Colombian President Agrees to Accept Deportation Flights After Trump Threatens Tariffs, Travel Ban

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has agreed to allow U.S. military planes carrying deportees to land in the country after initially blocking two flights and denouncing the treatment of deported migrants. The reversal came after former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened severe economic penalties, including a 25% tariff on Colombian imports, financial sanctions, and a travel ban on Colombian officials. The White House confirmed that the threatened tariffs would be "held in reserve" following Petro’s concession, though visa sanctions would remain until the first deportation flight arrived. The dispute underscores the broader tensions over Trump's mass deportation policies and highlights Colombia's economic dependence on the U.S., its largest trading partner.

Notes: The U.S. is Colombia's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totaling $53.5 billion in 2022.

Sources: The New York Times, X, Truth Social

Pete Hegseth Narrowly Confirmed as Defense Secretary

Pete Hegseth, a former Army National Guardsman and Fox News host, was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Defense in a razor-thin 51-50 Senate vote, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie. His nomination faced opposition from Democrats and some Republicans due to allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking, and past controversial statements. Republican senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell voted against him, citing concerns over his qualifications and judgment. Hegseth has pledged to eliminate DEI programs from the military and proposed changes to leadership.

Notes: This was second time in history a vice president’s vote was needed to confirm a cabinet nominee; the first was Betsy DeVos for education secretary in 2017.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

L.A. Now Faces Flash Flood and Mudslide Risks in Wildfire Burn Areas

While rains are expected to ease by Monday evening, the National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that flash floods and mudslides remain a significant threat to wildfire burn scar areas in Los Angeles County. The storm’s center is forecast to pass over the region Monday, bringing the highest risk of intense, localized rainfall. In response, flood watches were issued for areas affected by the Palisades, Eaton, Hughes, Franklin, and Bridge fires. Officials have taken precautionary measures, including deploying 15,000 K-rail barriers and 50,000 sandbags in high-risk zones. Rainfall has varied across the region, with some areas receiving over an inch while others recorded less than a tenth. By Sunday night, flood watches in parts of the Franklin and Palisades burn scars were elevated to flash flood warnings, signaling a heightened risk of debris flows. Part of the Pacific Coast Highway was closed Sunday night due to a mudslide.

Notes: Wildfire burn scars create hydrophobic (water-repellent) soil, increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides during heavy rainfall.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, ABC 7

U.S. Extends Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Agreement

The U.S. announced that the ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Lebanon will remain in effect until February 18, 2025, following Israel’s decision to keep troops in southern Lebanon beyond the initial deadline. Clashes continued on Sunday, with Israeli forces killing 22 people, including a Lebanese soldier, as thousands of displaced Lebanese attempted to return home despite Israeli military orders. Lebanon’s military has accused Israel of delaying its withdrawal. The U.S., Israel, and Lebanon have agreed to begin negotiations over the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023.

Source: Reuters

Chinese DeepSeek AI Disrupts Tech Giants in US with Cost-Effective Models

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has emerged as a major disruptor in the AI industry, challenging dominant players like OpenAI, Google, and Meta with its cost-effective, open-source models. The company was founded in May 2023 by hedge fund and AI expert Liang Wenfeng and operates with financial backing from High-Flyer, a quantitative hedge fund. The company has rapidly released advanced AI models which have sparked a price war in China’s AI market. Utilizing innovative techniques such as reinforcement learning, Mixture-of-Experts architecture, and distillation, DeepSeek has optimized model efficiency while keeping costs very low compared to competitors in the US. DeepSeek-V3 reportedly cost $5.5 million to train. Despite its rapid rise, DeepSeek faces challenges such as a lack of high-end computing resources due to U.S. export restrictions and concerns over censorship. Its impact on the AI industry, however, is undeniable, pushing competitors to lower prices and innovate faster.

Notes: DeepSeek has overtaken ChatGPT on Apple’s app store. DeepSeek’s AI models are subject to Chinese government regulations and some outputs may be censored.

Source: Forbes, Apple

Perplexity AI Wants to Merge with TikTok

Perplexity AI has submitted a revised proposal to merge with TikTok, potentially granting the U.S. government up to 50% ownership of the new entity following an initial public offering of at least $300 million. The proposal, first reported by the Associated Press and confirmed by TechCrunch, builds on an earlier bid to merge Perplexity, TikTok US, and additional equity investors. The revision aligns with feedback from President Donald Trump’s administration, which has pushed for a significant U.S. stake in the social media platform. TikTok briefly went offline last weekend due to a legal requirement forcing its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban. The app resumed service after Trump signed an executive order extending the sale deadline. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the White House is considering alternative deals, including one involving Oracle, though Trump has denied direct discussions with the company.

Notes: Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search engine that provides direct, conversational answers to user queries instead of traditional link-based search results.

Source: TechCrunch