Axios

President Trump on Wednesday announced an order to open a detention center at Guantanamo Bay to house up to 30,000 immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally.

The big picture: Trump made the announcement just before signing the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of certain crimes such as theft.

President Trump on Wednesday issued an executive order that threatens to cut federal funding for K-12 schools that it claims "indoctrinate" students with teachings related to race and gender.

The big picture: Trump's repeated threat to defund schools accused of teaching critical race theory and that accommodate transgender students has become part of a rallying call for the right in a culture war over what children should be exposed to.

President Trump on Wednesday settled a lawsuit that will require Meta to pay about $25 million, most of which will fund a presidential library, multiple outlets reported and a source familiar confirmed to Axios.

Why it matters: Meta shut down Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts for about two years after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. However, since Trump's reelection, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has cozied up to the new administration.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to be EPA administrator along mostly partisan lines.

Why it matters: Zeldin, with little experience in environmental policymaking, will spearhead the Trump administration's push to reverse former President Biden's climate regulations.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attempted to walk back his past anti-vaccine and pro-abortion rights stances in his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as he fielded questions from both sides of the aisle.

The big picture: In his hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Kennedy characterized himself as pro-vaccine, despite years of denialism, and took a Trump-aligned, leave-it-to-the-states stance on abortion.

The Trump administration's freeze on federal grants and loans may have been short-lived, but expect it to still feature prominently in congressional Democrats' public messaging going forward.

Why it matters: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), in a call with his members Wednesday, touted the 48-hour funding freeze saga as a clear-cut victory for his party's strategy for countering Trump.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rescinded a memo Wednesday that had ordered a "temporary pause" on federal funding and unleashed major confusion across the country.

Why it matters: It's an astonishing reversal by the Trump administration, a day after top officials defended the funding freeze — which a judge temporarily halted on Tuesday — as necessary to ensure all government spending was aligned with the president's vision.

Commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick said Wednesday he supports continuing the department's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).

Why it matters: His stance potentially contrasts with the White House's moves to drive diversity, equity and inclusion programs out of the federal government.

Last week, President Trump said he will "demand" that the Federal Reserve cut interest rates. Fed chair Jerome Powell declined to comment on the request Wednesday.

Why it matters: The Fed is set to face new pressure from the Trump administration, as it holds rates steady while the president pushes for them to come down.

The Laken Riley Act is the first bill President Trump signed into law Wednesday after returning to office — an early victory for his immigration policy agenda.

Why it matters: The new law will require the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of certain crimes such as theft. Federal immigration officials have warned it could impact 60,000 people.

Senate Democrats are tapping Mark Kelly, Adam Schiff and Lisa Blunt Rochester to serve as vice chairs of their campaign arm for the 2026 cycle, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The trio of Democratic senators will serve as fundraising muscle and ambassadors for the party as it tries to reclaim a Senate majority next year.

U.S. students had record-low reading comprehension scores last year in a learning loss trend exacerbated by the pandemic, according to a national education report released Wednesday.

Why it matters: Students across age groups demonstrated continued declines in reading comprehension, despite efforts to reverse the slip. Gaps between high- and low-achieving students have also widened.

A House Republican introduced a bill Tuesday to carve President Trump's figure onto Mount Rushmore.

The big picture: The measure is highly unlikely to pass through Congress but is another example of the loyalty and adoration some House GOP members show Trump.

OpenAI said on Wednesday that Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's open-source models may have "inappropriately" based its work on the output of OpenAI's models, an OpenAI spokesperson told Axios.

Why it matters: China's DeepSeek has taken the AI industry by storm with its R1 reasoning model that competes with OpenAI's o1, but at what the company says is a fraction of the cost and with fewer resources.

President Trump's pick to lead the Commerce Department, Howard Lutnick, on Wednesday said he would support imposing blanket tariffs on a country-by-country basis.

Why it matters: If confirmed, Lutnick will be at the center of executing Trump's go-to geopolitical tool — but how exactly the administration should do so highlights a divide among its economic officials.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's controversial pick for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), faced a barrage of questions from lawmakers at his first confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Driving the news: Kennedy seemed to struggle when Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) pushed him on what reforms he would propose for Medicaid, a program that provides coverage to some 72 million Americans.

The Justice Department (DOJ) on Wednesday moved to dismiss former special counsel Jack Smith's case against Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, President Trump's former co-defendants in his classified documents case.

Why it matters: It's the latest sign that the Justice Department is moving swiftly to wipe any proceedings in connection with the criminal cases that had involved Trump.

Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, announced a plan to expand into financial services — including customized investment vehicles geared toward conservatives.

Why it matters: Shares in TMTG, which is majority owned by President Trump, jumped more than 11% Wednesday on the news.

Government employees who accept the president's offer to resign and get paid through the end of September are not expected to keep working, a senior White House official confirmed to Axios Wednesday morning.

Why it matters: Federal workers have been confused since the offer went out Tuesday afternoon.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines Wednesday to recommend Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi's confirmation.

Why it matters: President Trump is now a step closer to installing a loyalist in the nation's highest law enforcement role, empowering a MAGA overhaul of the Justice Department that could include investigating his political enemies.

In his first nine days in office, President Trump unleashed a flurry of executive orders unlike anything in modern presidential history, according to an analysis by Axios' Erin Davis.

Why it matters: Trump's reshaping the federal government with a shock-and-awe campaign of unilateral actions that push the limits of presidential power.

