Adam Boehler, who oversaw unprecedented direct negotiations with Hamas on behalf of President Trump, has withdrawn his nomination for the position of special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, according to two White House officials. The intrigue: A senior Trump administration official claimed that the move has been planned for two weeks and was intended to shift Boehler into a different presidential envoy position with a broader mandate but no need for Senate confirmation. The big picture: Boehler has been at the center of a media and political storm since Axios revealed he had met directly with Hamas officials — making him the first U.S. official ever to do so. Although those talks were approved by Trump, they sparked anger among some Senate Republicans, some of whom took the issue up privately with the White House. That could have made Senate confirmation difficult. News Nation first reported on Boehler's decision. Driving the news: Last week, Axios reported that Boehler held two meetings with senior Hamas officials in Doha to negotiate the release of American hostages held by the group in Gaza. The talks between Boehler and Hamas have sparked great anger in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, including an angry phone call with Netanyahu's close confidant, Ron Dermer. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week that Boehler's negotiations with Hamas were a "one-off" and stressed that Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is the main channel for negotiations on the issue of the Gaza hostage deal. He is conducting the negotiations via Qatari mediators and not in direct talks with Hamas, Rubio said. What they are saying: "Adam Boehler will continue to serve President Trump as a special government employee focused on hostage negotiations," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios. "Adam played a critical role in negotiating the return of Marc Fogel from Russia. He will continue this important work to bring wrongfully detained individuals around the world home."
Chart: Axios Visuals President Trump's whirlwind of policy hauls kept spinning this week as he navigated international trade disputes, a ceasefire proposal for Ukraine and turbulence over his claims of antisemitism at Columbia University. Here's our recap of major developments. U.S. economic outlook sours amid trade war Global investors are becoming wary of the possibility Trump will eventually follow through on his pledge of across-the-board tariffs on many of the largest U.S. trading partners. These trade conflicts have triggered worries about stagflation, a combination of stagnant growth and elevated inflation. Catch up quick: The European Union announced $28 billion in counter tariffs Wednesday in response to Trump's levies on steel and aluminum, escalating the global trade war. The EU's move follows Trump's earlier tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China. While Trump temporarily paused tariffs for Mexico and Canada, uncertainty looms, leaving businesses and consumers on edge. Go deeper: Trump threatens 200% wine tariffs as trade war with Europe shifts to alcohol Putin won't commit to ceasefire Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he needs more specifics regarding a U.S.-backed proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine before fully committing. Meanwhile, Trump asked Putin to "spare" thousands of Ukrainian soldiers "surrounded" in the Kursk region in Russia on Friday. The U.S. military assistance resumed on Tuesday after the U.S. president paused the aid following a public dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Leaders from both countries negotiated the ceasefire proposal announced on Tuesday. Columbia protest leader targeted The Trump administration is moving to revoke the green card of Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil. Though, federal court action has paused the White House's push to deport him. Immigration agents arrested Khalil, on Sunday, setting off free speech protests in New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. One of them ended in dozens of arrests Thursday in Manhattan. The White House is arguing Khalil's involvement in pro-Palestinian protests violates Trump's executive order banning antisemitism. Trump hailed Khalil's arrest on Monday and promised more activist arrests. Context: The Trump administration has warned of funding cuts over its claims of antisemitism at 60 colleges and universities, including Harvard and Yale. It earlier pulled $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia over antisemitism allegations, after which the university detailed disciplinary actions for student protesters on Thursday. Zoom out: The Department of Education announced Tuesday it is cutting its workforce of more than 4,100 people by nearly half in the first step toward Trump's plans for a total shutdown of the agency. Go deeper: Education secretary says mass layoffs first step toward shutting down DoE EPA plans to revisits carbon cost The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Wednesday plans to revisit the social cost of carbon and its endangerment finding — this time taking into account the price tag associated with regulation. The social cost of carbon, which prices climate pollution per ton, is a metric that influences government regulations. The endangerment finding is the scientific basis for regulating greenhouse gases. "Challenging the science would be fraught," Axios' Andrew Freedman writes. Science "has pointed to increasingly obvious and severe present–day and forthcoming climate damages," he adds. Instead, the Trump administration is attempting to introduce new considerations into the finding such as the cost of regulations. Harvard University law professor Jody Freeman called it "a very aggressive, swing for the fences-sounding announcement, meant to send a political message, which is, we don't care about climate change." Trump spikes football at Justice Department For a president given to making and creating superlatives, Trump's off-the-cuff campaign-style speech was unlike any other ever given by an occupant of the White House at the department, Axios' Mark Caputo and Erin Doherty report. Trump paid his first visit to the Department of Justice Friday and denounced the prosecutors who once worked out of this office in public remarks. Despite his November victory, he won't let go of his grievances over his federal criminal cases, which have been dismissed. He didn't announce any new policies in a more than hour-long speech. Go deeper: Trump spikes football at Justice Department Trump admin switches up CDC gameplan The White House withdrew the nomination of Dave Weldon to be the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Axios' Caitlin Owens scooped. Weldon, a former Florida congressman, was scheduled to appear before the Senate health committee Thursday for his confirmation hearing. His anti-vaccine views have garnered media attention since his nomination. Even Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose vaccine stances have repeatedly raised public concern, said Weldon wasn't ready, Axios reported. More from Axios: Ten Senate Democrats cave to avert government shutdown Mexican ambassador pick won't rule out military strikes on cartels Johns Hopkins to slash 2,200 jobs after Trump admin's USAID cuts
President Trump paid his first visit to the Department of Justice Friday and in public remarks denounced the prosecutors who once worked out of this office. Why it matters: Despite Trump's decisive November victory, he won't let go of his grievances over his federal indictments, which have been dismissed. He didn't announce any new policies in a more than hour-long speech. "The case against me was bullshit," Trump, referring to the indictment over mishandling classified documents, said to laughter in The Great Hall of the Justice Department. He praised Judge Aileen Cannon, who oversaw the federal case and dismissed it before the election. For a president given to making and creating superlatives, his off-the-cuff campaign-style speech was unlike any other ever given by an occupant of the White House at the department. State of play: It's highly unusual for a sitting president to speak at the Justice Department, but Trump's visit marks the latest victory stop on his revenge tour since taking office. He went from federal defendant in two criminal cases to the leader of the executive branch firing the prosecutors who indicted him. His remarks were reminiscent of a campaign speech at times, as he outlined his grievances against the Biden administration and prosecutors involved in cases against him, and derided what he views as the weaponization of the department. He accused former President Biden of being part of a "crime" family. Trump boasted about his administration's immigration crackdown, and he pledged to fight gangs and halt the flow of deadly fentanyl into the United States. Trump also attacked "Deranged Jack Smith," the special prosecutor who investigated him. He praised Cannon, an appointee from his first term who he said he's never spoken to, as "brilliant." But this time, instead of speaking to a crowd of voters, he spoke before Justice Department officials, many of whom he hand-picked. Zoom in: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who served as one of Trump's criminal defense attorneys, spoke Friday and mentioned "the partisan prosecutors, the complete and utter lawfare." Zoom out: Trump vowed to stack the Justice Department with loyalists during his 2024 presidential campaign. His first nominee for AG, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fl.), withdrew from consideration for the role under intense scrutiny from both parties. Trump upon taking office dismissed the DOJ employees who worked on his two criminal prosecutions with Smith. Trump also faced criminal indictments in Georgia and New York, where he was convicted and received a no-penalty sentence. His 70-minute speech that ended with the playing of Village People's "YMCA," a song the Trump campaign often played. Go deeper: Scoop: Trump plans "law and order" speech at DOJ Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Ten Senate Democrats joined with the Republican majority in voting to move forward with a stopgap spending bill Friday — clearing the path to avoid a government shutdown. Why it matters: Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is facing outrage from his party, including House leadership, over his decision to vote for the bill. Many Democrats wanted to force a shutdown to protest President Trump and Elon Musk's sweeping federal spending cuts. The key procedural vote was 62-38. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only Republican who voted "no." Schumer did manage to get GOP leadership to agree to hold a vote to ensure that the D.C.'s budget did not suffer a $1 billion cut. The House's bill was written to include the budget reduction, sparking concern. Zoom in: After days of lengthy caucus meetings and threats of a shutdown, Schumer announced Thursday evening he would be voting "yes" to clear the way for Republicans to pass the spending bill. Despite public outrage especially from House progressives, Schumer delivered the needed votes, drawing support from moderates, members of his leadership team and retiring Democrats. Democratic Sens. Richard Durbin (Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and Brian Schatz (Hawaii) (Nev.) all voted "yes" in addition to Schumer, — as did Maine's Angus King, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats. Cortez Masto told reporters before the vote that a shutdown would give Trump and Musk "more authority to cherry-pick" which agencies to close and "would cost the economy billions of dollars. "I'm not going to exacerbate that," she added. What to watch: The Senate will vote on final passage Friday, after leaders reached an agreement to speed up the process. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) granted votes on three amendments brought by Democrats and one brought by Paul. All are expected to fail. "Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took 'guts' and courage!" Trump posted Friday on Truth Social, calling Schumer's decision to back the bill a "really good and smart move." Zoom out: The bill largely maintains 2024 levels of spending through the end of September, with some additional defense funds and nearly $500 million for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The measure narrowly passed the House earlier this week with all Republicans except Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) voting for it and all Democrats except Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) voting against it. Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) ability to get the bill through the House — despite his narrow margins and skeptical conservatives — presented Senate Democrats with a tough choice: Join Republicans or risk getting blamed for a government shutdown. Go deeper: Inside House Dems' furious anti-Schumer movement
The Federal Aviation Administration is permanently halting non-essential helicopter operations near Reagan National Airport in D.C., the agency announced Friday. The big picture: The closure comes after the National Transportation Safety Board's urgent recommendation earlier this week, following the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. in decades. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had already indicated he'd comply with the recommendation. The midair collision that left 67 dead amplified long-standing concerns about congestion in the busy skies around DCA. Reagan National Airport has the nation's busiest runway, and commercial planes and choppers share nearby airspace. Driving the news: In addition to permanently restricting non-essential helicopter operations around DCA, the FAA is eliminating helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic. It's also permanently closing a route between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge, and evaluating alternative helicopter routes as recommended by the NTSB. "If a helicopter must fly through the airspace on an urgent mission, such as lifesaving medical, priority law enforcement, or Presidential transport, the FAA will keep them specific distances away from airplanes," the agency said. Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates. Go deeper: NTSB "urgently" recommends permanent helicopter traffic restrictions near DCA
House Democrats from across the party's ideological spectrum — united in their fury at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — are engaged in a campaign to get Senate Democrats to defy their leader. Why it matters: House lawmakers feel that there is a glimmer of hope, however faint, that they can actually persuade their Senate counterparts to reject a Republican-led government spending bill. "There is a massive effort going on with people reaching out to their senators ... still happening this morning," one House Democrat told Axios on Friday. "We just need to pick off four or five" senators, the lawmaker said. What we're hearing: House Democrats are circulating a draft letter to Schumer, a copy of which was obtained by Axios, voicing "strong opposition" to passing the spending measure. "The American people sent Democrats to Congress to fight against Republican chaos," they wrote. "Instead of capitulating to their obstruction, we must fight ... we urge you to reject the partisan continuing resolution." The letter has been signed by more than 50 House Democrats, one lawmaker told Axios. It was first reported by the Washington Post. State of play: Schumer sent House Democrats into fits of rage on Thursday by announcing that he would vote to allow Senate Republicans to pass their stopgap government spending bill. Democrats have pushed for language in the bill to stop DOGE from cutting congressionally approved spending, but Schumer argued that Democrats would ultimately lose a shutdown fight. The announcement came after all House Democrats except Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) voted against the bill, which passed the chamber virtually along party lines Tuesday. Now they feel they walked the plank for nothing. President Trump on Friday praised Schumer's "courage" in backing the bill. The intrigue: It's not just the left pressuring Schumer. "A lot of it is being led by [former Progressive Caucus chair Pramila] Jayapal and AOC, but there are frontliners too trying to whip," one House Democrat told Axios. The draft letter is being led by Rep. Derek Tran (D-Calif.), who represents one of the most competitive districts in the country, according to multiple House Democrats and aides familiar with the matter. A centrist House Democrat who represents a battleground district stressed to Axios that "this is NOT an ideological battle. I've never seen our caucus more united around an issue." What they're saying: Centrist Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), asked by Axios about Schumer's decision to support the stopgap bill, quipped, "Amy Schumer was great in that movie 'Trainwreck.'" Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that Senate Democrats are "making a strategic calculation that we as a party might live to regret." "The CR represents the best (and possibly only) leverage that we as Democrats will have to halt or impede Donald Trump's systematic decimation of the social safety net—particularly Medicaid," he added. The bottom line: "The anger from yesterday has not subsided at all," a House Democrat told Axios, adding that members feel "let down." "At the end of the day, because this is the only opportunity where we matter, we needed to get more from it, and we got nothing," the lawmaker said. The Democrat noted that swing-district House lawmakers already see themselves getting roasted by Republicans for opposing a bill that could now pass anyway: "The NRCC ads are already happening."
