The Defense Department announced Wednesday it's sending an additional 1,500 troops to the southern border to carry out President Trump's immigration orders.
The big picture: Soon after being sworn in, Trump signed executive orders declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and calling for more barriers as part of an crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
President Trump threatened on Wednesday to levy fresh tariffs on Russia if the Kremlin does not quickly agree to a deal to end its war in Ukraine.
Why it matters: Trump made ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine a key campaign pledge, but its not clear that his new threat will put significant pressure on Russia to change its negotiating posture.
A deal will get done to ensure that TikTok remains available in the U.S., General Atlantic CEO Bill Ford told Axios during an event on Wednesday in Davos, Switzerland.
Why it matters: General Atlantic is a major investor in TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Ford is on ByteDance's board of directors.
Not enough people — venture capitalists included — are paying attention to biological threats and their countermeasures, Paul Kwan, a managing director at General Catalyst, told Axios in an interview.
Why he matters: Kwan leads the investment firm's global resilience team focused on defense, energy and industry.
Companies he's worked with include software-and-drone maker Helsing and information warfare specialist Vannevar Labs.
President Trump's decision to start withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization puts global health programs in a serious financial squeeze just as disease threats are multiplying.
Why it matters: Trump's reluctance to pay the freight for the global health partnership could come back to bite him if surveillance efforts break down and a regional outbreak turns into another pandemic.
President Trump on Tuesday said he's considering a 10% tariff on China, despite a recent softening tone with the country.
The big picture: The newly inaugurated president, who held off on imposing his promised massive tariffs on Mexico and Canada on his first day in office, recently signaled he wouldn't immediately raise tariffs on Chinese products as some expected.
Pope Francis offered President Trump his congratulations on returning to the White House, but called his plan to deport millions of immigrants from the U.S. a "disgrace."
Why it matters: American Catholics strongly supported Trump in the 2024 election. Trump will need their support for any mass deportation plans, but crucial parts are being opposed by Catholic leaders.
President Trump has signed an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship in the U.S. — a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and affirmed by the Supreme Court more than 125 years ago.
Why it matters: Trump is acting on a once-fringe belief that U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants have no right to U.S. citizenship and are part of a conspiracy (rooted in racism) to replace white Americans.
Hours after being sworn in as president for a second time, President Trump signed executive orders declaring a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border and calling for more barriers as part of an aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
Why it matters: Some of Trump's most audacious plans — which include deporting millions of immigrants and ending birthright citizenship — won't happen immediately since they are certain to draw legal challenges.
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