Dobbs opinion and faithfully following the Constitution" —  in reference to the Supreme Court's majority decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end federal abortion protections.

Zoom out: Trump's lawyers are asking for the Supreme Court to pause sentencing in the N.Y. case while his presidential immunity appeals play out.

• Representatives for Trump and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Go deeper: Supreme Court adopts code of conduct for justices amid ethical scrutiny

Los Angeles County saw multiple wildfires erupt as "extremely critical fire weather" from dry conditions and Santa Ana winds threatened Southern California into Wednesday, and the National Weather Service warned the worst was yet to come.

State of Play: The biggest blaze was the uncontained Palisades Fire. It triggered mandatory evacuations for at least 30,000 people in the Pacific Palisades area as it threatened multiple structures across at least 2,921-acres between Malibu and Santa Monica, where evacuation orders were issued Tuesday evening.

• More evacuation orders were issued as more fires erupted in L.A. County as the onslaught of the strongest Santa Ana winds arrived Tuesday.
• Other notable wildfires included the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, where evacuation orders were in effect as the blaze swelled to 1,000 acres at 0% containment in the Eaton Canyon area as of early Wednesday.
• Sylmar residents were evacuated from the Hurst Fire late Tuesday after the blaze ignited near where Interstate 5 and the 14 and 210 freeways meet about 10:29pm local time. It had grown to 100 acres as of 12:36am.

Threat level: Rare, late-season, "Particularly Dangerous Situation" red flag warnings are in effect as the region faces a life-threatening, destructive and widespread windstorm after months of dry weather that could produce hurricane-force gusts of up to 100 mph in some areas, per an advisory from the NWS' Los Angeles/Oxnard office.

• The NWS said on X an "extremely dangerous situation is unfolding in southern California tonight." The forecast was for widespread "DAMAGING WIND and EXTREME FIRE WEATHER for most of Los Angeles/Ventura Counties," the NWS said.
• "Time period of greatest concern: Tonight-Wednesday afternoon," it added. "Widespread N/NE gusts 50-80 mph, Isolated 80-100 mph mountains/foothills with scattered downed trees and power outages likely."
• University of California, Los Angeles, climate scientist Daniel Swain said on Bluesky that the situation was the worst since a destructive event in 2011 that saw fires in Pasadena and the surrounding areas.
• There's a "much greater wildfire risk" this time "due to far drier vegetation," Swain said.

In another sign of the seriousness of the situation, the Storm Prediction Center designated parts of the L.A. area as being in its highest risk category of "extremely critical" for Wednesday and Thursday.

By the numbers: The NWS' Los Angeles office has already recorded wind gusts at or exceeding 70 mph.

• These include Deer Creek Canyon (80 mph), Boney Mountain (76 mph), Corral Canyon Park (75 mph), Sandstone Peak (73 mph), Castro Peak (71 mph) and Rancho De Cielo (70 mph).

The big picture: President Biden said in a Tuesday night statement that he was being "frequently briefed on the wildfires in west Los Angeles" and his administration "will do everything it can to support the response."

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in response to the Palisades Fire on Tuesday. He and Cal Fire deployed resources to SoCal areas expected to be impacted by this windstorm and extreme fire risk due to high winds and low humidity, per Monday evening statements.
• Southern California Edison spokesperson Jeff Monford said in a Monday evening phone interview the utility had notified 411,000 customers that a public safety power shutoff could affect them on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• The utility's power safety shutoffs affected 22,236 customers in Los Angeles County and another 2,968 in Ventura County as of 7:30pm local time amid powerful winds, per the company's outage tracker.
• Monford said the issue was "not that the grid is vulnerable to wind," it's that objects could potentially become airborne and hit a power line and "cause a spark and because the vegetation on the ground an is so dry, that could be hazardous."

