The Trump administration will investigate whether to slap tariffs on lumber imports on the grounds of national security, raising the risk of higher costs for the construction industry and homebuyers.
Why it matters: It is the latest economically critical input — including steel, aluminum and copper — to get swept up into President Trump's trade war in an effort to boost domestic industry.
Federal workers reportedly got another email Friday night asking them to document their weekly activities — though so far this time, there's been no explicit threat from Elon Musk they'll lose their jobs if they don't reply.
Why it matters: The Musk-led campaign to slash the federal workforce is accelerating, and the emails may end up being another way to justify cutting thousands of jobs.
President Trump will speak at the first-ever White House Crypto Summit next Friday.
Why it matters: Trump has promised to be America's "first crypto president," and said Feb. 19 that he's "committed to making America the crypto capital."
Elon Musk defended DOGE's actions, name dropped alleged Jeffery Epstein clients and weighed in on the "Gulf of America" standoff between the Trump administration and the Associated Press in an appearance on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast.
The big picture: The pair, in their three-hour interview, railed against legacy media, discussed what the world would have been like if Twitter wasn't X and explained why DOGE is seen as a threat — though Musk said it doesn't go far in exposing corruption because doing so could get him "killed."
President Trump's clash with legacy media, his spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and influence over the House GOP's budget deal were among the biggest news events out of his administration this week.
Here's our recap of key developments the past week:
The number of immigrants held in detention under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has hit the highest level in more than five years, new data show.
Why it matters: The detention surge comes as the Trump administration steps up immigration enforcement and seeks to expand the capacity to detain more immigrants amid a months-long backlog with immigration judges.
Elon Musk's Tesla has become a rallying point for protestors outraged with how the world's richest man has insinuated himself into President Trump's administration and led efforts to slash government agencies.
Why it matters: The #TeslaTakedown protests at Tesla locations nationwide are one of the first signs of grassroots backlash to Musk's role in the Trump administration, targeting his flagship company.
Why it matters: The dinner between Trump and Bezos happened the night Bezos announced changes to the Washington Post opinion section. It's another sign of Trump and Bezos' growing closeness.
The U.S. trade deficit for goods widened sharply in January, a result of a record surge of products imported into the country, the Commerce Department said on Friday.
Why it matters: For yet another month, manufacturers and businesses raced to bring goods into the country to get ahead of potential tariffs implemented by President Trump.
General Catalyst is in the very early stages of considering an IPO, Axios has learned from multiple sources.
Why it matters: GC would be the first U.S. venture capital firm to take the public plunge, nearly two decades after Blackstone broke the barrier for U.S. private equity.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have brought on Meredith Maines as their first chief communications officer, Axios exclusively reports.
Why it matters: Perhaps no couple makes more headlines or receives more public scrutiny than the Sussexes, and Maines will be tasked with managing their reputation as well as the reputation of their expanding business portfolio.
Inflation pulled back in January amid robust growth in Americans' incomes, the Commerce Department said on Friday.
Why it matters: The deceleration in price pressures offers some comfort that inflation is not reigniting and that Americans' purchasing power is increasing.
While President's Trump nominee for Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director, Jonathan McKernan, was earnestly taking questions from senators about the job on Thursday, the agency made some other news.
The CFPB dropped five lawsuits filed against financial institutions under the previous director.
Why it matters: McKernan is likely to get the gig, but as the White House moves to gut the agency it is not totally clear what he can even do with the job.
Vice President Vance will give a keynote address at a tech summit in Washington next month, underscoring the Trump administration's focus on artificial intelligence and advanced computing.
Why it matters: Vance, a former venture capitalist, has helped draw Silicon Valley's tech sector more closely than ever to the nation's capital.
A grassroots movement's "economic blackout" calls on consumers nationwide to avoid shopping at major retailers Friday in protest of corporate greed.
Why it matters: The 24-hour boycott, organized by The People's Union USA, asks consumers to not spend in stores or shop online to "disrupt the economy for one day."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in claiming a third straight victory for his Progressive Conservatives in the province's election Thursday he'd been given a "mandate" to "stand up" to President Trump's threats to hit Canada with tariffs.
What he's saying: "Donald Trump thinks he can break us," said Ford, who called a snap election this month in response to Trump's threat to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican imports unless they tighten border security.
President Trump and Elon Musk's campaign to shrink the federal government will be felt far outside the nation's capital — in deep red states as well as blue.
Why it matters: Some GOP lawmakers are already hearing from constituents and raising the alarm about the haphazard way federal employees are getting canned.
A federal judge ordered the Office of Personnel Management on Thursday to revoke instructions to fire probationary government workers across several agencies.
The big picture: The ruling fromU.S. District Judge William Alsup, which found that the firings were likely illegal, poses one of the largest hurdles yet to President Trump's goal of shrinking the federal workforce.
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