Data: University of Michigan; Chart: Axios Visuals Consumers are becoming sharply more pessimistic about the economic outlook, according to a preliminary reading of the University of Michigan's sentiment survey for March. Why it matters: The mix of new tariffs, federal cutbacks, erratic policy, and a slumping stock market is dampening American's optimism, which risks generating self-fulfilling economic weakness in the event consumers act on their newfound sense of worry. Lower sentiment was strikingly broad-based, seen "across all groups by age, education, income, wealth, political affiliations, and geographic regions," survey director Joanne Hsu said in an announcement. By the numbers: Overall consumer sentiment fell 11% in the month to 57.9, the third straight month of decline. That level is the lowest since the fall of 2022. when Biden-era inflation was still running high. The decline was sharpest among Democrats, whose expectations declined 24%, but sentiment among Republicans fell 10% as well. Inflation expectations also surged, with survey respondents now expecting inflation over the next year of 4.9%, up from 4.3% a month ago Of note: Long-term inflation expectations also surged, to 3.9% in March from 3.5% in February. That will be particularly worrying to Federal Reserve officials, who may be reluctant to respond to any weakening in the economy due to fears that inflation expectations are coming unmooored. That was the largest one-month rise in long-term inflation expectations since 1993. What they're saying: "While current economic conditions were little changed, expectations for the future deteriorated across multiple facets of the economy," Hsu wrote, "including personal finances, labor markets, inflation, business conditions, and stock markets. "Many consumers cited the high level of uncertainty around policy and other economic factors; frequent gyrations in economic policies make it very difficult for consumers to plan for the future, regardless of one's policy preferences," she aded. Yes, but: The preliminary reading of the Michigan survey, released mid-month, is based on a relatively small sample of around 420 households. The final March number, based on about 800 survey respondents, is to be released March 28.
President Trump plans to invoke a centuries-old wartime authority to accelerate mass deportations of undocumented immigrants with little to no due process. Why it matters: Trump floated invoking the law on the campaign trail. Its potential use comes as some of his administration members have become frustrated with the slower than expected pace of deportations. Trump could invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as soon as Friday. Since the act is not part of immigration law, it would allow the government to detain and deport people without court hearings or asylum interviews. Its most infamous use came during World War II, when it was used help justify Japanese internment. Reality check: The U.S. is not currently at war with any country. The big picture: Despite promising to carry out the "largest deportation program" in U.S. history, the pace of arrests of undocumented immigrants under Trump has appeared to lag behind President Biden's. The Trump administration has faced lack of funding and infrastructure hurdles, and even looked to hold detainees in Guantanamo Bay — a plan that has faced legal challenges. If Trump were to invoke the Alien Enemies Act during peacetime it would be a "staggering abuse," sure to wind up in court, per the Brennan Center for Justice. Zoom in: The president has suggested the law it could be used to target immigrants with alleged ties to criminal gangs. Less than 1% of immigrants deported last fiscal year were kicked out of the U.S. for crimes other than immigration violations, Axios' Russell Contreras has reported. What is the Alien Enemies Act of 1798? The Alien Enemies Act allows the government to detain and remove immigrants when there is "a declared war between the United States and any foreign nation or government." It could also apply in cases when a foreign government has "perpetrated, attempted, or threatened" an invasion or "predatory incursion" of the U.S. While the law can't be used to detain U.S. citizens, the U.S.-citizen children of immigrants could be affected. Trump border czar Tom Homan, when asked how deportations could be carried out without separating families, said in October that families would be deported together. When has the Alien Enemies Act been used? Only three times since its inception, during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. In these instances, the act has been "wielded against immigrants who have done nothing wrong, have evinced no signs of disloyalty, and are lawfully present in the United States," according to the Brennan Center for Justice. During both World Wars, Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Harry Truman used it to justify the "detentions, expulsions, and restrictions targeting German, Austro-Hungarian, Japanese, and Italian immigrants based solely on their ancestry," per the center. How has Trump laid the groundwork for its use? Trump on his first day in office issued an executive order instructing his administration members to prepare for the act's potential invocation. While the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, the president has the authority to respond to sudden attacks, like predatory incursions or invasions, per the Brennan Center for Justice. Trump has already begun making the case that such an incursion or invasion is already underway. His administration has declared some Latin American cartels to be terrorist organizations, and Trump has baselessly suggested that one of them — Tren de Aragua — has already taken over a Denver suburb. Many Republicans have also echoed Trump's language referring to illegal immigration as an "invasion." Go deeper: Trump plans to use 1798 law in mass deportations
President Trump said on Friday he "strongly requested" that Russian President Vladimir Putin "spare the lives" of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, whom he claimed were "surrounded" in the Kursk region in Russia. Why it matters: Ukraine launched a risky cross-border incursion into Kursk last August and occupied a significant swath of Russian territory, but Russia has been making rapid gains in recent weeks and putting those forces under severe pressure. Trump claimed the troops now faced a potential "massacre." Driving the news: Putin raised the fate of the Ukrainian forces in Kursk as a key issue to be resolved before he would consider Trump's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. In a Thursday press conference, Putin asked: "Should we release them after they committed serious crimes against civilians?" Russia has previously said soldiers captured in Kursk would be considered terrorists. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, acknowledged the "difficult situation" on Tuesday but said Ukrainian forces were not surrounded and were moving to "more favorable" defensive positions. He said Ukraine would fight on in Kursk "as long as reasonable and necessary." Ukraine has not yet said whether it supports Trump's call for its troops to be given safe passage out of Kursk. State of play: Trump made the comments on Truth Social a day after his envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin for discussions Trump called "very good and productive." The meeting lasted several hours and Witkoff didn't depart Moscow until 2am local time. The Kremlin said Putin gave Witkoff a message for Trump, and that a phone call between the leaders could take place in the coming days. Before the meeting, though, Putin downplayed Trump's proposal for an unconditional surrender, making clear that with his forces on the march in Kursk and in southeastern Ukraine, several demands would have to be met before he would order them to stand down. Data: Institute for the Study of War and AEI's Critical Threats Project; Map: Axios Visuals What they're saying: "We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end," Trump wrote on Friday morning about Witkoff's meeting. Trump added: "BUT, AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN TROOPS ARE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY, AND IN A VERY BAD AND VULNERABLE POSITION." "I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared. This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II. God bless them all!!!"
Data: Financial Modeling Prep; Chart: Axios Visuals Gold hit a new all-time high Friday, breaking $3,000 for the first time ever, as investors search for tariff safe-havens. Why it matters: There's a psychological value to important assets breaking through big, round numbers — but it's also further evidence of the market's nerves and uncertainty about global trade. By the numbers: The new gold all-time high came Friday morning, crossing $3,000 just after 4 a.m. ET. The yellow metal is up about 10% since President Trump won the election last November, outperforming most other asset classes. Zoom out: In difficult times, investors search for "safe" assets that are likely to retain more of their value, regardless of geopolitical disruptions. So much gold was brought into the U.S. earlier this year, in a bid to front-run tariffs, that it skewed the trade deficit and messed up key calculations of economic growth. The intrigue: The new record for gold comes just a few hours after the biggest U.S. stocks entered correction territory, 10% off their all-time highs set less than a month ago. "A key factor behind the recent market selloff is the uncertainty surrounding trade tariffs and their economic implications," LPL Financial chief technical strategist Adam Turnquist wrote in a market commentary earlier this week. "The lack of clarity regarding tariff policies has made it difficult for markets to stage a meaningful recovery, as investors hesitate to make significant moves without a clearer outlook."
A powerful storm system is set to bring multiple rounds of dangerous severe thunderstorms, with numerous strong tornadoes possible, from the Midwest to the Southeast beginning Friday. Threat level: A total of about 100 million people live in areas under threat from straight-line wind damage, hail and tornadoes through the weekend. The greatest threat for storms on Friday centers on the Midwest, where a squall line containing straight-line winds and embedded tornadoes is forecast to congeal later in the day and sweep across parts of Missouri east to Indiana. A large area of strong winds will occur even outside of severe storms, raising the likelihood of widespread power outages. Cities under a "moderate risk" of severe thunderstorms on Friday, which is a Level 4 of 5 on the Storm Prediction Center's threat scale, include St. Louis, Des Moines and Springfield, Ill. The greater threat for powerful tornadoes will occur on Saturday, when an especially volatile setup takes shape across the Southeast. Zoom in: The SPC is using strong language to describe the tornado threat in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in particular on Saturday. "Numerous significant tornadoes, and some long-track tornadoes are expected on Saturday afternoon and evening, centered on eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama," forecasters wrote Friday morning. The tornado threat will continue into the overnight hours on Saturday into early Sunday. Overnight tornadoes are particularly deadly because people have a harder time receiving warnings and getting to shelter, particularly in states with high proportions of mobile homes. Cities in the moderate risk zone Saturday include New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La. as well as Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile, Ala. Context: Climate change is altering the environment in which severe thunderstorms and tornadoes form. Studies show that while some ingredients, such as humidity and atmospheric instability, are likely to increase with a warming climate, others may do the opposite. Climate change is anticipated to decrease the amount of wind shear available to severe thunderstorms, which could deprive them of a key ingredient for tornado formation. Yes, but: When the right mix of ingredients are present, climate change may lead to larger severe weather outbreaks, albeit fewer in number overall per year. The intrigue: The Southeast has been particularly hard-hit by tornado outbreaks in recent years beginning during March. Some researchers have noted a shift of so-called "Tornado Alley" to the southeast and earlier in the year, away from some of the Plains states and Midwest, over time. However, tornado alley itself has long been considered somewhat of a misnomer in the meteorology community, with multiple areas favored for tornado outbreaks. Tornadoes can and have occurred in any state. Between the lines: This severe weather outbreak will test NOAA's ability to handle a large-scale, potentially deadly weather event in the wake of laying off about 800 meteorologists and other staff in late February. These layoffs reduced staffing at some local weather forecast offices to threadbare levels, causing some to reduce their services. Some meteorologists are also having to put in more frequent overtime shifts. Recent court rulings may bring at least some of those fired federal workers back on the job at least temporarily. Further staff reductions of about 1,000 NOAA workers are planned, though it is not clear if those would focus on the NWS or NOAA's other missions. The bottom line: This severe weather outbreak could be a high-end event, resulting in multiple powerful, long-lasting tornadoes, particularly in the Southeast on Saturday. Go deeper: Scoop: NOAA monthly media calls on climate change suspended NOAA cuts could ground some Hurricane Hunter flights 2nd judge orders agencies to reinstate thousands of fired federal workers
Hamas said on Friday it agreed to release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander and return the bodies of four other American-Israeli hostages. Why it matters: Hamas' statement didn't make clear what the group demands in return for releasing the five remaining American hostages. Hamas would likely demand Israel release Palestinian prisoners and extend the Gaza ceasefire. What they are saying: Hamas said in its statement that it met on Thursday with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators and received a proposal for extending the Gaza ceasefire. "We handled this proposal with responsibility and a positive approach and responded on Friday. We are ready to start negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal and we call for pressing Israel to implement its commitments," Hamas said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates
Third Way, the well-connected center-left Democratic think tank, today will launch an 18-month Signal Project, including polling, to identify Trump administration actions "that are most relevant to key voters and how best to frame those issues." Why it matters: Anything "that seems performative will be tuned out or backfire," Third Way says. "It is a painful irony that while our very democracy is at stake, a focus on 'democracy' (and the trashing of democratic norms) simply won't save it." In unveiling the project, Third Way says: "Shuttering USAID, using government power to attack political opponents, firing indiscriminately, degrading the civil service, releasing J6ers, or blaming Ukraine for the Russian invasion all are a combination of unwise, unethical, illegal, or unconstitutional. But none resonate much with key voters." So as an opening frame, the project will focus on "Risking Americans' Safety and Security." Between the lines: Matt Bennett, a Third Way co-founder, told Axios that there's "real concern among Democrats that the Trump/Musk attacks were coming so fast and so arbitrarily that the opposition was having trouble with a coherent response. "The things we believe to be important — like foreign aid, or Trump actions that violate the law — don't always line up with voters' concerns," Bennett added. "We can fight back effectively ... but only if we are creating a singular narrative that is simple, memorable, and resonant. If we do that, Trump's allies will feel the heat." 🐘 The other side: Tony Fabrizio and Chris LaCivita, who run Trump's outside political operation, told us in response to the Third Way plan that "no matter the approach, Americans know that for the last four years their safety — economically and physically — has been put in jeopardy." "One glaring flaw in their strategy: What happens when President Trump's policies work and deliver the change voters voted for? Once again, the Democrats — much like the Harris campaign — will be left having no position or a positive agenda for America." Read the Third Way plan.
