Axios

Federal immigration officials are warning Congress that the Laken Riley Act could require detention for 60,000 people — needing billions of dollars and thousands more detention beds to comply, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The bill requiring detention for undocumented immigrants accused of certain nonviolent crimes has received stunning bipartisan support in Congress this year.

With eight days until Jan. 20, President-elect Trump and his team are preparing to unleash an onslaught of executive orders regarding the border.

Vice President-elect JD Vance said Sunday those day-one actions should send a message to "illegal immigrants all over the world: You are not welcome in this country illegally."

Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, January 12.

President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the efforts to reach a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal by Jan. 20 — when Biden's term ends — according to U.S. and Israeli officials.

Why it matters: The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas have reached a critical point eight days before President-elect Trump is sworn into office.

Vice President-elect JD Vance said in an interview aired Sunday that "there's a deal to be made in Greenland" amid President-elect Trump's indication that he wants the U.S. to own the world's largest island.

Why it matters: Trump's refusal to rule out military force to acquire Greenland, currently defended by NATO member Denmark, or the Panama Canal sent shockwaves through the U.S. and its ally nations.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in a "Meet the Press" interview that the wildfires that have destroyed entire neighborhoods across Los Angeles could be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history "in terms of just the costs associated with it."

• That would mean eclipsing Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and the Mississippi coastline in 2005 and caused over $200 billion in damage.

The big picture: The fires, which have now killed at least 16, are not the biggest ever recorded in the state — but they are among the most destructive.

Three of President-elect Trump's most provocative Cabinet picks have reversed key positions ahead of next week's confirmation hearings, softening their edges for an establishment they've been charged with tearing down.

Why it matters: For as powerful as MAGA has become, the Senate's confirmation process remains a significant obstacle — at least nominally — to injecting fringe beliefs directly into the heart of government.

Special counsel Jack Smith resigned just days before President-elect Trump is set to take over the presidency, multiple outlets reported Saturday.

Why it matters: Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in Nov. 2022, spearheaded two federal criminal cases against Trump, but the future of both cases was imperiled by Trump's election victory.

President-elect Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel on Saturday to push for a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, Israeli officials said.

Why it matters: Witkoff's traveled to Israel from Qatar as part of a last-minute effort by Trump to press all parties involved in the negotiations to conclude the deal before Jan. 20.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg has outlined a new template for companies to make up with President-elect Trump and MAGA.

Why it matters: Meta did this with a methodical striptease over nine days, capturing massive public and MAGA attention.

• "This is speaking Trump's love language," a transition source told us.

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a challenge to the Affordable Care Act's requirement that insurers cover certain recommended preventive services at no cost.

Why it matters: Eliminating the requirement could limit access to services like cancer screenings, preventive medications for heart disease, behavioral health counseling and HIV drugs known as PrEP.

The Justice Department in a report released Friday concluded "no avenue for prosecution exists" for the crimes carried out during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the deadliest series of murders in U.S. history.

The big picture: The findings come roughly three months after the DOJ launched its first-ever federal probe into the coordinated attack that left an estimated 300 Black residents dead and decimated the thriving Greenwood community, also known as "Black Wall Street."