President Trump is expected to give his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff responsibility over Iran diplomacy, according to two U.S. officials and two other sources with knowledge of the issue.
Why it matters: Trump's intention to give the Iran file to Witkoff, the close confidant he tasked with pushing for a historic peace deal in the Middle East, signals that the president wants to try and get a new nuclear deal with Iran before considering other options, like military strikes.
DAVOS, Switzerland — President Trump told the World Economic Forum that he wants to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon in order to discuss a possible peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
Why it matters: Ending the war is one of Trump's primary foreign policy objectives. He said recently that he'd like to secure a deal in the next six months, after previously promising a deal on "day one."
President Trump said in a virtual address at the World Economic Forum on Thursday that he will mandate the Federal Reserve lower interest rates imminently, a threat that undermines the Federal Reserve's political independence.
Why it matters: In his first major speech since the inauguration, Trump re-upped pressure on the central bank — a frequent feature of his first term, though it had previously been rare for presidents to comment on Fed policy.
U.S. private security contractors will start in the coming days to operate a key Gaza checkpoint and deploy armed guards to the enclave, according to two Israeli officials and a source with direct knowledge.
Why it matters: It will be the first time in decades that U.S. private security companies will operate in Gaza.
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.
