Trump signs Laken Riley Act, first law in his second term

President Biden has signed the bipartisan Laken Riley Act into law. At the first bill-signing of his second term, the president paid tribute to 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed by a man in the U-S illegally. The law will require the detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes.

White House rescinds memo freezing federal grants after uncertainty

Trump offers buyouts to fed workers who resign by Feb. 6

The White House is offering buyouts to all federal employees who leave their jobs by the end of next week. In his push to cut the size of the federal workforce, President Trump is dangling seven months of salary and benefits in front of any government worker who resigns by February 6. According to a Trump administration memo, the buyout offer is described as a “dignified, fair departure.” Anyone who participates in the deferred resignation program will retain all pay and benefits until the end of September.

Trump HHS nominee RFK Jr. faces opposition ahead of hearing

There’s a Senate confirmation hearing today [WED] for President Trump’s nominee to be health secretary. The president tapped former Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and he’s sure to face some scrutiny over his record on vaccines and abortion. Former Vice President Mike Pence is urging his fellow Republicans to vote “no” on RFK Jr. and ahead of the hearing, Caroline Kennedy described her cousin as a “predator” who is addicted to power.

New Trump order to curtail child sex-change operations

President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at curtailing sex change operations for young people. In a new directive, the president said “it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.” The executive order applies to people 18 and under. Earlier this week, the president directed the Pentagon to conduct a review that is likely to lead to transgender people being barred from military service.

Judge temporarily blocks Trump freeze on federal grants and loans

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans. The judge blocked the freeze just minutes before it was set to go into effect, pausing the administration’s directive until Monday. A memo from the White House budget office announcing the freeze sparked confusion and panic among organizations that receive federal funding, including Meals on Wheels and other non-profits. Administration officials said Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, student loans, and scholarships would not be affected.

Karoline Leavitt makes debut in White House briefing room

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has held her first press briefing, making her debut in a standing-room-only briefing room. At age 27, she’s the youngest press secretary in history and she’s opening the door to new media, such as podcasters and social influencers. Leavitt vowed to be honest and she challenged the media to hold themselves to the same standard.

White House says New Jersey drone flights were FAA authorized

White House faces questions about federal grants pause

The Trump administration is facing a multitude of questions about the pausing of federal grants and loans. Amid confusion over what federal assistance is affected, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, and welfare benefits will not be impacted. But she could not initially say if Medicaid assistance was being halted. Non-profit groups such as Meals on Wheels say the uncertainty about grant funding is creating “chaos” for local meal providers.

Trump signs order to revise the Pentagon’s transgender policy

President Trump has signed new executive orders focused on the military. One of the orders directs the defense secretary to revise the Pentagon’s policy on transgender troops, likely setting in motion a future ban on their military service. Other orders would roll back diversity programs, create a space-based missile defense system, and reinstate troops who were forced out for refusing COVID-19 vaccines.

Trump administration pauses federal grants, financial aid

The White House is pausing federal grants and loans as the Trump administration begins an across-the-board spending review. President Trump’s budget office announced the funding freeze, saying that all spending must comply with the president’s executive orders. The halt in grants and financial assistance will affect health care research, education programs, and other projects. But an administration memo said Medicare and Social Security benefits will be unaffected.

HHS to investigate any use of taxpayer funds for abortions

The Trump administration says it will investigate any use of taxpayer funds for abortions. The Department of Health and Human Services announced this week that it’s launching an investigation into all programs to ensure no taxpayer money is spent on elective abortions. Republicans have long railed against the millions of dollars that flow every year to Planned Parenthood and its clinics, which offer abortions among other services. Federal law prohibits taxpayer dollars from paying for most abortions.

Trump touts ICE arrests, ramped-up immigration enforcement

President Trump says federal agents are ramping immigration enforcement across the country. Touting his administration’s crackdown on illegal migrants, the president said federal agencies were making arrests in Chicago, Colorado, and elsewhere. He also warned that countries that refuse to receive deported detainees from the U-S will pay a high economic price.

DOJ fires prosecutors who worked on Trump investigations

The Justice Department has fired employees who worked on criminal investigations into President Trump. The firings affected career prosecutors who worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s team. And the action reflects President Trump’s determination to purge the government of workers he perceives as disloyal. The move was made even though rank-and-file prosecutors by tradition remain in their positions across presidential administrations and are not punished for working on sensitive investigations.

Trump says Deepseek’s AI should be a “wake-up call” to U.S.

President Trump says China’s Deepseek AI should be a “wake up call” for American tech companies. The president believes the more powerful, less expensive AI created by the Chinese startup is good news because it doesn’t require as much money. But he also told House Republican lawmakers that the release of Deepseek should be a “wake-up call” for U-S industries. News of DeepSeek sparked a major selloff in tech stocks on Monday.

New Pentagon chief Hegseth promises no more DEI in military

Newly-confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is promising to bring major changes to the military. On his first full day of work at the Pentagon, Hegseth said more executive orders are coming. He said President Trump would be removing DEI from the military and reinstating thousands of troops who were kicked out for refusing COVID vaccines during the pandemic. The new secretary said “our job is lethality and readiness and warfighting and we are going to hold people accountable.”

Fed to decide on interest rates this week amid Trump pressure

Colombia agrees to take deported migrants after Trump tariff showdown

Colombia has agreed to accept deported migrants after a tariff clash with President Trump. When the Colombian government refused to accept military flights carrying detained migrants from the U-S over the weekend, the president retaliated. He announced an immediate 25 percent tariff, a travel ban, and visa restrictions. Colombia’s president resisted at first, but late Sunday night the White House said Colombia had “agreed to all of President Trump’s terms,” including the acceptance of deported migrants arriving on U-S military aircraft.

Trump orders tariffs on Colombia over rejection of U.S. deportation flights

President Trump has announced immediate tariffs and other restrictions against Colombia. Angered by the Colombian government’s refusal to accept military flights carrying detained migrants from the U-S, the president retaliated. He said he’s slapping a 25 percent tariff on all goods imported from Colombia — a tariff that will double to 50 percent after one week. The president also announced a travel ban and visa restrictions for Colombian government officials, their allies, and supporters.

Justice Department to curtail abortion clinic prosecutions

Trump moves quickly to end government DEI programs

In the opening days of his second term, President Trump has moved quickly to get rid of the government’s DEI policy and programs. After the president signed an executive order last week, all government DEI staff were put on paid leave and will eventually be laid off. Meanwhile, federal agencies have canceled staff training and started removing DEI documents from websites. The president’s actions are also impacting the private sector. On Friday, Target said it’s joining rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Security details for former gov’t officials cut by Trump

President Trump has revoked security protection for several former government officials. Even though they’re out of government, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton had security details because of credible and ongoing threats from Iran. And so did infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. But those protections have been cut. The president insists the moves are not retaliatory, but all three of those individuals have fallen out with Trump in recent years.

Trump blames OPEC oil prices for ongoing Ukraine-Russia war

President Trump is heaping blame on OPEC for the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. During a speech to leaders at a global summit, the president said the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries has kept the price of oil too high. Oil sales are the economic engine driving Moscow’s economy. The president said he hopes to meet with Russia’s Vladmir Putin soon “and get that war ended.”

President Trump to talk tips, thank voters in Nevada