A significant storm system that threatens the South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic with severe weather — and heavy snow in the Midwest — is set to hit less than a week after NOAA saw layoffs that affected about 800 staff.
Why it matters: This will be the first test of whether the loss of expertise from the cuts and early retirements last week will affect forecast and warning accuracy.
President Trump sparked a $300 billion rally in the global crypto market Sunday with two social media posts listing the digital currencies a U.S. strategic reserve would embrace.
Why it matters: Trump's posts almost instantly reversed a weeks-long global sell-off that had threatened to dent his image as the "crypto president."
The battle over a single state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin is on track to be among the most expensive judicial races in history, fueled by donations from big fundraising names such as Elon Musk and George Soros.
Why it matters: Democrats and Republicans alike see the Wisconsin race as having outsized importance in politics, stretching far beyond the Dairy State.
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:
