January 24

VP Vance casts tiebreaker vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary

VP Vance casts the tiebreaking vote (51-50) confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense — only the second Cabinet nominee confirmed by tie-break in U.S. history.

Senate confirms Pete Hegseth as defense secretary on Vance tiebreaker

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense on January 24, 2025, by a 51-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaker. Three Republicans -- Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, and Lisa Murkowski -- voted against confirmation alongside all Democrats and independents. Hegseth, a former Fox News host with no government management experience, was the second Cabinet nominee in history to require a vice presidential tiebreaker for confirmation.

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Trump executive order dismantles the NIST AI safety framework

President Trump signed an executive order on artificial intelligence that rescinded Biden-era AI safety guidelines and directed federal agencies to stop using the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. The order prioritized "AI dominance" over safety guardrails, directing agencies to remove restrictions the administration characterized as barriers to innovation. Critics warned removing the voluntary framework undermined the only federal standard guiding responsible AI deployment.

Trump signs executive order creating a FEMA review council

President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14180 on January 24, 2025, establishing the FEMA Review Council to assess the agency and recommend improvements or structural changes. The council was co-chaired by the Secretary of Homeland Security and another senior official, and its mandate included advising the President on whether FEMA should be restructured or have its functions devolved to states. The council held its final public meeting and released its report on May 7, 2026.

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Trump fires 17 inspectors general in a single late-night purge

President Trump fired 17 Senate-confirmed inspectors general in a single weekend night action, eliminating independent oversight at agencies including Defense, Transportation, and State. The mass removal — unprecedented in scale — drew bipartisan condemnation. Experts noted IGs cannot be removed without 30-day congressional notice under a 2022 law, raising immediate legal challenges about whether the firings violated federal statute.

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Trump fires 17 inspectors general in late-night purge

Trump fired at least 17 inspectors general across federal cabinet departments via late-night email, bypassing the 1978 IG Act 30-day notice requirement and the 2022 amendment requiring case-specific reasons. Agencies affected included Defense, State, HUD, VA, Energy, and Transportation. Judge Ana C. Reyes ruled the firings unlawful in September 2025 but declined to reinstate the watchdogs.

Trump moves to restrict mifepristone access and defund Title X clinics

The Trump administration directed the FDA to revisit mifepristone's approval and signaled it would halt Title X family planning funding to clinics that provide or refer for abortions. The moves — coming within days of inauguration — targeted the two largest pillars of federally supported reproductive healthcare. Reproductive rights advocates warned the actions would eliminate abortion medication access in states where it remained legal and shutter clinics serving low-income patients.

DOJ and eight states file antitrust lawsuit against Google over digital advertising technology

The Department of Justice and eight states filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging the company unlawfully monopolized the digital advertising technology industry. The complaint alleges Google monopolized or attempted to monopolize three core markets. These markets include publisher ad servers, ad exchanges, and advertiser ad networks. The lawsuit argues Google eliminated competitors through acquisitions and used its market power to lock in publishers and advertisers. This was the DOJ's second major antitrust suit against Google, following the 2020 case over search practices.

FBI interviews Michael Flynn about Russia contacts

FBI interviews Michael Flynn about Russia contacts..

Flynn lies to FBI about Kislyak sanctions calls

National Security Advisor Michael Flynn met with FBI agents at the White House on January 24, 2017 and denied discussing U.S. sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition. Flynn had discussed sanctions on December 29, 2016, the same day the Obama administration expelled 35 Russian diplomats. Acting Attorney General Sally Yates warned the White House that Flynn's false statements left him vulnerable to Russian blackmail. Flynn resigned 24 days later and eventually pleaded guilty twice to making false statements to federal investigators.

Tom Ridge sworn in as first Secretary of Homeland Security

Tom Ridge is sworn in as the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. President Bush praises Ridge as a decisive executive who knows how to solve problems. Ridge leads the newly consolidated department of more than 170,000 federal employees. DHS officially becomes operational, implementing a reorganization plan that brings together FEMA, TSA, Coast Guard, Customs Service, Secret Service, and Border Patrol. Bush emphasizes that under Ridge leadership, the overriding mission is protecting Americans from terrorism and natural disasters.

Homeland Security Act moves the ATF to DOJ and requires a Senate-confirmed director

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 took effect January 24, 2003, transferring the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from the Treasury Department to the Department of Justice. Simultaneously, the reauthorization of the Patriot Act in 2006 established that the ATF Director must be Senate-confirmed — the first time in the agency's history that its leader required Senate approval. This new confirmation requirement gave the NRA and its Senate allies a veto point over ATF leadership that would produce an 11-year vacancy in confirmed directors.

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