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Hegesth confirmed as defense secretary while Trump paid visit to disaster zones. Here’s how Friday unfolded.

Pete Hegseth, President Trump's pick for defense secretary, is seen during his Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 14.Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg

The Senate narrowly voted Friday to confirm President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, despite swirling allegations of excessive drinking and abuse toward his second wife, which he denies. Vice President JD Vance was on hand to cast a tie-breaking vote, unusual in the Senate for Cabinet nominees, who typically win wider support

Earlier in the day, Trump visited wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles on Friday, using the first trip of his presidency to tour areas where politics has clouded the response to deadly disasters. Arriving in Los Angeles, he was greeted by California Governer Gavin Newsom on the tarmac. Earlier, he visited hurricane-battered western North Carolina, where he described FEMA as “a very big disappointment.”

Here’s how Trump’s fifth day in office unfolded.

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Republican who considered voting against Hegseth called Trump after deciding to vote yes — 10:48 p.m.

By the Associated Press

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis says he called Trump after deciding to vote yes to confirm Hegseth as defense secretary.

“He appreciated it, but they also tolerated what has been a very long week,” Tillis said.

He said he’s done “virtually nothing else but focus on this and look at it from every angle. And I am satisfied with my outcome.”

Tillis became the deciding vote on Hegseth’s nomination. He was ultimately confirmed 51-50, with three Republicans voting against him and Vice President JD Vance casting a tiebreaking vote.

Tillis said he’d been in discussions with Hegseth all week after an affidavit from a former sister-in-law was revealed alleging that the onetime Fox News host was abusive to his second wife.

He said he was at “a point where I was going in with a presumption of no” but ultimately changed his mind after asking him difficult questions.

“I was impressed with his poise while I’m going through some very difficult discussions,” Tillis said of Hegseth.


Trump departs Los Angeles — 10:19 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Speaking briefly to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Los Angeles, Trump said he had a “very good talk” with California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Trump and Newsom have never been shy about criticizing one another. But with fires still burning in Southern California, both men set aside their differences when the governor greeted the president as he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport.

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Trump now heads to Las Vegas for the night. He’s scheduled to hold a rally there tomorrow.


Trump praises Hegseth ahead of confirmation — 10:14 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump talked up Hegseth moments before Vance cast the tiebreaking vote to confirm him.

“We have a great secretary of defense and we’re very happy,” Trump said as he boarded Air Force One after surveying fire devastation in California.

He said he didn’t care that McConnell voted against confirming him because the “important thing is winning.”


McConnell blasts Hegseth, says nominee ‘did not reckon’ with reality of job — 10:08 p.m.

By the Associated Press

After voting no for Hegseth, McConnell issued a scathing statement on his decision to go against one of Trump’s nominees.

“Mere desire to be a ‘change agent’ is not enough to fill these shoes. And ‘dust on boots’ fails even to distinguish this nominee from multiple predecessors of the last decade,” the Kentucky Republican said. “Nor is it a precondition for success. Secretaries with distinguished combat experience and time in the trenches have failed at the job.”

McConnell went on to detail the various international crises plaguing the U.S. from the Indo-Pacific to Eastern Europe.

“In public comments and testimony before the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Hegseth did not reckon with this reality,” he added.


Pete Hegseth narrowly confirmed as Trump’s defense secretary, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote — 9:55 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s defense secretary in a dramatic late-night vote, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.

Vice President JD Vance was on hand to cast a tiebreaking vote, unusual in the Senate for Cabinet nominees, who typically win wider support. Hegseth himself was at the Capitol with his family.

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McConnell votes no on Hegseth’s nomination — 9:24 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is the third GOP senator to oppose Trump’s nominee for defense secretary.

McConnell, who is hawkish on U.S. defense and foreign policy, had voted earlier this week to advance the nomination to the floor.

Given Republicans’ three-seat majority, Vice President JD Vance is now expected to come to break the tie vote. It would be his first since being sworn into office Monday.


Republican senator on the fence flips for Hegseth — 9:21 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced that he will be supporting Hegseth’s nomination, throwing his support behind Trump’s nominee at the eleventh hour.

Tillis had concerns about various allegations made against Hegseth up until Friday afternoon, when he sent a series of questions for the nominee to fill out.

“Once Pete Hegseth’s nomination was sent to the floor by my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I conducted my own due diligence, including asking tough questions of Pete and I appreciated his candor and openness in answering them,” he said in a post on the social media site X.


C-Span shares a historical fact — 9:16 p.m.

By the Associated Press

If Vice President Vance is forced to be the tie breaker on the Hegseth nomination, it would be only the second time in U.S. history a vice president would have to break a tie for a nominee.

First time? For Trump’s education nominee in his first term, Betsy DeVos.


Hegseth awaits Senate vote outcome in the Capitol — 9:14 p.m.

By the Associated Press

As the vote began for his nomination, Hegseth was in a waiting room in the Capitol with his family as Republican senators visited with him.

It is unusual for a nominee to be present while his confirmation is being voted on and adds to the drama that has circled Hegseth’s nomination from the beginning.

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Hegseth confirmation vote is underway — 9:04 p.m.

By the Associated Press

His confirmation at stake, Pete Hegseth worked the phones ahead of a Senate vote to shore up support to become the nation’s defense secretary amid new questions and mounting allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.