Context: Swain in a video briefing on Monday afternoon said parts of SoCal were "going on nine or 10 months now without meaningful rain. ... it's been the driest start to the season on record in some parts of Southern California, also the driest nine-month period on record in some of those same places."

Between the lines: Evidence suggests climate change is "increasing the overlap between extremely dry vegetation conditions later in the season and the occurrence of these wind events," said Swain during his briefing.

• That's because "if we'd gotten three or four inches of rain" before this event, "we wouldn't really be talking about the wildfire risk, about the wind damage potential."
• There's evidence that climate change "has already affected and will continue to accentuate changes in seasonal hydro climate, but not so much evidence, it's really affecting the winds themselves, or that it will necessarily in the future," Swain added.

What to expect: The strongest winds with gusts of 50 to 80 mph were expected into early Wednesday afternoon.

• Red flag warnings were coming into effect elsewhere in California on Wednesday, including in San Diego County from the morning through 6pm.
• Areas impacted by red flag warnings will face increased risks of extreme fire behavior and large fires with "VERY RAPID" spread, the NWS said.

Go deeper: Extreme wildfires doubled in frequency, magnitude since 2003

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

Raging wildfires tearing through Los Angeles County into Thursday have razed neighborhoods across the area, leaving behind a trail of destruction and deaths.

The latest: At least 10 fire-related deaths have been reported as of 9pm local time, per a statement from the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.

• At least two of the deaths occurred in the Palisades Fire and at least three were confirmed in the Eaton Fire, officials said at a briefing earlier Thursday.

State of play: Extra federal and state resources have been deployed to the region, but powerful Santa Ana winds driving fires in extremely dry vegetation have made conditions challenging for firefighters.

• The Palisades Fire is California's third-most destructive fire on record, burning an estimated 5,316 structures. Cal Fire lists the Eaton Fire as the fourth-most destructive, in terms of structures destroyed, with 5,000-plus structures believed to have been razed.
• The wildfires have caused "significant damage" to L.A. County's sewer, power and transportation systems, L.A. County Public Works director Mark Pestrella said at the briefing, adding that debris from the fires could be hazardous or even toxic.
• Images shared online showed flames engulfing multiple homes and residents abandoning their cars in Pacific Palisades, including the Palisades Charter High School and the Getty Villa museum.

Zoom in: The destruction across the greater L.A. area is so vast that parts "look like a bomb was dropped" on them, L.A. Sheriff Robert Luna said at a Thursday briefing.

• President Biden said Thursday the federal government will cover 100% of California's disaster assistance costs for the wildfires. The funding will support debris and hazardous materials removal, first responders' pay and temporary shelters.
• Luna added that nearly 180,000 county residents were under evacuation orders.
• All Los Angeles Unified Schools and offices remained closed on Friday. Almost two dozen school districts have planned full or partial closures, per LAist.

Threat level: The National Weather Service's L.A. office expected the strong winds that have driven the fires that picked back up on Thursday afternoon to continue into Friday.

• Hazardous air quality from the wildfires impacted much of Southern California, exacerbated by low relative humidity.

Situation report: Firefighters made progress with the Palisades Fire, between Malibu and Santa Monica, reaching 6% containment as it burned over 19,978 acres as of 11:19pm local time.

• The Eaton Fire remained 0% contained over 13,690 acres. However, a brief drop in winds helped firefighters curb the spread of the Eaton Fire and "growth has been significantly stopped," L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

Meanwhile, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass confirmed on X Thursday that the Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills was "fully contained" over 43 acres Thursday morning.

• L.A. County firefighters made progress with the Lidia Fire that's burned 348 acres in a rural, mountainous area near Acton. It was 60% contained as of Thursday evening.
• The Hurst Fire that's burned 771 acres in the San Fernando Valley, some 25 miles northwest of downtown L.A., was 37% contained.

Driving the news: The wildfires ignited after months of dry weather. Many areas have been hit by hurricane-force gusts of 74 mph or higher. Magic Mountain Truck Trail, east of Santa Clarita, recorded a gust at 90 mph.

