President Trump's tariff flip-flop, escalating tensions with Panama, and a controversial pause on aid to Ukraine dominated headlines this week.

Here's our recap of key developments.

Trump tariffs sweep

Trump's shifting position on tariffs rattled U.S. markets this week and incited a global trade war.

• By some estimates, the president's tariffs on America's closest trading partners could cost the average U.S. household $830 a year. And that's before factoring in the cost of anticipated retaliatory tariffs.

The president on Tuesday imposed 25% tariffs on most imports from Mexico and Canada. He increased tariffs on China from 10% to 20%.

• By Thursday, he reversed himself and paused tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports covered by a North American trade agreement until April 2.

Go deeper: Trump stares down early economic potholes

Trump's many words to Congress

Trump's first congressional address on Tuesday lasted nearly 100 minutes, making it the longest of its kind in recent history.

• It felt like a typical stump speech from the president. He boasted about the executive order blitz that's upended American life and the nation's position on the world stage and touched on immigration, sports, DEI and foreign policy.
• Elon Musk, current and former Supreme Court justices and members of Trump's Cabinet attended.

The Democrats' response to the speech sparked its own mini-news cycle.

• Democratic Rep. Al Green (Texas) was ejected from the chamber early in the evening for heckling Trump. Other House members either walked out, held signs or wore pink. House leadership and Democrats didn't widely embrace the moves.
• Axios' Hill team scooped that Democratic leadership privately scolded some members who defied orders not to make themselves the story. Ten Democrats joined every House Republican in a Thursday vote to censure Green.
• Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) delivered her party's rebuttal,

Go deeper: Behind the Curtain: Trump, on steroids

Trump pauses aid to Ukraine

The caustic relationship between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky entered the next phase of volatility this week after a tense and televised meeting between the two last Friday.

• Trump on Monday halted—at least temporarily—military assistance the U.S. pledged to Ukraine until a date is set for peace negotiations with Russia.
• Zelensky agreed to a partial ceasefire on Tuesday, and Trump during his address to Congress, softened his tone on the Ukrainian president.

Negotiating with Hamas

The Trump administration is, for the first time, in direct talks with Hamas about the release of U.S. hostages held in Gaza and a wider deal to end the war, Axios' Barak Ravid reported exclusively on Wednesday.

• Israel announced on Sunday it is halting humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries to Gaza after a ceasefire agreement with Hamas ended.
• Trump told Hamas he would authorize additional Israeli military strikes on Gaza unless the group releases its remaining hostages.

Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is launching an AI-fueled "Catch and Revoke" effort to cancel the visas of foreign nationals who appear to support Hamas or other designated terror groups, senior State Department officials told Axios' Marc Caputo.

Trump on Panama Canal

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino accused Trump of "lying again" when he claimed Tuesday his administration will be "reclaiming" the Panama Canal.

• "I reject in the name of Panama and all Panamanians this new affront to the truth and our dignity as a nation," Mulino said Wednesday in a post on X translated from Spanish.
• The U.S. president's comments follow BlackRock's agreement to acquire two ports serving the canal from a Chinese group, CK Hutchison, as part of a larger $22.8 billion deal.

Go deeper: BlackRock buying two Panama Canal ports from China's Hutchinson

More from Axios:

• White House firings continue despite speed bumps
• White House now says firing probationary workers up to agencies
• Tracking Trump: Press pool takeover, Zelensky and the Musk effect

President Trump's clash with legacy media, his spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and influence over the House GOP's budget deal were among the biggest news events out of his administration this week.

Here's our recap of key developments the past week:

White House takes over press pool coverage

The White House upended decades-old protocols Tuesday by announcing it would decide which news outlets can access the president at meetings and events when space is limited, also known as the press pool.

• Historically, the independent White House Correspondents' Association has determined which outlets make up the pool, ensuring that outlets with diverse perspectives have access to the president.
• The move "suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president," Eugene Daniels, president of the WHCA and Politico reporter, said in a statement. (The WHCA said Wednesday it will no longer coordinate pool coverage.)

Zoom out: The Associated Press is suing White House officials for banning its reporters from the Oval Office and Air Force One over its use of Gulf of Mexico instead of Trump's preferred Gulf of America.

