This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.
Marjan Rajabi waters a scorched plant at her Pacific Palisades home, which was destroyed by the Palisades Fire, on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. "It's the hope of rebuilding," Rajabi said. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Firefighters from an Oregon strike team survey damage at a Sunset Blvd. home leveled by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The sun rises behind a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Police pass a commercial building destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A home stands above debris from the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Debris from a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen next to a home still standing in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A home stands next to properties destroyed by the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Metal debris stands at a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A person walks along a beach past homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Intact and destroyed homes from the Palisades Fire sit on a hillside in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Homes along Pacific Coast Highway are seen burned and damaged while a few still stand after the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Damage is seen to a home in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Homes along the Pacific Coast Highway are seen burned by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Inmate firefighters battling the Palisades Fire construct hand line to protect homes along Mandeville Canyon Rd. on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
An American flag hangs behind a commercial building destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A burned out vehicle rests at a destroyed structure during the aftermath of Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
A SoCal Gas employee looks at the destruction during aftermath of the Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Southern California Edison workers remove a charred power pole during aftermath of Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
A home is seen burned out from the Palisades Fire on Pacific Coast Highway, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A swing hangs in front of an intact home and a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A home is seen burned out from the Palisades Fire on the Pacific Coast Highway, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A man takes a photograph of the sunset as he stands next to a burned out home after the Palisades Fire on Pacific Coast Highway, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A statue sits outside a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A burned out neighborhood is seen along Pacific Coach Highway after the Palisades Fire, while several National Guard vehicles line up along the beach, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Pacific Palisades residents affected by the fires stand while parishioners, along with members of the Corpus Christi Catholic Church, pray for them at St. Monica Catholic Church during a service in Santa Monica, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via AP)
A firefighter sets up a hose while fighting the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Kaegan Baron sifts through the rubble of her mother's home after it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Oliver Braren wipes his eyes as he takes a moment from sifting through Kaegan Baron's mother's home after it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Kaegan Baron takes a moment as she sifts through the rubble of her mother's home after it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A firefighter rests as crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Fire retardant covers leaves as crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Kevin Marshall fills a bowl with cat food for Simba, a cat his mother took care of, in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Palisades Fire burns above a home in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Fire retardant covers a backyard in Mandeville Canyon during the Palisades Fire, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
A bowl of cat food and water, placed by Kevin Marshall, sits near his mother's property, which was destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. Marshall placed the bowls for Simba, a cat his mother took care of. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire as it damages a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A person flees from an advancing wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire around a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A field catches fire under a tree during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A pair of firefighters try to protect themselves from flying embers from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters try to protect themselves from flying embers from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters stage in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles,Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
People wait with some belongings while fleeing the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters protect structures from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters protect structures from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
The Palisades Fire ignites behind a liquor store in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A swimmer watches as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Smoke rises from the Palisades Fire as seen from Westwood in Los Angeles, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Saarang Panchavati via AP)
A lone sunbather sits and watches a large plume of smoke from a wildfire rise over the Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Beachgoers watch as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, from the north end of Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A beachgoer walks along the coast as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Firefighters battle the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter protects a structure from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A lone beachgoer walks along the coast as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Smoke rises from the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles as seen from Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Arya Naderi via AP)
A structure burns as firefighters battle the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
A structure burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Large plumes of smoke from the Pacific Palisades fire are seen from Montana Street in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday Jan. 7, 2024. (Tea Price/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Bike riders make their way along the coast as large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Smoke from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades rises over the 405 freeway in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Heavy smoke from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades rises over the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Fire and smoke from the Pacific Palisades fire are seen from south of Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, Calif. Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Tea Price/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
A couple takes photos of a large dark plume of smoke as it passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Residents try to fight the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
A bike rider stops to check out as large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A residence burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Sui Mourad Tabsh wears a mask as she watches the advancing Palisades Fire from her property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Jerome Krausse pushes his mother- in-law in a shopping cart as they evacuate from their home in the Pacific Palisades after a wildfire swept through their neighborhood in Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Residents and firefighters watch as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters prepare for structure protection as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters prepare for structure protection as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters battle the advancing Palisades Fire as it damages a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A line of vehicles crowds the road as residents flee from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Flames from the Palisades Fire descend along a road in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Water is dropped on the advancing Palisades Fire by helicopter in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Smoke from the Palisades Fire fills the air in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter hoses down flames from the Palisades Fire in front of a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter carries a ladder while battling the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Will Adams uses a garden hose to keep flames from damaging his home as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter tries to contain the Palisades Fire from a rooftop in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter tries to contain the Palisades Fire from a rooftop in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighters make a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A residence burns as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Flames rise as the Palisades Fire advances on homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Water is dropped by helicopter on the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Click to Gallery