Hackers already have the AI tools needed to create the adaptable, destructive malware that security experts fear. But as long as their basic tactics — phishing, scams and ransomware — continue to work, they have little reason to use them. Why it matters: Adversaries can flip that switch anytime, and companies need to prepare now. Driving the news: The looming threat of autonomous cyberattacks was a top talking point at the inaugural HumanX conference in Las Vegas this week. "You know that phrase, 'Keep your powder dry'? That's what attackers are doing right now," James White, chief technology officer at AI security startup CalypsoAI, told Axios, implying that bad actors are ready for battle. The big picture: Cyber leaders have long feared generative AI would enable autonomous cyberattacks, making current security tools ineffective. These attacks could involve AI agents carrying out hackers' bidding or malware that adapts in real time as it spreads. Between the lines: A few years into the generative AI revolution, experts are split on how imminent these threats are. Some say we're less than two years away from seeing agentic malware in nation-state cyber warfare. Others argue hackers have little incentive to change tactics as they continue to profit from simple scams, phishing and ransomware. Threat level: Even though AI-powered malware has yet to flood the zone, companies can't rest easy. "The rate of acceleration is insane," Evan Reiser, CEO of email security company Abnormal Security, told Axios. "You don't have to be a total science fiction nerd, like me, to imagine where this can go in one year, two years." AI will speed up attacks, leaving defenders with little time to react. Meanwhile, most organizations are still behind on basic security measures, Reiser said, noting that the typical company is focused on setting up two-factor authentication. Abnormal Security works with about 20% of the Fortune 500. Reality check: Startups selling AI security tools have an interest in hyping potential threats. Mandiant says it has yet to respond to an attack involving truly autonomous AI or adaptable malware. "I'm actually not worried about any of that right now," Charles Carmakal, CTO at Mandiant, told Axios. Mandiant has mostly seen adversaries using AI for basic tasks like crafting phishing emails or researching targets. The intrigue: Companies hiring cybersecurity vendors are beginning to understand that the best way to fight AI attacks is with AI security tools, said Itai Tevet, CEO of Intezer, a startup that offers an autonomous security operation center. "It's dramatically different between 2023 and today," Tevet told Axios. "In the past, we needed to evangelize on why technology can do the same job. Today, all CISOs are getting asked by their board, 'How do you leverage AI?'" Zoom in: AI agents can also help threat intelligence teams review the pile of notifications they receive about new vulnerabilities, phishing emails and other malicious activity, Steve Schmidt, chief security officer at Amazon, said in a fireside chat with Axios. Amazon currently doesn't let agents make decisions or act on their own, but they can review the threat intelligence coming in to determine what needs to be prioritized. "We've ended up significantly improving the lives of the security engineers, making them more efficient at what they have to do," Schmidt said.
Most Michigan swing voters in our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups said that although they voted for President Trump in November, they have objections, frustrations and fears about his behavior since he returned to power. Driving the news: Ten of 13 participants from this battleground, auto-industry state bordering Canada said what they're seeing isn't what they thought they were voting for — and they're worried Trump's approach may hurt their pocketbooks. "Erratic," "frightening," "disruptive" and "dictator" were among the words they used to describe their concerns. Zoom in: A focus group is not a statistically significant sample like a poll, but the voters' reactions suggest that Trump risks overplaying his mandate to reshape government, trade and international alliances. The online panels, conducted Tuesday night, were made up of Michigan voters who backed former President Biden in 2020 but switched to Trump last November. Eight were self-described independents, four were Republicans and one was a Democrat. The big picture: The voters' responses stand in stark contrast to last month's focus group with Arizona swing voters, all of whom said they approve of Trump's earliest actions. The Michigan voters felt differently after more exposure to Elon Musk, DOGE, large-scale federal worker firings, tariffs and no relief on prices. Trump entered his second term with a higher approval rating than he had during his first term, but polls indicate his honeymoon has begun to fade as Americans' concerns over the economy rise. What they're saying: "I don't feel like he was this aggressive last time because I don't think anyone would've voted for him if they expected to see what we're seeing now," said Shannon B., 27, of Livonia, Mich. Sheryl M., 44, of Chesterfield, said of Trump: "He's so erratic, and it's getting to the point where I'm almost scared to watch the news. I mean, it's a little bit frightening 'cause each day is something new, so you get a little anxious." "I mean, Canada? When have we ever had issues with Canada?" asked Phil L., 45, of Dearborn Heights. "We barely have a border. You can go in and out of the country and a lot of places, a lot of states. I think we're just barking up the wrong tree with this." Another voter, Therese L., 55, of Commerce Township, bristled at the viral image of a crowned Trump, the president's "long live the king" comment and or Trump saying, "He who saves his country doesn't violate any law. " "He is acting like a dictator," she said. One participant who does home remodeling, worried about tariffs raising the price of wood and causing clients to drop their remodeling plans. Another voter, who owns a health and weight loss business, said most of her clients are in the auto industry — ; if they're hit it could devastate her. One said she works in the auto industry and just got furloughed because "we are not building any cars right now." Michael L., 43, of Commerce Township, said Trump "campaigned on lowering prices and making things more affordable for working-class people. He's moving in the opposite direction." He conceded that Trump had previewed tariffs during the campaign, but said "we didn't necessarily think it would be this much, this fast." "I was voting for him based off of the economy the first time around and I'm seeing a significant decline," said Samantha S., 31, of Birmingham. "I was expecting him to do things to better our country and I'm not seeing that," said Katelyn D., 26, of Woodhaven. Several of the voters said they want Congress to push back. Malea H., 34, of Clinton Township, said she fears "that this will eventually turn into a dictatorship... if the people that we elected to be his checks and balances don't check and balance him, then what are they there for? They disagreed with Trump freezing out Associated Press journalists from coverage in the Oval Office and Air Force One because the independent news organization hasn't gone along with his insistence that the Gulf of Mexico should be called the Gulf of America. "It's just so childlike," said Shannon B. On the other hand: Only of one the 10 Trump voters-turned-critics said they'd choose Kamala Harris for president if they could do it over. "Trump, we've gone through four years with him before — and it's just kind of just grin and bear it for another four," said Malea H., 34, of Clinton Township. "Just because these swing voters discovered they don't like the taste of wheatgrass juice, it doesn't mean they long to swallow castor oil," said Rich Thau, president of Engagious, who moderated the focus groups. The three voters who did approve of Trump's earliest actions say that while they may not agree with him on everything, on balance they at least feel he is getting things done. "He said that he would get busy as soon as he got in office, and I feel like he has," said Kara B., 39, of DeWitt. Go deeper: Trump's economic shock therapy
The agency charged with carrying out President Trump's mass deportation promises has warned Congress it is short a whopping $2 billion for this fiscal year, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) repeatedly has faced significant budget shortfalls in recent years. Trump's immigration plans — which include deporting "millions" of unauthorized immigrants — would rack up costs even more. Congress would send ICE an extra $500 million in the stop-gap spending bill that passed the House and is being debated in the Senate. But that wouldn't come close to covering the nearly $2 billion the agency told Congress it needs just to keep up the work it's doing through the end of September, two sources familiar with the communications told Axios. Add to that the expense of fully implementing Trump's plans —which will include hiring hundreds of people, more than doubling ICE detention space to 100,000 beds and adding many more planes for deportation flights. Zoom in: Not all of that is addressed in the bill now before Congress, which means the additional money ICE says it needs is unlikely to land anytime soon. The Department of Homeland Security may have to pull money from its other agencies — such as FEMA or the Coast Guard — and direct it to ICE. A report from the Government Accountability Office on budgets from 2014 to 2023 found that ICE regularly overspent and had to grab funds from other agencies within DHS to cover its costs. What they're saying: The spending plan now before Congress is "not going to be sufficient to be able to cover the entire need for what they're covering" at ICE, said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). "Just the bed space alone becomes very significant. And to just be able to detain people for a couple of days while they're processing, and then to be able to move out flights ... is exceptionally expensive." "What we've been told is there would be a shortfall, a significant one, by the end of the year," said Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.). After Congress approves a temporary spending plan, Britt said, lawmakers will have to "make those adjustments moving forward in FY26 so we can continue the good work being done." The big picture: Trump's executive orders and directives for ICE to ramp up arrests have contributed to significantly lowering the numbers of migrants crossing the southern border — and led to some high-profile criminal arrests for the administration to tout. Trump has leaned on the military to help DHS with some immigration enforcement, tapped the federal Bureau of Prisons and local governments to help detain more migrants, and is now looking to get help from the State Department. For weeks, Trump border czar Tom Homan has been telling reporters that immigration agencies would need more funds. The White House and DHS did not responded to requests for comment. The intrigue: Congress is planning to provide tens of billions of more dollars for immigration efforts as part of a sweeping budget reconciliation package. Reconciliation allows the Senate to bypass the 60-vote filibuster. But that will take time, especially as lawmakers haggle over significant tax policy changes that also would be included in the bill. "While ICE backfills are well-intentioned and desperately needed, the clock is ticking on the [budget] reconciliation front. Every delay lets Biden's chaos fester," said RJ Hauman, founder of National Immigration Center for Enforcement, an organization that advocates for lowering immigration levels. "Whenever [ICE is] coming up against a period of budget negotiations, they tend to do this thing where they overspend so that they can justify an ever ballooning budget," said Setareh Ghandehari, advocacy director at Detention Watch Network, which opposes immigrant detention.
Deprived of all levers of federal power, and with their party's popularity at rock bottom, some Democrats are taking a polarizing new tack: Engaging with the enemy. Why it matters: Backlash against cultural elitism — and a reluctance to take risks — fueled the party's loss in 2024. Ambitious Democrats are reckoning with the need to reach beyond their base as they try to claw out of the wilderness. Driving the news: None have been as daring as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has rankled the Democratic base by hosting a trio of hardline MAGA voices for the first three episodes of his new podcast. Other party favorites are itching to take the fight to Republicans on their home turf, sensing opportunity as President Trump's honeymoon fades and DOGE cuts grow more unpopular. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former VP nominee Tim Walz are touring red districts, filling a vacuum where some Republicans have refused to hold town halls. The intrigue: Far from staging combative debates, Newsom — who's widely expected to run for president in 2028 — struck a conciliatory tone and sought middle ground in his debut podcast episodes. In a discussion with MAGA activist Charlie Kirk, Newsom broke with his party on trans athletes and owned up to "the dumbest bonehead move of my life" — dining maskless indoors at a French restaurant during COVID. With conservative radio host Michael Savage, Newsom slammed California's slow vote-counting process, complimented Tucker Carlson and called for protecting Ronald Reagan's legacy. With former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, Newsom was cordial and polite while giving Bannon ample time to promote his economic populist views — and his false claims that Trump won the 2020 election. Between the lines: Other prominent liberals have ventured into the belly of the beast with a different mindset — engage in fierce but respectful debate with the goal of publicly exposing MAGA's flaws. A YouTube debate series by Jubilee Media — featuring titles such as "20 Trump Supporters Take on 1 Progressive" — routinely produces viral fireworks. Clips from this week's performance by left-wing commentator Sam Seder racked up tens of millions of views — hard currency in the war for online attention that's dominated by MAGA influencers. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, another likely 2028 candidate, also has appeared on Jubilee's "Surrounded" series, as have several liberal streamers. The big picture: Most Democrats have kept conservative media at arm's length, shunning the biggest MAGA platforms and personalities to avoid "normalizing" fringe rhetoric such as election denialism. Former President Biden never appeared on Fox News while in office, and the Democratic Party rejected the network as a primary debate host in 2020. "I think Democrats are afraid to talk to Trump voters," Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), whose victory was one of the party's few bright spots in 2024, told the New York Times. "I think Democrats are afraid to talk to people that are going to criticize them." What to watch: With little to lose and a lot of ground to make up, that's beginning to change — for podcasters and politicians alike. Pod Save America's Jon Lovett welcomed Bill Maher, who challenged the left's prevailing support for transgender rights and gender-affirming care. His colleague Tommy Vietor went on Fox News with Jesse Watters. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), a Fox News regular along with Buttigieg, has joined Truth Social, appeared on "The Joe Rogan Experience" and criticized the Democratic "Resistance" against Trump. The bottom line: The right has built some of the country's most potent megaphones. Now Democrats are using them to try to climb their way out of a deep political hole.