• Since AP mentioned its role in the press pool 52 times in its initial 18-page lawsuit, the White House decided to take over the function of picking the outlets in it, one White House adviser told Axios' Marc Caputo.

Canada and Mexico tariffs still on

The White House remains committed to imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports next week, despite earlier comments from Trump that hinted at a possible delay.

• A 10% tariff took effect on Feb. 4 for China, with another 10% on the way March 4, Axios reported.
• Tariffs for Canada and Mexico, at 25%, are delayed until March 4, and reciprocal tariffs are set to take effect April 2.
• "The tariffs could jolt the global trading system and stoke tensions with allies and adversaries," Axios' Courtenay Brown writes.

Go deeper: A timeline of Trump's tariff proposals

House passes Trump-approved budget

Speaker Mike Johnson's Trump-backed budget bill narrowly cleared the House 217-215 on Tuesday, overcoming a brief Republican rebellion earlier in the day.

• Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a fiscal hawk, cast the lone GOP dissenting vote, while Democrats united in opposition.
• The passage sets the stage for advancing Trump's domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, border security measures and potential energy cuts.

Go deeper: Behind the Curtain: The hard truths about Trump tax cuts

Trump backs Musk's progress-or-else email

Federal workers who failed to respond to an emailed request last weekend to report their progress "are on the bubble," Trump said during his first Cabinet meeting this term on Wednesday. He added, "Maybe they're gonna be gone." Federal workers had been warned their failure to respond to his email would be treated as a resignation.

• The email rattled D.C. throughout the week and showed a misalignment between the administration, government agency heads and Cabinet officials.

Musk on Wednesday described the email, which many agency heads told their staff to ignore, as a "pulse check review."

• Workers later claimed in a lawsuit filed and amended on their behalf that Musk's DOGE doesn't have the power to make good on the threat.

What to watch: The White House has already directed federal agencies to plan for large-scale layoffs in its promise to reduce federal bureaucracy and return power to the states, Axios' Emily Peck writes.

Trump and Zelensky meet at the White House

Zelensky made his first visit to the White House Friday since President Trump took office. The meeting's purpose was to improve relations and get a minerals deal signed, after a public squabble last week between the two leaders.

• But it devolved into a public shouting match including a tense exchange where Vice President Vance accused Zelensky of disrespecting Trump by "trying to litigate" U.S. policy on Ukraine in front of the media.
• Throughout the exchange, Zelensky became visibly uncomfortable and upset. He pointed out that Vance hadn't been to war-torn Ukraine, conceding that every country in their situation has problems.

Zoom out: The minerals deal would allow the U.S. to tap into Ukraine's minerals and other natural resources. It would also establish a joint fund for rebuilding Ukraine.

• As of Friday afternoon, it wasn't signed.
• "He can come back when he is ready for Peace," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
• A U.S. official told Axios Trump is considering retaliation including stopping military assistance to Ukraine.

Go deeper: U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal faces long, uncertain road

More from Axios:

• Trump's loyalty-first FBI
• Tracking Trump: Zelensky friction, the power grab and IVF access
• Trump ousts top U.S. Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown and other leaders
• Tracking Trump: 5 moves this week with lasting impact

Editor's note: This story has been updated with developments after Trump and Zelensky's meeting.

Taylor Swift is again expected to be cheering at the Super Bowl on Sunday as the most famous NFL "WAG."

• Some viewers of the country's most-watched sporting event are more curious about who's sitting in her box or her attire than, you know, the game.

Why it matters: Swift joins a changing guard of WAGs who have massive platforms thanks to new media, brand partnerships, or — in Swift's case — careers that eclipse their NFL-playing partners'.

• For the unacquainted: WAGs refers to "wives and girlfriends," an early 2000's term coined by British tabloids that covered high-profile footballers' significant others — one that often carried misogynistic and derogatory connotations.
• Megastars like Swift, whose global fame and accomplishments were established well before her current relationship with Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, have helped redefine the term — and brought millions of new women fans to the NFL.

Zoom in: Beyond Swift, some other WAGs of note: actor and singer Hailee Steinfeld (Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen, this year's NFL MVP) and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles (Chicago Bears' Jonathan Owens). Steinfeld recently launched a newsletter Beau Society, and off the mat Biles is a mental health advocate.

