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National

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a key national security official who testified during the House impeachment inquiry, has been "escorted" from the White House, according to a statement from his lawyer.

Why it matters: Vindman testified before the House Intelligence Committee that President Trump's July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — which he listened in on — was "improper."

Trump told the White House press corps early Friday that he was "not happy with" Vindman.

What they're saying: "LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth," his attorney David Pressman said in the statement. "The truth has cost LTC Alexander Vindman his job, his career, and his privacy." Pressman said his client "was asked to leave for telling the truth," and that Trump "decided to exact revenge." 

"He did what any member of our military is charged with doing every day: he followed orders, he obeyed his oath, and he served his country, even when doing so was fraught with danger and personal peril. And for that, the most powerful man in the world - buoyed by the silent, the pliable, and the complicit - has decided to exact revenge."

Alexander Vindman's lawyer, David Pressman

Vindman's twin brother, “Lieutenant Colonel Yevgeny Vindman, a senior lawyer and ethics official at the National Security Council, and a decorated Iraq war veteran, was escorted off of the grounds of the White House, suddenly and with no explanation, despite over two decades of loyal service to this country," Pressman added. "He is deeply disappointed that he will not be able to continue his service at the White House.”

"We do not comment on personnel matters," NSC spokesperson John Ullyot told Axios.

Go Deeper: Trump retweets congressman calling for Alexander Vindman's firing

Alexander Vindman "escorted" from White House, lawyer says

Vindman's lawyer said Trump "decided to exact revenge" on his client.

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. Photo: Barcroft Media / Contributor

Politics

Alexander Vindman

Donald Trump

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

The Trump administration is using private data to monitor immigration and the border, thanks to a massive database of cellphone records it purchased from private vendors.

Why it matters: Experts are concerned about the scale and use of the data, even if it appears to be on firm legal footing, the Wall Street Journal reports.

"This is a classic situation where creeping commercial surveillance in the private sector is now bleeding directly over into government," said Alan Butler, general counsel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, to the Journal.

Between the lines: The government is quickly putting this data to use alongside its own increased collection.

ICE "has used the data to help identify immigrants who were later arrested."

The border patrol "uses the information to look for cellphone activity in unusual places, such as remote stretches of desert that straddle the Mexican border."

The government is collecting some migrants’ DNA at the border and fingerprinting teenagers.

“These are the kinds of tools that will help ICE become more surgical over time, I just don’t trust that under this administration it will be used appropriately,” former acting ICE director John Sandweg told Axios' Stef Kight.

The big picture: In the U.S., the government seems to be leaning ever more into its ability to weaponize big data, reports Axios tech editor Kyle Daly.

This is part of an ongoing trend where the U.S. government simultaneously tries to rein in how major tech companies use personal data while government agencies seek to harness those troves of data, per Axios' Sara Fischer and Scott Rosenberg.

China and other authoritarian countries already use vast troves of data on their own citizens to stifle dissent and political opposition.

The bottom line: This adds to concerns about the tech industry's model of amassing hoards of data and assuring people it is fine because it gets anonymized.

Go deeper: Government wants access to personal data while it pushes privacy

Cellphone tracking everywhere

Experts worry about the scale and use of the data, even if it seems to be on firm legal footing.

Technology

Cell phones

Immigration

Privacy

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Argentina's Esperanza Base on Antarctica's Trinity Peninsula reached 65°F (18.3°C) on Thursday, notching the continent's warmest temperature in recorded history, per the World Meteorological Organization.

Why it matters: Antarctica is one of the globe's fastest-warming regions with temperatures rising 5°F (2.8°C) in the past 50 years, spurring the retreat of 87% of the glaciers along the Antarctic peninsula's west coast, the Washington Post reports.

The continent's last record-breaking temperature of 63.5°F (17.5°C) was recorded in the same location — near the peninsula's northernmost tip — on March 24, 2015.

Worth noting: The WMO referred to the temperature reading as "a likely record" as it still has to be officially reviewed and certified. 

Go deeper: Climate models suddenly predict much faster warming, stumping scientists

Antarctica hits its warmest temperature in recorded history

The continent is one of the globe's fastest-warming regions.

The sun shines over China's Kunlun Station in Antarctica in 2019. Photo: Liu Shiping/Xinhua via Getty Images

Science

Antarctica

Climate change

Breaking climate science and policy coverage as extreme weather events reshape communities. Keep tabs on the race to a low carbon economy, which may be bumpy as governments, climate tech startups and major oil and gas companies race to find their niche amid the changing energy landscape.

Energy & Climate

Vice President Mike Pence told CNBC Friday that "we'll see" if the U.K.'s decision to allow Chinese telecom firm Huawei to build part of its 5G network will impact forthcoming trade talks between the U.S. and U.K.

Why it matters: Striking a trade deal with the U.S. is one of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's top priorities post-Brexit.

The U.S. has repeatedly expressed concern over Huawei's technology, arguing that it poses a national security risk since the telecommunication equipment could be used by the Chinese government for espionage.

What he's saying: Pence said the U.S. is "profoundly disappointed" about the decision because he told Johnson in September that "the moment the U.K. was out of Brexit we were willing to begin to negotiate free trade arrangement with the U.K."