House Democrats erupted into apoplexy Thursday night after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he would support Republicans' stopgap government funding measure. Why it matters: House Democrats feel like they "walked the plank," in the words of one member. They voted almost unanimously against the measure, only to watch Senate Democrats seemingly give it the green light. "Complete meltdown. Complete and utter meltdown on all text chains," said the member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer sensitive details of members' internal conversations. A senior House Democrat said "people are furious" and that some rank-and-file members have floated the idea of angrily marching onto the Senate floor in protest. Others are talking openly about supporting primary challenges to senators who vote for the GOP spending bill. Driving the news: Schumer said in a floor speech Thursday that while the GOP measure is "very bad," the possibility of a government shutdown "has consequences for America that are much, much worse." "A shutdown would give Donald Trump the keys to the city, the state and the country," Schumer said. The comments likely clear a path for at least eight Senate Democrats to vote for the bill — enough for Republicans to overcome the upper chamber's 60-vote filibuster threshold. Zoom in: All but one House Democrat voted against the bill earlier this week, in large part because it lacks language to keep the Trump administration from cutting congressionally approved spending. "There were many battleground Dems in the House ... that were uncomfortable, semi-uncomfortable, with the vote," said one House Democrat. "The Senate left the House at the altar." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), in remarks to his House colleagues at their annual retreat Thursday, lauded them for standing up to President Trump by voting against the bill, according to multiple sources. When he praised House Democrats' votes, he received a standing ovation. When he mentioned Senate Democrats, members booed. What we're hearing: House Democrats' text chains lit up Thursday night with expressions of blinding anger, according to numerous lawmakers who described the conversations on the condition of anonymity. "People are PISSED," one House Democrat told Axios in a text message. Several members — including moderates — have begun voicing support for a primary challenge to Schumer, floating Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) as possible candidates, three House Democrats said. One lawmaker even vowed at the House Democratic retreat to "write a check tonight" supporting Ocasio-Cortez, said the senior House Democrat. Another Democrat told Axios the ideation has gone a step further: "There is definitely a primary recruitment effort happening right now ... not just Schumer, but for everyone who votes no." What they're saying: Plenty of members have also gone public with their dismay at their Senate colleagues. "I know I speak for so many in our caucus when I say Schumer is misreading this moment. The Senate Dems must show strength and grit by voting no," said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.). Said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.): "I don't know where Schumer is coming from. ... It doesn't look good for the leader." What to watch: Members have spent the day frantically texting and calling their home-state senators, hoping to persuade enough of them to vote against the bill to block it. That outreach has continued late into Thursday night. Said one member: "Folks are still working the phones tonight with their senators. We have not given up." Some House members, in turn, have gotten an earful from constituents. "I have also never had so many people from home personally texting me—ANGRY," said another House Democrat. "I don't think they knew who Chuck Schumer was before today," the lawmaker said. "But they know now and they hate him." Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from a senior House Democrat.
Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate and legal resident from Syria, are asking a federal judge to order U.S. immigration authorities to immediately release him and find his detention in violation of the First Amendment. The big picture: Court documents filed late Thursday show that Khalil's lawyers intend to aggressively challenge the Trump administration's use of a rarely used law that gives the secretary of state the authority to revoke visas from foreigners deemed to be a threat. Zoom in: Khalil's expanding legal team, which now includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is asking U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman to set aside the determination by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that resulted in Khalil's arrest. Lawyers want Furman to declare efforts to target noncitizens "advocating for Palestinian rights" unlawful — something President Trump hinted could be more common soon. Catch up quick: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Khalil on Saturday after he returned from dinner with his wife. The Department of Homeland Security has been investigating him and gathered evidence that he was actively supporting Hamas, but not materially supporting the terror group, a White House official said. Rubio was presented with evidence from the DHS review and determined that Khalil acted against U.S. foreign policy positions, the official said. Context: U.S. law allows the secretary of state to deport a green card holder if that person is deemed to have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States" — but it's been rarely used outside of the Cold War or serious crimes, experts told Axios. Rubio posted on X last week that the U.S. has "zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists." He added that "violators of U.S. law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and deportation." Reality check: Khalil, a legal resident with a green card, has not been charged or accused of any crimes. Zoom out: That case has drawn international attention and generated protests nationwide. Nearly 100 people were arrested after protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Manhattan Thursday to demand the release of Khalil. What they're saying: "This is a clear attempt by President Trump to make an example out of Mr. Khalil and silence dissent across the country," Brett Max Kaufman, senior staff attorney with ACLU's Center for Democracy, said in a statement. "No matter what your views are on Israel and Palestine, we should all be terrified of a government incarcerating its residents for their political opinions." "With today's filing, we are making it crystal clear that no president can arrest, detain, or deport anyone for disagreeing with the government," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, another group that joined the legal team. For the record: Furman on Wednesday halted ICE from deporting Khalil, who is in a detention facility in Louisiana. Representatives for the White House, State Department and ICE did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening. What we're watching: Lawyers for the Trump administration are expected to submit their response to Khalil's attorneys on Friday. They are likely to invoke the broad authority the secretary of state has to deem foreigners a threat to the nation's foreign policy. The legal challenge to Khalil might ultimately come down to the Supreme Court, which would decide how far the secretary of state can determine whether a permanent resident can be removed for speech.
The rare Blood Moon total lunar eclipse started lighting up the sky late Thursday with a bright full Moon. Why it matters: It's the only lunar eclipse visible from the U.S. this year and the first total lunar eclipse since November 2022. Photos captured around the world late Thursday show a bright and illuminating Moon. North Rhine-Westphalia, Solingen: The almost fully illuminated Moon shines in the night sky over Solingen, Germany. For places in Central Europe, the moon sets during the eclipse, even before the moon has fully entered the umbra. Photo: Gianni Gattus/picture alliance via Getty Images What time is the Blood Moon? The Moon appears red or orange during the lunar eclipse because "any sunlight that's not blocked by our planet is filtered through a thick slice of Earth's atmosphere," NASA said. "It's as if all the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon," NASA said. What we're watching: The Moon will appear coppery red during the lunar eclipse's totality phase for a little less than an hour, according to NASA's timeline. This phase begins at 2:26am EDT Friday, 11:26pm PDT and 6:26 UTC. Totality ends at 3:31am EDT, which is 12:31am PDT and 7:31 UTC. The full moon appears in the evening over Duhok, Iraq on March 13, 2025. Photo: Ismael Adnan Yaqoob/Anadolu via Getty Images The full Moon rises over Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras on March 13. Photo: Orlando Sierra/AFP via Getty Images The Full Worm Moon rises behind the U.S. Capitol dome at dusk on March 13 in Washington, DC. Photo: J. David Ake/Getty Images Full Moon to appear full through Saturday March's full Moon, also known as the "Worm Moon," is officially full at 2:55am EDT Friday, NASA said. It will appear full for about three days — from Wednesday evening into Saturday morning. More from Axios: Government suspends free COVID test distribution program Trump claims credit for falling egg prices but no relief for shoppers yet Why food prices are still high, five years after COVID Editor's note: This story will be updated with additional photos.
The Trump administration must reinstate thousands of fired probationary federal workers, a judge said in a temporary restraining order on Thursday. Why it matters: In the second such order to reinstate fired workers on Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Bredar ruled that the lawsuit brought by state attorneys general against 18 agencies was likely to succeed in showing the mass firings "were unlawful." Driving the news: In the latest case, the Obama-appointed judge said in his order in Maryland the agencies gave "no advance notice" for the mass layoffs. "It claims it wasn't required to because, it says, it dismissed each one of these thousands of probationary employees for 'performance' or other individualized reasons," Bredar wrote. "On the record before the Court, this isn't true. There were no individualized assessments of employees. They were all just fired. Collectively," he added. The big picture: The lawsuit was filed against agencies including the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans Affairs, along with their secretaries. A federal judge in California earlier on Thursday ordered six government agencies to offer fired probationary federal workers their jobs back. Representatives for the Trump administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.
Set an alarm and reminders to look at the sky for the rare chance to see a Blood Moon total lunar eclipse late Thursday night and early Friday morning. The big picture: It's the only lunar eclipse visible from the U.S. this year and the first total lunar eclipse since November 2022. All of the phases of the eclipse are expected to last around six hours. North America and South America are expected to get the best views of the eclipse, but it will be visible across the Western Hemisphere. Total lunar eclipse and Blood Moon A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon align so the moon passes into Earth's shadow, according to NASA. Total lunar eclipses occur when the Moon passes into the dark shadow of the Earth. Lunar eclipses are sometimes called "Blood Moons" because the Moon will turn a reddish and copper hue, NASA said. What time does the lunar eclipse start tonight? When to watch: The hours for when the lunar eclipse will be visible vary by time zone. The initial phase of the eclipse, called the penumbral eclipse, begins at 11:57pm EDT and 8:57pm PDT Thursday, NASA said in its timeline. The partial eclipse begins at 1:09am EDT Friday, which is 10:09pm PDT Thursday, and as the Moon moves into the umbra "it looks like a bite is being taken out of the lunar disk." Totality begins at 2:26am EDT Friday or 11:26pm PDT Thursday. In totality, the Moon is "tinted a coppery red." What time does the total lunar eclipse end? Totality ends at 3:31am EDT/12:31am PDT. The partial eclipse ends when the Moon has set in 4:47am EDT or 1:47am PDT. The penumbral eclipse ends when the Moon has set in 6am EDT or 3am PDT. How to see the total lunar eclipse live What we're watching: Unlike a solar eclipse, anyone with a view of the Moon during a lunar eclipse will be able to see it as it occurs, NASA said. Special equipment isn't needed to observe a lunar eclipse. "Binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view," NASA said, noting a "dark environment away from bright lights makes for the best viewing conditions." Timeanddate.com will have a live stream of the lunar eclipse starting at 1am EDT Friday. March full Moon is the "Worm Moon" The Moon, known as the "Worm Moon," will be full early Friday morning at 2:55am EDT, NASA said. It will appear full for about three days — from Wednesday evening into Saturday morning. NASA said the Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s and called the March full Moon the Crow, Crust, Sap, Sugar or Worm Moon. Why the Moon appears red during total lunar eclipse How it works: The Moon appears red or orange because "any sunlight that's not blocked by our planet is filtered through a thick slice of Earth's atmosphere," NASA said. "It's as if all the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon," NASA said. Solar eclipse 2025 What's next: Get your solar eclipse glasses ready as the first solar eclipse of 2025 will be on March 29 and is a partial eclipse. It will be visible from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, NASA says. There is also a Sept. 21 partial eclipse that NASA said will be visible from Australia, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Next lunar eclipse Zoom out: The March total lunar eclipse is the last one that will be visible in the United States this year. There will be a total lunar eclipse on Sept. 7 that will be visible from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. A March 3, 2026, total eclipse will be visible from the Americas, Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands, NASA said. More from Axios: In photos: Blood Moon total lunar eclipse lights up sky Trump claims credit for falling egg prices but no relief for shoppers yet Government suspends free COVID test distribution program Why food prices are still high, five years after COVID
President Trump opened the door Thursday for Senate Republicans to find cost savings in Medicaid as they hunt for ways to pay for his border, defense and tax priorities, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Trump has been emphatic that Medicaid benefits won't be "touched," but he endorsed looking for "waste, fraud and abuse" and even imposing new work requirements. On Thursday, Trump and some top White House officials met with Republican senators on the Finance Committee, which includes Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and GOP Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Zoom in: Trump indicated to senators he is open to cutting "waste, fraud and abuse" from any mandatory spending — including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, multiple senators in the meeting told Axios. Social Security can't be dealt with in reconciliation. Trump expressed openness to work requirements for Medicaid and discussing ways to reduce the rate of growth of some health care programs which could be counted as potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in savings. He was also clear he wants Congress to deal with raising the debt ceiling in the reconciliation package and supports making his 2017 tax cuts permanent by using a "current policy" maneuver to make the cost $0. "It became clear that [Trump] wanted to be bold," one senator told Axios, requesting anonymity to speak candidly. What they're saying: "The President wants to make sure that we do eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and, you know, there are a number of scams going on right now with Medicaid," Barrasso told Axios. "There is money laundering being done with regard to Medicaid, and the American taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for that," Barrasso said. What to watch: The group also discussed an idea of codifying DOGE cuts with a big rescission package, which could be passed with a simple majority in the Senate — rather than needing Democrats to break the filibuster. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) pitched Elon Musk on the idea last week. Zoom out: Hill leaders are still working to get on the same page to get moving on their biggest legislative priority of the year.
Johns Hopkins University said Thursday it's axing more than 2,200 jobs in the U.S. and overseas due to the Trump administration ending over $800 million in USAID funding. The big picture: The Baltimore-based university appears to be among the hardest-hit research institutions affected by the Trump administration's cuts across the federal government. Johns Hopkins said the cuts have forced it to "wind down critical work" in Baltimore and internationally. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this week the Trump administration was canceling 83% of USAID programs. Driving the news: "We can confirm that the elimination of foreign aid funding has led to the loss of 1,975 positions in 44 countries internationally and 247 in the United States in the affected programs," the university said in an emailed statement Thursday evening. "An additional 29 international and 78 domestic employees will be furloughed with a reduced schedule." The university said it's proud of the work at places impacted by the cuts. Cuts affected Jhpiego, a recognized expert in maternal health; the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the oldest and largest such school in the U.S.; and the School of Medicine. It works "to care for mothers and infants, fight disease, provide clean drinking water, and advance countless other critical, life-saving efforts around the world," the university added in the statement. What's next: U.S. based workers are being given at least 60 days of advance notice before the reductions or furloughs take effect, per Johns Hopkins. The university said it is providing "support with additional benefits, assistance, and resources to help employees navigate this transition and explore new opportunities." "For international employees, we will be complying with local employment laws."