• Ex-soccer player and sports team owner Brittany Mahomes (Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes) has secured partnerships with various beverage brands and appeared in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue last year.
• TikToker Alix Earle (Miami Dolphins' Braxton Berrios) applies her signature get-ready-with-me videos to Game Day — appearing recently in a Fox NFL Sunday edition.
• Fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk (49ers' Kyle Juszczyk) started a chic line of jackets featuring players' jerseys (notably donned by Swift in early 2024) and landed a licensing deal with the league.
• Former Miss USA Olivia Culpo (49ers' Christian McCaffrey) and YouTuber Allison Kuch (Isaac Rochell, previously of the Las Vegas Raiders) also fit the mold.
• Let us not forget Ciara (Pittsburgh Steelers' Russell Wilson).

Earle and Kylie Kelce (wife of retired Eagles center Jason Kelce) attracted headlines when their podcasts, launched in 2023 and 2024, respectively, each briefly dethroned Joe Rogan from the No. 1 spot on charts.

• There's also a growing intersection of reality TV and WAGs, with several former "Bachelor" contestants now partnered with NFL players, including Hannah Ann Sluss (Jake Funk) and Sydney Hightower (49ers' Fred Warner).
• Netflix in January released "W.A.G.s to Riches" — featuring current and former partners of NFL players plus others across sports and entertainment.

State of play: Being a WAG has become something to monetize thanks to online platforms. They can curate image and audiences via social media and podcasts.

• WAGS "can then become their own name or their own brand, or their own celebrity ... besides just the relatively anonymous girlfriend or wife that the camera might be into during the game," Cheryl Cooky, professor at Purdue University who studies the intersections of gender, sport, media and culture, tells Axios.

Weddings and pregnancies are likewise marketable opportunities, as the Wall Street Journal reported at the outset of the season.

• "When our clients announce a pregnancy and have kids, their income typically doubles," Paul Desisto, a talent agent who has represented WAGs/influencers told the Journal.
• Wedding vendors and companies making pregnancy and newborn products recognize the opportunity for promotion and partnership.

Flashback: Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, the ex-wife of Tom Brady, was once the highest-paid super model in the world. She reached stardom long before her relationship with the NFL quarterback began.

• But during the peak visibility of their marriage in the early-to-mid 2000s, "her success was somewhat secondary to her role as Tom Brady's wife," Cooky says.

So what's changed?

• Television news and highlight shows rarely covered women and women athletes at all, Cooky (a "Swiftie") says. If they did, they were featured in supporting roles for male athletes: wives, girlfriends and mothers.
• But figures like Swift and Biles deeply complicate that narrative — with huge social followings and dynamic careers of their own.

Between the lines: NFL husbands or boyfriends have also publicly supported their partners' careers — reversing the classic script.

• Last summer Biles' husband Owens got permission from the Bears to miss multiple practices in order to cheer her on at the Paris Olympics.
• And Kelce joined Taylor Swift on stage during The Eras Tour back in June.

Zoom out: As the popularity of women's sports booms, we're seeing mega-star WAGs there, too.

• What a flex: Power couple Olympians Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird have supported each other's World Cup and WNBA Championship wins.
• Livvy Dunne, the LSU gymnast who's made millions through NIL deals, is dating MLB player Paul Skenes.
• Another power couple rooted in women's sports: Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian.

The bottom line: Next time you see a WAG in the crowd watching their partner put in work on the field or court, remember she's working too.

Go deeper: Taylor Swift effect: Female-focused ad spots take the Super Bowl

Trump world 2.0 is moving at a pace that can be hard to follow — and that's intentional. If you missed some key White House or Capitol Hill events of the week, we've got you covered.

The big picture: Donald Trump's second week in office included a surprise federal funding freeze Tuesday that prompted nationwide confusion and a shifting timeline on tariffs across U.S. imports from Canada, Mexico and China set for a Feb. 1 rollout, creating whiplash in financial markets Friday.

• As Axios' Erin Davis reported, much of Trump's activity in the last two weeks has involved a slew of executive orders — more than any modern president has issued in their first two weeks.
• Over in Congress, three of Trump's most controversial Cabinet picks had hearings before Senate committees this week: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel.