Marjan Rajabi waters a scorched plant at her Pacific Palisades home, which was destroyed by the Palisades Fire, on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. "It's the hope of rebuilding," Rajabi said. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Firefighters from an Oregon strike team survey damage at a Sunset Blvd. home leveled by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The sun rises behind a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Police pass a commercial building destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A home stands above debris from the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Debris from a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen next to a home still standing in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A home stands next to properties destroyed by the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Metal debris stands at a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A person walks along a beach past homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Intact and destroyed homes from the Palisades Fire sit on a hillside in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Homes along Pacific Coast Highway are seen burned and damaged while a few still stand after the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Damage is seen to a home in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Homes along the Pacific Coast Highway are seen burned by the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Inmate firefighters battling the Palisades Fire construct hand line to protect homes along Mandeville Canyon Rd. on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
An American flag hangs behind a commercial building destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A burned out vehicle rests at a destroyed structure during the aftermath of Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
A SoCal Gas employee looks at the destruction during aftermath of the Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Southern California Edison workers remove a charred power pole during aftermath of Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
A home is seen burned out from the Palisades Fire on Pacific Coast Highway, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A swing hangs in front of an intact home and a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A home is seen burned out from the Palisades Fire on the Pacific Coast Highway, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A man takes a photograph of the sunset as he stands next to a burned out home after the Palisades Fire on Pacific Coast Highway, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A statue sits outside a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A burned out neighborhood is seen along Pacific Coach Highway after the Palisades Fire, while several National Guard vehicles line up along the beach, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Pacific Palisades residents affected by the fires stand while parishioners, along with members of the Corpus Christi Catholic Church, pray for them at St. Monica Catholic Church during a service in Santa Monica, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via AP)
A firefighter sets up a hose while fighting the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Kaegan Baron sifts through the rubble of her mother's home after it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Oliver Braren wipes his eyes as he takes a moment from sifting through Kaegan Baron's mother's home after it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Kaegan Baron takes a moment as she sifts through the rubble of her mother's home after it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A firefighter rests as crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Fire retardant covers leaves as crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Kevin Marshall fills a bowl with cat food for Simba, a cat his mother took care of, in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Palisades Fire burns above a home in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Fire retardant covers a backyard in Mandeville Canyon during the Palisades Fire, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
A bowl of cat food and water, placed by Kevin Marshall, sits near his mother's property, which was destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. Marshall placed the bowls for Simba, a cat his mother took care of. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire as it damages a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A person flees from an advancing wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire around a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A field catches fire under a tree during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A pair of firefighters try to protect themselves from flying embers from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters try to protect themselves from flying embers from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters stage in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles,Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
People wait with some belongings while fleeing the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters protect structures from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters protect structures from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
The Palisades Fire ignites behind a liquor store in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A swimmer watches as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Smoke rises from the Palisades Fire as seen from Westwood in Los Angeles, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Saarang Panchavati via AP)
A lone sunbather sits and watches a large plume of smoke from a wildfire rise over the Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Beachgoers watch as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, from the north end of Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A beachgoer walks along the coast as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Firefighters battle the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter protects a structure from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A lone beachgoer walks along the coast as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Smoke rises from the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles as seen from Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Arya Naderi via AP)
A structure burns as firefighters battle the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
A structure burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Large plumes of smoke from the Pacific Palisades fire are seen from Montana Street in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday Jan. 7, 2024. (Tea Price/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Bike riders make their way along the coast as large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Smoke from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades rises over the 405 freeway in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Heavy smoke from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades rises over the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Fire and smoke from the Pacific Palisades fire are seen from south of Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, Calif. Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Tea Price/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
A couple takes photos of a large dark plume of smoke as it passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Residents try to fight the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
A bike rider stops to check out as large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A residence burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Sui Mourad Tabsh wears a mask as she watches the advancing Palisades Fire from her property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Jerome Krausse pushes his mother- in-law in a shopping cart as they evacuate from their home in the Pacific Palisades after a wildfire swept through their neighborhood in Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Residents and firefighters watch as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters prepare for structure protection as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters prepare for structure protection as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters battle the advancing Palisades Fire as it damages a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A line of vehicles crowds the road as residents flee from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Flames from the Palisades Fire descend along a road in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Water is dropped on the advancing Palisades Fire by helicopter in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Smoke from the Palisades Fire fills the air in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter hoses down flames from the Palisades Fire in front of a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter carries a ladder while battling the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Will Adams uses a garden hose to keep flames from damaging his home as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter tries to contain the Palisades Fire from a rooftop in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter tries to contain the Palisades Fire from a rooftop in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighters make a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A residence burns as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Flames rise as the Palisades Fire advances on homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Water is dropped by helicopter on the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to push out federal employees by offering them financial incentives.
