The Bulletin

• Federal DEI staff to be on paid leave: All federal employees in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility offices will need to be placed on paid administrative leave "effective immediately," according to a memo from the Trump Administration on Tuesday.

• In the ongoing war in Ukraine, a growing wave of grieving women follows in its wake. Some shared their stories with Newsweek about how they are trying to piece their broken lives back together. Read their powerful testimonies of finding hope in the face of grief.

• US military flexes air power with North Korea: The United States and South Korea on Tuesday commenced an aerial war game aimed at North Korea as Washington modernizes its air power in its East Asian ally. More details on the war game.

• Jan 6 rioters: The January 6 rioters who received pardons from Donald Trump have a message for the new president. Find out here.

• Student loan debt: Republican lawmakers in Congress have proposed sweeping cuts to federal spending, with student loan forgiveness a key area being targeted. Learn more.

• Weather warnings: The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for nine states, with snow expected in much of the Southeast and parts of the Northwest and Midwest. Here's what to know.

The rundown: Donald Trump's new administration has reversed longstanding policies that restricted immigration enforcement at sensitive locations such as schools, churches, and hospitals. Here are the implications of these policy changes.

Why it matters: This new directive, announced on Tuesday, aims to empower federal immigration officers to arrest migrants at places previously deemed off-limits by guidelines issued over a decade ago. The move is part of Trump's broader agenda to aggressively enforce immigration laws and fulfill his campaign promises of mass deportations. Trump has emphasized that this change would prevent criminals from finding refuge in the sensitive locations. This rollback has alarmed immigrant advocates who argue that it could deter undocumented migrants from seeking essential services, including medical care and education for their children.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Joe Biden's CBP One App for Migrants Immediately Goes Offline

TL/DR: Schools and churches across the country have expressed their commitment to protecting immigrant communities.

What happens now? On Monday, Trump signed a series of executive actions including cutting off access to an app that had enabled the entry of hundreds of thousands of migrants, suspending the refugee program, and promoting increased cooperation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local and state governments.

Deeper reading Trump Administration Will Allow Migrant Arrests at Churches, Schools

The rundown: The Clay Fire in Riverside County, near Los Angeles, has ignited on Tuesday evening, growing to nearly 40 acres and prompting evacuation warnings. Here's a map of the impacted area.

Why it matters: The Clay Fire is the latest fire to erupt as Southern California has been inundated with deadly wildfires in January. In an update by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on Tuesday at 6:49 p.m. PT, the Clay Fire is burning near Pedley Road and Van Buren Boulevard, in Jurupa Valley. The fire is 38 acres and is currently zero percent contained, CAL Fire says. The cause of the fire is also under investigation. An evacuation warning has been issued for these zones, CAL Fire says: JUR-0177, JUR-0178, JUR-0179, JUR-0181. Meanwhile, the Palisades Fire is currently 65 percent contained as of 6:32 p.m. PT on Tuesday.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Lilac Fire Evacuation Map: San Diego County Residents Told to Leave Homes

TL/DR: The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire grew to be the largest, leading to numerous evacuation orders and destroying thousands of structures.

What happens now? The NWS says the red flag warning will expire on Thursday evening.

Deeper reading California Wildfire Map Update as Clay Fire Ignites

The rundown: President Donald Trump has threatened further sanctions against Russia if Vladimir Putin does not agree to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. More about the escalating tensions.

Why it matters: Trump said he was talking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and would have a conversation with his Russian counterpart "very soon," Reuters reported. Trump's comments that Moscow is likely to face further sanctions should it refuse talks to end the war will be leverage to get Putin to the table, especially if they reinforce the latest tranche of U.S. sanctions imposed this month targeting Russia's critical energy exports. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said that his administration was looking into the issue of sending weapons to Ukraine but that the European Union should be doing more to support Kyiv.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Putin Discusses Ukraine Negotiations as Trump Takes Office

TL/DR: On January 10, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Russia's energy sector, officials and sanctions-busting "shadow fleet" vessels.

What happens now? Trump and his team have shifted his rhetoric that the war could be solved within a day to acknowledge the complexities of the conflict, although few details have been revealed on how to achieve that goal. Rubio has said that both sides will have to make concessions, suggesting that Kyiv will also face pressure from the U.S. to agree to talks.

Deeper reading Donald Trump Issues Ukraine Warning to 'Smart' Putin

The rundown: China is facing a demographic crisis, with its population set to shrink significantly over the next century. Learn about how this will impact China's future and global economy.

Why it matters: The government has implemented pro-natal policies, urging women to have more children in response to declining birth rates. This demographic shift threatens China's long-term economic stability, especially as its workforce ages. Despite efforts to modernize its economy, China's growth has slowed, and it faces challenges from the U.S. in the trade war, including tariffs and restrictions on key industries like semiconductors. China's faltering economic growth model and its inability to successfully address deflation are to blame, said George Magnus, an associate at the University of Oxford's China Centre and the former chief economist at UBS.

Read more in-depth coverage:
China Plunges Deeper Into Unprecedented Population Crisis

TL/DR: China's population skyrocketed in the postwar decades until its "one-child policy" was introduced in 1980.

What happens now? China today is four times more populous than the United States. However, United Nations data forecasts China's population will decrease by around 55 percent by the turn of the next century, in contrast to the U.S., which will grow by 18 percent.

Deeper reading Runner-Up: China May Have to Settle for Second Place Behind America

The rundown: As one of his final acts before leaving the Oval Office, Joe Biden issued a sweeping preemptive pardon for Dr. Anthony Fauci, shielding the nation's former top infectious disease expert from possible legal scrutiny in the future. Here's why.

Why it matters: Fauci served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years. During the early days of the pandemic, Fauci played a pivotal role in coordinating the nation's response, often clashing with Trump over unproven public health strategies. Biden backdated the pardon to 2014, a date nearly six years before the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 emerged. The executive order ostensibly shields Fauci from allegations tied to U.S.-funded gain-of-function research in addition to his work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Joe Biden Pardons Give Allies Potential 5th Amendment Headache

TL/DR: "I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics," Biden said in a statement on Sunday, defending his pardons.

What happens now? Though the pardon is not an admission of wrongdoing, critics on the right quickly denounced Biden's decision as an unprecedented political maneuver that could deepen public distrust.

Deeper reading Why Was Dr. Fauci's Pardon Backdated to 2014?