Go deeper: Sign up for Axios' Hill Leaders for our ongoing coverage.

Federal funding freeze and worker buyouts

💰 On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced a surprise, temporary pause of federal grant, loan and other financial assistance programs, effective 5pm ET that same day.

• The move — which required agencies to document whether more than 2,000 programs received funding related to abortion, diversity, undocumented immigrants or climate policy — sent states, nonprofits, schools and other programs scrambling in confusion.
• By the end of the day, a federal judge had temporarily blocked the freeze.

💼 The Trump administration also offered Tuesday to pay federal workers who voluntarily resigned a buyout package that includes pay through Sept. 30, Axios' Marc Caputo and Emily Peck also scooped.

• Millions of workers received an email with the subject line "A Fork in the Road" — the same language Elon Musk used when purging X's workforce after he became owner.

Federal funding freeze

🎯 The White House on Wednesday backtracked on the funding freeze, rescinding the memo that had ordered the temporary pause, though asserting it was "NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze."

• White House officials had said the freeze would not affect Medicare, Social Security or other direct assistance that Americans "rely on."
• But outages on various websites and the lack of detail or warning itself still caused chaos.

What's next: A federal judge temporarily blocked the funding freeze on Friday, citing a social media post from press secretary Karoline Leavitt as evidence the case should continue.

Trump blames DEI for plane crash

🕯️After the deadliest aviation crash the U.S. has seen in decades, Trump held a press conference Thursday at the White House as the cause remained unknown and a recovery mission was underway.

• Without evidence, the president blamed diversity, equity and inclusion policies and his Democratic predecessors for what he framed as a lower-quality aviation workforce. He later ordered a DEI review of all federal aviation hiring and safety decisions.
• Axios fact-checked the claims. Data shows air traffic controllers and airfield operations specialists are predominately male and white.

The collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over D.C.'s Reagan Airport left 67 people dead across both aircrafts.

Go deeper: What to know about the plane crash victims

Tariff merry-go-round

🧮 Tariffs were coming on Saturday: 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, alongside 10% tariffs on China.

• Then, they weren't, according to Reuters.
• But no, they still are, according to the White House.

No matter what, the tariffs will likely spark retaliation of an unknown magnitude, risking economic pain for businesses and consumer, Axios' Courtenay Brown reports.

DEI scrubbing on federal websites

👀 Some federal web pages tracking issues such as HIV prevention, climate change and transgender care went down as of Friday afternoon.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sites or datasets were scrubbed of information on ending gender-based violence, contraception for health care providers and AtlasPlus, which housed HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and STD.
• The list goes on.

More from Axios:

• Biden-era consumer agency head fired by Trump White House
• U.S. conducts strikes against ISIS operatives in Somalia

Investigators have recovered the black boxes of the passenger jet involved in a collision with an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport outside D.C. — the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. in more than 20 years.

The big picture: The American Airlines passenger jet with 64 people on board and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers collided on Wednesday night, sending both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River. There are no known survivors.

• The rescue mission shifted to a recovery operation early Thursday, but at least a dozen people were still missing by day's end. Investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the crash.
• The airport resumed flight operations Thursday morning, but dozens of flights have been delayed or cancelled since. Passengers were advised to check with their airlines for specific flight information.
• Reagan National Airport has the country's busiest runway — which has long caused concerns about overcrowding at the airport and understaffing among air traffic controllers, Axios D.C.'s Mimi Montgomery reports.

Go deeper: Here's what we know about the victims ... How D.C.'s first and last responders are recovering the dead

Situation report: The National Transportation Safety Board intends to have a preliminary report on the crash within 30 days, board member Todd Inman said during a briefing Thursday afternoon.

• "We do not know enough facts to be able to rule in or out human factor, mechanical factors," Inman said.
• President Trump delivered remarks from the White House earlier Thursday afternoon, briefly calling for national unity before attacking his Democratic predecessors and blaming DEI policies for the crash.

Reality check: Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau and IPUMS show air traffic controllers and airfield operations specialists are predominately male and white. Go deeper.