The ruling came hours before the midnight deadline for workers to apply for the deferred resignation program, which has been commonly described as a buyout.
Here's the latest:
Rubio said he had no confusion after meeting with Panama President José Raúl Mulino and canal administrators during his Latin American tour.
“I respect very much the fact that Panama has a process of laws and procedures that they need to follow,” Rubio said.
But he said the United States is obligated to protect the Panama Canal if it comes under attack, and “that treaty obligation would have to be enforced by the armed forces of the United States, particularly the U.S. Navy. I find it absurd that we would have to pay fees to transit a zone that we are obligated to protect in a time of conflict.”
▶Read more on Rubio’s Latin America tour
Secretary of State Marco Rubio seemingly contradicted President Donald Trump on Thursday when talking about the proposal for the U.S. to take over Gaza and relocate Palestinians from the territory, insisting that would just be a temporary move.
“I think that’s just a realistic reality that in order to fix a place like that, people are going to have to live somewhere else in the interim,” Rubio said in a press conference in Santo Domingo with Dominican President Luis Abinader. He said it was “not habitable.”
The U.S. top diplomat and other Trump administration officials has attempted to walk back the idea the president wants the permanent relocation of Palestinians from Gaza.
But Trump earlier on Thursday took to his social media platform to insist the U.S. could take over Gaza without needing to send in troops and that Palestinians would be resettled elsewhere in the region with new and modern homes and “would actually have a chance to be happy, safe and free.”
“There’s no time to lose,” Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said. “The leadership of the United States is essential and irreplaceable.”
Abinader warned Thursday during a press conference with the U.S. Secretary of State that Haiti represents a threat to the U.S. as well as the entire region, and without humanitarian aid, a wave of migrants will leave the violence-wracked country.
Marco Rubio said the only option for the U.S. is to keep supporting the current U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police.
“Haiti’s solution is in the hands of Haiti, its people, its elite, but we’re going to help,” Rubio said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sparred with Hillary Clinton Thursday on the social media site X over the Trump administration’s actions and the plan to have Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency help upgrade aviation safety.
“They have no relevant experience,” Clinton said in response to Duffy’s post about getting help from Musk’s team. “Most of them aren’t old enough to rent a car. And you’re going to let them mess with airline safety that’s already deteriorated on your watch?”
Duffy responded sharply and told Clinton to sit this one out because experienced Washington bureaucrats are the reason the nation’s infrastructure is crumbling.
“I’m returning this department to its mission of safety by using innovative technology in transportation and infrastructure,” Duffy said. “Your team had its chance and failed. We’re moving on without you because the American people want us to make America’s transportation system great again. And yes, we’re bringing the 22-year-olds with us.”
“We encourage federal workers in this city to accept the very generous offer,” Karoline Levitt said.
“They don’t want to come into the office. If they want to rip the American people off, then they’re welcome to take this buyout and we’ll find highly qualified people” to replace them.
The deferred resignation program was orchestrated by Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur serving as a top Trump adviser, to further the Republican president’s goal of remaking the federal government, weakening what his allies describe as the “deep state” that undermined his first term.
Administration officials said they can save taxpayer money by presenting employees with “a valuable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Emails from Elon Musk allies went to a wide swath of the federal government, including a judge overseeing a lawsuit filed to try and block the messages.
U.S. District Judge Randolph Daniel Moss said judges around the country got emails, apparently by mistake, preceding the “fork in the road” message from Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Moss ignored it.
He’s overseeing a court challenge filed by federal employees who allege Musk allies set up a server to send the emails without proper privacy protections, leaving their information vulnerable to hacking.
Moss declined to immediately block any future messages, pointing out to a privacy assessment since been completed by the government.
U.S. District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle on Thursday decried what he described as the Trump administration’s attempt to change the Constitution through an executive order.