Vivek Ramaswamy, who is expected to announce for Ohio governor in mid-February, is over 50% among Republican primary voters and leads his nearest competitor by 34 points, according to a poll by a pro-Ramaswamy outside group.

Why it matters: After leaving as co-leader of President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, the biotech entrepreneur and 2024 presidential primary candidate is plunging into the politics of his native state.

Before turning to questions during her first briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she's opening two chairs down front in the storied James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to "independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers and content creators."

Why it matters: It's a callback to President Trump's successful campaign emphasis on unconventional outlets. And it modernizes a format that's been little-changed in 30 years — since Mike McCurry, press secretary to President Bill Clinton, started allowing his briefings to be televised.

What do defense contractors, tech companies, investors and LinkedIn try-hards all have in common? They know President Trump is going to shock the Pentagon, and they are trying to get their foot in the door.

Why it matters: There's a post-inauguration wave to ride. It's now American maximalism — build, baby, build! — and the returning commander in chief is the spark plug.

A Trump administration freeze on grants and other federal funding paralyzed state Medicaid agencies and some health providers for most of Tuesday until a federal judge in D.C. issued a temporary injunction.

Why it matters: With hundreds of billions of dollars at stake, health care providers and officials are still sorting through conflicting memos as significant portions of their federal assistance sit in limbo.

In a nationwide first, schools across New York are closed on Wednesday in observance of the Lunar New Year.

Why it matters: More local and state jurisdictions in recent years have officially recognized the holiday celebrated by many Asian cultures.

The success of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s first confirmation hearing Wednesday "kind of depends on which Bobby Kennedy shows up," as one Trump administration source working on his nomination put it.

Why it matters: Whether Kennedy becomes the next Health and Human Services secretary likely hinges on his ability to convince a handful of Republican senators that he's not the version of himself that was on public display only a few months ago — or at least that he can hold those instincts back once confirmed.

Some Native American tribes say tribal members are being harassed by federal immigration agents, while others fear they could be wrongly caught up in immigration raids.

Why it matters: The angst among some Indigenous tribes reflects the confusion and fear even among legal citizens during the Trump administration's immigration raids.

President Trump ordered a temporary pause on federal grant, loan and financial assistance programs this week — but lawmakers and legal experts say the move is illegal, as he needs Congress' approval to suspend funding.

The big picture: The freeze that a federal judge on Tuesday temporarily halted could face trouble in Congress, where Democrats have indicated a lawsuit is forthcoming.

Two of the nation's hottest political battlegrounds could be completely reshaped in 2026 — and provide crucial tests of the staying power of Trump 2.0.

Why it matters: Sen. Gary Peters' (D-Mich.) bombshell announcement Tuesday that he's retiring means that Michigan, along with Georgia, is poised to have a competitive Senate race next year — in addition to both states having high-profile battles for governor.

A potential constitutional crisis erupted Tuesday over the Trump administration's surprise federal funding freeze, jolting Democrats into action after months of strategic paralysis.

Why it matters: For the first time since President Trump won the election, the so-called Resistance is showing signs of life.

The tech industry has pushed hard to partner with the federal government on everything from AI research to semiconductor manufacturing, but President Trump's move to "temporarily" pause all federal grant funding threatens to slow or derail that work.

Why it matters: While many big tech companies are flush with cash, the industry relies on the government for a range of research funding, institutional coordination and other support.

As President Trump pushes for Greenland to join the U.S., a new poll finds 85% of the semi-autonomous Danish territory's residents oppose the move.

Why it matters: Trump has stepped up his push for Greenland since he won November's election despite the territory's leader and Denmark's prime minister saying it's not for sale and told reporters Saturday he thinks the U.S. is "going to have" the Arctic island, claiming its 57,000 residents "want to be with us."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is revoking Gen. Mark Milley's personal security detail and clearance — and the former Joint Chiefs of Staff chair faces a review that could result in a rank demotion, the Pentagon announced Tuesday night.

Why it matters: President Trump has since being sworn in last week moved to target those he regards as "the enemies from within" — among them Milley, for whom President Biden issued a preemptive pardon before leaving office, per Axios' Zachary Basu.

The White House issued a memo Tuesday offering to pay federal workers who don't want to return to the office through Sept. 30, as long as they resign by Feb. 6.

Why it matters: The action, first reported by Axios, marks an acceleration in President Trump's already unprecedented purge of the federal workforce.

Republicans are jockeying over how to deal with a government shutdown deadline that's coming fast — and everything else President Trump wants them to get done.

Why it matters: Congress has a huge to-do list. And leaders are largely still arguing about logistics.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is convinced his best path to avoiding a midterm rout runs through Texas' Rio Grande Valley and California's Central Valley.

Why it matters: That means pumping real resources into a handful of predominantly Hispanic districts.

President Trump's freezing of federal aid and grants and his mass firing of inspector generals has quickly shocked congressional Democrats into a coordinated resistance movement.

Why it matters: One week after the 2025 inauguration, it feels more like the winter of 2017.

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily halted President Trump's effort to temporarily pause federal grant, loan and financial assistance programs.

The big picture: U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked Trump's order minutes before it was to take effect, with an administrative stay that expires Monday.

President Trump is carrying out his pledge to give the U.S. a MAGA makeover by signing a slew of executive actions in his first week that walk back Biden-era policies and fulfill his campaign promises.

The big picture: Trump's radical expansion of executive power will dramatically change life for millions of people if the orders withstand the barrage of legal challenges that are already coming.