Zoom in: The president later signed a memorandum in keeping with an earlier one ordering the Transportation secretary and FAA administrator "to review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols" made during the previous four years.

• It also directs them "to take such corrective action as necessary to achieve uncompromised aviation safety, including the replacement of any individuals who do not meet qualification standards," Trump added in the memo.

Catch up quick: Remnants of the two aircraft discovered included the fuselage of the American Airlines commercial plane, which was found in three sections in "waist-deep" water, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a briefing Thursday morning.

• Rescue operations along the frigid river began soon after the crash, around 9pm ET. Some 300 people were involved in those efforts, per John Donnelly, chief of D.C. Fire and EMS.

Speculation mounts on "absolute tragedy"

"Everything was standard in the leadup to the crash," Duffy said, while declining to speculate about where things went so tragically wrong.

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a video statement Thursday the Army unit involved in the collision, the 12th Aviation Battalion, was placed on a 48-hour operational pause while the incident is reviewed.
• Army Secretary nominee Dan Driscoll called the incident an "absolute tragedy" during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services. "We might need to look at where is an appropriate time to take training risk and it may not be near an airport like Reagan," he added.
• The New York Times reported Thursday that the helicopter flew outside its approved flight path and that the air traffic controller was juggling two jobs.

How the crash happened

American Eagle Flight 5342, traveling from Wichita, was approaching DCA, sometimes described as having America's busiest runway.

• Visibility was good at the time of the crash, with winds blowing out of the northwest. An advisory for high winds had expired earlier in the evening.
• Both the jet and the helicopter were following "standard flight patterns," Duffy told reporters.
• Hegseth noted the helicopter was manned by a "fairly experienced crew" that was appropriately equipped with night vision goggles.

The U.S. Army UH-60 helicopter was on a training exercise out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, a Pentagon spokesperson said.

• The helicopter was told to maintain visual separation with the plane — essentially, "see and avoid," Axios aviation expert Alex Fitzpatrick notes. That's not an unusual procedure, despite a Truth Social post from Trump questioning why the control tower hadn't given more direct instructions.
• It's also not unusual to see Black Hawks flying low along the Potomac. This is some of America's busiest airspaces due to the presence of both military and commercial aircraft.

What remains unclear is why the helicopter did not divert from its path and collided with the jet as it made its final descent.

• "Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely," Duffy said, without offering specifics.

Who was on board

U.S. Figure Skating confirmed "several" of its members were on board, as well as family members of some athletes returning from a development camp in Wichita.

• The Kremlin confirmed Russian figure skaters and other citizens were on board and China's state media reported two Chinese citizens were on the plane, which was carrying 60 passengers and four crew.
• Officials and family confirmed Ryan O'Hara, the crew chief of the helicopter, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves were two of the three service members aboard the helicopter.

Recovery operations continue

Recovery efforts are ongoing in and around the Potomac. Based on an initial count, around 30 people had yet to be recovered as of Thursday morning.

• Dive teams scoured the site as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in a methodical search for bodies, per AP.

Deadly plane crashes in the U.S.

Fatal crashes of commercial aircraft in the U.S. have become a rarity.

• The last was in 2009 near Buffalo, N.Y. All 49 passengers and crew above Colgan Air Flight 3407 were killed when the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane crashed into a house. A person on the ground also was killed.
• Other than the Pentagon attack on 9/11, last night's collision is the worst air tragedy in the D.C. area since the Air Florida Flight 90 crash on Jan. 13, 1982, which killed 78 when it hit the 14th Street Bridge and crashed into the Potomac.

This story has been updated throughout and will continue to be updated as new information comes in.

Global leaders, current and former U.S. lawmakers, and heads of major U.S. companies descended on Washington, DC, for President Trump's inaugural events over the long weekend.

Why it matters: Trump takes office with Republican control of Congress, support from business and foreign leaders and what's seen as more cultural acceptance of the MAGA movement.

• Follow Axios' live coverage of Inauguration Day.
• Trump's inauguration is taking place inside the Capitol rotunda due to weather.
• Former Vice President Mike Pence, who served with Trump during his first term, was also in attendance.

We'll be tracking some of the notable attendees. Among them:

Current and former members of Congress

Former Republican House Speakers Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), Newt Gingrich (Ga.), and John Boehner (Ohio) trickled into the Capitol on Monday.