A federal judge on Thursday ordered six government agencies to offer fired probationary federal workers their jobs back. Why it matters: At least 30,000 probationary workers have been fired in DOGE's sweeping remaking of the government. A few federal agencies have called their people back, but most are still not working. Zoom out: The order is effective immediately, ruled Judge William Alsup, a Clinton appointee who presides in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Alsup said the Office of Personnel Management's order and the firing process was basically a "sham," noting that some probationary workers had been told that they were fired based on their performance. "It is sad, a sad day," said Alsup. "Our government would fire some good employee, and say it was based on performance. When they know good and well, that's a lie." Zoom in: The agencies ordered to re-hire workers include the Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Department of Treasury, and Veterans Affairs. Notably the Treasury Department includes the IRS. The tax agency has been hit hard by job cuts in recent weeks. The big picture: The order comes just as agencies are set to undertake even more firings, or "reduction in force" in federal jargon. These reduction memos from each agency are due Thursday and are expected to detail as many as 250,000 job cuts. Alsup's decision comes on top of a ruling last week from the Merit Systems Protections Board, a federal agency that reviews worker complaints, ordering the reinstatement of 6,000 workers at the USDA. Where it stands: In his ruling, Alsup made clear that it is within an agency's right to conduct a reduction in force, as long as it complies with the law. "This case is really an attempt to do a reduction in force, but to force it through the OPM," Alsup said. OPM argued that it did not order these firings — but the judge read from agency letters that made clear that the firings had been ordered by OPM. He also pointed to the firing of an employee of the U.S. Forest Service, who had just months earlier received a positive performance review but was told in her termination letter that she was being fired due to poor performance. The firing process, he said, "was a sham in order to try to avoid statutory requirements." What they're saying: The White House "will immediately fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Thursday. "A single judge is attempting to unconstitutionally seize the power of hiring and firing from the Executive Branch," she said. "If a federal district court judge would like executive powers, they can try and run for President themselves. " Catch up quick: The lawsuit was filed by unions representing federal workers, as well as several advocacy groups, including the Coalition to Protect American's National Parks. The plaintiffs argued that the Office of Personnel Management didn't have that authority to order these firings, and in an initial ruling last month Alsup agreed. Earlier this week, lawyers for the White House retracted testimony from the acting chair of the Office of Personnel Management, Charles Ezell, rather than comply with Alsup's request that he testify or be deposed. Alsup was not pleased about that — nor with the government's attempt to use press releases to argue that the firings were something agencies did on their own. "I want you to know that I've been practicing or serving in this court for over 50 years, and I know how that we get at the truth," Alsup said. "And you're not helping me get at the truth. You're giving me press releases. Sham documents." Of note: As the hearing came to a close, Alsup apologized for getting worked up. "I want to make it clear that I don't think counsel for the government has done anything dishonorable. I've given him a hard time," he said. "He's doing the best he can with the case he's got. Thank you for your service in the Justice Department." Editor's Note: This story has been updated to remove an erroneously attributed statement.
Senate Democrats are prepared to vote Friday to keep the government open, with not much to show for it. Why it matters: The outcome will spark the fury of many Democrats and the grassroots of the party, who have lobbied this week for the lawmakers to block the short-term funding bill. But it tracks with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) longstanding advice that it's bad politics to shut down the government. Schumer privately told his colleagues Thursday he plans to help break the filibuster on the GOP-led government funding bill, sources told Axios. The New York Times was first to report on his comments. Zoom in: "While the CR bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse," Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor. "A shutdown would give Donald Trump the keys to the city, the state and the country," Schumer said. "The shutdown is not a political game. Shutdown means real pain for American families." Between the lines: Most of Schumer's colleagues will vote against him. But Senate Democrats only need to provide eight votes to help keep the government open. Democrats are expected to get amendment votes on the bill, which will give the party members some cover in voting for the package. The GOP expects the Democratic votes it needs will come from senators up for tough 2026 races as well as those who are retiring, as we told you last week. Schumer and Senate GOP leader John Thune (R-S.D.) will need a time agreement to speed up the vote. The other side: Their House colleagues aren't buying it. "Those games won't fool anyone. It won't trick voters, it won't trick House members. People will not forget it," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote Thursday on X about a 30-day CR amendment vote. "Senate Republicans should back down from screwing over their own constituents," said Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas). "Democrats were elected to fight for working people, not put up a fake fight." House Democrats were almost unanimous in opposition on Tuesday. Only Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) voted for the bill. The bottom line: Schumer ensured he'll be the main Democratic villain of this week's drama. But he'll spare his party the pain of a shutdown and the political consequences no one can predict.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a giant of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, died Thursday due to complications from his cancer treatment, his office announced. He was 77. What they're saying: "Rep. Grijalva fought a long and brave battle. He passed away this morning due to complications of his cancer treatments," the Arizona Democrat's staff said in a statement. The former chair of the House Natural Resources Committee was diagnosed with cancer last April.
Wholesale egg prices are starting to drift lower amid signs that the bird flu is easing, but don't expect to find lower prices at grocery stores yet. Why it matters: Even as President Trump is claiming victory, his administration is acknowledging that the upcoming Easter holiday could cause prices to jump again. The big picture: The highly pathogenic avian influenza has led to tens of millions of chickens being culled, triggering shortages and price spikes. Many stores are limiting how many eggs shoppers can buy and some restaurants have added temporary egg surcharges. Trump on Wednesday took credit for falling prices, saying "we did a lot of things that got the cost of eggs down, very substantially." But while wholesale prices have started to tick down, grocery shoppers are still paying more than ever for a dozen eggs. When are egg prices coming down? Wholesale egg prices fell by $1.20 to $6.85 per dozen last week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's March 7 report. The department noted that flu outbreaks had slowed over the past two weeks and been "localized, which is providing producers in unaffected regions with an opportunity to make progress in reducing the egg deficit problem the market has been experiencing." The latest: The price of Midwest large eggs was $5.23 per dozen on Thursday, down 39% from its peak two weeks earlier, according to Karyn Rispoli, managing editor for eggs in the Americas for price-reporting service Expana. Yes, but: The price consumers are actually paying still rose 10% from January to February, according to the latest Consumer Price Index released Wednesday. Egg prices were up 59% from February 2024 to February 2025. The USDA said in a recent report that egg prices are expected to rise by 41.1% this year. Between the lines: Consumers often don't see wholesale price drops reflected at the grocery store — at least not immediately. "There's usually (at least) a two-to-three-week lag between wholesale and retail pricing, and since the market only started correcting last Monday, shoppers haven't seen the impact of these lower prices at the grocery store just yet," Rispoli said Thursday. "The main driver behind this drop is weakened demand, largely due to widespread purchasing restrictions and elevated shelf prices," she said. "Right now, consumers are still experiencing the peak of the market in terms of what they're paying at checkout." Easter could cause egg prices to soar State of play: Easter is traditionally one of the highest demand periods for eggs with eggs playing a big part of Easter traditions and the Jewish holiday of Passover. This year, Easter is April 20, the latest date since 2019. Passover starts April 12. "We're going into Easter season. This is always the highest price for eggs," Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday. "We expect it to perhaps inch back up." What they're saying: Kevin Bergquist, Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute sector manager, said in a new report that egg prices "will likely remain highly variable for the near future, but at a higher-than-usual level." "In the short term, we will likely see a continuation of high egg prices," Bergquist said. "The Easter season is just around the corner, and the demand for eggs is not abating." The bottom line: If egg prices are still high for Easter, expect families to turn to alternatives like painting and hiding potatoes, an idea that sprouted in 2023 because of high prices. More from Axios: Why food prices are still high, five years after COVID Government suspends free COVID test distribution program Walmart clashes with China after asking suppliers to absorb tariffs
A new documentary on the Columbia University student Palestinian rights movement featuring now-detained graduate Mahmoud Khalil will be released at a film festival later this month. Why it matters: The film, months in the making, gives more insight into the plight of Khalil's family from Palestine during the 1948 Nakba to decades in refugee camps in Syria and his role in 2024 encampment protests. The big picture: Khalil remains detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Louisiana amid a legal battle to prevent his deportation from the U.S. after the Trump administration ordered his removal. He was arrested last week after the Department of Homeland Security concluded he was actively supporting Hamas but not materially supporting the terror group, a White House official said. His detention has sparked national student protests around the country. Zoom in: Watermelon Pictures announced Thursday that it has completed "The Encampments," a documentary chronicling the Columbia University encampments and the international wave of student activism they ignited. The film is scheduled to debut at the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival in Copenhagen on March 25. "The film ensures the students in (the) U.S and Gaza are heard, their actions are remembered, and the fight for Palestinian liberation continues," Grammy Award-Winning rapper Macklemore, a co-producer, said in a statement. Khalil is one of the main protagonists in the film. "I was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus in Syria. My family's history in Palestine actually goes back as long as my grandparents can trace it," Khalil says in the documentary. Khalil talks about how his grandparents were violently forced off their land during the 1948 war and became refugees. Context: Until now, reporters have been trying to piece together Khalil's biography and determine why the Trump administration targeted him first amid a promised crackdown on immigrants who voice support for the Palestinians. ICE records show Khalil is a Syrian national and a citizen of Algeria. He was one of the most visible activists in the Columbia protests and served as a student negotiator. Khalil finished his master's degree in public administration at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs in December and now holds a green card after he married his wife, a U.S. citizen. Zoom out: Secretary of State Marco Rubio was presented with evidence from the DHS review and determined that Khalil acted against U.S. foreign policy positions, the official said. U.S. law allows the secretary of state to deport a green card holder if that person is deemed to have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States." Green card holders can be removed from the U.S. for many other reasons, like breaking U.S. law. Khalil has not been charged with any crime. President Trump praised the Khalil arrest this week, promising it's the first of "many to come." The intrigue: In an interview with NPR on Thursday, Troy Edgar, the deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, struggled to explain what Khalil did to face deportation. "I think you can see it on TV, right? This is somebody that we've invited and allowed the student to come into the country, and he's put himself in the middle of the process of basically pro-Palestinian activity," he said. But he declined to say what specific actions Khalil committed to amount to removal. What we're watching: The legal challenge to Khalil might ultimately come down to the Supreme Court, which would decide how far the secretary of state can determine whether a permanent resident can be removed for speech.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a press conference in Moscow on Thursday that he needs more clarifications before Russia agrees to a ceasefire with Ukraine. Why it matters: The U.S. and Ukraine both endorsed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire on Tuesday that calls for all air and artillery strikes to stop and fighting to cease all along the front lines. Putin raised doubts about that idea and said any ceasefire should also be part of a process that addresses the "root causes of this crisis." He noted that his troops had been retaking occupied territory in Russia's Kursk region in recent days and advancing along the front lines in Ukraine, and asked, "What would happen during those 30 days?" Specifically, Putin raised the fate of the Ukrainian soldiers still in Kursk, asking, "Would it mean that everybody there would leave? Should we release them after they committed serious crimes against civilians?" But Putin also thanked President Trump for his efforts and took a less hardline position than his senior aide, Yuri Ushakov, who said earlier on Thursday that Trump's proposal was "nothing other than a temporary timeout for Ukrainian soldiers." "The idea is good and we absolutely support it, but there are issues we need to discuss, and I think we need to negotiate with our American colleagues," Putin said. What's next: White House envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday to meet with Putin about the ceasefire proposal. Ushakov said Putin and Witkoff would meet privately on Thursday night. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
A coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general on Thursday sued the Trump administration over its plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Why it matters: President Trump's Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, confirmed the mass layoffs this week were the first step toward shuttering the department. Driving the news: The attorneys general argue that the recent mass layoff of department staff was "illegal and unconstitutional. They're seeking a court order to stop further disruption. The lawsuit asserts that "only Congress may abolish an agency it created." McMahon did acknowledge this week that Congress would have to be involved in disbanding the department. McMahon has the authority to "modestly restructure" the department, but her permissions are limited, the lawsuit said. However, it noted, "She is not permitted to eliminate or disrupt functions required by statute, nor can she transfer the department's responsibilities to another agency outside of its statutory authorization." The big picture: The mass layoffs will cause loss or delays in funding or support "impacting nearly every aspect of K-12 education" in the states that sued, the lawsuit said. Impacts will include teacher shortages and a loss in professional development and salaries for specialists who work with students with disabilities, the attorneys general said. The cuts "will result in lost educational opportunities for students that cannot be recovered or remedied," they wrote. The recent layoffs will acutely hurt low-income and disabled students, who rely on supports provided via federal funding, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. Zoom in: The attorneys general participating in the lawsuit are from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. Democratic attorneys general have launched challenges to several of the Trump administration's actions and executive orders. Read the lawsuit: Go deeper: Education secretary says mass layoffs first step toward shutting down DoE Trump-voting states have more to lose if Education Department dismantled
Alcohol appears to be one of the earliest casualties of President Trump's trade war, one he escalated Thursday with a threat to impose massive levies on European wine and Champagne. Why it matters: The alcohol industries may not have had the same influence in the tariff fight so far as automakers, but there's still billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs at stake. Driving the news: On Wednesday the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, prompting retaliation from top trading partners like Canada and the European Union. The EU quickly reimposed previously suspended counter-measures, including 50% tariffs on American whiskey as of April 1. On Thursday, Trump responded, threatening a 200% tariff on European wine and Champagne if the whiskey levy wasn't removed. "This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.," Trump posted on Truth Social. Yes, but: Historically, it's not. In 2020 the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance begged Trump to suspend a previous set of retaliatory tariffs on EU exports that had been imposed in 2019, citing their significant impact on the hospitality industries. By the numbers: The U.S. imports more than $6.7 billion worth of wine a year, per the American Association of Wine Economists, with about two-thirds of that coming from France and Italy. What they're saying: "We urge President Trump to secure a spirits agreement with the EU to get us back to zero-for-zero tariffs, which will create U.S. jobs and increase manufacturing and exports for the American hospitality sector," the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said in a statement. "We want toasts not tariffs." 💭 Thought bubble, from Axios economics reporter Courtenay Brown: The EU is quickly learning the risk of trying to hit Trump where it hurts, like red-state industries. He doesn't back down, he doubles down. "If you make him unhappy, he responds unhappy," as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg TV Thursday. The bottom line: To paraphrase FDR, what America needs now is a drink — but not if it costs 200% more.