"But we just don’t believe that utilizing the assets and technologies of Huawei is consistent with the security or privacy interests of the U.K., of the U.S., and it remains a real issue between our two countries," he added.

The big picture, via Axios' Jonathan Swan: The Huawei debate has become one of the most urgent foreign policy priorities of the Trump administration and one of the more serious tests of the U.S.-U.K. relationship in recent times.

It could ultimately lead to the U.S. government curtailing the intelligence it shares with its closest ally, U.S. officials told Axios.

U.K. allows Huawei to build part of 5G network

Huawei threatens America's closest relationship

Pence: "We'll see" if U.K.'s Huawei decision threatens trade deal

That deal is one of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's top priorities post-Brexit.

World

Huawei

Business

Brexit

China

Top stories & latest news on the Federal Reserve, real-time data, plus the biggest shifts happening in the U.S. and global economy.

Economy

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Conflicts, policies and powers are intersecting and shaping the world. Breaking news and analysis of national security, foreign policy and global crises.

Pro Rata

Axios Pro Rata

Activist investor Elliott Management has acquired around a $2.5 billion stake in SoftBank Group, saying the market "significantly undervalues" the Japanese group's assets.

The state of play: So far the relationship appears to be friendly, but Elliott isn't shy about getting into the mud if that's where it feels the most profit lies.

Singer vs. Son would be the investment world's version of Ali-Frazier.

Why it matters: Sources say that Elliott wants SoftBank to buy back around $20 billion worth of its stock, believing it trades at around a 60% discount to net asset value.

This puts pressure on SoftBank to partially liquidate its larger holdings, such as its 25% stake in Alibaba Group. 

It also could slow Vision Fund 2 investments until SoftBank holds at least a first close on third-party commitments (or has enough Vision Fund 1 proceeds to recycle). In short, Elliott would prefer SoftBank spend its balance sheet cash on stock buybacks, not on private company investments.

What Elliott is saying: "Elliott has engaged privately with SoftBank’s leadership and is working constructively on solutions to help SoftBank materially and sustainably reduce its discount to intrinsic value."

What SoftBank is saying: "SoftBank always maintains constructive discussions with shareholders regarding their views on the Company and we are in complete agreement that our shares are deeply undervalued by public investors. SoftBank welcomes feedback from fellow shareholders."

This is the largest investment Elliott has ever made in a Japanese company.

Elliott bought at a particularly tricky moment for SoftBank. Not only because of questions surrounding Vision Fund 2, but also because its planned Sprint sale rests in the hands of a U.S. court.

SoftBank's market cap rose from around $89 billion to $95 billion on the news.

The big question is how an activist hedge fund, which thinks in months and years, deals with a company that claims to think in centuries.

Activist investor Elliott Management knocks on SoftBank's gates

It acquired a stake valued around $2.5 billion the Japanese company's holdings.

Photo Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: David A. Grogan/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Softbank Group

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The U.S. economy added 225,000 jobs in January, the government said on Friday, far above economists’ expectations of 161,000. The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.6% — just above last month's 50-year low of 3.5%

The big picture: The result showcased the continued resiliency of the labor market, and the strong numbers are sure to be seized on by President Trump as he plots his course to re-election following his acquittal in the Senate's impeachment trial.

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals

Worth noting: The report did include a significant revision, subtracting 514,000 jobs from the yearlong period ending March 2019. 

While that's not far off from the government's initial estimate, released in August, of a downward revision of 501,000 jobs, it could indicate that 2019 may not have been as strong of a year for the labor market as previously thought.

The state of play: The big gains this month could largely be the result of warmer weather this winter, Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi told Axios' Dion Rabouin, as job gains in this month's survey of the private sector by ADP were led by the leisure and hospitality industries.

CNBC notes that January 2020 was the fifth-warmest month on record.

U.S. economy adds 225,000 jobs in January

The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.6%.

Photo: Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Jobs report

Jobs

Generate

Axios Generate

It's hard to get one's head around all the ways that coronavirus is affecting oil markets, energy-related industries and even carbon emissions.

Why it matters: The tragic outbreak underscores that when it comes to energy, China is the straw the stirs the drink as the world's largest oil-and-gas importer, largest auto market and largest carbon emitter.

The big picture: Here are a few ways that coronavirus, which is centered in China but has now spread to over two dozen countries, is shaking things up...

When it comes to oil, it has pushed prices down to their lowest level in a year, stemming largely from reduced travel and economic activity in China.

The coronavirus is infecting everything in the energy sector

Oil markets, energy-related industries and even carbon emissions are all impacted.

Axios

Friday's top stories

Alexander Vindman "escorted" from White House, lawyer says

Cellphone tracking everywhere

Antarctica hits its warmest temperature in recorded history

Pence: "We'll see" if U.K.'s Huawei decision threatens trade deal

Activist investor Elliott Management knocks on SoftBank's gates

U.S. economy adds 225,000 jobs in January

The coronavirus is infecting everything in the energy sector

XFL 2.0 prepares for kickoff

Team Trump's 5G misfires

Exclusive: Netflix reveals its 9 government takedown requests

Trump's post-virus, pre-election boom

Apple makes its debate debut

Decision on Anthem-Cigna lawsuit is imminent