• Notably absent was former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who said she wouldn't attend the inauguration, multiple outlets reported.
• Former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was in attendance with his wife, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, who served during Trump's first term and quit her role after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Tech and business leaders

• Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, owner of X
• Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
• Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta
• Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, owner of the Washington Post
• Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google
• Rupert Murdoch, former executive chairman of Fox Corp., joined inauguration church services
• Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
• Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok
• Joe Rogan, host of "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast
• Tim Cook, CEO of Apple

Foreign leaders

• Right-wing leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, were in attendance.
• Also at the inauguration was Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who held meetings with Vice President Vance and Musk ahead of the event, the AP reported.

Former U.S. presidents

Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama attended the inauguration.

• Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former first lady Laura Bush joined, but former first lady Michelle Obama did not.

Go deeper: Trump readies executive blitz in White House return

Editor's note: This story has been corrected. Dana White was misidentified as Joe Rogan in a photo.

Global leaders, current and former U.S. lawmakers, and heads of major U.S. companies descended on Washington, DC, for President-elect Trump's inaugural events over the long weekend.

Why it matters: Trump takes office with Republican control of Congress, support from business and foreign leaders and what's seen as more cultural acceptance of the MAGA movement.

• Follow Axios' live coverage of Inauguration Day.
• Trump's inauguration is taking place inside the Capitol Rotunda due to weather.
• Former Vice President Mike Pence, who served with Trump during his first term, was also in attendance.

We'll be tracking some of the notable attendees. Among them:

Current and former members of Congress

Former Republican House Speakers Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), Newt Gingrich (Ga.), John Boehner (Ohio) trickled into the Capitol Monday.

• Notably absent was former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who said she wouldn't attend the inauguration, multiple outlets reported.
• Former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was in attendance with his wife, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, who served during Trump's first term and quit her role after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Tech CEOs

• Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of X
• Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
• Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta

Foreign leaders

Right-wing leaders including Argentinian President Javier Milei and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were in attendance.

Go deeper: Trump readies executive blitz in White House return

U.S. voters between the ages of 18 and 29 were more likely than their elders to accept the recent killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, new polling found.

The big picture: The reaction to Thompson's death and suspected shooter Luigi Mangione have captivated America. The event has laid bare public outrage towards the insurance industry, curiosity about Mangione's digital footprint and a blatant lack of empathy from people online.

• Most voters (68%) think the actions of the killer against Thompson were unacceptable, while 17% found them acceptable, an Emerson College poll out this week found.
• Young voters were far more split: 41% found the killer's actions acceptable, while 40% found them unacceptable, per the poll. About 24% found them "somewhat acceptable" and 17% "completely acceptable."
• Mangione, 26, was arrested in Pennsylvania last week after a days-long search for a suspect. He faces a murder charge and others in New York and other forgery, gun-related and misdemeanor charges in Pennsylvania.

State of play: After Thompson's shocking death in Manhattan on Dec. 4, social media users raged against health insurers, with posters lashing out over coverage denials and other business practices, Axios' Maya Goldman reported.

• Even before Mangione was arrested, posters hailed him as a folk hero and posted jokes and memes celebrating the suspect and his purported cause, Axios' Ivana Saric reported.
• TikTok, a top social media app for young people, was awash with comedy over the killing.
• Online storefronts also began selling merchandise, including sweatshirts, wine tumblers and hats emblazoned with words "deny," "defend" and "depose" — industry parlance found on shell casings at the crime scene.

Zoom in: The Emerson poll also found a partisan split and small gender gap among respondents.

• 22% of Democrats found the killer's actions acceptable, while 59% found them unacceptable. Among Republicans, 12% found the actions acceptable while 16% of independents said the same.
• Men (19%) found the killer's actions slightly more acceptable than women (14%).

Between the lines: Thompson's killing has unleashed a debate over the insurance industry's frequency of denying claims and how unaffordable health care has become for many Americans.

• "It's really important that we take a step back, this is not to comment and this is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in a recent appearance on CBS.

The bottom line: Other recent data has revealed Americans are now more likely to accept violence.

• Last year, a Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) survey found a quarter of Americans agreed that "patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country" — the most in the nearly three years the question was asked since Donald Trump's first White House term.

