Obama Lays Groundwork For Gitmo Closure - U.s. News & World Report

“Top Senate Republicans are vowing to stay in session until all of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees are confirmed — a pledge that could keep senators in Washington for weeks due to Democratic delay tactics,” Politico reports. Said Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY): “We’re not intending to go on recess. We want to get the entire Cabinet confirmed before we talk at all about going into a recess.”

“President Trump is threatening to use his powers to adjourn Congress so he can make recess appointments for at least some of his top Cabinet nominees and their deputies, enabling them to begin running the largest federal departments,” CBS News reports.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “is keeping his financial stake in major litigation against Merck over a widely used vaccine given to young people,” the New York Times reports. “That conflict of interest could raise questions for lawmakers as Mr. Kennedy aims to run agencies that regulate the drug maker.”

“National security adviser Michael Waltz has authorized a ‘full review’ of dozens of career officials who staff the White House on issues ranging from Iranian and North Korean nuclear proliferation to cyberespionage and Russia’s war in Ukraine,” the Washington Post reports. “The officials, known as aides or detailees, were told Wednesday in a brief call conducted by Waltz’s chief of staff, Brian McCormack, that they were to leave the building immediately, go home and be ‘on call.'”

“The Trump administration has moved with lightning speed to roll out the president’s immigration agenda, effectively closing off the US southern border to asylum seekers, severely limiting who’s eligible to enter the United States and laying the groundwork to swiftly deport migrants already in the country,” CNN reports. “Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump signed a spate of executive actions that have already had wide-ranging impacts for people both inside and outside the US.” “By Wednesday, incoming refugee flights were canceled, troops were moving to the border, federal authorities were given permission to arrest people in or near schools and churches, and the pool of undocumented immigrants eligible for quick deportation without a judicial hearing was expanded.” Washington Post: Trump shuts off access to asylum, plans to send 10,000 troops to border.

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) “is exploring a run for Arizona governor in 2026, setting up a potential battle on the right to lead one of the nation’s most consequential swing states,” Roll Call reports.