A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from putting some 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on administrative leave.
The big picture: The ruling from U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, came hours before the order to place all direct hires on paid leave globally, with some exceptions, was set to take effect at midnight.
Democrats are locking arms against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on government funding, vowing to use the process to try to roll back many of President Trump's efforts to upend the federal government.
Why it matters: Johnson attempted to shift the blame for a potential shutdown onto House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' (D-N.Y.) shoulders Friday morning.
Senate Republicans are running a hurry-up offense ahead of Super Bowl Sunday that's putting House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on his heels.
Why it matters: The House is unlikely to reach an agreement on taxes and spending cuts before Johnson and President Trump meet in a New Orleans skybox on Sunday, aides and lawmakers conceded today.
Some Jan. 6 rioters pardoned or granted clemency by President Trump in a sweeping presidential order must now grapple with separate charges ranging from sexual abuse to domestic violence.
The big picture: Trump granted about 1,500 pardons and 14 sentence commutations to rioters, whom he considered "patriots."
The interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. announced Friday that he's launched an inquiry into individuals Elon Musk claims are blocking the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The big picture: Interim U.S. Attorney Edward Martin, who was a lawyer for Jan. 6 defendants and was appointed to his new post minutes after President Trump was sworn in, has in recent weeks publicly vowed to defend Musk and DOGE.
Elon Musk posted on X Friday that a staffer with his Department of Governmental Efficiency who resigned after racist social media posts were unearthed "will be brought back."
Why it matters: The White House swiftly announced Marko Elez's exit after the Wall Street Journal first reported on the blatantly racist posts, which included "normalize Indian hate" and "I was racist before it was cool." But Vice President Vance and Musk's online army both rallied behind Elez, and Musk has now declared that he'll be reinstated.
For the past week, Americans have been bombarded with reports of Elon Musk and his team of 20-something IT workers allegedly gaining access to sensitive government systems.
Reality check: The speed at which the Department of Government Efficiency is moving is not normal. Many of these actions likely violate federal privacy and security laws.
House Democrats are preparing for fireworks at the first hearing of Congress' new DOGE subcommittee next week, with one Democratic member of the panel saying she expects "full-on combat."
The Trump administration is freezing a $5 billion program to build electric vehicle chargers along major highways — and it isn't done unwinding former President Biden's EV policies.
Likely next up on the chopping block: tax credits that can slice as much as $7,500 off the price of qualifying EVs.
Why it matters: Pulling the plug on funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program takes away an important security blanket for potential EV buyers who worry about where to charge on long road trips.
Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, posted yet another antisemitic tirade on X on Friday, including praises for Hitler and declaring himself a Nazi.
The big picture: His outburst drew swift condemnation from Jewish and civil rights groups. It comes days after a coalition of U.S. and Canadian Jewish groups said they will leave X, the social media formerly known as Twitter, after seeing a rise in toxic speech on the platform.
President Trump hit the International Criminal Court (ICC) with sanctions in an executive order on Thursday that accused the international tribunal of targeting the U.S. and its ally Israel.
The big picture: The action comes days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump during a visit to Washington, D.C.
President Trump signed an executive order that temporarily freezes tariffs on low-cost packages from China.
Why it matters: The order reinstates the long-standing de minimisexception for such packages, which are typically valued below $800. This provides relief for consumers who would face higher costs on retail goods shipped from China.
A group of centrist House Democrats met privately with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and asked him to keep giving them room to vote for GOP messaging bills, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Democrats see an opportunity to win back the House majority in 2026, but the swing-district lawmakers who are key to that effort feel they need to be able to break away from their party at times to secure reelection.
Consumer sentiment fell across all political parties in early February, while expectations of higher inflation soared alongside tariff threats, according to a closely watched gauge from the University of Michigan.
Why it matters: Receding economic optimism, at least if prolonged, risks consumers holding back on the type of spending that has bolstered the economy.
A group of House Democrats tried and failed Friday to gain entry to the Department of Education to meet with the acting secretary.
Why it matters: It is the fourth time this week that Democratic lawmakers have been blocked from entering a federal agency that has been targeted by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump officials are moving fast to halt Biden-era programs on environmental justice — that is, addressing higher pollution burdens that poor people and communities of color often face.
Why it matters: EJ was a priority for Biden's team, which crafted policies like "Justice40" to steer 40% of certain climate and environmental funds to disadvantaged communities.
The carried interest tax loophole is like a movie monster.