• The NWS' L.A. office said on X peak winds increased again across the region on Thursday and reached 74 mph along the trail that day.
• Millions of people in Southern California were affected by rare, late-season red flag warnings due to "widespread damaging north to northeast winds and extreme fire weather conditions," per a forecast discussion from the National Weather Service's Los Angeles office.

By the numbers: More than 120,000 customers in Los Angeles and Ventura counties were without power early Friday, according to PowerOutage.us.

Between the lines: Many parts of Southern California have not seen any meaningful rainfall for more than eight months.

• Much of the region is experiencing "moderate drought" conditions, per the U.S. Drought Monitor.
• Research shows human-caused climate change is leading to longer wildfire seasons in the western U.S. and has made severe seasons more frequent.

In photos: Palisades Fire engulfs L.A. homes

Go deeper:

• How wildfire smoke impacts your health
• LA's wildfires sparked by rare collision of climate factors

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout. A prior version had a correction on the rise of the death toll.

Axios' April Rubin contributed reporting.

President-elect Trump is seeking to stop special counsel Jack Smith from releasing a final report on the Republican leader's two dismissed federal criminal cases, per a letter included in court filings on Monday night.

The big picture: Monday's letter from Trump's attorneys to Attorney General Merrick Garland was included in filings from his former co-defendants in his dismissed classified documents case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.

The latest: Smith responded in a court filing Tuesday that it will be up to Garland to decide whether any part of the report will be released to the public.

• While Garland has not yet reached a decision, if he does choose to release any part of the report pertaining to the classified documents case, he won't do so before Jan. 10, Smith wrote.
• Smith added that he wouldn't submit his report to Garland until later Tuesday and would file a response to the defendants' motion Tuesday evening.
• Smith's office declined to comment regarding the matter.

Driving the news: Both Trump's attorneys and lawyers for Nauta and De Oliveira wrote in the Monday letter that they reviewed a two-volume draft report in a conference room at Smith's office in Washington, D.C., from Friday to Monday.

• Attorneys for Nauta and De Oliveira said in the filings submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida that the timeframe "reflects that public release is imminent."
• They noted that prosecutors are appealing the dismissal of charges against Nauta and De Oliveira in a federal appeals court in Atlanta.
• There remained "the threat of future criminal proceedings" that they argued would "be irreversibly and irredeemably prejudiced" by the release of a report from Smith, the pair's attorneys wrote.

The intrigue: Trump's lawyers said in their letter to Garland, "Equally problematic and inappropriate are the draft's baseless attacks on other anticipated members of President Trump's incoming administration, which are an obvious effort to interfere with upcoming confirmation hearings."

What we're watching: Trump's lawyers can't make Garland block the report's release, but they argue in their letter to Garland "because Smith has proposed an unlawful course of action, you must countermand his plan and remove him promptly."

• They added: "If Smith is not removed, then the handling of his report should be deferred to President Trump's incoming attorney general, consistent with the expressed will of the People."
• It's not clear if U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has the authority to direct the attorney general on the matter.
• Representatives for Garland and Smith did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment in the evening.

Zoom out: Smith moved to wind down his two federal criminal cases against Trump in the wake of the president-elect's election win in November.

• A judge that month granted Smith's request to drop all charges against Trump in the case alleging that he tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
• Smith also asked a federal court in Florida in November to pause his appeal related to Cannon's dismissal of the classified documents case.

Go deeper: Trump pushes to halt New York hush money sentencing

Editor's note: This article has been updated with Smith's office declining to comment.

A major winter storm sweeping much of the U.S. is producing heavy snow and ice as it threatens areas from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic— leaving tens of millions under weather alerts Monday.

The big picture: The multi-day storm that's partially tied to the polar vortex prompted governors in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia to declare states of emergency and caused widespread power outages.