Hegseth works the phones to shore up support before vote — 8:42 p.m.

By the Associated Press

His confirmation at stake, Pete Hegseth worked the phones ahead of a Senate vote to shore up support to become the nation’s defense secretary amid new questions and mounting allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.

The Republican-led Senate was determined to confirm Hegseth to round out Trump’s top national security Cabinet officials, prioritizing his commitment to bring a “warrior culture” to the Pentagon.

But last-minute questions among senators raised fresh uncertainty hours before the vote.

Vice President JD Vance was expected in the Senate in the likely event he would be needed to break a tie, and Hegseth himself was at the Capitol with his family to watch the vote.


Trump says LA residents who lost homes should be allowed back on their properties immediately — 8:39 p.m.

By the Associated Press

He says many homeowners want to bring dumpsters to take care of waste themselves.

Mayor Karen Bass says residents should be able to return home within the week, but that keeping people safe is a top priority.

Experts have warned that the burning of things like paint, furniture, electronics and cars can release toxic ash and other chemicals that may require safety gear to handle.


Resettlement agencies directed to ‘suspend all work’ under the foreign aid they were receiving — 8:17 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration sent guidance late Friday to resettlement agencies that it works with saying they had to immediately “suspend all work” under the foreign assistance they were receiving.

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The new guidance is another implication of the Trump administration’s decision to halt foreign aid while it conducts a review.

While there was little clarity, the notification suggests resettlement agencies that work with refugees, including Afghans who arrived on special immigrant visas, might have to at least temporarily halt their work.


Trump picks chairman of Australian venture capital firm to be ambassador to New Zealand — 8:10 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump has named Jared Novelly as his pick for ambassador to New Zealand and the Pacific nation of Samoa.

Novelly is “a highly respected philanthropist” and chairman of Crest Sports & Entertainment and Crest Management, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Crest Sports & Entertainment is a Sydney-based venture capital firm and the parent company of the Australian professional men’s basketball team the Illawarra Hawks, according to online companies listings.

Priorities for the relationship between the U.S. and New Zealand include advancing Pacific priorities, growing bilateral trade and increasing collaboration in important sectors for New Zealand, such as space, New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters said.


Rubio speaks to New Zealand foreign minister — 8:01 p.m.

By the Associated Press

New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters says he has spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and was “confident that the New Zealand-United States relationship can go from strength to strength in the years ahead.”

While New Zealand is geographically remote from the U.S., it is a significant regional player in the South Pacific Ocean, where Washington has increasingly sought to counter the growing influence of China among small island nations. The country is also a member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partnership, along with the U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia.”

Our strategic partnership matters a great deal to the security and prosperity of New Zealand and the Indo-Pacific region,” Peters wrote on X.


Trump says the federal government is behind California ‘100%’ — 7:57 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump also says he had a “very positive talk” with California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Trump’s comments came after he took an aerial and walking tour of Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood destroyed by one of the recent fires.

He says it’s impossible to understand the scale of devastation from images.

“I don’t think you can realize how rough it is, how devastating it is, until you see it,” Trump said.

He hasn’t yet mentioned putting conditions on federal aid, as he’s previously indicated he would do.


Trump pulls back on aid to foreign groups involved in abortion — 7:30 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump has signed an order reinstating a policy that requires foreign nongovernmental agencies to certify that they don’t provide or promote abortion if they receive U.S. federal funds for family planning assistance.

The position, sometimes called the “Mexico City Policy” and referred to by opponents as the “global gag rule,” was introduced more than 40 years ago. Every GOP president has put it in effect, and every Democrat has rescinded it.

Eight years ago, Trump’s administration not only brought back the prohibition but also broadened it. Advocates say the policy, coupled with a law that bars U.S. money from paying for abortion around the globe, has a major impact on abortion availability worldwide — and blocks aid money from flowing to groups for purposes other than abortion.

Trump also signed an executive order Friday requiring the enforcement of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts government funding for most abortions. The amendment was already the law of the land under President Joe Biden’s administration, but the Trump administration argued “the previous administration disregarded this established, commonsense policy.”


LA resident who lost her home says it’s important for leaders to see the wildfires’ aftermath — 7:25 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Leah Berman and her best friend had spent all day sifting through the rubble of their childhood home when Trump arrived for his visit to the Palisades.

Berman said it was important for political leaders to come see the aftermath of the disaster in person.

“Just having more people who make decisions see the reality of things that happen, and literally just driving through the wreckage is all it takes to say, ‘Oh wow, this was a big deal,’” Berman said.

Her friend, Alexandra Zornizer, said it was “deplorable” for Trump to attach conditions to the aid.

“I think it was wonderful that Biden wanted to cover 100% of the cost,” Zornizer said. “I think that’s what victims of this fire deserve. Unconditionally.”


A look at false and misleading claims made by Trump during his first week — 7:22 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump has wasted no time setting a new agenda, relying on false and misleading information to support several of his initiatives.

He told attendees at the World Economic in Davos he had a massive mandate from the American people because he had millions of votes. While the electoral vote was 312 for Trump and 226 for former Vice President Kamala Harris, he won the popular vote by only about 2.3 million votes, 49.9% to 48.4%.