Coughenour had previously called the order “blatantly unconstitutional” and two weeks ago issued a 14-day temporary restraining order blocking its implementation.
Thursday’s ruling came a day after a Maryland federal judge issued a nationwide pause in a separate but similar case involving immigrants’ rights groups and pregnant women whose soon-to-born children could be affected.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday it has lifted a pause on permitting renewable energy projects. The nationwide pause had affected at least 168 projects for renewable energy such as wind and solar power. It was intended to comply with an executive order by Trump on “unleashing American energy.″
The Army Corps issues permits for projects on private land that affect wetlands and other waters under the Clean Water Act.
Agency spokesman Doug Garman said the Army Corps received direction Thursday to lift the temporary pause. No reason was given.
Environmental group and clean energy advocates had expressed alarm that a prolonged pause on permitting for solar and wind projects on private lands would have slowed renewable energy development. Trump has issued a similar pause on federal lands and waters as he seeks to expand production of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas and move away from renewable energy.
White House press secretary Karoline Levitt says 40,000-plus federal workers have agreed to resign in exchange for continuing to be paid through Sept. 30.
“We expect that number to increase,” Leavitt said. “We encourage federal workers in this city to accept the very generous offer.”
She spoke as news broke of another federal judge temporarily blocking the plan. The judge ordered the Trump administration to move a midnight deadline for federal employees to take the offer until after a court hearing on Monday.
The Trump administration’s abrupt closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development is removing a key way of showing American goodwill around the world — with millions of lives at stake.
The stop-work order has closed clinics in more than 25 countries where two-thirds of all child deaths occur globally, said Janeen Madan Keller, deputy director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development.
HIV patients in Africa found locked doors at clinics funded through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which is credited with saving more than 25 million lives. In Congo’s conflict zone, American money no longer supports food, water, electricity and basic health care for 4.6 million people. Doctors of the World-Turkey relied on USAID for 60% of its funding in Syria, where it had to shutter 12 field hospitals providing life-saving services.
▶ Read more about the impact on USAID’s global health programs
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to push out federal employees by offering them financial incentives.
The ruling came hours before the midnight deadline for workers to apply for the deferred resignation program, which has been commonly described as a buyout.
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole Jr. in Boston did not express an opinion on the legality of the program. He scheduled a hearing for Monday at 2 p.m. EST.
He also directed administration officials to extend the deadline to apply for the program until after the hearing.
Several labor unions have sued over Trump’s plans, which were orchestrated by Elon Musk, a top adviser. The Republican president is trying to downsize and reshape the federal workforce.
Jamieson Greer, President Donald Trump’s choice to be the top U.S. trade negotiator, promised to pursue the president’s hardline trade policies in testimony Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee. But he faced pushback from senators unsettled by Trump’s unpredictable actions on trade.
Trump’s protectionist approach — involving the heavy use of taxes on foreign goods — will give Americans “the opportunity to work in good-paying jobs producing goods and services they can sell in this market and abroad to earn an honest living,’′ Greer said in remarks prepared ahead of his confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Finance Committee.
As U.S. trade representative, Greer would have responsibility — along with Commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick — for one of Trump’s top policy priorities: waging or at least threatening trade war with countries around the world, America’s friends and foes alike.
▶ Read more about Trump’s pick for U.S. trade negotiator
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared for a photo-op with U.S. senators at the Capitol when a reporter asked the question.
“Mr. Netanyahu, do you think U.S. troops are needed in Gaza to make President Trump’s plan peaceful?”
“No,” he replied, and then press aides shooed journalists from the room.
Trump officials have organized question-and-answer sessions as federal workers decide whether to quit in exchange for several months of pay.
“I know there’s been a lot of questions out there about whether it’s real and whether it’s a trick,” Rachel Oglesby, now chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education, told employees, according to a recording obtained by The Associated Press.
“And it’s exactly what it looks like. It’s one of the many tools that he’s using to try to achieve the campaign promise to bring reform to the civil service and changes to D.C,” she said.
A similar discussion was recorded at the Department of Agriculture.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have all the answers,” said human resources official Marlon Taubenheim. “These are very trying times.”
▶ Read more about Trump’s effort to reduce the federal workforce
President Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary will face her first confirmation test next week.
Linda McMahon is scheduled to go before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Feb. 13. If confirmed, Trump said her top priority will be dismantling the agency, saying he wants McMahon “to put herself out of a job.”
McMahon, 76, is a longtime Trump ally and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. She led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.
