Axios

President Trump is decimating both Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments.

Why it matters: Monday's orders reduce protections on nearly 3 million acres in southern Utah, affecting more than 90% of each monument's area.

A federal judge lambasted and penalized the attorneys behind President Trump's settlement with the IRS, saying in an explosive Monday order that the case was a means to an end: judicial cover for a deal granting Trump audit immunity and creating his controversial anti-weaponization fund.

The big picture: The $1.776 billion pot of money, born from the Trump settlement, created an avalanche of bipartisan concern and legal scrutiny.

State attorneys general from a dozen states, including California, New York and Washington, filed a lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Why it matters: The lawsuit could derail or delay the closing of the deal, which could cost Paramount hundreds of millions of dollars.