Pardoning Jan. 6 rioters, he falsely claimed there were only a few minor incidents with police.

He has also continued to greatly inflate the number of people who entered the country illegally during President Joe Biden’s administration, and has misrepresented water issues in California while discussing recent wildfires.

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Trump says California failed to send water to LA to fight fires, but experts say he’s wrong — 7:11 p.m.

By the New York Times

President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other California leaders for the fires that devastated Los Angeles. The president has charged that the state’s Democrats have stubbornly refused to send enough water to Southern California to fight fires, which he attributed to their desire to protect the delta smelt, a threatened species of fish.

But as Trump prepared a Friday visit to California, water experts in California said his explanations in many cases were wrong or glossed over complex water dynamics. Southern California reservoirs were generally full of water at the start of the year, they noted, and problems in the fight against the fire had other causes.

Trump’s view of the situation could have very real consequences. He threatened Wednesday to withhold federal relief funds if California does not send more of its water from the northern part of the state to its southern half. He also issued an executive order on his first day in office — titled “Putting People Over Fish” — that directed Cabinet members to find ways within 90 days to reroute more water southward.

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White House weighs in on ‘The Apprentice’ Oscar nominations — 7:09 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Trump White House has weighed in on the pair of Oscar nominations for “The Apprentice,” the film that dramatizes the formative years of Trump under the tutelage of attorney Roy Cohn.

Let’s just say the review was not kind.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked whether Trump had seen the film and told reporters aboard Air Force One: “That movie is trash and it wouldn’t be worth the president’s time to watch it. It belongs in a dumpster fire. It does not deserve Oscars. Lots of fake news in that movie.”


Newsom and Trump exchange kind words before touring Los Angeles wildfire damage — 6:30 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Newsom says California will need the federal government’s help and support.

“I have all the expectations we’re going to be able to work together,” Newsom said.

Trump responded: “We’re going to get it fixed.”

It might seem like odd messaging for the two rivals. But it’s similar to the approach Newsom took toward Trump during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.


Newsom and Trump greet each other with a handshake — 6:18 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump says he appreciates the California governor greeting him on the tarmac in Los Angeles.

It’s not clear if the Democratic governor will join Trump to tour a fire-ravaged neighborhood or for a fire-related briefing. He’s not listed as a participant in those events.

Newsom’s office says the governor is “committed to advocating for the needs of Californians in partnership with the federal administration.”

Newsom has a fine political tightrope to walk. He’s pushed back against some of Trump’s criticism of the state’s handling of the wildfires but also needs the federal government to approve wildfire assistance.


RFK Jr. skipped meeting where officials planned fight against a future pandemic — 5:45 p.m.

By Washington Post

As Biden officials packed up the White House last week and their Trump counterparts prepared to move in, dozens of senior leaders in both administrations trundled into the neighboring Eisenhower Executive Office Building to game out how the new government would respond to an emergency, such as a new pandemic.

For two hours, incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Governor Kristi Noem and other intended members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet hashed out their roles and responsibilities in the event of a crisis - splitting their time between a hypothetical avian flu outbreak and a hypothetical terrorist attack in New Orleans - as outgoing Biden leaders shared lessons and guidance from their real-world experience. National security officials in previous administrations have characterized the exercise, which is a required part of the presidential transition, as essential preparation to ensure that a new government is ready for an emergency on Day 1.

But a top official was notably absent: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the pivotal agency when a pandemic strikes.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's pick to be secretary of Health and Human Services, leaves after a meeting with Senator Bernie Sanders on Capitol Hill on Jan. 8. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post

What JFK assassination files are still classified? Trump’s order could bring them to light. — 5:16 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Millions of documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas have already been made public, but President Donald Trump has ordered the release of thousands of still-classified files.

Trump signed the executive order Thursday as part of a flurry of executive actions taken in the first week of his second term.

Many people who have studied what’s been released so far say the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations, but there is still intense interest in details related to the assassination and the events surrounding it. And the possibility of significant new information is tantalizing to researchers.


Supreme Court will weigh approval for US’ first publicly funded religious charter school in Oklahoma — 4:42 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Supreme Court agreed to take on a new culture war dispute: whether the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school should be allowed to open in Oklahoma.

The justices said they would review an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision that invalidated a state board’s approval of an application by the Catholic Church in Oklahoma to open a charter school.

The conservative-dominated high court has issued several decisions in recent years signaling a willingness to allow public funds to flow to religious entities. At the same time, conservative-led states have sought to insert religion into public schools, including Louisiana’s requirement that the Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms.

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Rubio tells Chinese FM the US will put America first in relations with China — 4:38 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told China’s foreign minister that the Trump administration will put U.S. interests and the American people first in its relationship and competition with China.

It was the first phone call Rubio has had with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi since Rubio took office.

In the call, Rubio also expressed “serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea.”

Earlier Friday, the Chinese foreign ministry had issued its own description of the call, saying that Wang had told Rubio the two sides should push for the steady, healthy and sustainable development of the China-US relations and find the correct way for the two countries to cope with each other.

Rubio, according to the Chinese foreign ministry, told Wang the U.S. doesn’t support Taiwan independence but hopes the issue can be peacefully solved in a way acceptable to both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The US statement made no mention of Rubio saying that.


