Judge Blocks White House Freeze On Federal $$: What We Know
Plus: egg prices soar & immigration crackdown ramps up
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Good morning,
U.S. shoppers are starting to feel the impacts of a national bird flu outbreak. The nationwide average price for a dozen eggs hit $4.15 in December, and the Agriculture Department warns prices could climb another 20% in 2025. And, many of you are telling us you are already not seeing a dozen eggs going for less than $9 where you live!
What’s going on? Over the past few months, farmers have been forced to slaughter millions of chickens due to bird flu (or avian flu) outbreaks — 13 million in the past month alone. That’s driving up egg prices, and leading to shortages at stores.
Since the bird flu outbreak began in the U.S. in 2022, around 140 million birds have been impacted across 50 states.
The virus spreads through droppings, contact between wild birds and farm-raised poultry, or carried onto farms via contaminated equipment or vehicles.
Human infections remain rare, with just over 60 cases in the U.S. last year, and one death reported. Most of the individuals worked closely with infected birds. Human-to-human transmission has not been detected, but health officials are continuing to monitor.
A good time to find new breakfast options!
Mosheh, Jill, Sari, & Lauren
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Ensuring that the car seat is properly installed, that your infant is correctly buckled, and that you are keeping them rear-facing as long as the car seat limits allow can all be life-saving choices.
📌 JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS WHITE HOUSE FREEZE OF BILLIONS IN FEDERAL AID
A federal judge temporarily blocked the White House budget office’s freeze on federal grants and loans, just minutes before it was set to take effect on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET. Nonprofit organizations, small business advocacy groups, and 23 states moved to stop the measure, which was set to impact billions – if not trillions – of dollars in assistance.
Rewind: The memorandum issued late Monday calling for a freeze within 24 hours created widespread confusion in Washington and beyond.
As written, experts said the memo would impact a wide range of federal services, including funding for homeless shelters, health grants from the CDC, disaster reconstruction aid, and nutrition and education programs.
“Any program that provides direct benefits to Americans,” such as Social Security, Medicare, Pell Grants, welfare, and food stamps are not affected, according to the memo.
Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the temporary freeze as a review of federal spending to align with the Trump administration’s agenda.
A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
The exact financial impact of the order remains unclear. Budget experts estimate the freeze could affect tens of billions of dollars, though the memo estimated $3 trillion — the amount it claims was disbursed in fiscal year 2024 for “Federal financial assistance.”
Can Trump do it? Experts note that presidents generally only have the authority to defer spending temporarily, under certain legal conditions.
However, the plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit to block the measure are arguing the move is unconstitutional, as it going against Congress’s authorization of critical funding for approved programs. Congress officially allocates and authorizes spending according the Constitution, so courts have pushed back on White House authority to override that in the past.
Over to Congress, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) condemned the decision on Tuesday, calling it “lawless, dangerous, destructive, cruel,” and unconstitutional.
“In an instant, Donald Trump has shut off billions, perhaps trillions, of dollars that directly support states, cities, towns, schools, hospitals, small businesses, and most of all, families,” Schumer said, arguing the pause is aimed at funding tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy.
Meanwhile, Republicans on Capitol Hill were deferential to the president, saying he has authority to do this, and this is what the majority of Americans voted for. Here is Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota discussing it on Fox News.
What’s next? The federal judge issued a “brief administrative stay” on the Trump directive until Monday, Feb. 3, when there will be another hearing on the matter. Until then, grants and loans will be distributed as normal.
📌 A WEEK IN, TRUMP’S DEPORTATION PLAN RAMPS UP
Just over a week into the Trump administration, deportations appear to be accelerating.
On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined federal agents in New York City for an early morning immigration raid.
Noem shared footage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arresting a man in the Bronx with alleged ties to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, with charges including kidnapping, assault, and burglary.
Raids have also ramped up in other major cities like Denver and Chicago, as well as in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. While ICE agents under Trump are focusing on migrants with criminal records, they are also arresting and deporting people without them — a departure from previous administrations, leaving communities with illegal migrants across the country living in fear.
A LOOK AT THE NUMBES
ICE has reported more than 3,500 arrests since Trump took office just over a week ago. On Monday alone, there were 1,179 arrests, the highest single-day total so far.
Trump’s initial days in office were roughly in line with daily averages seen during the Biden administration’s last year, when ICE arrested approximately 310 people per day and detained around 409.
More to come: Senior ICE officials informed staff over the weekend that each of the agency’s offices would now be responsible for hitting a target of 75 arrests per day — roughly 1,000 to 1,500 daily nationwide.
Some immigration experts think the quota will lead officers to pursue more immigrants with no criminal backgrounds, as these individuals are often easier to locate and arrest.
In the Mo News community, people are sharing stories about arrests in their areas, as well as experiences living as an undocumented immigrant. Some people told us that their parents never told them that they were brought into the country illegally as young children, and only found out later as adults.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Trump starts second term with near-record-low net approval (ABC)
📌 Trump offering buyouts to nearly all federal workers, source says (AXIOS) Text of email with offer (MO NEWS)
📌 Oklahoma Board of Education votes to approve proposal requiring parents to prove citizenship when enrolling students (CNN)
📌 Doctors opposing RFK Jr. rally in the lead-up to his confirmation (NPR) Caroline Kennedy calls cousin, RFK Jr., a 'predator' before HHS hearing (USA TODAY)
📌 Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump shot, killed by Indiana officer for allegedly resisting arrest (FOX)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Colombian air force planes sent to fetch deportees from US (BBC)
📌 Serbia's prime minister resigns as anti-corruption protests grow (AP)
📌 Violence erupts in mineral-rich DR Congo as rebels move into key city (CNN)
📌 EU and Nato take vow of silence on Greenland (FT)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌Google Maps will change the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America (CNN)
📌 'Shrimp fraud' found to be rampant at many Gulf Coast restaurants (USA TODAY)
📌 CNN’s Jim Acosta, an irritant to Trump, says he’s quitting rather than take a late-night time slot (AP)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Justin Baldoni tells Blake Lively he's a 'flawed man' and 'fell short' in apology voice note leaked amid legal battle (PEOPLE)
📌 ‘Mona Lisa’ will get its own room under a 10-year renovation of the Louvre in Paris (CNN)
📌 2025 Super Bowl tickets: Chiefs in record demand, but Eagles fans might be leading the charge to New Orleans (CBS)