Go deeper: Health care uproar sparks new legislation in Congress

Methodology: The poll of 1,000 adults was conducted between Dec. 11-13 with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

President-elect Trump could resurrect his first-term goal to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service, which would influence how e-commerce giants operate, impact hundreds of thousands of government jobs and potentially undercut reliable delivery to more remote areas.

Why it matters: America's mail carrier is the second most-beloved federal agency behind the National Park Service, polling shows. Like many industries, the rise of the internet has hurt its bottom line — and its leadership has failed to reverse that financial trend in recent years.

• The Washington Post reported Saturday, citing three unnamed sources, that Trump talked with his commerce secretary pick Howard Lutnick at Mar-a-Lago about his interest in overhauling the agency. He reportedly said the government shouldn't subsidize the mail agency given its recurring losses.
• The president-elect also "convened a group of transition officials to ask for their views on privatizing the agency" earlier this month, The Post reported.
• Axios reached out to the Trump transition team for confirmation and comment. His specific plans are not immediately clear.

State of play: Republicans have signaled displeasure with USPS in a few other recent incidents.

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted on X earlier this week alongside a Fox Business chyron about the Postal Service's fiscal-year losses: "This is what happens when government-run entities are bloated, mismanaged, and unaccountable."
• Greene, who's incoming chair of the House's "DOGE" Oversight committee, added: "It's time to demand real reform and stop wasting taxpayer dollars!"
• Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who was appointed to his role in 2020 and has introduced a 10-year plan to rescue the agency, faced a GOP-led grilling during a House Oversight hearing this week.
• Republicans criticized the carrier for financial losses and claimed it was providing subpar service, at one point leading to a viral moment where DeJoy covered his ears during criticism.

Democrats have been more sympathetic to the agency and against privatization.

• Privatization is "our big fear," Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) told The Post. "That could have disastrous consequences, because when you go private, the profit motive is everything."

By the numbers: The Postal Service lost $9.5 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. It comparatively lost $6.5 billion during the same period the previous year. It has not been profitable since 2006.

• In 2022, Congress passed a $107 billion bipartisan package to provide financial relief and help modernize its operations.

What they're saying: The Postal Service "is already engaged in an initiative to ensure that we can provide our customers with a high level of service to every delivery address in the nation at least 6-days-a-week in an efficient and financially sustainable fashion as required by law," a USPS spokesperson told Axios.

• The spokesperson said USPS is seeking "an advisory opinion from our regulator concerning our plan to modernize and optimize our processing and transportation networks." It's also looking at adding automation equipment.

The big picture: USPS helps guarantee Americans in all parts of the country receive mail service under its "universal service obligation." Enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, the postal service pre-dates the country's founding.

• During the COVID pandemic, its universal service was especially important as people stayed home and could still receive medication, stimulus checks and census forms by mail.
• The Postal Service also provides last-mile delivery to logistics companies like Amazon, FedEx and UPS to harder-to-reach areas.

Flashback: Some of Trump's criticism toward USPS during the final year of his first term was related to mail-in voting. The Postal Service ultimately pulled off the mass delivery of ballots with limited issues.

What to watch: In 2020, DeJoy, a longtime business executive who was a GOP megadonor, was seen as a villain on the left during the throes of the election.

• Since President Biden has been in office, DeJoy's relationship with Democrats became less icy — in part thanks to his support for millions of at-home COVID-19 test deliveries; transitioning the USPS fleet toward electric vehicles; and the sweeping bipartisan reform act in 2022.
• Many expected Biden would have fired him, though the process is more complicated. How long he fares under Trump 2.0 is unclear.

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

South Korea's parliament on Saturday voted to impeach embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol after his surprise martial law declaration earlier this month stunned global allies and set off constitutional concerns.

Why it matters: Yoon's impeachment marks the second time in less than a decade that a South Korean leader in office has faced such proceedings. The upheaval comes as America's closest allies abroad including Germany and France face political and economic chaos.

• The National Assembly passed the motion 204-85.
• Yoon is suspended from carrying out presidential powers and duties, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will take over as acting president.

State of play: Yoon has remained defiant, pledging to "not give up" and do "my best until the last moment for the nation."

• His brief declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 ignited immediate turmoil. He ultimately revoked it under pressure from his own party and a vote from the opposition-led legislature.
• Yoon survived an attempt to impeach last week after members of his party boycotted the vote.
• He is also under an insurrection investigation led by law enforcement.

What's next: The country's Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to officially adjudicate parliament's decision — dismissing Yoon or restoring him to office.

• If the court rules to throw him out, South Korea must hold an election within 60 days to select a successor.

Go deeper: America's allies are in trouble

Raw milk has become a common rallying point for right-wing media and wellness influencers — and a cause that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could supercharge as President-elect Trump's Health and Human Services secretary nominee.

Why it matters: The dairy product has had a niche following that transcends partisanship for decades. But federal health officials say the lack of heating and pasteurization poses risks like exposure to harmful bacteria like E. coli and listeria — a concern that's been amplified by bird flu spreading among dairy cattle.

• The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention back pasteurization for milk safety. They say raw milk has caused serious illness and a handful of deaths. It's riskiest for pregnant people, seniors, kids and those who are immunocompromised.
• Experts worry RFK Jr.'s advocacy could undermine science. "What I'm more worried about is that the influence of statements from a position of authority might be misinterpreted as scientific fact, when in reality there's very, very strong evidence to the contrary," Meghan Davis, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies environmental health and infectious disease, told Axios.
• Davis has said the threat of H5N1 avian flu virus spreading via raw milk consumption has "pandemic potential." At least 40 bird flu infections have been reported in humans in the U.S., mostly associated with exposure to sick or infected cows or poultry.

Zoom in: Raw milk doesn't undergo pasteurization, a process that applies heat to kill pathogens. Since 1987, the FDA has barred interstate shipments of the product and mandated milk be pasteurized, but states control raw milk sales within their borders.

• Pasteurization, named after French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur, was invented in the 19th century. The same process is used for wine and beer.

State of play: State laws easing the sale and purchase of raw milk have contributed to its rising popularity. So, too, has increasing distrust of public health authorities among libertarians and conservatives, some of whom also frame raw milk as a way to support local producers.

• Weekly raw milk sales were up in May by as much as 65% compared with the same period last year, the AP reported.
• States including Louisiana and Colorado passed or introduced raw milk legislation that make it easier to buy and sell.
• TikTok influencers tout unverified health benefits like extra nutrients or gut-friendly probiotics. Commentators on sites like Gab, Rumble and Infowars decry restrictions on raw milk availability as government overreach.

Longtime raw milk proponents rave about its purported benefits.

• Sally Fallon Morell, president of the pro-raw milk Weston A. Price Foundation, has been organizing on the issue of increasing availability for years. For her, it was personal: A self-described "breastfeeding Nazi," she struggled to provide enough milk for multiple children in the 1970s and 1980s.
• She then discovered raw milk through a book and gave it to her children.

"It was life-changing. It saved [my son's] life. If you've never been in a situation where you see your child starving, you don't understand the relief that this gives," she told Axios.

• Morell set up "A Campaign for Real Milk" in 1999 to provide information on and sources for raw milk, which she's seen explode. She blamed the dairy lobby in part for raw milk's less savory reputation.
• "They don't want farmers to have the right to sell directly to the public and to set their price."

Between the lines: What was once measured or curious coverage of raw milk in left-leaning outlets and liberal foodie hubs like Whole Foods is now full-blown advocacy in more conservative spaces, Politico reported.

Case in point: The Free Press published a story in early 2023 linking one Maryland-based raw milk consumer's affinity for the product to his preference for the blockchain over big banks. (He'd converted from Oatly and Beyond Meat patties.)

What to watch: There's no denying public health agencies have had difficulty reaching audiences with scientific evidence, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

• "We're at a new precipice where, if the FDA says something, there's a fairly large amount of people that are going to do the opposite just because they said that," Katelyn Jetelina, a San Diego-based epidemiologist and author of the Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter, told Axios.
• The question is how much Kennedy could harness the public health agencies under HHS to message the benefits of raw milk.
• The best bet is to "equip trusted messengers" within a community to "help answer questions from a place of empathy," Jetelina said.