Politicians try to kill it every few years, only to get bloodied and then save themselves by letting it slink into the background.
The latest sequel arrived yesterday, with the White House telling House GOP leaders that it wants the loophole closed as part of upcoming tax negotiations.
Why it matters: The speed at which USAID, the U.S. government's lead humanitarian aid arm, has been gutted has stunned U.S. allies and humanitarian groups around the world.
Abroadcoalition of Jewish organizations, including reform and conservative Jewish groups, is denouncing President Trump over moves on democracy, his "scapegoating" of immigrants and transgender people, and says his empowering of Elon Musk "to force ideological conformity" threatens the country's "democratic norms."
Why it matters: The open letter, which was released Friday, is signed by more than 100 groups from many Jewish denominations, perspectives and broad missions. It's the latest criticism of Trump by religious organizations over his immigration and cost-cutting policies.
The job market kicked off 2025 with solid hiring: The economy added 143,000 jobs in January, while the unemployment rate dropped to 4%, the Labor Department said on Friday.
Why it matters: The pace of hiring cooled from the final months of 2024, but the labor market continues to be on solid footing, which has helped the economy defy slowdown fears.
The independent federal agency in charge of enforcing workplace anti-discrimination laws is caught in a bind under President Trump.
Why it matters: The White House crackdown — on transgender people; diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility; and the independence of federal agencies — all comes to a head at the the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
President Trump is taking a sledgehammer to a bedrock of U.S. foreign policy, ripping up decades of "soft power" in favor of a highly personalized, transactional, coercive style of dealmaking.
Why it matters: For Trump, results speak loudest. Less than three weeks into office, his administration already has struck deals of varying substance with Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala and even Venezuela.
Federal Election Commission commissioner and chair Ellen Weintraub said Thursday evening President Trump has moved to fire her, but she indicated she won't be removed from office without a fight.
The big picture: Weintraub shared on X a copy of a letter she said was from "POTUS today purporting to remove" her from her role at the FEC.
The Trump administration is being sued over its move to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with unions representing workers in the lawsuit calling the action "unconstitutional and illegal."
The big picture: The lawsuit that was filed in federal court Thursday seeks to block efforts to place most of USAID's 10,000-strong global workforce on administrative leave by Friday night and restore currently frozen funding and operations.
Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) said Thursday she is leaving the Congressional DOGE Caucus due to Elon Musk's slash-and-burn tactics as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Why it matters: It's the latest sign of rising Democratic frustration with Musk even from the centrist lawmakers who were most eager to work with him.
Democratic centrists find themselves in an increasingly hostile posture toward the Trump administration over the shock and awe tactics of Elon Musk's DOGE team.
Why it matters: These Democrats were singing a very different tune before President Trump's inauguration, expressing a willingness — even an eagerness — to work with the new president.
Two new pro-crypto PACs are launching this weekend, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Both haveties to Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), who is chairing the new Banking subcommittee on cryptocurrencies. It comes as President Trump promises to be "the most pro-crypto president" in history.
House GOP leaders told White House officials Thursday they need another 24 hours on reconciliation, pleading for the Senate to let them figure it out.
Why it matters: After a four-plus-hour meeting in the White House, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) returned to the Capitol and said they were "close" to an agreement.
A federal judge signed an order on Thursday temporarily restricting the Elon Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency's access to sensitive Treasury payment system information.
Why it matters: The order limits Treasury Department employees affiliated with DOGE to just two individuals with "read-only" access to the data. This comes in response to a lawsuit aiming at blocking DOGE's access to sensitive information.
The Senate voted along party lines Thursday to confirm Russ Vought as President Trump's budget chief after Democrats staged an all-night protest session.
Why it matters: As head of the Office of Management and Budget, Vought will have the power to implement many of the key aspects of Trump's agenda. Democrats have sounded the alarm on him as the Trump administration rolls outplans to radically reshape the federal government.
Trump's declaration earlier this week that the U.S. will "take over" the Gaza Strip is landing with a thud with some Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Why it matters: GOP dissent against Trump is exceedingly rare, but some Republicans are reeling at what they see as a particularly outlandish proposal from their party's leader.
A group of Jewish House members voted Thursday to officially launch the Congressional Jewish Caucus after more than a year of internal tension surrounding its formation.
Why it matters: Groups such as the congressional Black, Hispanic and Asian-Pacific Islander caucuses are able to exert considerable power by acting as a bloc.
