Today in one sentence: Trump signed executive orders imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, but agreed to “immediately pause” tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month; Elon Musk said Trump agreed to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, calling it “beyond repair” and a “criminal organization. Time for it to die"; USAID closed its Washington headquarters, with yellow police tape and officers blocking the entrances; Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he’s taken over as the acting administrator of USAID; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency "full access" to the federal payment system; Trump appointed Bessent as "acting director" of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after firing Rohit Chopra; Trump is considering an executive order to dismantle the Education Department by shutting down non-legally mandated functions and shifting some responsibilities to other agencies; the Trump administration warned over 1,100 EPA employees that they could be fired "immediately" for their work on climate initiatives, air pollution, or environmental law enforcement; and Trump ordered the creation of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund that could be used to potentially buy TikTok.

1/ Trump signed executive orders imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, but agreed to “immediately pause” tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month. On Saturday, Trump signed an order to place a 25% tariff on nearly all goods coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico starting on Tuesday. After imposing the new levies on imports – which economists have warned could slow economic growth and cost the typical U.S. household about $1,200 per year in purchasing power – Trump acknowledged that Americans will feel “some pain” but claimed “it will all be worth the price.” Two days later, however, Trump paused his planned tariffs after Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to deploy 10,000 troops to the border to address drug trafficking. Sheinbaum said the U.S. had in turn agreed to increase measures “to prevent the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico.” Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to deploy 10,000 troops to the border, appoint a fentanyl czar, and sign a $200 million anti-crime intelligence directive. Trump also placed a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports, which are still set to go into effect Tuesday. Beijing has promised to challenge the tariffs at the World Trade Organization and take unspecified “countermeasures” in response. Trump said he plans to speak with China “probably over the next 24 hours” regarding tariffs. (New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / Politico / CNBC / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNBC / CNN / NBC News / ABC News / Associated Press / Washington Post / Axios / Reuters / NBC News / Politico / New York Times / CNBC / Washington Post / New York Times / CNN / Associated Press / NBC News / Washington Post / Politico)

2/ Elon Musk said Trump agreed to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, calling it “beyond repair” and a “criminal organization. Time for it to die.” The announcement followed the removal of USAID’s top security officials after they denied Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency access to classified systems. Over 50 agency staff members have been placed on leave, and USAID’s website and social media accounts have been taken offline. The Trump administration had already frozen nearly all foreign aid spending pending a 90-day review, causing disruptions to global aid programs. While Trump criticized USAID as being run by “radical lunatics,” he stopped short of confirming its closure. Democratic lawmakers called the move illegal and vowed to challenge it, arguing Congress must approve any agency dissolution. (Associated Press / NBC News / New York Times / Axios / CNBC / CNN / Washington Post / CBS News / NBC News / ABC News)

3/ USAID closed its Washington headquarters, with yellow police tape and officers blocking the entrances. More than 600 additional employees were locked out of the agency’s internal systems, while those still with access received emails saying that “at the direction of Agency leadership” the headquarters building “will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3.” (Associated Press / Reuters / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / NBC News)

4/ Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he’s taken over as the acting administrator of USAID and that any programs that are aligned with U.S. foreign policy would continue under the State Department. Rubio, calling USAID “completely unresponsive,” said he’s delegated day-to-day authority to an unnamed individual. Meanwhile, Sen. Brian Schatz called the dismantling of USAID “illegal” and vowed to block confirmations until the agency is functional again. (CNN / Bloomberg / New York Times / NPR / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / ABC News)

5/ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency “full access” to the federal payment system. Bessent approved the access late Friday, giving Musk’s team visibility into a system that disburses over $6 trillion annually, including Social Security and Medicare payments. The decision followed a dispute with career Treasury official David Lebryk, who served in nonpolitical roles at Treasury for decades and was the acting secretary before Bessent’s confirmation. After Lebryk refused to turn over access to Musk, he was placed on leave and later retired. Musk defended the move, claiming without evidence that “DOGE discovered that Treasury officers were instructed to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups.” Musk said his team is “rapidly shutting down” payments to federal contractors, including the Lutheran Family Services, which provides refugee aid. (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / The Guardian / Washington Post / Associated Press / ABC News / Bloomberg)

