House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has ousted Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, multiple GOP sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: Turner, who was tapped to lead Republicans on the panel by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in 2022, has at times broken with party leadership in a way that angered his GOP colleagues.
Two former Trump cyber officials are the likely choices to take the top roles at the lead U.S. cyber agency, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: The new leaders of the Department of Homeland Security office will play a key role in helping the president-elect respond to recent China-backed cyberattacks on U.S. government networks.
President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Energy Department Chris Wright walked a fine line Wednesday as he called climate change "a real and global phenomenon" but remained skeptical during his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing.
Why it matters: Wright, the CEO of fracking company Liberty Energy, looked to temper his tone but stood by prior statements criticizing "climate zealots" and calling climate change not a pressing concern.
Documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) show that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering proposals to expand its immigration detention capacity in at least eight states.
Why it matters: The proposals going back to September show that the Biden administration was preparing for its own expanded detention of immigrants while Democrats attacked President-elect Trump for his mass deportation plan.
Greenland must make its own decisions about independence from Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told President-elect Trump in a Wednesday phone call.
The big picture: Trump, since his first term, has repeatedly floated the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland even though the island's leaders have said it is not for sale.
Why it matters: If confirmed, Bondi's appointment would install a Trump loyalist in the nation's highest law enforcement role — empowering a MAGA overhaul of the DOJ, which could include investigating the president-elect's political enemies.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was elected this week to be the new chair of the Senate Steering Committee, the senator confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: The group serves as a sort of Freedom Caucus for the Senate. It includes many of the most conservative Republicans in the conference, though there is no formal roster, and hosts a weekly lunch.
President-elect Trump's Monday inauguration ceremony is set to be colder than the norm.
Why it matters: D.C. is preparing for 250,000 ticketed guests and thousands more at the National Mall for the outdoor ceremony — which has caused emergencies from extreme weather in its history.
The voting rights group founded by Democratic activist Stacey Abrams and its affiliated action fund were fined a total of $300,000 Wednesday for violating Georgia campaign finance laws in 2018 and 2019.
Why it matters: The nonprofits admitted to violating Georgia campaign finance laws in spending more than $3 million to support Abrams and the Democratic ticket in the 2018 election, and spending more than $600,000 on a local ballot initiative election in 2019.
The future of accessing TikTok in the U.S. will be decided by the Supreme Court any moment now. So far, the justices seem inclined to uphold a bipartisan law that would ban the app as soon as Jan. 19.
Why it matters: The wildly popular short-form video app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, could imminently vanish from Google and Apple app stores. Beyond disappointing devoted users, the move would also disrupt influencers' multibillion-dollar creator economy.
Idaho is seeking to join Texas with a proposed bill that would allow local police to check people's immigration and make it a state crime for undocumented immigrants to enter the state.
Why it matters: GOP-led states are expected to see legislation allowing them to enforce federal immigration law amid a friendly incoming Trump administration despite concerns over constitutionality.
Food manufacturers will soon be banned from using the common food additive Red Dye No. 3 under an Food and Drug Administration rule released on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The move comes two years after a petition from consumer advocates including the Center for Science in the Public Interest pointed to studies showing a connection between the dye and increased risk for cancer in rats.
Ukraine and Russia both need to make concessions to end the war between them, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), President-elect Trump's pick for Secretary of State, said Wednesday at his confirmation hearing.
Why it matters: Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which will enter into its fourth year next month, poses one of the incoming Trump administration's greatest foreign policy challenges.
State of play: The latest analysis from the Energy Department's independent stats arm sees just modest output growth this year and next (albeit from already record levels).
Some ofPresident-elect Trump's highest profile Cabinet picks will be under fresh scrutiny this week as they brace for tough Senate confirmation hearings that could make or break their nominations.
Why it matters: With Democrats looking to create fireworks and the Republican party deeply divided, the hearings could escalate clashes over Trump's most controversial nominees.
President Biden praised his administration's accomplishments and called on Americans to continue building on its progress in a letter to the public Wednesday, shortly before he is slated to deliver his farewell address.
John Ratcliffe— who is Trump's pick for CIA, and was director of national intelligence for the final months of Trump's first term — will rail against the politicization of the intelligence community during his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing today, a transition source tells Axios.
He'll vowto eliminate political biases and "wokeness" in the agency's workforce policies, and instead focus on "the mission."
Axios and OpenAIthis morning announced a multiyear deal to bring Axios Local to four new cities: Pittsburgh ... Kansas City, Missouri ... Boulder, Colorado ... and Huntsville, Alabama.
Why it matters: No company in America is investing in more local expansion than Axios, owned by Cox Enterprises. This expansion will bring us to 34 cities.
President-elect Trump'stalk of Canada as a "51st state" and annexing Greenland registered among national-security crowds as an "Oh, boy!" moment. Obnoxious, enticing, familiar.
Why it matters: The darlings of Trump's current foreign policy fixation boast Arctic utility at a time when the icy region is heating up.
President Biden's last-minute executive order Tuesday to undo sanctions on Cuba and delist the socialist nation as a terrorism sponsor is outraging already dispirited Florida Democrats.
Why it matters:Biden's order will be undone almost as soon as Donald Trump replaces him on Monday, so it will have little practical effect. But Florida Democrats fear Biden's move gives Trump a chance to frame their party as beholden to socialists.
President-elect Trump is being inundated with so much money from corporations and wealthy donors that his team expects to raise about $500 million by summer — even though he can't run again, sources in his operation tell Axios.
Why it matters: By stockpiling so much cash, Trump is signaling he doesn't want to be seen as a lame duck in his second term, and is ready to help political allies, punish opponents and help Republicans keep full control of Congress in 2026.
South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested at his presidential residence on Wednesday morning local time following an hours-long standoff, images from the scene show.
Why it matters: It's the first time an incumbent president has been detained in South Korea and marks the second attempt by anti-corruption investigators to arrest him for questioning related to his brief martial law declaration last month that triggered protests and shocked allies.
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick for Defense secretary, on Tuesday called the problem of extremism in the military "fake," but researchers warn there's a growing trend of military-linked terrorism.
The big picture: The rising number of people with military backgrounds engaging in domestic terrorism over the past three decades can partially be attributed to the difficulty transitioning from active duty to veteran status and a lack of community or purpose, experts say.
Democratic women senators grilled Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick for Defense secretary, during his Tuesday confirmation hearing over his stances on women in the military.
Why it matters: Hegseth, an Army combat veteran, previously said he doesn't believe women should serve in combat roles — and had to answer to women sharply questioning him on that and his subsequent change in stance.
A progressive group that bolstered Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the 2024 presidential campaign is also supporting a new war room that wants to scuttle his nomination for Health and Human Services Secretary.
Why it matters: The two tracks of support from the Sixteen Thirty Fund — which can accept unlimited and anonymous contributions— show how the dark money group takes a flexible approach to countering President-elect Trump's MAGA agenda.
Former first lady Michelle Obama won't attend President-elect Trump's inauguration next week, her office announced on Tuesday.
Why it matters: All other living first ladies and presidents have confirmed they will follow the tradition of attending the presidential swearing-in ceremony, including her husband, former President Obama.
The Securities and Exchange Commission sued Elon Musk on Tuesday, alleging he failed to properly disclose his purchase of Twitter shares before eventually buying the company.
Why it matters: The suit comes just days before President-elect Trump's inauguration as president, amid uncertainty over what legal scrutiny "first buddy" Musk might face in the new administration.
