Axios

The number of deadly police encounters jumped last year to its highest level since 2013, according to newly released data.

Why this matters: The rise comes as the momentum for police reform has died five years after the 2020 murder of George Floyd and as President Trump ends initiatives aimed at reducing police misconduct.

A Trump administration freeze on foreign aid has left nonprofits and volunteers scrambling to fill gaps in funding that have forced layoffs, suspended services and closed doors.

The big picture: But with the future of U.S. foreign assistance uncertain following confusion-inducing stop-work orders, organizers warn that it will likely be impossible to sustain critical services with philanthropic efforts.

President Trump told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the White House on Friday to sign a minerals deal.

• Two sources close to the Ukrainian government told Axios the deal was agreed on Tuesday after two weeks of tense negotiations.

Why it matters: The deal is designed to allow the U.S. to tap some of Ukraine's immense mineral wealth and to spur post-war development in the country. But the meeting will bring together two leaders who were publicly feuding just last week, with Trump calling Zelensky a "dictator" and Zelensky claiming Trump was swallowing Russian disinformation.

Nippon Steel of Japan on Tuesday said that it will discuss its planned purchase of U.S. Steel with the Trump administration, as it continues to challenge former President Biden's block of the deal in court.

Zoom in: Nippon agreed to buy U.S. Steel for $55 per share in late 2023, and says that agreement would be the starting point in any negotiations.

Over 230,000 Canadians have signed a petition urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to revoke Elon Musk's citizenship.

The big picture: Tensions between the U.S. and its northern neighbors have peaked under the Trump administration, with the president and others — including his billionaire budget buster — mocking the U.S. ally and questioning its sovereignty.

The Christian Democratic Union Party's win in Germany ensures that Europe's biggest economy is likely to continue to lead on climate change — though with a different framing and focus.

Why it matters: Germany has taken aggressive action to lower emissions and push so-called "green" policies within the European Union and internationally.

The Kremlin emphasized Tuesday that Russia had not dropped its opposition to peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, contradicting a claim that President Trump made a day earlier.

Why it matters: Trump is pushing to reach a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the three-year war. Peacekeeping forces are seen as a key component for any peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine.

Facilities in Mississippi and Texas are holding the most detainees among the tens of thousands who've been rounded up across the nation during the ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration, according to newly released federal data.

The big picture: The data shed light on the housing arrangements federal officials have made for detainees at a time when the U.S. government's immigration centers are at near capacity — and the Trump White House is pushing for dramatically more arrests.

Mars once featured sun-soaked, sandy beaches with gentle, lapping waves from an ancient ocean, a new study suggests.

Why it matters: The research marks the "clearest evidence yet" that the Red Planet once contained a major body of water and a more livable environment for life, per a statement from study co-author Benjamin Cardenas, assistant professor of geology at Pennsylvania State University.