6/ Trump appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as “acting director” of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after firing Rohit Chopra, a Biden appointee who led the agency since October 2021. Bessent immediately ordered the agency to halt all regulatory, enforcement, and investigative work, pending a review. Republicans have wanted to weaken or eliminate the CFPB, which was created in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis. Banking groups, meanwhile, welcomed Bessent’s appointment, hoping he will roll back regulations on overdraft fees, late credit card fees, and medical debt reporting. (Washington Post / CNBC / Politico / Wall Street Journal)

7/ Trump is considering an executive order to dismantle the Education Department by shutting down non-legally mandated functions and shifting some responsibilities to other agencies. Fully abolishing the department, however, would require congressional approval, but Trump could use executive actions to scale back its influence – similar to his approach with USAID. At least 60 employees were placed on leave, with some believing it was due to attending diversity training encouraged during Trump’s first term in 2019. Meanwhile, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has begun working inside the agency, with some staffers accessing student financial aid data. Trump also signed executive orders to expand school choice, combat antisemitism in universities, and eliminate “radical indoctrination” in schools. (Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / (NBC News / ABC News / Reuters / Politico / CBS News)

8/ The Trump administration warned over 1,100 EPA employees that they could be fired “immediately” for their work on climate initiatives, air pollution, or environmental law enforcement. The Trump administration also ordered the USDA to remove climate change references from its websites and paused funding for climate-related agricultural programs. Meanwhile, a new study projects that climate change will wipe out $1.47 trillion in U.S. home values by 2055 as rising insurance costs and extreme weather make some areas less desirable. (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Axios)

9/ Trump ordered the creation of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund that could be used to potentially buy TikTok. Trump’s executive order directs Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick to establish the fund, which he claimed would generate “a lot of wealth” for the country. While sovereign wealth funds typically rely on budget surpluses, the U.S. operates at a deficit, raising questions about its funding. Trump previously suggested tariffs as a possible revenue source. Bessent said the fund would “monetize the asset side of the U.S. balance sheet,” but didn’t clarify what assets would be used. Trump also indicated the fund could be involved in acquiring TikTok, which faces a government-mandated sale by its Chinese owner, ByteDance. (Reuters / Bloomberg / Axios)

✏️ Notables.

  1. New York Attorney General Letitia James warned hospitals that canceling gender-affirming care for transgender youth in response to a White House executive order could violate state anti-discrimination laws. The order, which threatens to cut federal funding for hospitals providing such care, has already led some institutions, including NYU Langone, to cancel procedures, prompting state officials to push back. (New York Times)

  2. The Defense Department ordered NBC News, The New York Times, NPR, and Politico to vacate their dedicated office spaces at the Pentagon in favor of Breitbart, One America News, the New York Post, and HuffPost as part of a new “annual media rotation program.” (NBC News / New York Times)

  3. Trump ended Temporary Protected Status for over 300,000 Venezuelans in the U.S., exposing them to deportation within months. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem justified the decision, saying TPS for Venezuela “no longer serves the national interest.” (New York Times)

  4. Trump is pulling the U.S. from the U.N. Human Rights Council and cutting funding to UNRWA, claiming anti-Israel bias and concerns over Hamas ties. The order directs a review of international organizations, including UNESCO. (Politico)

  5. Marco Rubio warned Panama that if it does not curb China’s influence around the Panama Canal, the U.S. will take action to protect its rights. A State Department summary stated that Trump had determined China’s presence violated the 1977 U.S.-Panama treaty, which ensures the canal’s neutrality. (NPR)

  6. Hackers stole the personal and medical data of more than 1 million patients from Connecticut-based Community Health Center. The attack was first detected on January 2, though the breach occurred in October 2024. The stolen data includes names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, diagnoses, and health insurance details. (Newsweek / Forbes)

Three years ago today: Day 380: "Amateur hour."
Four years ago today: Day 15: "We need to act."
Eight years ago today: Day 15: The massacre.