Indiana man arrested on charges he threatened Trump on TikTok — 4:30 p.m.

By the Associated Press

An Indiana man accused of using TikTok to urge attacks on the government and death to Trump has been arrested.

The FBI said 23-year-old Douglas Thrams of Goshen made a series of threats in videos posted to the social media site this week.

In one TikTok video, Thrams said Trump needed to be killed “and this time don’t ... miss,” an FBI agent wrote in a court filing.

He is charged with using interstate commerce to make threats.

Thrams is in custody awaiting an appearance Monday in federal court in South Bend. He does not have an attorney yet.


Five economic forces that could shape the first year of Trump’s presidency — 4:23 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Like most presidents, Trump faces an economy that seldom bends to political ambitions.

The Republican has promised strong growth, high tariffs, income tax cuts and booming oilfields. But despite the solid job market and low 4.1 percent unemployment rate, he has to contend with headwinds like inflation, a budget deficit, increased tensions over trade, the fallout from his plans to curtail immigration and a persistent wealth gap.

Each of these issues could help to shape how voters feel about a president they returned to the White House with the specific goal of fixing the economy.


Senate is preparing to confirm Hegseth as defense secretary in late evening vote — 4:07 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Senate is muscling Pete Hegseth’s nomination as defense secretary toward confirmation.

The Republican senators are prioritizing the former Fox News host and combat veteran’s vow to create a “warrior culture” at the Pentagon over allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.

Votes are expected by Friday evening.

Pete Hegseth departs his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 14. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post

Justice Department curtails prosecutions for blocking reproductive health care facilities — 3:20 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump’s new Justice Department leadership is curtailing prosecutions against people accused of blocking reproductive health care facilities, calling the cases an example of the “weaponization” of law enforcement.

Justice Department chief of staff Chad Mizelle said in a memo obtained by The Associated Press that prosecutions and civil actions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act or “FACE Act” will now be permitted only in “extraordinary circumstances” or in cases presenting “significant aggravating factors.”

Mizelle also ordered the immediate dismissal of three FACE Act cases related to 2021 blockades of clinics in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. One man was accused of obtaining “illegal access to a secure patient space at a Planned Parenthood facility in Philadelphia without staff permission or knowledge” and barricading himself in a restroom, according to court papers.


Trump became president on Monday, and a lot has happened since. Here are some highlights. — 3:16 p.m.

By Alyssa Vega, Globe Staff

Immediately after being sworn in for his second term on Monday, President Trump took swift action to implement his policy agenda, signing a series of executive orders aimed at reshaping the US government.

Among the steps Trump immediately took were rescinding 78 executive actions implemented by the Biden administration, declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, signing an order to end birthright citizenship, and moving to delay the TikTok ban in the United States. Some of the actions have already sparked legal challenges, with several lawsuits filed in federal court, including in Massachusetts.

President Trump speaks to members of the press on Jan. 24, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Kent Nishimura/Getty

Here’s a look at what has happened in Trump’s first few days back in office.


State Department freezes new funding for nearly all US aid programs worldwide — 3:00 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The State Department on Friday froze new funding for almost all US foreign assistance, making exceptions to allow humanitarian food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt to continue.

The sweeping order threatened a quick halt to countless projects globally aiding health, education, development, job training and other efforts by the United States, the largest provider of foreign aid. It appears to begin enforcement of a pledge to eliminate aid programs that President Trump judges not to be in US interests.

The order — sent in a cable to US embassies worldwide and obtained by The Associated Press — prohibits new government spending, which appears to limit programs to running only as long as they have cash on hand.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks after being sworn in by Vice President JD Vance in the Vice Presidential Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Putin echoes Trump’s claim that conflict in Ukraine could have been avoided had he been in office — 2:25 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday echoed US President Trump’s claim the conflict in Ukraine could have been prevented had he been in the White House in 2022. He also said Moscow is ready for talks with the US on a broad range of issues.

In an interview with Russian state television, Putin praised Trump as a “clever and pragmatic man” who is focused on US interests.

“We always had a business-like, pragmatic but also trusting relationship with the current US president,” Putin said. “I couldn’t disagree with him that if he had been president, if they hadn’t stolen victory from him in 2020, the crisis that emerged in Ukraine in 2022 could have been avoided.”

Putin’s statement was his bluntest endorsement yet of Trump’s refusal to accept his defeat in the 2020 election.

Trump also has said repeatedly he wouldn’t have allowed the conflict to start if he’d been in office, even though he was president as fighting grew in the east of the country between Kyiv’s forces and separatists aligned with Moscow, ahead of Putin sending in tens of thousands of troops in 2022.


Trump administration has withdrawn a federal rule which would have phased out menthol cigarettes — 2:05 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The cigarettes are disproportionately used by young and minority smokers.

The action was widely expected by anti-smoking advocates, who’ve spent years pushing for a ban on menthol, the only flavor still allowed in cigarettes. Tobacco companies have typically faced lighter regulation under Republican administrations.

The Food and Drug Administration spent years studying the issue and concluded menthol’s cooling sensation makes it easier to start and harder to quit cigarettes.

