Axios

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that she will propose constitutional reforms to crack down on foreigners involved in gun smuggling in the country.

Why it matters: The move came after the U.S. State Department formally announced it has designated eight drug cartels — including six in Mexico — as global terrorist organizations that pose a threat to national security.

The Trump administration has given Ukraine an "improved" draft for a minerals agreement between the countries after President Volodymyr Zelensky infuriated President Trump by rejecting his initial offer, a Ukrainian official, a U.S. official and three sources with knowledge tell Axios.

Why it matters: The disagreement over minerals helped spark a wider crisis in relations this week, with Trump denouncing Zelensky as a "dictator" who chose war with Russia, and Zelensky accusing Trump of swallowing Russian "disinformation."

War-torn Ukraine sits on significant reserves of rare earth minerals critical to the world's most cutting-edge technologies.

Why it matters: The U.S. wants them — or else. Talks are ongoing after the Trump administration made a revised proposal for a minerals deal, Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo scooped.

President Trump has signed more than 75 executive orders, memos and proclamations during his first few weeks in office at a pace that surpasses his most recent predecessors'.

The big picture: The executive actions reflect much of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail: reducing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; cracking down on immigration; and formalizing "America First" foreign policy.

German voters will head to the polls this weekend to elect new leadership, marking a decisive election that will help shape how Europe responds to the new Trump administration.

Why it matters: As Europe's biggest economy and the largest member of the European Union, Germany is one of the block's most influential states. The country is also the second-largest supplier of aid to Ukraine, behind the U.S.

President Trump was not the first U.S. president or major Western leader to rail against a "dictator" for launching the war in Ukraine — but he was the first to mean Volodymyr Zelensky, not Vladimir Putin.

The big picture: It's hard to overstate how quickly and wildly Trump's foreign policy deviated from former President Biden's — and often from his own campaign pitch of America First restraint.

President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from receiving federal benefits.

The big picture: The order that's part of the Trump administration's wider immigration crackdown directs federal departments and agencies to "identify all federally funded programs" that provide financial benefits to undocumented immigrants and take "corrective action," and to "enhance eligibility verification systems."

The Trump administration on Wednesday designated eight drug cartels — including MS-13 and the Sinaloa Cartel — as global terrorist organizations.

The big picture: The move comes after President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office vowing to crack down on cartels for a "campaign of violence and terror."

President Trump escalated his attacks against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday by calling him "a dictator without elections."

Why it matters: The smear marks a new low in the deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relationship. It comes as the Trump administration is negotiating a deal with the Kremlin to end Russia's war in Ukraine without Kyiv's participation in the talks.

Zoo Atlanta officials say they've started talks with China to bring back giant pandas to the city.

Driving the news: Zoo officials announced Wednesday that they were "engaging in dialogue" with China and would begin preliminary design work on a giant panda complex to prepare for the big ole goofy creatures' future — but yet to be determined — return.

President Trump's media group on Wednesday sued a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, alleging that he censored right-wing voices on social media platforms.

Why it matters: The lawsuit came just hours after charges against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, were sent to Brazil's highest court.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired back at President Trump on Wednesday and claimed he "lives in a disinformation space" created by the Kremlin.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's abrupt shift in U.S. policy toward Russia coupled with his verbal attack on his Ukrainian counterpart have increased the tension between Washington and Kyiv to its highest point in years.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was charged Tuesday over an alleged coup plot to overturn his 2022 election loss and accused of being involved in plans to kill his rival, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The big picture: Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet's office made the allegations in announcing the charges against 34 people — including the 69-year-old populist leader, who's denied any wrongdoing in the case and accused investigators of political persecution.