David Solomon — Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO — said after President Trump's visit to the Business Roundtable this week that "the business community understands what the president is trying to do with tariffs." "The business community is always going to want lower tariffs ... everywhere in the world," Solomon told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday. "At the moment, there is some uncertainty — the market is digesting that." Solomon told Bartiromo that Trump projected a "sense of optimism" during his closed-door remarks Tuesday to the biggest-ever meeting of the BRT, made up of the CEOs of America's largest companies. Solomon, whose firm manages or supervises trillions of dollars in assets, praised the administration for being "engaged with the business community. ... That's a different experience than what we've had over the course of the last four years." He said business wants to see "more specific actions on the regulatory front to unleash more animal spirits. ... My expectation is you will see, as you get through the year, a pickup in activity across both the capital markets and M&A." One CEO in the room for Trump's remarks told Mike: "Let's slow down and have a little perspective. We may not like how fast this is going, and have real concerns. But let's play a long game." The CEO told us that amid the current uncertainty, many BRT members are medium-term and long-term optimistic that Trump policies will encourage capital spending, economic growth and consumer activity. 🥊 Reality check: A front-page story in today's Wall Street Journal is headlined, "CEO Frustrations With Trump Over Trade Mount — in Private." Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a well-known professor at Yale School of Management, who organized a CEO Caucus in Washington on Tuesday, said he heard "universal revulsion against the Trump economic policies ... They're also especially horrified about Canada." Trump has been dismissive of CEOs' concerns about tariff uncertainty. Last weekend, he told Bartiromo they had "plenty of clarity." Stephen Schwarzman — chairman, CEO and co-founder of Blackstone, and a top Trump donor — told reporters in India yesterday that the tariffs would, "at the end of the day," lead to a significant increase in manufacturing activity in the U.S., the Financial Times reports ($). "Given the size of the U.S., that tends to be a good thing for the world," Schwarzman said. Solomon added that tariffs are getting the headlines, but CEOs "are excited about some of the tailwinds ... the move to lower regulation. Regulation has been a significant headwind to growth in investment." "Tax policy is going to be a big discussion as we move forward, energy policy," he said. "The more we can have certainty on the policy agenda ... the better that is going to support capital investment and growth." Solomon concluded his Fox interview: "When there's change, there's uncertainty — it takes a while for people to absorb and adopt. But I continue to be incredibly optimistic about the United States and the direction of travel. We have an incredibly nimble and versatile economy." Go deeper: Watch Solomon's video.
The White House is withdrawing the nomination of Dave Weldon to be the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), per a source close to Senate health committee and another source familiar. Why it matters: The former Florida congressman was scheduled to appear before the committee this morning for his confirmation hearing. But his anti-vaccine views have garnered attention since he was nominated months ago and were sure to play a prominent role in questioning. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy himself said Weldon wasn't ready, per one of the sources. Background: Weldon is an internal medicine doctor who served in the House of Representatives from 1995 through 2009. While in Congress, he was one of the sponsors of a bill that would have banned mercury from vaccines. In a 2007 statement on a different bill he sponsored, Weldon wrote that "legitimate questions persist regarding the possible association between the mercury-based preservative, thimerosal, and the childhood epidemic of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism." Thimerosal has been used as a preservative in vaccines, although it was taken out of childhood vaccines in 2001, per the CDC. Many studies have found no evidence of harm of thimerosal in low doses in vaccines. Studies have also found no evidence of a connection between vaccines and autism.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has called on the U.S. to move some of its nuclear arsenal to Polish territory to deter potential future Russian aggression. Why it matters: The move would likely anger Moscow, which views NATO's encroachment — and any shift of its member countries' military might — eastward as a threat. Duda's suggestion comes as the Trump administration is engaging the Kremlin on a ceasefire proposal with Ukraine. Driving the news: Duda told the Financial Times in an interview published Thursday that the U.S. could move nuclear weapons stored in Western Europe or the U.S. to Poland, and that he'd discussed the idea with U.S. envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg. "The borders of NATO moved east in 1999, so 26 years later there should also be a shift of the Nato infrastructure east. For me this is obvious," Duda said. "I think it's not only that the time has come, but that it would be safer if those weapons were already here," he added. Duda highlighted the fact that Russia had announced a similar move in 2023 to move nuclear weapons to its ally, Belarus. The big picture: Duda's plea comes as Europe prepares for a new geopolitical future, in which the U.S. plays a smaller role in guaranteeing European security. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said last week that Poland would need to explore "opportunities related to nuclear weapons" due to the "profound change of American geopolitics." France, the only nuclear power in the European Union, has signaled it could be willing to extend its nuclear umbrella to cover its allies, a move Duda was open to. Duda noted it would "take decades" for Poland to develop its own nuclear weapons. Go deeper: Trump's nuclear dilemma: "Greatest threat" is getting bigger
President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday ahead of his meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to flightradar data and a source familiar with the trip. Why it matters: The Moscow talks are crucial to Trump's efforts to secure a 30-day ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The visit could also lead to a phone call between Trump and Putin on Thursday. Driving the news: On Tuesday, the U.S. and Ukraine agreed on a plan for a 30-day ceasefire in the 3-year war. President Trump said on Wednesday in an Oval Office meeting with Ireland's prime minister that "it's up to Russia now" to respond to the ceasefire proposal. "We are going to know very soon. I've gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing." The other side: Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov spoke to White House national security adviser Mike Waltz on Wednesday and discussed the ceasefire proposal. Ushakov told Russian media on Thursday that he gave Waltz Russia's comments about the proposal and stressed the need for "long-term settlement." "The proposed ceasefire is nothing more than temporary breather for Ukrainian forces," Putin's adviser said. He added that Russia doesn't need steps "that just imitate peace actions in Ukraine." Go deeper: Sen. Mark Kelly brings back horror stories from Ukraine
OpenAI's chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane told Axios in an interview this week that it's time to accelerate AI policy for the Trump era two years after ChatGPT exploded onto the scene. Why it matters: For top AI companies, the policy message has shifted from begging for regulation and warning of dangers to projecting confidence about the policies needed to keep growing and beat China in the AI race. "There's a real focus from the administration on developing an AI strategy to ensure U.S. economic competitiveness and national security are prioritized," Lehane said. "Our work stream is intersecting with where the administration is going." Lehane said he was at the White House last week and has had many meetings with Trump administration officials about AI policy, and he expects a full strategy to be released by the summer. The big picture: The White House is collecting comments on what its national AI strategy should be in what is amounting to a total reset of policy from the Biden administration. Lehane says the U.S. view on AI is shifting as the industry grows more comfortable and ambitious with the technology. "Globally, the conversation around AI has changed," said Lehane. "There's been a definite pivot. ... Maybe the biggest risk here is actually missing out on the opportunity. There was a pretty significant vibe shift when people became more aware and educated on this technology and what it means." OpenAI's memo to the White House, seen early by Axios, focuses on a number of key things the company deems necessary for the U.S. to lead on AI with democratic values and stay ahead of China: pre-emption of state AI laws; balanced rules around what advanced AI technology can be exported abroad; allowing AI to learn from copyrighted material; infrastructure investments for AI growth; and government adoption of AI. State laws on AI assume "AI is like social media," Lehane said, while the company believes it is more like electricity, a key underpinning of systems people use every day. A voluntary structure housed at a re-imagined U.S. AI Safety Institute could test models as part of a public-private partnership in exchange for liability protection from dozens of state-level AI laws, which are creating uncertainty in the market, Lehane said. Export rules should be considered on a tiered basis to ensure there's a balance between protecting U.S. intellectual property and making sure it's in enough global markets, he said. OpenAI also hopes to see fair use copyright rules continuing to be applied to AI so models can be trained on as much information as possible, he said, calling copyright "a national security issue." Flashback: In May 2023, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appeared before Congress and asked for a heavy approach by Congress, including an AI licensing agency and independent audits. The bottom line: For Lehane and OpenAI, fears about AI are dwindling, and the vibe shift is here to stay. "Companies like ours have gotten pretty comfortable with how we're deploying this stuff in a responsible way, and understand the real challenge here is to make sure this opportunity is realized."
President Trump's public intervention on behalf of Tesla marks the most extraordinary chapter yet in the partisan war over America's preeminent electric vehicle brand. Why it matters: Elon Musk's assault on the federal government has supercharged Tesla's evolution from liberal status symbol to pride-of-MAGA protectorate. The company's stock has taken a beating along the way. "We struggle to think of anything analogous in the history of the automotive industry, in which a brand has lost so much value so quickly," says J.P. Morgan analyst Ryan Brinkman. What's happening: Musk's efforts to fire thousands of federal workers and dismantle whole government agencies have sparked "Tesla Takedown" protests in at least 100 cities over the last month. Those protests spurred vandalism of vehicles and violent incidents at Tesla facilities — including the use of Molotov cocktails. Some current Tesla owners have embraced a quieter form of resistance by applying bumper stickers disavowing Musk's politics — or badges disguising the vehicle's branding. Zoom in: With Tesla's stock hemorrhaging $800 billion in market cap since December, Trump held an event at the White House Tuesday to publicly rally support for his billionaire benefactor's brand. Standing alongside Musk and a row of Teslas on the South Lawn, Trump said he'd buy a Model S sedan for White House staff and threatened to classify anti-Tesla violence as domestic terrorism. Photographers captured a shot of Trump holding a Tesla sales script that listed out prices and features, a brazen challenge to ethical norms as the president said he hoped the event would boost Tesla sales. "He's built this great company, and he shouldn't be penalized because he's a patriot," Trump said. Fox News favorite Sean Hannity boasted of buying one, too, and said he'd give a Tesla away on his website — an offer Trump was quick to share with his own social media followers. Screenshot via X Zoom out: "Tesla is becoming a political symbol of Trump and DOGE, and that is a bad thing for the brand," warned Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, a longtime Tesla bull. Through the first two months of 2025, Tesla sales are down 71% in Germany, 45% in Norway, 44% in France and 44% in Spain, according to registration data reported by Electrek. Sales have also been slumping in the critical markets of California and China, Bloomberg reported. The company does not report U.S. sales, but Tesla's U.S. registrations fell 11% in January, according to S&P Global Mobility. Between the lines: The irony of MAGA's support for Tesla — whose existence is inextricably linked to the fight against climate change — is not lost on Republicans. In a 2022 analysis by Scarborough Research, Teslas were — by far — the car most likely to be associated with Democratic owners. Musk's brand is now poisonous among Democrats, and it's unclear whether his popularity with Republicans — or Trump's endorsement — will drive conservatives to buy Teslas in meaningful numbers. The other side: Plenty of investors on Wall Street are still bullish on Tesla, and Musk has vowed to double production in the U.S. within two years as Trump pushes for a manufacturing renaissance. The company, amid Wall Street concerns about cash flow this quarter, has been offering a variety of incentives to juice sales, including 0% financing deals (as long as buyers put down a large down payment). "Car buying means something different to everyone and if the price is right, you can still get some consumers to put their personal feelings aside," Ivan Drury, an analyst at car-research site Edmunds, tells Axios. The bottom line: Ives, the Tesla mega-bull, warns the next few months will bring a "moment of truth" for investors who want to see Musk recommit to the company — and decouple from DOGE. Musk's biggest ambitions for Tesla include self-driving cars and humanoid robots, with plans to launch a self-driving car network in Austin, Texas, later this year. Musk, who did not respond to an Axios request for comment, told investors in January that 2025 may end up as "the most important year in Tesla's history."
