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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked Trump’s bid to pause federal funding programs until early next week in response to a lawsuit alleging the move violates the First Amendment. Chris Megerian and Linsday Whitehurst report for AP News.
Two dozen Democratic Attorneys General yesterday filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the Trump administration from cutting off federal funding, arguing the attempt to block Congress-allocated funding exceeded Trump’s legal powers. Michael D. Shear reports for the New York Times.
The Trump administration yesterday offered roughly 2 million federal workers an opportunity to resign now in exchange for an 8-month severance package. Garrett Haake and Amanda Terkel report for NBC News.
President Trump yesterday dismissed the chair of the National Labor Relations Board, Gwynne Wilcox (D), two of the three Democrats on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as both organizations’ general counsel, the White House said. Wilcox said her removal “violates long-standing Supreme Court precedent” and that she intends to challenge it in court. Julian Mark, Lauren Kaori Gurley, and Lisa Rein report for the Washington Post.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday revoked the security detail and security clearance of Gen. Mark Milley, a former top U.S. general, a Pentagon spokesperson said. Hegseth also directed an investigation into Milley’s rank, without specifying the grounds for such a move. Oren Liebermann reports for CNN.
The Trump administration may pull funding from the Transportation Security Administration, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Coast Guard to help address Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) budget shortfalls. Julia Ainsley reports for NBC News.
The Pentagon is allowing ICE to use a military base in Colorado to detain undocumented migrants, U.S. Northern Command confirmed yesterday. Eric Schmitt reports for the New York Times.
Acting EPA Administrator James Payne dismissed all members of two of the agency’s most influential science advisory panels. Sean Reilly reports for POLITICO.
Trump yesterday signed an executive order directing various federal agencies to end gender-affirming medical treatments for children and teenagers under 19. Zach Montague reports for the New York Times.
U.S FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday approved a new waiver exempting “core lifesaving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance” from the U.S. aid freeze, according to a memo seen by the Washington Post. Karen DeYoung, John Hudson, Missy Ryan, and Alex Horton report.
The U.S. military this week transferred around 90 Patriot air defense interceptors from storage in Israel to Poland with a view to deliver them to Ukraine, following months of back-and-forth between Israel and Kyiv, sources say. Barak Rabid reports for Axios.
None of the 200 Colombians deported by the Trump administration yesterday were criminals, Colombian officials said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt yesterday said the Trump administration considers “all” undocumented migrants to be criminals subject to deportation. Samantha Schmidt and Maria Sacchetti report for the Washington Post.
The Trump administration yesterday revoked an extension of deportation protections for more than 600,000 Venezuelans granted by former President Biden, according to a copy of the decision obtained by the New York Times. Hamed Aleaziz reports.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a call with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the State Department said. Kanishka Singh reports for Reuters.
The United States will withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Jan. 27, 2026, the U.N. said yesterday, after receiving a formal notice of Trump’s decision to leave the treaty. Reuters reports.
SENATE AND CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS
Senate Democrats yesterday blocked legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court in a 45-54 vote. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said the move reflected the Democrats’ anger over Trump’s federal aid freeze attempt. Al Weaver and Laura Kelly report for the Hill.
The Senate yesterday voted 77-22 to confirm former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) as Transport Secretary. Mark Walker and Carl Hulse report for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Israel’s ban on the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) will be “disastrous,” the agency’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told the U.N. Security Council yesterday. Acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea said the United States supports Israel’s “sovereign right” to close UNRWA’s offices, calling Lazzarini’s remarks “irresponsible and dangerous.” Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times; Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Trump next week, Netanyahu’s office said. Barbara Tasch reports for BBC News.
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, yesterday met with a senior adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of Witkoff’s planned Gaza trip today, sources said. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Susannah George reports for the Washington Post.
Hamas should never govern Gaza again, Secretary Rubio told his Egyptian counterpart in a phone call yesterday, the State Department said. Kanishka Singh and Jasper Ward report for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Jordan yesterday launched an air bridge to bring urgent medical supplies to Gaza under a U.S.-sponsored deal, Jordanian officials said. Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Jehad Shalbak report for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CEASEFIRE
Israeli airstrikes injured 24 people in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh city yesterday, the Lebanese health ministry said. The Israeli military claimed it had targeted Hezbollah vehicles transporting weapons. Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he raised the incident with the ceasefire monitoring committee. Reuters reports.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Florida’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, and state Senator Randy Fine yesterday won special Florida primaries to become the likely successors to former Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz. Patrick Svitek reports for the Washington Post.
A Massachusetts man arrested while carrying makeshift explosives and knives near the Capitol building on Monday was planning to kill a number of top Republican officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, federal court records show. Hank Sanders reports for the New York Times.
A group of soldiers yesterday brought a lawsuit seeking to block Trump’s attempt to ban transgender troops from service. Devan Cole reports for CNN.
A Jan. 6 attacker pardoned by Trump is being sought on preexisting charges of soliciting a minor online, the district attorney in Harris County, Texas, said yesterday. Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times.
SYRIA – REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Russia’s deputy foreign minister and a special envoy to Syria arrived in Damascus yesterday, the first Russian officials to visit the country since the Assad regime’s fall, the Russian state news agency TASS reported. Paul Sonne reports for the New York Times.
Israeli troops will remain on Syria’s Mount Hernon summit indefinitely, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said yesterday. Israeli officials had previously said the move was limited and temporary. Reuters reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
An Australian captive feared dead while held in Russia is still alive, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said today, citing information received from Russia. Ayeshea Perera reports for BBC News.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni yesterday said she and other top government officials are under investigation by the Rome prosecutor’s office over Italy’s release of a Libyan warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court. Anthony Faiola and Stefano Pitrelli report for the Washington Post.
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured large parts of the eastern Congo’s capital city Goma amid an “extremely worrying” humanitarian situation, the U.N. said. Chinedu Asadu and Justin Kabumba report for AP News; Emma Farge reports for Reuters.
Protesters attacked several foreign embassies and a U.N. building in the DRC’s capital Kinshasa, amid rising anger over the perceived failure of Congo’s allies to stop the M23 assault on Goma. Elian Peltier reports for the New York Times.
Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank overnight, the Palestinian health ministry said. AP News reports.
A senior NATO official yesterday for the first time confirmed reports of Russian schemes to assassinate defense industry executives across Europe. Csongor Körömi reports for POLITICO.