Road conditions are rapidly deteriorating across the southern coalfields and Tri-State Area. GIF #1 is Fry Dr. at US-119 in Logan, WV. GIF #2 is I-64 at Mud River in Cabell County, WV. #wvwx #kywx #vawx #ohwx pic.twitter.com/2yonWXXdST

— NWS Charleston, WV (@NWSCharlestonWV) January 5, 2025

Go deeper: "Major" winter storm ushers in severe Arctic outbreak across U.S.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos and details from the winter storm.

President Biden said in a Washington Post op-ed on the eve of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack's fourth anniversary there's an "unrelenting effort" under way to "rewrite — even erase — the history of that day."

Why it matters: President-elect Trump has suggested he might pardon the rioters who took part in the assault on the Capitol when he takes office, claiming they're "hostages" who've been "wrongfully imprisoned" for their actions on Jan. 6, 2021.

Driving the news: Biden wrote in the WaPo article that efforts to explain the attack away "as a protest that just got out of hand" and to "dismiss concerns about it as some kind of partisan obsession" do not reflect what happened on Jan. 6.

• "Violent insurrectionists attacked the Capitol, threatened the lives of elected officials and assaulted brave law enforcement officers," Biden wrote.
• "We should be proud that our democracy withstood this assault. And we should be glad we will not see such a shameful attack again this year," added Biden, who noted that Vice President Harris would on Monday "preside over the certification of her opponent's victory in the November election."
• "But we should not forget. We must remember the wisdom of the adage that any nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it. We cannot accept a repeat of what occurred four years ago."

Zoom in: The president said the U.S. should commit to remembering Jan. 6, 2021, every year to remember it "as a day when our democracy was put to the test and prevailed" and to "remember that democracy — even in America — is never guaranteed."

Biden said the truth of what occurred four years ago cannot be lost because in time, "there will be Americans who didn't witness the Jan. 6 riot firsthand but will learn about it from footage and testimony of that day, from what is written in history books and from the truth we pass on to our children."

• Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Go deeper: Reagan-appointed judge slams "preposterous" claims about Jan. 6 "hostages"

New York City's congestion pricing went into effect in the center of Manhattan on Sunday, one day after a federal judge rejected a request from New Jersey officials to halt the program.

Why it matters: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says the first road toll policy of its kind in the U.S. is aimed at reducing traffic jams, boosting public transit use and improving air quality by charging up to $9 per day in the Congestion Relief Zone.

• The policy has been strongly opposed by leading figures including N.Y.-born President-elect Trump, who wants to stop it, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D), whose office vowed on Saturday to continue fighting the toll.

How it works: Per the MTA, the zone that came into effect at midnight Sunday includes roads in Manhattan south of and including 60th Street in an area.

• Excluded is the FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street.
• Most drivers are charged via an E-ZPass toll collection system, with passenger and small commercial vehicles paying $9 during the peak periods of 5am-9pm on weekdays, and from 9am-9pm on weekends. The rate is $2.25 during the overnight period.
• Motorcyclists pay a one-off daily rate of $4.50 during the peak period and $1.05 during the overnight period.
• There's a credit of up to $3 for passenger vehicles and $1.50 for motorcycles for those who've paid to enter Manhattan via certain tunnels, except for overnight because the MTA says "the toll is reduced by 75% from the peak period toll" then.

State of play: MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber said at a Sunday briefing 12 hours into the program that so far things had "gone smoothly," but it's too early to get an accurate measure of the program's success.

• "This is a toll system that has never been tried before in terms of complexity," Lieber said. "Everybody's going to have to adjust to this," he added.
• "We will start to know specific numbers and have some comparatives within a few days, and we're going to share that information publicly."

Stunning stat: New York City had the most congested traffic in the world in 2023, with drivers losing 101 hours to traffic jams during peak commuting times, per INRIX, a transportation analytics company.