Data: Source: Migración Panama https://www.migracion.gob.pa/inicio/estadisticas; Chart: Axios Visuals The number of migrants trying to travel through the dangerous jungles of the Darién Gap to get from Colombia into Panama has fallen dramatically in recent months to the lowest levels since the pandemic, new data show. Why it matters: The decline is the latest sign that fewer migrants from South America are risking the treacherous, 2,600-mile journey north to the U.S. border in the early days of President Trump's immigration crackdown. The number of migrants illegally crossing the U.S. southern border plummeted in February to its lowest level in decades. Zoom in: Only 408 migrants traveled northward through the Darién Gap in February, according to Migración Panama, an agency in Panama that keeps track of migration in the region. That's the fewest in a month since November 2020, when 365 traveled the path during the pandemic. Nearly 82,000 people traveled through the Darién Gap in August 2023, data collected by Migración Panama and reviewed by the human rights advocacy group Washington Office on Latin America found. The August 2023 surge led to a historic rise of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border for weeks afterward. During the Biden administration, monthly traffic in the Darién Gap ranged from a few thousand to tens of thousands. State of play: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday touted the drop in Darién Gap traffic as part of Trump's overall immigration enforcement. "The Trump administration is committed to delivering on President Trump's mandate from the American people to stop the invasion of migrants, secure our borders, and enforce our immigration laws," White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Axios. Trump border czar Tom Homan promised weeks before the president took office that he'd "shut down" the Darién Gap. The big picture: The Darién Gap is a 60-mile, roadless, treacherous jungle of crocodiles, snakes, harsh terrain and drug gangs that human rights groups say exposes migrants to harm and disease. It's the only break in the Pan-American Highway, a 19,000-mile-long network of roads that runs from Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina. Between the lines: No one knows precisely why migrant traffic along the U.S.-Mexico border and in the Darién Gap has fallen so much, but immigration experts tell Axios that it's likely because migrants and smuggling networks are waiting to see how Trump's enforcement actions play out. Boston College law professor Daniel Kanstroom tells Axios that Mexico is also intercepting more migrants, and many migrants aren't trying to go north because they don't know if they'll be able to apply for asylum in the U.S. "We've seen this for decades. It's just episodic. It'll go back up again, because the forces that move people north have not changed. It's a temporary low," Kanstroom said. An Axios analysis of Darién Gap migration numbers found that most migrants traveling the route from 2020 through 2024 were from Venezuela, followed by those from Haiti and Ecuador. Experts say such migrants were escaping political unrest, gang violence, weather disasters caused by climate change and extreme poverty.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program; Map: Axios Visuals America's metros are growing faster than the country overall, driven largely by foreign immigration, per the U.S. Census Bureau. Why it matters: An exodus of city-dwellers rocked many U.S. metros during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some are now clawing back residents (and their productivity, creativity, tax dollars, etc.) Driving the news: The number of people living in U.S. metro areas rose by almost 3.2 million between 2023 and 2024, the Census Bureau said today — a gain of about 1.1%. By comparison, the total U.S. population rose by 1% during that time. Nearly 90% of U.S. metro areas grew from 2023 to 2024, the bureau says. Zoom in: Some metros hit hardest by pandemic population loss — think New York; Washington, D.C. and San Francisco — grew between 2023 and 2024, though some are still down relative to 2020, as seen above. Between the lines: Cities can thank international migration for this latest population spike. "All of the nation's 387 metro areas had positive net international migration between 2023 and 2024, and it accounted for nearly 2.7 million of the total population gain in metro areas," the bureau said in a statement accompanying the new data. How it works: The bureau bases these estimates on current data for births, deaths and migration, all of which affect overall population. What's next: Demographers and other researchers will be keeping a close eye on how Trump administration policies might affect immigration levels.
Tech evangelists predict the arrival of "superintelligence" any year now, but others doubt AI will ever produce its own Leonardos and Einsteins. Driving the news: In a post on X Tuesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman touted the company's development of "a new model that is good at creative writing" and showed off its work — a thousand-word "metafictional" composition on "AI and grief." Why it matters: Creativity could be the final hurdle for AI to leap in proving it's humanity's peer — but until then, many see it as the last bastion of humanity's irreplaceability. The big picture: Whether telling stories or researching scientific breakthroughs, today's generative AI isn't very good at creative leaps and novel insights. It's bounded by what it "knows" — the data it is trained on — and how it "thinks," by guessing the next word or pixel that best fulfills its prompt. In science, our AI models aren't going to push the boundaries because they're too eager to please people and prove their utility, Thomas Wolf, HuggingFace's co-founder and chief science officer, wrote on X last week. Wolf called AI that does research "yes-men on servers." "To create an Einstein in a data center, we don't just need a system that knows all the answers, but rather one that can ask questions nobody else has thought of or dared to ask," Wolf argued. The benchmarks we're using to gauge AI's advances "consist of very difficult questions — usually written by PhDs — but with clear, closed-end answers... Real scientific breakthroughs will come not from answering known questions, but from asking challenging new questions and questioning common conceptions and previous ideas." Getting AI to produce compelling art looks even more unlikely. Most work produced by AI is literally derivative. Of course, most artists, especially at the start of their careers, learn by imitation, and many human artworks are effectively collages, rewrites or remixes. But memorable artists develop distinctive voices by mixing their own experiences and obsessions with whatever they've learned from the artists they admire — and even their collages "sound like them." People seek out art because hearing those voices inspires them, leaving them feeling connected with the artist in a way that they cherish. The short story Altman posted showed formal facility — but many of the responses on X found it, as I did, more exercise than expression. Between the lines: Plenty of artists will find AI a valuable creative tool or an aid to brainstorming, just as many researchers will employ it to speed their work. But creation is likely to remain hard work for human beings. It takes effort to wrestle a vague idea in your head into words, images or any other material for an audience to encounter. This is the sort of friction that AI visionaries sometimes promise to liberate us from. Yes, but: "Friction-free art" is inert. What sends off sparks is the struggle of a person's urge to express something against the limits of form and medium. The bottom line: LLMs are like youngsters who have read a lot but do not have experience of the world. And right now there's not much of a way for AIs to get it. An LLM has never felt sunlight on its arm or raindrops on its head, known a parent or a child, given birth or faced death. It doesn't feel the need to share such experiences or to shape them into works of writing, or music, or any other form. What's next: Maybe the fusion of generative AI with robotics will surprise us, and an embodied LLM will find itself moving toward something humans might recognize as art. But it's very possible AI will never be truly creative because it has no impulse to play around for the heck of it, to impress peers or best rivals, or to leave a little mark on the world. People give AI prompts, whereas human artists get their prompts from their own lives.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court following his arrest in Manila in connection with his deadly war on drugs during his presidency, the ICC confirmed Wednesday. The big picture: The ICC Office of the Prosecutor alleged in a statement "there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Duterte bears criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of murder" for the drugs crackdown. The ICC began its investigation in 2021 after thousands of people were killed in police drug operations in the Philippines. Zoom in: Duterte is alleged to have committed the crimes from November 2011 through March 2019 "as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population," per the statement. The Office of the Prosecutor alleges that Duterte, as founder and head of the "Davao Death Squad," then mayor of Davao City and subsequently as the president of the Philippines, "is criminally responsible for the crime against humanity." The Office of the Prosecutor called the transfer of Duterte to the Netherlands, where he could face trial in the Hague, "a crucial step in our continuous work to ensure accountability for the victims of the most serious crimes under ICC jurisdiction." What they're saying: Sara Duterte, the elder daughter of the former Philippines' and current vice president of the Southeast Asian nation, in a media statement called his being taken to the Hague following his arrest Tuesday "oppression and persecution." What's next: The office is making preparations toward Duterte's initial appearance and subsequent judicial proceedings that will determine whether he stands trial. Flashback: "I assume full responsibility," Duterte says of drug war
The world's largest retailer is clashing with China over the company's efforts to reduce the impact of President Trump's increased tariffs. Why it matters: Walmart — whose brand is inextricably linked to low prices — is trying to leverage its monumental size to mitigate its own costs from the billowing international trade war. Driving the news: Officials from China's Ministry of Commerce met with Walmart executives on Tuesday to cry foul over the retailer pressuring local suppliers to absorb tariff hikes, according to a Chinese state media report. The Ministry of Commerce called for Chinese and American companies to work together in response to the tariffs. Threat level: "If Walmart insists" ... "then what awaits Walmart is not just talk," state broadcaster China Central Television said on social media Wednesday, according to the WSJ. Walmart did not respond to requests for comment. WSJ, citing people familiar with Tuesday's meeting, reported that the company offered to work with Chinese suppliers to "find ways to avoid damaging the interests of the parties involved." Zoom out: Walmart's retail business in China is growing but was still less than 3% of the company's total sales in the 2024 fiscal year, according to an SEC filing. In that respect, the company has more to lose in the U.S. and other core markets if increased costs lead to price hikes. Yes, but: Its exposure to Chinese supply lines is more substantial. Reuters has estimated that 60% of Walmart's shipments came from the country in 2023. Walmart has also made significant investments in its Chinese supply chain, having committed in 2019 to build or upgrade more than 10 logistics distribution centers in the country over the next 10 to 20 years. Follow the money: "The retailer has historically had strong bargaining power over its Chinese suppliers and requests for lower prices have mostly been met," Bloomberg reported last week, citing people familiar with the matter. "But the scope of the recent requests are unusual and leaves manufacturers weighing whether to absorb the costs to maintain a longer-term business relationship." 💭 Nathan's thought bubble: Walmart is playing with fire but retains a degree of leverage because it's such an enormous buyer and because it can source more products from other countries if Chinese suppliers don't cooperate.
