Musk says he and Trump have agreed to shut down USAID down. Beyoncé finally wins album of the year at the Grammys. Plus, a look at why egg prices are going up.
Here’s what to know today.
Elon Musk says he and Trump are shutting down USAID
Elon Musk said that he and President Donald Trump were in the process of shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development, escalating their war on the federal bureaucracy and defying the constitutional power of Congress to determine how money is spent. Musk, the head of Trump’s government efficiency initiative, announced the shutdown in the middle of the night in an audio-only appearance on his social media site X.
We’re shutting it down,” he said. At another point, he said “we’re in the process” of “shutting down USAID.”
Musk did not say what legal authority he believed the White House has to shut down a federal agency without congressional approval, or how quickly the administration planned to act. He said the idea had “the full support of the president” and that he had spoken with Trump on the matter several times.
“With regard to the USAID stuff, I went over [it] with him in detail, and he agreed that we should shut it down,” he said. “I actually checked with him a few times [and] said, ‘Are you sure?’” he said. He said that Trump responded, “Yes.”
Trump said yesterday that Musk “is doing a good job,” and criticized USAID as “run by a bunch of radical lunatics,” though Trump did not go so far as to say he planned to shut down the agency, with or without congressional agreement. Musk’s announcement followed an unusual incident in which USAID’s director of security and his deputy were placed on administrative leave after they tried to prevent employees from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing secure USAID systems, five sources told NBC News.
Trump administration officials have discussed placing USAID under the authority of the State Department, according to more than a dozen current and former officials and sources familiar with the discussions.
More politics news:
- Some FBI agents have been sent a 12-question survey about their roles in Jan. 6 cases.
- Trump has played hardball with Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Mexico and Panama — all countries that have traditionally been strong partners with the United States.
- Employees who attended a diversity training course encouraged during Trump’s first term by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have been placed on paid leave, a union official told NBC News.
- Two Democratic senators on the committee that will decide whether to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination say his recent financial disclosure filing gave them “grave concern.”
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem detailed plans to hold migrants at Guantánamo Bay, not ruling out that women and children could be housed there.
Conservatives reignite a battle over race and the Constitution
As part of President Donald Trump’s new war on diversity programs, conservatives are renewing a long-running legal battle over the meaning of the Constitution’s guarantee of “equal protection” that dates back to the post-Civil War era.
Trump’s executive order states that DEI programs aimed at fostering diversity that have become widespread in government and the private sector are “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex- based preferences.”
In some instances, Trump is seeking to overturn decades-old policies aimed at protecting and empowering minority groups, both within and outside of the federal government. At the same time, conservative groups are pursuing court cases challenging policies they view as unlawfully promoting racial preferences. With a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, which has already ended the consideration of race in college admissions, the Trump administration is likely to have a sympathetic audience for race-related cases.
Women (and Kendrick Lamar) dominate the 2025 Grammys
It was finally Beyoncé’s night.
She won her first album of the year Grammy with “Cowboy Carter,” which also won best country album after a whopping 11 nominations. Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammys history, had previously lost the award — considered the most prestigious handed out by the Recording Academy — four times.
“I just feel very full and very honored,” Beyoncé said after she accepted the award. “It’s been many, many years.”
Kendrick Lamar led with five awards for his viral hit “Not Like Us,” including record of the year and song of the year.
Breakout female artists dominated, with pop sensation Chappell Roan winning her first Grammy for best new artist, using her acceptance speech to call on record labels to “offer a livable wage and healthcare.” Doechii and Sabrina Carpenter took home early awards for best rap album and best pop vocal album, respectively. Charli XCX brought “Brat” to the stage for her Grammys debut, snagging two awards in the process.
The Los Angeles fires were a central focus of the 2025 ceremony — Trevor Noah’s opening monologue and multiple musical guests honored the city. Students from high schools that burned in Altadena and the Palisades were also featured on the Grammys stage, singing alongside “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo, legend Stevie Wonder and others in a touching tribute to Quincy Jones. The Grammys and its affiliated charity Musicares raised over $7 million for fire relief throughout the evening, and firefighters helped close out the night.
Hip hop royalty Queen Latifah presented Alicia Keys with The Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for her contributions to the industry and philanthropic sector. The 17-time Grammy winner highlighted the importance of diverse voices in the music space, saying, “DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift.”
Catch up on all of NBC News’ coverage of the Grammys from last night.
Read All About It
- Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, sending shockwaves through the NBA world.
- Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting 6 more weeks of winter— though it turns out the groundhog is wrong more often than not.
- The three soldiers who were on board a Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Eagle jet have been identified.
Staff Pick: The egg price explosion
Why? That’s the question most people ask when they see the prices going up on their everyday needs. And with inflation having been a big part of the election (not to mention President Donald Trump’s campaign promises), it’s crucial for people to get an answer. Here, we wanted to go beyond the why to explain the context — and the reasons that other prices could be going up soon.
— Jason Abbruzzese, assistant managing editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Picking up the right comforter is all about finding the perfect balance between fabric, weight and fill material. Stay warm this season with the best expert recommended comforters. Plus, the NBC Select team’s review of an automatic litter box, which makes cat ownership an odorless breeze.
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