Flashback: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) paused implementing the policy last June, citing concerns about plans to charge drivers $15.

What they're saying: Murphy has cited "economic strains" and inflation concerns for opposing NYC's policy.

• The president-elect, whose Trump Tower building is in the congestion zone, in a November statement said: "Not only is this a massive tax to people coming in, it is extremely inconvenient from both driving and personal booking keeping standards."
• He added: "It will be virtually impossible for New York City to come back as long as the congestion tax is in effect."
• Lieber said he thinks Trump "understands, being on Fifth Avenue — living on Fifth Avenue, 59th Street — what traffic is doing to our city."
• The MTA chief is "hopeful that although there has been some rhetoric about this, that we will continue to work with the federal government and get through the change of administration."

Go deeper: New York City braces for congestion pricing

Nearly four years after pipe bombs were planted outside the Democratic and Republican parties' headquarters in Washington, D.C., the FBI on Thursday released new information and footage on the suspect.

The big picture: A Republican-led congressional panel issued a scathing report on the FBI's "failure to identify" the person who placed these undetonated devices on Jan. 5, 2021, on the same day as the bureau released the new details in the case.

• Former Capitol Police chief Steven Sund testified in 2021 that he believed bombs were planted on the eve of the Jan. 6 riot as a diversion intended to draw law enforcement resources away from the Capitol as violence escalated.
• However, investigators have not found clear evidence that this was the case.

Zoom in: Among the new evidence the FBI on Thursday shared for the first time was the estimated height of the suspect whose gender investigators have yet to determine: about 5 feet 7 inches tall.

• The newly released footage shows the suspect leaving a bomb outside the Democratic National Committee HQ.
• A narrator notes in the new video that the suspect was "wearing distinctive Nike Air Max speed turf shoes" and that "fewer than 25,000 of these shoes were sold between August 2018 and January 2021."

By the numbers: The FBI has "assessed more than 600 tips" and conducted more than 1,000 interviews that "have helped us advance the investigation, but they have not led us to identify the suspect," per a statement from David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the bureau's Washington field office.

What they're saying: The Committee on House Administration's oversight panel said in its report the FBI initially "yielded a promising array of data and revealed numerous persons of interest."

• Then resources were later diverted and "there has been little meaningful progress toward the apprehension of the suspect," according to the report.
• Representatives for the FBI did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Watch the FBI appeal in full, via YouTube:

Flashback: FBI increases reward to $500K for info on pipe bombs outside RNC, DNC headquarters

A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas' entrance on Wednesday, killing the driver and wounding seven people, law enforcement officials said.

The big picture: Clark County/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a Wednesday afternoon briefing that "camp fuel canisters and large firework mortars" were found in the back of the truck. It wasn't immediately clear how they ignited.

• Investigators discovered via tracking through Tesla's charging stations that the truck was rented in Colorado using Turo, the car rental app that was also used in the New Orleans attack that killed at least 15 people.
• McMahill said there was no immediate indication of a connection between the two events, but "we are investigating every aspect of this."
• President Biden said in televised remarks Wednesday evening that law enforcement officers were investigating whether there was "any possible connection" between the Tesla Cybertruck explosion and the New Orleans attack. "Thus far, there's nothing to report on that," he said.

State of play: Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on his X platform earlier Wednesday that he had "confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself."

• The LVMPD said in a Wednesday morning statement on X urging people to avoid the area that officers were investigating the incident.
• Biden directed his team to offer any federal assistance needed in the incident, per a White House pool report Wednesday afternoon.
• Musk said in another post that the "whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now" and he'd post more information as soon he learned more.
• Musk, who will co-lead President-elect Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), added: "We've never seen anything like this."
• Video from the scene shows the Cybertruck engulfed in flames just outside the entrance to the hotel.
• McMahill said at a Wednesday briefing that the person inside the vehicle had died and that it was reported that those wounded in the incident had minor injuries.

