Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) kicked off his new year of leadership by keeping the Senate working for 10 weeks in a row, with votes on four Fridays. That's a modern rarity.
Why it matters: The Senate is finally on recess after the longest stretch of weeks in session in more than 15 years. Senators, staff and reporters were ready for the break.
The United States Postal Service is asking DOGE for help in cutting costs and reforming the agency, according to a letter Postmaster General Louis DeJoy sent to Congress Monday.
Why it matters: DeJoy said he plans to cut 10,000 workers and billions of dollars from the budget.
An internal memo from the Social Security Administration proposes changes to its phone service that could derail the benefits application process for many Americans.
Why it matters: The Trump administration has repeatedly said it doesn't plan changes to Social Security, other than to address fraud and waste — but these proposals risk "crippling" a system already plagued by delays, and facing staffing cuts, former agency officials tell Axios.
President Trump announced Monday that he was nominating Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford to be the next administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Trump administration denied allegations that U.S. immigration enforcement "willfully disobeyed" an order halting the deportation of a Rhode Island doctor, according to a federal judge's Monday order.
The big picture: Dr. Rasha Alawieh, who according to court documents is a citizen of Lebanon who holds an H-1B visa, was detained last week upon her arrival at a Boston airport.
The Justice Department and FBI on Monday launched a task force to investigate Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, as well as civil rights violations and antisemitism by anyone who supported the group.
The big picture: The task force will focus on charging and prosecuting perpetrators in the attack, taking over charges brought during the Biden administration against Hamas leadership.
Articles about the renowned Native American Code Talkers have disappeared from some military websites, with several broken URLs now labeled "DEI."
Why it matters: From 1942 to 1945, the Navajo Code Talkers were instrumental in every major Marine Corps operation in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
President Trump's border czar Tom Homan on Monday doubled down on the decision to defy a court order that barred the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members.
Why it matters: The White House's decision to disregard a federal judge's order has set up a legal battle that could make its way to the Supreme Court and define the limits of Trump's deportation powers.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is losing a longtime senior staffer, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Schumer's legislative director Meghan Taira has been with the Democratic leader for nearly two decades, marking a major departure from his Capitol operation.
Why it matters: Other presidents have used an autopen to grant pardons, and experts have expressed doubt that courts would allow a president to revoke clemency granted by their predecessors.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) book tour announced Monday it will postpone multiple events, citing security concerns, after he helped prevent a government shutdown last week.
President Trump's trade war would put a brake on global economic growth and stoke inflation, according to new forecasts by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Why it matters: The OECD sees a stagflationary economic scenario for the U.S. and its North American allies, with significant GDP downgrades across the continent and new price pressures as a result of tariffs and policy uncertainty.
President Trump claimed Monday that former President Biden's preemptive pardons to members of the House Jan. 6 select committee and others are "VOID" and "VACANT" because they were "done by Autopen."
Why it matters: Experts cast doubt on Trump's rationale, and said it was unlikely that a court would allow a president to revoke or nullify his predecessor's pardons.
Teachers across the country are growing increasingly worried about childhood hunger, with three-quarters reporting students come to school hungry, a nationally representative survey of U.S. teachers found.
The big picture: Proposed cutsto the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal food assistance program serving more than 41 million Americans, could exacerbate an already dire issue, experts say.
Prominent supporters of President Trump — led by podcaster Ben Shapiro — are fueling a major push to pardon Derek Chauvin, the white former Minnesota police officer convicted of killing George Floyd in 2020.
Video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes while Floyd said he "can't breathe" went viral in 2020 and sparked Black Lives Matter protests against police misconduct and systemic racism across the country.
The Trump administration's moves to deport Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil have set up a historic court battle over whether the U.S. government can remove legal residents as national security risks for what they say.
Why it matters: If Trump's team is successful, legal analysts say, future administrations could deport legal immigrants for any political or religious speech the administration dislikes.
President Trump said he plans to speak with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as part of the U.S. leader's push to reach a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Why it matters: While Ukraine agreed to Trump's ceasefire proposal, Putin refused to accept it unconditionally.