The FDA was widely expected to finalize the regulation last year, but Biden’s White House delayed its release, kicking a potential political controversy out past the election. At the time, both Biden and Trump were aggressively courting Black voters in swing states.

The persistence of menthol has long infuriated health experts, who’ve been pushing for a ban since the FDA gained authority over tobacco products in 2009.

Menthol cigarettes.Drew Angerer/Photographer: Drew Angerer/Getty

Vance celebrated Trump’s previous actions on abortion — 1:40 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Speaking at the March for Life in Washington, Vance said the president “delivered on his promise of ending Roe,” appointed hundreds of anti-abortion judges and pardoned anti-abortion activists he says were “unjustly imprisoned.”

“Our country faces the return of the most pro-family, most pro-life American president of our lifetimes,” Vance told the crowd of protesters who cheered and chanted “JD” as he took the stage.


Trump speaks to March for Life crowd in a video address — 1:39 p.m.

By the Associated Press

In the video address to March for Life crowds, Trump vowed “we will again stand proudly for families and for life” in his second term and once again boasted about nominating three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down Roe v. Wade.

“I was so proud to be a participant,” he said. “Six courageous justices of the Supreme Court of the United States returned the issue to the state legislatures and to the people where it belongs.”

Crowds cheered as Trump celebrated pardoning anti-abortion activists convicted of blockading abortion clinic entrances and thanked protesters for gathering at March for Life to “stand up for precious little babies who can’t stand up for themselves.”

“Thank you for turning out once again to show your extraordinary love and compassion for the unborn,” he said.


Target is ending its DEI goals as workplace inclusion gets a strong opponent in the White House — 1:35 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Discount store chain Target said it would join rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack from conservative activists and, as of this week, the White House.

The Minneapolis-based retailer said the changes to its “Belonging at the Bulleye” strategy would include ending a program it established to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and to promote Black-owned businesses following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it also would conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set in three-year cycles.

The goals included hiring and promoting more women and members of racial minority groups, and recruiting more diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities.


Ontario leader will call election to fight Trump’s threatened tariffs — 1:20 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The leader of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, said Friday that he would call an early election, because he says he needs a mandate to fight President Trump’s threatened tariffs.

Premier Doug Ford of the Progressive Conservative Party said that he planned to make the announcement on Wednesday. The move would send Ontarians to the polls on Feb. 27, more than a year before the June 2026 fixed election date. Ford already has a large majority government.

Ford, who is the equivalent of a US state governor, said that Ontario could lose upwards of 500,000 jobs should Trump follow through on his 25% tariff threat.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, wearing a 'Canada Is Not For Sale' hat, speaks as he arrives for a first ministers meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Justin Tang/Associated Press

Defense Department is expected to put out its own temporary social media ban Friday, US officials say — 1:08 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The 10-day ban, however, carves out exceptions for military bases around the world that rely on social media posts to inform them of security incidents, school matters and normal base activities.

Other federal agencies are doing the same thing, with guidance from the Trump administration suggesting that federal agencies shouldn’t put out information unless it’s been approved by the new leadership. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.


‘You can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you worked for government’ — 12:25 p.m.

By the Associated Press

President Trump says he won’t feel partially responsible if harm befalls former government officials whose security details were cut by his administration after he took office this week.

Trump revoked the security detail of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert who advised Trump on the COVID-19 pandemic but turned critical of Trump once he tried to undermine public health guidance. He faced regular threats to his life and has received federal protection for years, but it was ended this week according to a person familiar with the matter.

“They all made a lot of money, they can hire their own security too,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina.

Trump earlier this week revoked protection details for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, as well his own former national security adviser John Bolton, who have faced threats from Iran since they took hardline stances on the Islamic Republic during Trump’s first administration. All three have fallen out with Trump in the years since he left office.

Their security details had been repeatedly renewed by the Biden administration because of credible and ongoing threats from Iran.

“You can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you worked for government,” Trump said.


Asheville artist, who lost business in Hurricane Helene, wary about Trump’s visit — 12:17 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Sarah Wells Rolland, co-owner of The Village Potters Clay Center in Asheville’s now-destroyed River Arts District, said she’s “seriously concerned” about her city’s future recovery from Hurricane Helene under President Trump’s administration. Rolland noted Asheville’s Democratic lean as a reason Trump may not prioritize its rebuilding process.

“I’m not overly optimistic that the Trump administration is going to do anything long-term,” Rolland said Friday ahead of Trump’s visit to the area. “Frankly, I’ll tell you, I think him coming today is to look presidential.”

Rolland lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment when her ceramics center’s roofing caved and water rose 26 feet inside her facility during Helene. She’s operated a temporary clay supply site for the past few months, and Rolland said she’s hoping to reopen the full center — which had classes and galleries — at a new location this summer.

Rolland’s interactions with Federal Emergency Management Agency workers in the storm’s aftermath were “wonderful,” she said. Criticism against the agency has been largely unwarranted, she said, because workers were in the region “almost on day one.”


Anti-abortion protesters gather for the annual March for Life in Washington — 12:12 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Despite frigid weather, thousands of anti-abortion protesters gathered to celebrate a new Republican trifecta in the presidency and both chambers of Congress as they returned to the nation’s capital Friday for the annual March for Life.

A festive atmosphere marked the early part of the march, as activists gathered with multicolored hats and signs declaring “Life is our revolution.”