What we're watching: "We're very well aware of what has happened in New Orleans with the event that occurred there and the number of victims there and the additional IEDs," McMahill said, in reference to the Bourbon Street pickup truck attack.

• "So as you can imagine, with an explosion here on iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe," he said.
• "We're looking for secondary devices ... there does not appear to be any further threat to our community now."

What they're saying: Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, shared a company statement on X noting the electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas.

• "The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority," added the second-eldest son of the president-elect.
• "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism."
• Representatives for the FBI, the Trump Organization, the White House and the president-elect did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.

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

The FBI found more than 150 homemade bombs during a raid on a Virginia farm when they arrested a man on a firearms charge, federal prosecutors allege.

The big picture: Preliminarily assessments of the haul seized from Brad Kenneth Spafford's Isle of Wight County farm indicate it's "the largest seizure by number of finished explosive devices in FBI history," per a court filing from federal prosecutors. His defense lawyers say there's no evidence that he planned to commit any acts of violence.

• The 36-year-old Spafford allegedly used pictures of President Biden "for target practice," prosecutors said in the memorandum of support, filed Monday in U.S. federal court in Norfolk, seeking to keep Spafford in detention.
• The FBI found pipe bombs in a detached garage and in a backpack in the home's bedroom that was labeled "#nolivesmatter" — an apparent reference to an extremist movement that promotes violence.

Context: The movement "promotes targeted attacks, mass killings, and criminal activity, and has historically encouraged members to engage in self-harm and animal abuse," per an August threat assessment from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

Zoom in: Spafford was taken into custody and charged with possession of a firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act after being arrested on Dec. 17. More charges were expected to be filed.

• Defense lawyers called for Spafford's immediate release in a Tuesday filing.
• "There is not a shred of evidence in the record that Mr. Spafford ever threatened anyone and the contention that someone might be in danger because of their political views and comments is nonsensical," they wrote.

What we're watching: The federal judge overseeing the case said Spafford should be released under certain conditions including electronic monitoring, but agreed to keep him in detention while government lawyers appeal the decision, per VPM.

U.S. cities joined millions of people around the world in New Year's celebrations ringing in 2025 on Wednesday.

The big picture: Countries in the Asia-Pacific region were the first to mark New Year's Day, with Auckland, New Zealand, the first major city to see Jan. 1, 2025.

Go deeper: Paid prenatal leave, child influencer protections, no taxes on rent: New 2025 laws

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos and details of New Year's celebrations around the world.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts warned Tuesday of "illegitimate activity" that he said threatened the independence of judges.

The big picture: Roberts outlined in his annual year-end report areas of concern including violence, intimidation, disinformation and "threats to defy lawfully entered judgments."

• The chief justice wrote that within the past few years "elected officials from across the political spectrum have raised the specter of open disregard" for federal court rulings.
• "These dangerous suggestions, however sporadic, must be soundly rejected. Judicial independence is worth preserving," he added.

The intrigue: Roberts did not name anyone as an example.

• However, the Reagan-appointed U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth spoke out against public figures who've tried to "rewrite history" by describing imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters as "hostages" after President-elect Trump and some of his allies described them as such.
• Meanwhile, President Biden criticized a Supreme Court majority decision that Roberts wrote, which ruled in Trump's Jan. 6 case that presidents have immunity for "official acts." The case was dismissed after the Republican leader won November's election.

State of play: Roberts in his report raised concern about violence against judges across the U.S., noting that in 2005 and 2020, "close relatives of federal judges were shot to death by assailants intent on harming the judges who had handled their cases."

• He noted that in 2022 and 2023, state judges in Wisconsin and Maryland were murdered at their homes.
• "These tragic events highlight the vulnerability of judges who sign their names to the decisions they render each day and return home each night to communities, where they remain involved as neighbors, volunteers, and concerned citizens," Roberts wrote.

