The Bulletin

• Costco takes stand against Trump: Costco Wholesale shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that had urged it to evaluate the risks of maintaining its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives after President Donald Trump moved to dismantle DEI efforts. Here's what you need to know.

• US and Chinese aircraft carriers in Pacific: A United States nuclear-powered aircraft carrier continued to patrol the South China Sea this week, following a bilateral naval exercise with Washington's ally the Philippines. See the map.

• Backlash over ICE raids in Arizona: President Donald Trump is facing mounting resistance in Arizona after lifting restrictions on immigration enforcement, allowing agents to target sensitive locations like schools, churches and hospitals.
• Winter weather warnings: The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for parts of California and Alaska, where up to 22 inches of snow could be recorded in some areas. Lower winter weather advisory notes are also in place for seven other states. See if this impacts you.

• Retirement age: The majority of Americans expect retirement age in the United States to increase, an exclusive Newsweek poll has revealed.

• GenZ's tax problem: A recent survey has sought to find out how well Americans understand taxes, and the results show a worrying lack of understanding from younger generations.

The rundown: Pete Hegseth eked out a victory Friday night when Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote to deliver him enough votes in the Senate to become the next secretary of defense.

Why it matters: This is only the second time in modern history that the vice president has had to break a tie vote for a Cabinet pick. Hegseth was widely considered the most controversial Cabinet nominee and was dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse ahead of his confirmation vote. The former Fox News host's confirmation comes after months of lobbying for Republican votes. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Hegseth paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of assault.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Five Problems on Marco Rubio's Desk

TL/DR: The former TV host faced further scrutiny when it surfaced that he was accused of sexual assault eight years ago.

What happens now? Hegseth has previously called to get rid of "woke" military leaders and argued that women should not serve in combat roles.

Deeper reading JD Vance Secures Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary with Tie-Breaking Vote

The rundown: President Donald Trump publicly locked horns with Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after touring fire damage in Southern California on Friday. Here's what you need to know.

Why it matters: Trump, who began his second term on Monday, has repeatedly blamed Democratic lawmakers like Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom for the fires, while on Friday floating the idea that he might block federal emergency aid to the state unless it adopts unrelated new voter identification laws. After touring the damage caused by the Palisades Fire, Trump participated in a public emergency fire briefing on Friday. The briefing got tense after Bass brought up allowing residents to quickly rebuild from the damage after clearing "hazardous waste" from properties, prompting Trump to insist that residents were facing a delay of "18 months" to rebuild.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Video Shows Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump's Exchange on Tarmac

TL/DR: Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California have been devastated by a series of major fires that have burned over 50,000 acres in recent weeks, killing dozens of people.

What happens now? California is seeking federal emergency aid from Trump and Congress as it continues to recover from the fires, with several blazes still not fully extinguished. The Palisades fire was at 79 percent containment with an estimated 23,448 acres burned as of Friday night, according to Cal Fire.

Deeper reading Trump Publicly Spars with Karen Bass After Touring Wildfire Damage

The rundown: South Korea's births ticked upward in 2024 for the first time in nine years, according to Seoul earlier this week, but the country's long-term demographic outlook remains grim. Here's how the country plans to tackle the crisis.

Why it matters: South Korean authorities consider the birth rate—the lowest in the world—to be a national emergency, and the more than $200 billion allocated for initiatives since 2006 has done little to reverse the trend. Making matters worse is the country's rapidly aging population. The East Asian country posted 240,000 births last year, according to preliminary estimates, boosting the country's fertility rate to 0.75 from 0.72 in 2023. This modest increase marked the first annual increase since 2015 and slightly exceeded projections of 0.74. A fertility rate of 2.1 births expected per woman's lifetime is considered necessary to sustain a population.

Read more in-depth coverage:
South Korea's Plans To Tackle Population Crisis in 2025

TL/DR: The country's statistics agency has cited the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed marriages and in turn births, as the driving factor.

What happens now? Joo Hyung-hwan, vice chairman South Korea's Presidential Committee on Low Birthrate and Aging Society, pointed out that the population is set to age even faster over the next 15 years, with the proportion of elderly expected to be a whopping 37 percent by 2045.

Deeper reading South Korea Issues Update on Yearslong Birth Rate Crisis

The rundown: President Donald Trump has promised to release the remaining classified documents related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, once again stirring public interest in one of the most debated events in American history. Find out what information it could contain.

Why it matters: This announcement comes more than 61 years after Kennedy's death, an event that continues to captivate the public and fuel widespread conspiracy theories. A poll released in 2022 showed approximately half the country believed there was a larger conspiracy involved in the president's murder, rather than the official narrative of a lone gunman. Newsweek spoke to experts who agreed that the documents are more likely to reveal embarrassing details about intelligence failures rather than concrete evidence of a conspiracy.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Trump's Order Declassifying JFK Files Praised by His Detractors

TL/DR: Trump's pledge to release the remaining JFK assassination records has rekindled debate over what these files might contain.

What happens now? The assassination of President Kennedy remains a defining moment in American history, one that continues to resonate six decades later.

Deeper reading Who Killed JFK? What Trump Document Release Could Reveal 

The rundown: Elon Musk appears to go out of his way to antagonize prominent MAGA figures, but experts suggest this could be beneficial for the movement in the long term as the tech billionaire seeks to impact President Donald Trump's second term.

Why it matters: There have been concerns about how much influence Musk wields over Trump and within the administration. He apparently played a key role in Trump loyalist Vivek Ramaswamy stepping away from co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency, according to Politico. But any fallout between Musk and figures of the MAGA movement risks straining his relationship with the president. "Elon Musk is, by nature, a contrarian," political strategist Denny Salas told Newsweek.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Elon Musk's DOGE Plan Is in Turmoil

TL/DR: Musk drew the ire of historic MAGA figure Steve Bannon after he criticized the $500 billion joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank.

What happens now? "While Elon Musk is certainly a wily creature, he is not wild," Republican communications specialist T.J. McCormack told Newsweek. "He's calculating, but not diabolical. Musk won't destroy his marketplace, which at his level, is the entire damn planet—if not the universe. Musk feeds off the aspirational positivity that characterizes MAGA."

Deeper reading Could Elon Musk Tear MAGA Apart?