President Trump is expected to address the crowd in a pre-recorded video as the gathering marks the first time that participants have been to the nation’s capital with him as the sitting president since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 decision, Roe v. Wade, that declared there was a constitutional right to an abortion.

Vice President JD Vance is slated to speak in person.

Kristen Cooper, 21, was among several thousand Students for Life America members attending. She said she was especially excited to be at the march with “pro-life Republicans” in the White House. She said this march was her fourth but the first with a Republican administration.

“It’s surreal actually,” she said.

Anti-abortion rights activist rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, during the annual "March for Life," on January 24, 2025. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Federal agencies begin removing DEI guidance from websites in Trump crackdown — 12:07 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Several federal agencies have begun removing resources for underrepresented Americans from their webpages following President Trump’s executive order cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Agencies also have been cancelling training and service contacts to comply with the order from Trump, who vowed to dismantle diversity programs across the federal government. He has called for all DEI staff to be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.

Documents on DEI have been removed from websites at agencies including the Office of Personnel Management, State Department and Department of Homeland Security. Web addresses that once led to DEI pages now display “Page Not Found — 404″ messages or notes above archived material explaining the change.


Trump expands use of fast-track deportation, which critics say is prone to mistakes — 11:55 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The Trump administration announced Friday that it is expanding a fast-track deportation authority nationwide, allowing immigration officers to deport migrants without appearing before a judge.

The administration said in a notice in the Federal Register on Friday that it is expanding the use of “expedited removal” authority so it can be used across the country. “The effect of this change will be to enhance national security and public safety — while reducing government costs — by facilitating prompt immigration determinations,” the administration said.

In this July 8, 2019, file photo, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detain a man during an operation in Escondido, Calif. Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Trump says he’s considering ‘getting rid of FEMA’ as he visits hurricane-damaged North Carolina — 11:55 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Speaking to reporters Friday at Asheville Regional Airport where he was meeting with supporters and local officials about the recovery from last year’s Hurricane Helene, Trump says FEMA “has been a very big disappointment.”

Trump said of the agency: “It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow. Other than that, we’re very happy with them.”

He did not offer clear details on what he would replace it with, indicated he wants to move more of the disaster management responsibility to the states. That was a key priority of the conservative ‘Project 2025″ written by Trump’s supporters, including some who’ve since joined his administration.

“A governor can handle something very quickly,” Trump said.


Trump says OPEC+ can end the bloodshed in Ukraine by cutting oil prices — 11:50 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The president continued to make the case that reducing oil revenue is the key finding an endgame in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Trump in his first days in office has centered his focus on the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries, making the case that it has kept the price of oil too high for much of the nearly three-year war. Oil revenue is the engine driving the Russian economy.

“One way to stop it quickly is for OPEC to stop making so much money. And they drop the price of oil because they have it nice and high,” Trump told reporters during a visit to Western North Carolina on Friday. “And if you have it high, then that war is not going to end so easily. So, OPEC ought to get on the ball and drop the price of oil. And that war will stop right away.”


Trump continues to criticize FEMA — 11:40 a.m.

By the Associated Press

President Trump landed in North Carolina to tour lingering damage from Hurricane Helene and said he would like to see states “take care of disasters” and that he was reviewing “the whole concept of “FEMA” the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which he’s criticized.

Trump, speaking to reporters after he landed near Asheville, North Carolina, said it would be faster to let states respond to disasters.

“Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen,” Trump told reporters.


Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel set for Senate confirmation hearings next week — 11:36 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The nominations process for Trump’s appointees is picking up pace. Here’s a look at the schedule for hearings next week for some of Trump’s most high-profile Cabinet nominees.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on January 8th, 2025.Al Drago/Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

Trump is expected to make a virtual, prerecorded appearance at the March for Life — 11:11 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Thousands of anti-abortion activists are gathering in Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life, seeking to build momentum after a string of victories and maintain pressure on legislators.

Trump will be out of town but is expected to address the rally via prerecorded video message, and Vice President JD Vance will be a featured speaker. Among his flurry of initial actions and orders this week, Trump on Thursday pardoned several activists who had been jailed for blockading a Washington abortion provider.


Chines Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — 10:58 a.m.

By the Associated Press

That’s according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Wang told Rubio that Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Trump, who spoke a week ago, had pointed out the direction for the bilateral relations and set the tone, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement. Wang said the two sides should push for the steady, healthy and sustainable development of the China-US relations and find the correct way for the two countries to cope with each other.

Wang also told Rubio that China had no intention to overtake or replace any other country but would defend its legitimate development rights. Wang urged the US to handle the Taiwan issue with caution. China considers the self-governed island as part of Chinese territory and vows to annex it by force if necessary to achieve unification.

Rubio, according to the Chinese foreign ministry, told Wang the US doesn’t support Taiwan independence but hopes the issue can be peacefully solved in a way acceptable to both sides of the Taiwan Strait.


What happens next with the Kennedy, MLK assassination files? — 10:53 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump ordered the release of classified documents on the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. But it could still be a while before any files are released.

Trump’s order, signed Thursday night, directs the director of national intelligence and the attorney general to develop a plan within 15 days to release the remaining John F. Kennedy records, and within 45 days for the other two cases. It was not clear when the records would actually be made public.


Trump adviser Keith Kellogg says cutting oil prices to $45 a barrel could drive Russia to bargaining table — 10:45 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, said Friday in a Fox News interview that the world won’t be able to get Russia to end its war just by helping Ukraine score battlefield wins. He suggested tougher measures to impact the Russian oil industry could be the answer.

The US, under President Biden, and other allies had imposed a $60 a barrel cap on Russian oil. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many US refineries, was trading at about $78 on Friday morning.

“Russia is gaining billions of dollars of money from oil sales,” Kellogg said. “What if you drop that to $45 a barrel, which is basically a baseline breakeven point?”


Oath Keepers’ Rhodes and 7 other Jan. 6 defendants barred from entering DC and Capitol building without court approval — 10:44a.m.

By the Associated Press

A federal judge on Friday barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the court’s approval after President Donald Trump commuted the far-right extremist group leader’s 18-year prison sentence for orchestrating an attack on the US Capitol four years ago.

US District Judge Amit Mehta issued the order two days after Rhodes visited the Capitol, where he met with at least one lawmaker, chatted with others and defended his actions during a mob’s attack on Jan. 6, 2021. Rhodes was released from a Maryland prison a day earlier.

Mehta also barred other Oath Keepers members who were convicted of seditious conspiracy for participating in a violent plot to attack the Capitol.


WHO says it will freeze hiring after Trump announces US will leave the agency — 10:41 a.m.

By the Associated Press

In response to President Trump’s announcement that the US will be exiting the World Health Organization, the agency told staffers it would be freezing hiring, “except in the most critical areas,” slashing travel and restricting its missions to help countries.

In an email to WHO personnel Thursday, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he regretted the US decision, which was also making WHO’s financial situation “more acute.”

“We know it has created significant concern and uncertainty for the WHO workforce,” Tedros wrote. “We want to explain the steps we are taking to mitigate the risks we face and protect our organization’s work.”

He said all future meetings would be virtual “by default” and that WHO would be significantly reducing travel. The U.N. agency has previously spent hundreds of millions annually on travel; in 2017, The Associated Press found the WHO spent more on travel than on combating HIV, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

In Thursday’s email, Tedros also said WHO was freezing recruitment, limiting the replacement of IT equipment and was mostly suspending office renovations and expansions.

In 2023, the US contributed 18% of WHO’s budget, making it the single biggest donor that year.

The logo of the WHO is seen on panel in front of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 23, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.Robert Hradil/Getty

What to know about FEMA as Trump talks of overhaul — 10:39 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump this week spoke with congressional Republican leaders about whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency should continue providing help to states in the same way, according to a person familiar with the conversation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

Here’s some things to know about FEMA as Trump visits areas recovering from natural disasters:

  • FEMA has an operating budget and a disaster relief fund that gets replenished every year by Congress. FEMA can also provide money for disaster survivors, ranging from $750 individual payments for emergency needs to $42,500 for some uninsured homeowners to rebuild.
  • There are long-term funding concerns for FEMA. It hasn’t been uncommon for the agency to make what’s called a “supplemental” funding request to Congress to pay for disaster recovery.
  • The disaster assistance fund sometimes runs low in late summer before Congress passes a new budget. When that happens, FEMA shifts to what’s called “immediate needs funding” and the agency stops paying out for previous disasters and conserves its money for life-saving missions.

Trump is heading to North Carolina and California sharply critical of the response to natural disasters — 9:52 a.m.

By the Associated Press

As he heads to Asheville, North Carolina, Trump told reporters he believes the response to Hurricane Helene has been “horrible” and the damage has “been allowed to fester.” He added: “We’re going to get it fixed up. It should have been done months ago.”

He’s also going to Los Angeles to tour damage from ongoing wildfires and is repeating his claims that state officials “didn’t let the water flow.”

State and local officials have said dry hydrants were caused by unprecedented demand on the municipal system. Before leaving the White House, Trump added, “I think we’re going to have a very interesting time.”

First lady Melania Trump looks on as President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Both Hurricane Helene and Los Angeles wildfires were disasters spurred by extreme weather — 9:34 a.m.

By the Associated Press

And it’s weather that was forecast several days in advance and have a connection to human-caused climate change.

In Helene’s case, a study by international climate scientists at World Weather Attribution found that climate change boosted the storm’s rainfall by 10%. Numerous studies have shown hurricanes are more intense and wetter because of global warming. Large outbursts of rain before Helen hit already had saturated the ground and extreme downpours are also worsening because of climate change, scientists say.

In the wildfires, a record dry fall and winter — during California’s normal wet season — which is likely connected to climate change made conditions especially vulnerable to fire when Santa Ana winds of 100 mph started, fire and weather scientists at the American Meteorological Society conference told The Associated Press.

“This is just breaking our comfort zone of what is supposed to be normal. And part of that has to do with the fact that we’re having extreme weather and we don’t want to hear that this is the new normal,” said University of Oregon researcher Amanda Stasiewicz. “We are sick of that narrative, but it is part of our reality now between the hurricanes,’’ unusual tornadoes and fires.

President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have blamed a fish, the Delta smelt, for not enough water in reservoirs. But the fish only occurs in San Francisco, hundreds of miles away, a reservoir was out of commission because of repairs, not endangered species, and the fires were so big and demand for water was so high, nothing could have worked, several scientists said.


Trump targets California water policy as he prepares to tour LA fire damage — 9:29 a.m.

By the Associated Press

As President Trump prepares to tour wildfire damage in California, he’s zeroing in on one of his frequent targets for criticism: State water policy.

Since the fires broke out Jan. 7, Trump has used social media and interviews to accuse the state of sending too much water to the Pacific Ocean instead of south toward Los Angeles and highlighted how some hydrants ran dry in the early hours of the firefight in Pacific Palisades.

In the first hours of his second term, Trump called on federal officials to draft plans to route more water to the crop-rich Central Valley and densely populated cities in the southern part of the state. Two days later he threatened to withhold federal disaster aid unless California leaders change the state’s approach on water.

Water is dropped by helicopter on the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Jan. 9, 2025. Ethan Swope/Associated Press

No small stairs to Air Force One — 9:25 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump was climbing aboard Air Force One for the first trip of his second administration, using full-sized stairs from the tarmac to the plane.

His predecessor, Joe Biden, often used a small set of stairs that took him into the belly of the plane.

Trump was using a full set of stairs to reach the front of the aircraft’s cabin as he prepared to fly Friday to North Carolina, then Los Angeles, then Las Vegas.

US President Donald Trump, with irst Lady Melania Trump (R), salutes as he boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2025. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

What to know about the ruling blocking Trump’s order on birthright citizenship — 8:55 a.m.

By the Associated Press

President Trump’s executive order denying US citizenship to the children of parents living in the country illegally has faced the first of what will be many legal tests. It didn’t fare well.

A Justice Department lawyer had barely started making his arguments in a Seattle courtroom Thursday when U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour began blistering him with questions, calling the executive order “blatantly unconstitutional.” Coughenour went on to temporarily block it pending further arguments.

The ruling, a temporary restraining orde, blocks the administration from enforcing or implementing Trump’s order nationally for the next 14 days. Over the next two weeks, the sides will submit further briefings on the legal merits of the executive order.


Who’s the guy handing Trump those binders of executive orders? Meet Will Scharf — 8:46 a.m.

By the Associated Press

White House staff secretary Will Scharf has been a prominent part of the executive order signing tableau, standing at Trump’s side and teeing up the leather-bound folders, one by one, for the president.

Scharf doesn’t just act the straight man as Trump talks up his orders, cracks jokes and fields questions from reporters. He also plays a key role in the White House, overseeing the flow of information and business coming to and from the president.

President Donald Trump signs an executive order to create the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, as White House staff secretary Will Scharf watches. Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Here’s a few things to know about the staff secretary:

  • The role has traditionally involved managing the papers that cross the president’s desk. It serves almost as air traffic control for the West Wing — tracking the drafting and approval of memos and statements as they work their way to the president’s desk and then out to the world.
  • Scharf was a member of Trump’s legal team before joining the new administration and was one of the president’s lawyers in the election interference case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
  • Scharf ran unsuccessfully for Missouri attorney general in 2024, losing to incumbent Andrew Bailey. His campaign included a memorable ad in which the mild-mannered lawyer appears to use a grenade launcher to fire on a pile of boxes that were labeled to look like they contained legal documents related to Trump’s criminal cases.

cicans see the federal government as rife with corruption, inefficiency and red tape — but they’re less sure about whether Elon Musk is the right person to fix it.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that only about 3 in 10 US adults strongly or somewhat approve of President Trump’s creation of an advisory body on government efficiency, which Musk is helming. About 4 in 10 disapprove, while the rest were neutral or didn’t know enough to say. (The poll was conducted before Vivek Ramaswamy announced he would no longer be involved in the group.)


A look at what happened yesterday, Trump’s fourth day in office — 7:45 a.m.

By the Associated Press

  • Trump signed an executive order on artificial intelligence that will revoke past government policies his order says “act as barriers to American AI innovation.”
  • Trump signed an executive order aiming to declassify remaining federal records relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
  • GOP senators advanced the nomination of former Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, despite swirling allegations of excessive drinking and abuse toward his second wife, which he denies. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins broke with their fellow Republicans to oppose his confirmation.
  • A Seattle judge has temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. The case is one of five lawsuits being brought across the country, citing that the 14th Amendment ensures citizenship to those born and naturalized in the U.S. Trump argues this does not apply to the children of noncitizens.
  • Trump told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that his expected tariffs would bring “trillions” to the U.S. Treasury Department and that he would “demand that interest rates drop immediately,” though it’s unclear how he could actually lower rates.

Trump will visit disaster zones in North Carolina and California on the first trip of second term — 7:41 a.m.

By the Associated Press

President Trump is heading to hurricane-battered western North Carolina and wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles on Friday, using the first trip of his second administration to tour areas where politics has clouded the response to deadly disasters.

The Republican president has criticized former President Biden for his administration’s response in North Carolina, and he’s showered disdain on California leaders for water policies that he falsely claimed worsened the recent blazes.

Trump is also considering overhauling the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some of his conservative allies have proposed reducing how much the agency reimburses states for handling floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and other calamities.

Homes destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on Jan. 20. Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg
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