Zoom in: "Public officials, too, regrettably have engaged in recent attempts to intimidate judges — for example, suggesting political bias in the judge's adverse rulings without a credible basis for such allegations," Roberts said

• "Within the past year we also have seen the need for state and federal bar associations to come to the defense of a federal district judge whose decisions in a high-profile case prompted an elected official to call for her impeachment," he wrote.
• "Attempts to intimidate judges for their rulings in cases are inappropriate and should be vigorously opposed," Roberts added.
• "Public officials certainly have a right to criticize the work of the judiciary, but they should be mindful that intemperance in their statements when it comes to judges may prompt dangerous reactions by others."

Read the 2024 Year End Report on the Federal Judiciary in full, via DocumentCloud:

Flashback: Chief Justice John Roberts urges "humility" on AI

The U.S. is sending Ukraine $5.9 billion in military aid and budget support, the Biden administration announced on Monday.

Why it matters: It's part of President Biden's pledge for a "surge" in aid for Kyiv before he's succeeded by President-elect Trump, who's criticized the U.S. givingUkraine military assistance.

• "At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine's position in this war over the remainder of my time in office," Biden said in a statement announcing $2.5 billion in security assistance for Kyiv on Monday.

Driving the news: The aid will include an additional $1.25 billion drawdown package for the Ukrainian military and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package, per Biden's statement.

• Elsewhere, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced the U.S. has made available $3.4 billion in direct budget support for Ukraine, in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department.

What he's saying: "I've directed my Administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible — including drawing down older U.S. equipment for Ukraine, rapidly delivering it to the battlefield, and then revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base to modernize and replenish our stockpiles with new weapons," Biden said in his statement.

Go deeper: Biden pledges more U.S. arms to Ukraine after Russia's Christmas attack

A South Korean court approved an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-Yeol on Tuesday morning local time, Yonhap News Agency first reported.

Why it matters: The warrant related to Yoon's brief martial law declaration this month that sparked widespread protests and shocked allies would mark the first time one has been issued for an incumbent president in South Korea, per local media.

Driving the news: The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials confirmed in a media statement that Seoul Western District Court had approved the warrant.

The big picture: Yoon was impeached and suspended from presidential duties for his surprise martial law declaration, but he maintains he acted out of concerns about "pro-North Korean" elements when he made the emergency declaration.

• South Korean police announced earlier this month they were investigating Yoon for possible insurrection and he has, through his lawyers, denied the allegations.
• Yoon could face life in prison or the death penalty if he were charged and convicted of such offenses because presidential immunity doesn't extend to insurrection or treason in South Korea.

Go deeper: South Korean president hit with travel ban after martial law mayhem

A state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter will take place on Jan. 9 at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the White House announced.

The big picture: President Biden has called for a national day of mourning that same day for his longtime "dear friend," who died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday at age 100, per a White House statement.

• Funeral proceedings for the Democrat are set to be held in Georgia and Washington, D.C., in the leadup to the national state funeral, which the cathedral said will be invitation-only and closed to members of the public but broadcast live on its YouTube channel.
• The Carter Center has set up a website detailing the funeral plans.

What to expect: A motorcade will bring Carter's body from Plains to the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, where he'll lie in repose during the weekend before being flown to D.C. on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

• Biden said last year that Carter had asked him to deliver his eulogy.
• The U.S. Northern Command commander will be the combatant commander responsible for the conduct of the funeral, per a statement from the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region.
• The task force has posted a full breakdown of the funeral schedule:

Saturday, Jan. 4: The state funeral begins with the arrival of the Carter family at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Ga., at 10:15am, per the JTF-NCR.