A Texas megachurch founder and former spiritual adviser to President Trump was indicted in Oklahoma Wednesday for alleged child sexual abuse crimes dating back to the 1980s. The big picture: Robert Preston Morris, 63, who founded the Gateway Church in the Dallas suburb of Southlake, faces five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, according to the indictment. Details: Morris is accused of committing the offenses on a girl from when she was 12 until she was 14. Prosecutors allege the offenses began in December 1982 when Morris was a traveling evangelist visiting the accuser's family in Hominy, Okla., and continued for the next four years, per a statement from the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office. An attorney for Morris, who resigned from his role as senior pastor last June following child molestation allegations, declined to comment to local media. Zoom out: Morris founded the Gateway Church in 2000 and it now has an estimated 100,000 attendees. Trump appointed Morris to his evangelical advisory committee and named him as a spiritual adviser in 2016 when the Republican leader was a presidential candidate. Morris hosted Trump at Gateway Church during a 2020 roundtable event. A spokesperson for Trump emphasized to the New York Times after the allegations emerged last year that the pastor had no role in his re-election campaign. What they're saying: "There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children," said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond in a statement. "This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. A Gateway Church spokesperson said in a media statement it's "aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for their actions." It added the church was continuing to pray for Morris' accuser "and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation." Go deeper: Southlake and Argyle churches seek new pastors
President Trump's tariffs that targeted Canada, Mexico and China before being expanded to all steel and aluminum imports have not only triggered trade wars, they're also leading to a "Boycott USA" global consumer backlash against U.S. goods. The big picture: "Boycott USA" has spiked on Google in the past seven days, with four EU countries and Canada topping the search list and multiple countries have large Facebook groups dedicated to boycotting U.S. products. Zoom in: One of the biggest regions for this pushback is Denmark, where Trump's talk of taking over its semi-autonomous territory Greenland has provoked anger. The Danish "Boycott goods from the U.S." Facebook page has nearly 73,000 members and Denmark had the second-highest search number of searches for "Boycott USA" this week after Luxembourg. In neighboring Sweden, the fourth-biggest "Boycott USA" search region on Google, a Facebook page that says using a U.S. platform is "the best weapon" in the drive against U.S. goods has nearly 80,000 members. France ranked at no.3 on Google for "Boycott USA" searches. The country's "BOYCOTT USA: Buy French and European!" Facebook page has more than 20,000 members. Canada is another top backlash spot due to Trump making the closest ally of the U.S. a top tariff target and his desire to make the North American country the 51st state, ranking at no.5 on Google for "Boycott USA" searches. Several Facebook groups have emerged amid a drive for Canadian-made products and "Canada is not for sale" hats have taken off, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford among those wearing the headwear. The CEO of Jack Daniels' parent company said the Liquor Control Board of Ontario's decision to remove U.S.-made spirits from the province's shelves was "worse than a tariff." A survey of 3,310 respondents last month found 85% of Canadians plan to replace U.S. products or have already done so in the face of Trump's tariff threats. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 1.5 percentage points. The U.S. Travel Association warned of the impacts of tariffs, saying a 10% drop in Canadian travel could cause "$2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses." The number of Canadians taking road trips to the U.S. fell 23% last month compared to the previous year, per Statistics Canada. Zoom out: Analysts have expressed concern that Tesla's plummeting sales may be linked to CEO Elon Musk's closeness to Trump as a mega-donor and in his role as senior adviser to the president, working with the administration's federal cost-cutting team DOGE — though it's too early to assess whether this is having a direct impact on the EV company. Trump said on Truth Social this week "Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla." There was a very public boycott in classic music, from German violinist Christian Tetzlaff — who compared viewing Trump's policies to "watching a horror show" in an interview with the New York Times. Tetzlaff said he was canceling a spring tour of the U.S. with his string quartet in protest. A White House spokesperson's responded to an NYT request for comment on this by saying: "America first." Meanwhile, the government of NATO member Norway issued a statement of reassurance that it had provided U.S. Navy vessels with requested support, after Norwegian fuel firm Haltbakk Bunkers said it would no longer be a supplier due to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's treatment at the White House. Haltbakk Bunkers CEO Gunnar Gran told Norwegian newspaper VG the impact of the firm's decision would only be "symbolic" because it doesn't have a fixed contract with the Navy. Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening. Go deeper: How Trump's tariffs will impact everyday Americans
President Trump is planning an unusual visit to the Justice Department on Friday to speak about his administration's plans on "restoring law and order," Axios has learned. Why it matters: Trump's appearance will be the latest illustration of how he's taken a direct interest in the work of the DOJ, which he has stacked with allies while purging dozens of people who were deemed disloyal. Those dismissed from the department since Trump took office included officials who worked on the department's two criminal prosecutions of Trump between his presidencies. Zoom out: Trump, who was indicted four times after leaving office, spent much of the 2024 campaign railing against what he called the "weaponization" of the justice system. After winning 2024 election, Trump nominated Pam Bondi to be attorney general and Kash Patel to be FBI director, both of them longtime loyalists. Todd Blanche, one of Trump's personal attorneys, was named deputy attorney general. Trump last month said he had ordered the firings of U.S. attorneys appointed by his predecessor, Joe Biden. "We must 'clean house' IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence. America's Golden Age must have a fair Justice System," Trump posted on Truth Social. Most presidents historically have maintained at least the appearance of a Justice Department that operated independently of their political concerns. Trump accused Biden of using DOJ to target him, but Biden said he made a point of not getting involved in Trump's felony cases. Biden didn't stop the department from prosecuting his son, Hunter, on gun and tax charges — but pardoned Hunter during the final weeks of his presidency. Trump has long been fixated on the DOJ. During his first term he fired then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he blasted for recusing himself from overseeing a special counsel's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. During the final days of his term, Trump clashed with then-Attorney General Bill Barr after Barr said the department had found no evidence of significant fraud in the 2020 election. Bondi and Patel are expected to be present for Trump's visit on Friday, according to a person familiar with the plans. What they're saying: "President Trump will visit the Department of Justice to give remarks on restoring law and order, removing violent criminals from our communities, and ending the weaponization of justice against Americans for their political leanings," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios in a statement. "President Trump's historic visit to the Department of Justice will signify another promise made and kept."
House Democrats are mounting a sudden push for a last-minute vote on an alternative to House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) bill to avert a federal government shutdown. Why it matters: The effort dovetails with pressure some in the party are placing on key Senate Democrats to reject Johnson's 6-month stopgap bill and force Republicans to the table. The bill passed the House despite all but one House Democrat voting against it — but Republicans will need support from at least eight Senate Democrats for it to pass the upper chamber. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is already a "no" on the bill. "Our message to the Senate is ... stand with us," Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the House minority whip, said at House Democrats' retreat on Wednesday. Driving the news: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Clark and Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said Wednesday in a joint statement they would "strongly support" a four-week stopgap bill. "House Republicans should get back to Washington immediately so that we can take up a short-term measure, pass it on a bipartisan basis and avoid a Trump-inspired government shutdown," they said. House Democrats have demanded that any longer-term spending measure include language that constrains DOGE's ability to cut congressionally authorized spending. State of play: Senate Democrats left a closed-door meeting Wednesday signaling that they will not provide the votes for the bill to overcome the chamber's 60-vote filibuster threshold. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told reporters that Democrats are pressing for opportunities to amend the bill. "There are not the votes right now to pass it," he said. What we're hearing: House Democrats have been advised to keep their schedules flexible in case they are called on short notice to vote on a replacement measure, multiple Democratic lawmakers told Axios. Said one person familiar with the matter: "Most House Democrats remain in the DC-area, and all have been advised to keep their schedules flexible so they can be present to vote on short notice." Many House Democrats are at their caucus' annual retreat in Leesburg, Virginia — roughly an hour drive to Capitol Hill. House Democrats' messaging arm is advising members to say on social media that they are willing to return to Capitol Hill this week to vote, according to guidance viewed by Axios. Axios' Hans Nichols contributed reporting for this story.
President Trump is facing increasing headwinds from everyday Americans when it comes to his economic policies, which have sent markets tumbling and sparked worries of a recession. Why it matters: Trump's re-election campaign hinged on lowering prices, but voters are beginning to notice his policies — from a trade war with the U.S.' closes trading partners to mass deportations — are expected to do the opposite. The latest: A New CNN/SSRS poll out Wednesday found that only 45% of 1,206 Americans surveyed approved of Trump's job as president so far, with 54% disapproving. The margin of error is +/- 3.3 percentage points. Even more bruising, 56% of voters disapproved of Trump's handling of the economy — higher than at any point during his first term, per CNN. 61% of people surveyed said they disapproved of Trump's handling of tariffs, while 52% said they disapproved of his handling of the federal budget. Zoom in: A new Emerson College poll of 1,000 registered voters out Tuesday found Trump's disapproval rating at 45%, two points higher than it was just a week before, when the same poll was conducted. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points. Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement that the poll results showed Trump's "initial 'honeymoon phase' seems to be coming to an end.'" Trump's "true challenge will be how voters perceive their financial future," he added, noting that voters who "disapprove of his handling of the economy, believe tariffs will hurt economic growth, and are skeptical of his cryptocurrency policy." The big picture: The ramifications of Trump's policies are already rippling outwards and impacting businesses and communities. The National Federation of Independent Business's uncertainty index for small businesses rose to it's second-highest reading ever last month since the 1980s, and many small businesses report raising prices, MarketWatch reported. In fact, a slew of small business owners have spoken out about the detrimental impacts Trump's tariffs will have on their ability to maintain their businesses. Delta, Southwest and American airlines all warned this week that their first-quarter revenue or earnings forecasts will fall below expectations due to weaker consumer demand. Our thought bubble, from Axios' Ben Berkowitz: Investors are beginning to realize the first-term "Trump put" — the notion that he'd change policy if markets reacted negatively — isn't in evidence this time around. There's a greater willingness by his team to let whatever happens happen, which is an adjustment to past Trump economic practice that's coming as a shock to some people. Go deeper: The Trump bump becomes a Trump slump
February finally brought a bit of inflation relief following a stretch of elevated readings — a sign that the underlying backdrop for the economy is one of diminishing price pressures. Why it matters: Disinflation returned in February after months of data that appeared to show progress had stalled. But that relief could be fleeting if widening trade wars reignite higher costs. This is the conundrum for keeping tabs on the Trump economy. Even quick-turn monthly data like the Consumer Price Index looks stale against a rapidly shifting policy backdrop. Still, further tariffs will happen with inflation on a downward trajectory — which beats the alternative. State of play: The data "confirms that despite the idiosyncratic price bumpiness, economic fundamentals were and remain disinflationary," EY-Parthenon chief economist Gregory Daco wrote in a note. "Looking ahead, however, tariffs, confusion around trade policy and tighter immigration policy mean the risks to inflation are [tilted] to the upside." By the numbers: The Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% last month, after a 0.5% spike in January. Over the 12 months through February, CPI rose 2.8% — the lowest since November, when inflation data started to heat up. Core CPI, excluding food and energy, rose at a similar monthly pace, with a 3.1% gain in the year ending in February. That was the lowest since the inflation shock took off nearly four years ago. Between the lines: There was a sliver of good news for consumers in the supermarket. Grocery prices overall were flat last month, especially if you shop anywhere other than the egg aisle. Overall food at home prices were flat, and dairy, fruit, and vegetable prices were down. That was enough to offset another huge jump in egg prices, which were up 10% in February. Over the past year, prices are up 59%. The big picture: The Federal Reserve wants proof that inflation is moving "sustainably" lower, as chair Jerome Powell said in a speech last week. Inflation remains too high for the Fed's comfort. Over the last three months, core inflation is up an annualized 3.6%, down a bit from 3.8% in January, but well above its 2% target. What to watch: The Fed is assessing how White House policy uncertainty will ripple across the economy — including President Trump's stop-and-start tariff policies that have roiled the stock market and prompted economic growth fears. The Fed will likely keep rates on hold when its two-day policy meeting concludes next week. Bond yields spiked following the CPI data, and futures now put nearly 60% odds on a rate cut in June, per CME's FedWatch tool, up slightly from Tuesday. Odds of at least two rate cuts by year-end top 88%. What they're saying: "[Wednesday's] CPI report shows inflation is declining and the economy is moving in the right direction under President Trump," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement.
The Trump Medicare innovation center plans to cancel a half dozen trials to change the way health providers are paid by the end of the year as it aligns itself with the goals of the MAHA movement, multiple people familiar with the plans told Axios. The big picture: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation leadership said they want to focus on models that are likely to meet criteria for expansion and that promote the goals of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s public health agenda, said a person with knowledge who was granted anonymity to speak freely. What they're saying: CMMI "is committed to testing — and eventually scaling — innovative payment models that meet the statutory goals of reducing program spending while maintaining or improving quality of care," a CMS spokesperson said. The center has completed a data-driven review of models based on their statutory mandate and identified some that will conclude as scheduled and others that should be terminated, the spokesperson said. CMS estimates the changes will save taxpayers almost $750 million, though it did not specify how. State of play: The innovation center will end two payment models focused on alternative ways to pay for primary care — Making Care Primary and Primary Care First — and an experiment to encourage at-home dialysis and kidney transplants known as End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices. "Primary care remains a foundational component of the Center's strategy," CMMI wrote in a fact sheet on Wednesday. "The early termination ... does not signal a retreat from the center's support of primary care providers, but rather a need to focus on different approaches that are consistent with the CMS Innovation Center's statutory mandate and produce savings." CMMI will also end the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model one year early. The model builds on an alternative payment structure Maryland has used for over a decade now in which hospitals in the state get a fixed amount of revenue from payers each year. Maryland has already been chosen to participate in a broader total cost of care model known as AHEAD starting in 2026. CMMI plans to continue that model, a source familiar told Axios. CMMI will also not continue with two projects that had been announced but not yet started. One would offer $2 generic drugs to Medicare beneficiaries. A second aims to incentivize drug manufacturers to complete confirmatory trials of accelerated approval drugs. The center said Wednesday that it is also considering options to reduce the size or make other changes to a model aimed at integrating care for children. An experiment to redesign care delivery in Vermont and one aimed at improving care for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder are already slated to end at the end of 2025. Between the lines: CMMI said in a fact sheet that it has determined its other models can continue, either as is or with modifications. Context: The innovation center was created through the Affordable Care Act to test different ways to provide and reimburse for health services. It runs limited-time pilots aimed at improving patient care and lowering costs, with a goal of adapting successful policies for Medicare and Medicaid as a whole. The center currently operates 23 models. CMMI gets $10 billion in mandatory funding each decade to develop, test and evaluate different experiments. Some of the models set for cancellation have not yet shown to improve care or decrease costs. The model aimed at improving renal disease care has not affected health outcomes or Medicare spending, per its latest evaluation. Primary Care First, which tests performance-based payment for advanced primary care services, has had "minimal effects on hospitalizations and Medicare expenditures," according to its most recent evaluation, though the report says that's to be expected at the model's current stage. Yes, but: The Maryland Total Cost of Care Model saved a net $689 million for Medicare in its first three years and reduced hospital admissions. Reality check: It's common for a new administration to end or modify some Medicare payment projects early in its term. But the back-and-forth can make it hard for providers to fully invest in participating in these payment experiments. What we're watching: The innovation center plans to announce a new strategy "based on guiding principles to make Americans healthier by preventing disease through evidence-based practices, empowering people with information to make better decisions, and driving choice and competition," the CMS spokesperson said.
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