President Donald Trump on Thursday blamed last week’s deadly collision of a passenger jet and Army helicopter on what he called an “obsolete” computer system used by U.S. air traffic controllers, and he vowed to replace it.
Trump said during an event that “a lot of mistakes happened” on Jan. 29 when an American Airlines flight out of Wichita, Kansas, collided with an Army helicopter as the plane was about to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, killing all 67 people on board the two aircraft.
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Trump blamed diversity hiring programs for the crash. But on Thursday, he blamed the computer system used by the country’s air traffic controllers.
“It’s amazing that it happened,” Trump said during a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol. “And I think that’s going to be used for good. I think what is going to happen is we’re all going to sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers. Brand new — not pieced together, obsolete.”
▶ Read more about Trump’s response to the crash
Trump is tapping Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead an effort to root out “anti-Christian bias” nationwide.
The president said during the National Prayer Breakfast that the task force would be directed to “immediately halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination.”
It’s envisioned as an office within the White House that Trump said would place a special emphasis on bias within the federal government, “at the DOJ, which was absolutely terrible, the IRS, the FBI — terrible — and other agencies.”
The emergence of X owner Elon Musk as the most influential figure around President Donald Trump has created an extraordinary dynamic — a White House adviser using one of the world’s most powerful information platforms to sell the government’s talking points while intimidating its detractors.
The world’s richest man is using the social media platform as a cudgel and a megaphone for the Republican administration at a time when his power to shape the electorate’s perspective is only growing, with more Americans getting their news from ‘influencers’ online. Musk alone has 215 million followers.
Requests for comment from Musk’s special commission, the Department of Government Efficiency, and X were not returned.
Steven Levitsky, a political scientist at Harvard University and the author of “How Democracies Die,” said “This is a combination of economic, media and political power that I believe has never been seen before in any democracy on Earth.”
▶ Read more about how Musk is wielding his power
IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season will not be allowed to accept the Trump administration’s offer to be paid to quit until after the taxpayer filing deadline.
A letter to IRS employees Wednesday says such workers are exempt until May 15.
Union leaders and worker advocates have criticized the proposal and question whether the Trump administration will honor its terms.
“This country needs skilled, experienced federal employees,” said Doreen Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union. “We are urging people not to take this deal because it will damage the services to the American people and it will harm the federal employees who have dedicated themselves and their career to serving.”
▶ Read more about how Trump’s push to get federal workers to quit affects the IRS
The Trump administration’s decision to close the U.S. Agency for International Development has drawn widespread criticism from congressional Democrats and raised questions and concern about the influence billionaire ally Elon Musk wields over the federal government.
The United States is by far the world’s largest source of foreign assistance, although several European countries allocate a much bigger share of their budgets to aid. USAID funds projects in some 120 countries aimed at fighting epidemics, educating children, providing clean water and supporting other areas of development.
▶ Read more about the global impact of closing USAID
A federal judge is considering next steps in a slow-moving court case over whether to release documents that could spell legal trouble for Prince Harry.
The influential Heritage Foundation sued the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration, seeking to reveal if he lied on his immigration paperwork about past drug use or received special treatment when he and his wife Meghan Markle moved to Southern California.
“People are routinely deported for lying on immigration forms,” Heritage’s attorney Samuel Dewey told reporters after a Wednesday hearing.
▶ Read more about the case involving Prince Harry
Democratic senators are still at it, having talked through the night to protest Trump’s pick of Russ Vought as budget director.
Seizing the Senate floor is one of the remaining tools the minority party has to stonewall a confirmation. Democrats unanimously oppose Vought, a Project 2025 author who is influential in Musk’s DOGE efforts to gut government.
Sen. John Hickenlooper, D. Colo., said his office was flooded with complaints over Trump’s temporary freeze of federal funds, which has since been rescinded and blocked by a court. He said Congress has appropriated this money and the White House cannot unilaterally cut it.
Republicans have the votes to easily confirm Vought once the 30 hours of debate expires Thursday.
Two Elon Musk allies have “read only” access to Treasury Department payment systems, but no one else will get access for now, including Musk himself, under a court order signed Thursday.
It comes in a lawsuit filed by federal workers unions trying to stop the billionaire’s Department of Government Efficiency from following through on what they call a massive privacy invasion.
Two Musk allies, Marko Elez and Tom Krause, have been made “special government employees” and already have access to the system, government attorneys have said.
The temporary order blocks further access by DOGE as U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly considers the case.
President Donald Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)