• A hearse carrying Carter's remains will travel in a motorcade from the medical center, through Plains, to his boyhood home for a brief pause in front of his family's farm at 10:50am, where the National Park Service will render a salute and ring the farm bell 39 times.
• The procession will continue to Atlanta at 10:55am, where it will stop at Georgia's State Capitol for a moment of silence with Gov. Brian Kemp, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, other officials and Georgia State Patrol troopers at 3pm.
• Carter's remains will be transported to the Carter Presidential Center for a service at 4pm, after which he'll lie in repose so mourners can "pay their respects" from 7pm to 6am daily until the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 7, per the JTF-NCR post.

Jan. 7: "Carter departs the Carter Presidential Center one last time" at 9:30am to fly with family from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., at 10:40am to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, arriving at 12:45pm, according to the JTF-NCR.

• Carter's body will be transferred with ceremony to the hearse upon arrival before the parties will travel by motorcade at 1:15pm to the U.S. Navy Memorial. There, his remains will transferred to a horse-drawn caisson for a funeral procession to the U.S. Capitol at 2pm.
• "Upon arrival at the U.S. Capitol, the late president is carried by military body bearers into the Rotunda where members of Congress will pay their respects during a service at 3pm," per the JTF-NCR. "Carter will then lie in state while the military maintains a guard of honor. The public is invited to pay their respects as he lies in state from 7 p.m. to midnight."

Jan. 8: The late president will lie in state and members of the public can pay their respects from 7am that day until 7am on Jan. 9.

Jan. 9: "Carter departs the U.S. Capitol with ceremony for his last time" at 9am, according to the JTF-NCR.

• The motorcade then travels to Washington National Cathedral "for a brief arrival ceremony" at 9:30am, followed by the National Funeral Service at 10am.
• Carter and his family will travel at 11:15am after the service to Joint Base Andrews, Md., for his final journey home to Georgia, arriving at Fort Moore at 2pm.
• A motorcade including Carter's hearse will then travel to Maranatha Baptist Church, Plains, arriving at 3:30pm, with a private funeral service at held at 3:45pm.
• After the service, there will be a private interment at the Carter residence at 5:20pm.
• "The public is invited to line the motorcade route as Carter and his family travel through his beloved hometown of Plains, Georgia to the late president's final resting place," the JTF-NCR post says.
• "Prior to interment, the U.S. Navy will conduct a missing man formation flyover in honor of former President Carter's naval service and time as commander-in-chief shortly after the motorcade's arrival at the residence."

What else is happening: U.S. flags will fly at half-staff on all federal buildings, grounds and naval vessels for 30 days.

• Biden issued an executive order Monday to close all executive departments and federal agencies on Jan. 9 "as a mark of respect" for Carter.
• Financial markets will be largely closed for the national day of mourning.

Flashback: The last state funeral for a U.S. president was for George H.W. Bush in 2018, which Carter attended with the five other living presidents.

Go deeper: White House solar panels still power Carter's environmental legacy

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

Azerbaijan has demanded that Russia admit its guilt over a Christmas Day plane crash that killed 38 people, the country's President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday.

The big picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev for the Azerbaijan Airlines crash occurring in Russian airspace, but a Kremlin statement made clear he wasn't accepting responsibility for the incident.

• The crash happened near the Kazakh city of Aktau after flight J2-8243 had diverted following attempts to land in Chechnya's capital Grozny, Russia, where the Kremlin has said Russian air defense systems were firing to repel Ukrainian drones.

Driving the news: "We can clearly say today that the plane was shot down by Russia. This is a fact, and no one can deny this fact," Aliyev said in a state TV interview, according to a transcript posted to the president's website.

• "We are not saying that this was done intentionally, but it was done," he added.

Zoom in: Aliyev said Azerbaijani officials had "clearly expressed our demands" to their Russian counterparts.

• "First of all, the Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Secondly, it must acknowledge its guilt," he said.
• "Thirdly, those responsible must be punished, brought to criminal responsibility, and compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state, to the injured passengers and crew members. These are our conditions," Aliyev added.
• "The first of these was fulfilled yesterday. I do hope that the other conditions will also be accepted."

Go deeeper: What to know about the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash