San Jose:

Following in the footsteps of Panama and Guatemala, Costa Rica also announced on Monday it was willing to receive illegal migrants deported from the United States, who are nationals of other countries. The Central American nation’s presidential office said in a statement that 200 migrants from central Asia and India would be arriving in a commercial flight from the US on Wednesday. 

“The Government of Costa Rica agreed to collaborate with the United States in the repatriation of 200 illegal immigrants to their country,” the Costa Rican president’s office said in a statement, adding that “these are people originating from… Central Asia and India.”

Costa Rica’s Plan

The first set of US deportees will reach Costa Rica on Wednesday aboard a commercial flight, whereupon they will be transported to a Temporary Migrant Care Center near the border with Panama. 

The migrants will then be moved to the countries of their origin.

Costa Rica specified that “the process will be completely financed” by the US government under the supervision of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 

Following Panama and Guatemala’s Footsteps

Costa Rica is the third country in Central America to collaborate on repatriating deported migrants from the United States since President Donald Trump assumed office in Washington on January 20. Panama and Guatemala had previously agreed to a similar arrangement when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited on a recent tour of Latin America. 

Panama received its first repatriation flight with 119 migrants aboard last week, originating from China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere, according to Panamanian officials. None have arrived in Guatemala yet.

Latin America is the original home of most of the United States’ estimated 11 million undocumented migrants, according to a report by AFP. Many had made dangerous journeys, braving treacherous terrain, wild animals and criminal gangs for a chance at a better life.

Trump, however, took a hard line against undocumented migrants during last year’s US election campaign, describing some as “monsters” and “animals.” On his first day in office last month, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern US border and vowed to deport “millions and millions” of migrants.

New Delhi:

In its Union Budget 2025-26, India has significantly slashed customs duties on high-end motorcycles, cars and smartphone parts, a move that seems to give a boost to American companies like Harley-Davidson, Tesla and Apple, after US President Donald Trump called out New Delhi as a “tremendous tariff maker.”

However, according to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, custom duty rationalisation was introduced to ensure the Indian economy becomes aatmanirbhar (self-reliant), and was not a signal amid Mr Trump’s tariff announcements. 

“We are looking at our own economy. We are looking to strengthen the foundation of the Indian economy, to make it a manufacturing hub,” she said while speaking exclusively to NDTV’s Sanjay Pugalia. 

Harley Davidson To Get Cheaper In India

In her budget speech on Saturday, Ms Sitharaman announced that import duty on high-end motorcycles, with an engine capacity of up to 1,600 cc, which are imported as completely built-up (CBU) units, will see a reduction of 10 per cent to 40 per cent as against 50 per cent earlier. 

Per the Union Budget 2025-26, the import duty on semi-knocked down (SKD) kits has been slashed to 20 per cent versus 25 per cent earlier. Moreover, the completely knocked down (CKD) units will now be taxed 10 per cent, against 15 per cent earlier.

The move will boost the import of quintessentially American Harley-Davidson motorcycles into India– high tariffs on which has long been a bone of contention between India and the US.

Harley-Davidson entered Indian markets in 2010 as part of the “mangoes for motorcycles” deal signed between India and the US in 2007. However, the American motorbike maker exited India about a decade later, in September 2020, as part of its broader additional cutbacks.

But a month later, Harley-Davidson motorcycles returned to Indian markets after MotoCorp Ltd formed a non-equity partnership with the American brand to make and sell its bikes in India. Today, Hero MotoCorp makes and sells the Harley-Davidson 440X-the smallest motorcycle in the company’s lineup. 

During his first term in the White House, Mr Trump had raised the issue of 50 per cent import duty on Harley Davidson and said it was “unacceptable”.

Move To Attract Tesla?

Separately, Ms Sitharaman announced that the tariff rate on luxury cars, including station wagons and racecars, priced above $40,000 has been slashed to 70 per cent from 125 per cent levied earlier. She also announced that basic customs duties for the lithium-ion batteries used for electric vehicles in India have been totally scrapped.

A majority of the abovementioned EV makers are already present in India and are developing automobiles for Indian roads. But, the move could be an incentive for American companies like Tesla, which had been greatly eyeing the vast and emerging Indian EV market.

In April 2024, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made plans to visit India and meet PM Modi, sparking speculation of an investment into the country. However, he cancelled the visit due to his “very heavy Tesla obligations.”

The Apple Story

In budget 2025-26, Ms Sitharaman announced that 28 items in mobile phone battery production have been exempted from customs duty that arrive from countries like the US or China. The move is aimed at reducing the cost of mobile phones and accessories in India. It will also help boost local production, especially as India steadily evolving to become the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer.

America’s Apple will benefit greatly from this import tax slash. According to a Reuters report, Apple has captured a 23 per cent share in total revenue during 2024. 

India Jumping Hoops Amid Trump’s Tariff Threats?

With US President Trump looking to prioritise local industry under his “America First” trade policy, India’s latest move around import tax is being viewed as a strong signal to the American administration, as it seeks an assurance that the US will not raise taxes or impose additional trade barriers against Indian products.

Earlier, Trump had claimed that India imposes the highest tariffs on foreign goods among major economies and had threatened to introduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian products. He has also threatened to impose 100% tariffs on countries within the BRICS bloc–including India– if they attempted to move away from using the US dollar.

It is speculated that with tax cuts on imports, India is also aiming to take advantage of the US-China trade war and increase its own share of global supply chains. Trump tariffs are becoming global trade disruptors, leaving the market uneasy. With import tax cuts, India would be able to deal better with an otherwise unpredictable year, according to a Reuters report.

Washington DC:

US President Donald Trump said Monday he had signed an executive order ridding the military of what he called “transgender ideology,” in a potentially major setback for LGBTQ rights.

In a series of orders related to the military that Trump told reporters he had signed on Air Force One, he also called for the building of a US version of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

The Republican signed further orders reinstating service members dismissed for refusing to take the Covid vaccine, and extending a wider government crackdown on diversity programs to the armed forces.

“To ensure that we have the most lethal fighting force in the world, we will get transgender ideology the hell out of our military,” Trump told a Republican congressional retreat earlier in Miami.

Trump has previously promised to bring back a ban on transgender troops, but it was not immediately clear what specific steps were contained in the new order, which has not yet been published.

A White House official with him said the order involved “eliminating gender radicalism in the military.”

Trump’s orders came at the start of his second week back in the White House and on the day a welcome ceremony was held at the Pentagon for his new defense secretary, military veteran and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth.

“Thank you for your leadership Mr President. We will execute!” Hegseth — who was confirmed last week despite concerns over his inexperience, and alleged record of heavy drinking and domestic violence — said on X.

Transgender Americans have faced a roller coaster of changing policies on military service in recent years, with Democratic administrations seeking to permit them to serve openly while Trump has repeatedly sought to keep them out of the ranks.

The US military lifted a ban on transgender troops serving in the armed forces in 2016, during Democrat Barack Obama’s second term as president.

Under that policy, trans troops already serving were permitted to do so openly, and transgender recruits were set to start being accepted by July 1, 2017.

‘Patriots’

But the first Trump administration postponed that date to 2018 before deciding to reverse the policy entirely, sparking criticism from rights groups.

Trump claimed that transgender service members were disruptive, expensive and eroded military readiness and camaraderie among troops.

Trump’s Democratic successor Joe Biden moved to reverse the restrictions just days after he took office in 2021, saying all Americans qualified to serve should be able to do so.

While the number of transgender troops in the American military is fairly small — with estimates of some 15,000 out of more than two million uniformed service members — their dismissal would reduce US forces at a time when the country is already facing difficulties recruiting new personnel.

Biden’s outgoing defense secretary Lloyd Austin appeared to criticize Trump’s plans during a farewell address earlier this month, saying: “Any military that turns away qualified patriots who are eager to serve is just making itself smaller and weaker.”

Transgender issues have roiled US politics in recent years, as states controlled by Democrats and Republicans have moved in opposite directions on policies ranging from medical treatment to what books on the topic are allowed in public or school libraries.

Trump has meanwhile repeatedly promised to build a version of the Iron Dome system that Israel has used to shoot down missiles fired by Hamas from Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

But he ignored the fact that the system is designed for short-range threats, making it ill-suited to defending against intercontinental missiles that are the main danger to the United States.

“We need to immediately begin the construction of a state-of-the-art Iron Dome missile defense shield,” Trump said in Miami, adding that it would be “made right here in the USA.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Rio de Janeiro:

The Brazil government has expressed outrage and said it would demand an explanation from the Donald Trump administration, after dozens of immigrants who were deported from the United States, arrived by plane in handcuffs. Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said the treatment mated to immigrants during the fight home was a “flagrant disregard” of human rights.

The controversy comes as Latin America grapples with US President Donald Trump’s hard-line anti-immigration agenda. Since returning to power a week ago, Trump has implemented his crackdown plans on irregular migration and mass deportations, with several planes flying in illegal immigrants to different countries like Guatemala and Brazil. 

When one such plane landed in Brazil’s northern city of Manaus, authorities reportedly found that 88 Brazilians who were aboard the aircraft, were in handcuffs. They ordered US officials to “immediately remove the handcuffs,” Brazil’s justice ministry said in a statement.

Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski told President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of “the flagrant disregard for the fundamental rights of Brazilian citizens,” the statement said.

BRAZIL SLAMS HANDCUFFS ON DEPORTEES—TRUMP ADMIN UNMOVED

Brazil called the use of handcuffs on deportees “blatant disrespect,” demanding their removal mid-flight during an unexpected landing in Manaus.

The Trump administration, now ramping up mass deportations, sees the… https://t.co/C1DdUEQCIB pic.twitter.com/N0jKCp7yHK

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 26, 2025

Brazil will request “explanations from the US government about the degrading treatment of passengers” on the Friday night flight, the foreign ministry said on X.

The American Nightmare

Among the Brazilians who were on the flight was Edgar Da Silva Moura, a 31-year-old computer technician. Before being deported, he was in detention in the United States for seven months.

“On the plane, they didn’t give us water, we were tied hands and feet, they wouldn’t even let us go to the bathroom,” he told news agency AFP.

“It was very hot, some people fainted,” Moura said.

Twenty-one-year-old Luis Antonio Rodrigues Santos, who was also on the flight, recounted the “nightmare” of people with “respiratory problems” during “four hours without air conditioning” due to technical issues on the plane.

“Things have already changed (with Trump), immigrants are treated as criminals,” he said.

The flight was originally destined for the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte but encountered a technical issue forcing it to land in Manaus.

Flight Not Part Of Trump’s Plan

A government source told AFP the deportation flight was not directly linked to any immigration orders issued by Trump upon taking office but rather stemmed from a 2017 bilateral agreement.

Brazil’s Minister of Human Rights, Macae Evaristo, told journalists that “children with autism … who went through very serious experiences” were also on the flight.

Footage on Brazilian television showed some passengers descending from the civilian aircraft, with their hands handcuffed and their ankles shackled.

“Upon learning of the situation, President Lula ordered that a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) aircraft be mobilized to transport the Brazilians to their final destination, in order to ensure that they could complete their journey with dignity and safety,” the justice ministry said.

A Brazilian government source told AFP that the deportees who arrived in Manaus travelled “with their documents”, which shows that they agreed to return home.

Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

Trump promised a crackdown on illegal immigration during the election campaign and began his second term with a flurry of executive actions aimed at overhauling entry to the United States. On his first day in office, he signed orders declaring a “national emergency” at the southern US border and announced the deployment of more troops to the area while vowing to deport “criminal aliens.”

Several deportation flights since Monday have garnered public and media attention, though such actions were also common under previous US presidents.

In a break with prior practice, however, the Trump administration has begun using military aircraft for repatriation flights, with at least one landing in Guatemala this week. The United States also expelled 265 migrants to Guatemala on Friday.

There are an estimated 11 million undocumented migrants in the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security statistics.

Washington DC:

President Donald Trump is considering changing a key U.S. trade benefit to other nations, the “de minimis” exemption on import tariffs, as he accuses China of unfair trade practices and blames it for a crisis over the deadly drug fentanyl.

His predecessor Joe Biden, in one of his last acts as president on Friday, proposed curbing the “loophole”. Trump indicated on his first day in office that de minimis was unlikely to survive in the U.S. for long, at least in its current state.

WHAT IS DE MINIMIS?

De minimis, a legal term referring to matters of little importance, describes the US waiver of standard customs procedures and tariffs on imported items worth less than $800 that are shipped to individuals.

It is one of the most generous such exemptions in the world: the EU de minimis threshold, for example, is 150 euros ($156).

The U.S. has used de minimis since 1938 to reduce administrative burdens. During Barack Obama’s presidency, Congress quadrupled the waiver from $200, facilitating an explosion in the number of exempted packages entering the country. Shipments claiming de minimis have soared more than 600% over the past decade to over 1 billion items in fiscal 2023, according to Customs and Border Protection data.

WHY IS DE MINIMIS CONTROVERSIAL?

Contentions largely concern U.S. trade imbalances and the synthetic opioid fentanyl – which is fuelling a national epidemic that killed nearly 75,000 people in 2023.

Reuters reporters last year found they could easily import the core precursors for at least 3 million fentanyl tablets – with a potential street value of $3 million – at a cost of $3,607.18. The shippers successfully mislabelled the packages as, for instance, electronics.

Legitimate products too are controversial as Trump ramps up his rhetoric against China, with which the U.S. has its largest bilateral trade deficit, at $279 billion as of 2023.

Big beneficiaries of de minimis include online retailers that ship goods mainly from China, such as Shein, PDD Holdings-owned Temu and Alibaba’s AliExpress. Their growth prompted U.S. rival Amazon to start its own discount service, Haul, allowing marketplace merchants to ship $5 accessories and other items directly from China using de minimis.

Shein declined to comment on possible changes to U.S. de minimis policy. In 2023 the company called for de minimis reform “to create a level, transparent playing field – where the rules are applied evenly and equally”. Temu, AliExpress and Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.

Critics of de minimis also say it lets companies evade tariffs on Chinese goods and customs inspections under a law banning products made with forced labour.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

On Monday, the Trump administration published an “America First Trade Policy” memo ordering the Treasury, Commerce and Homeland Security departments and the U.S. Trade Representative to assess the reduction in revenues and the risks from importing “counterfeit products and contraband drugs” under de minimis.

Trump instructed the agencies to “recommend modifications as warranted to protect both the revenue of the United States and the public health by preventing unlawful importations”, without specifying what changes could be considered.

China has said it is willing to maintain communication with the U.S. to “properly handle differences and expand mutually beneficial cooperation”, and seeks stable and sustainable ties with Washington.

Outside the U.S., the EU is discussing changing the bloc’s de minimis rules, while Mexico recently effectively scrapped its de minimis threshold for packages arriving from countries other than Canada and the U.S.

CHINA GDP IMPACT

China exported $240 billion in direct-to-consumer goods benefiting from de minimis worldwide last year, accounting for 7% of its overseas sales and contributing 1.3% of gross domestic product, according to Nomura estimates.

The brokerage forecasts that eliminating the U.S. threshold would slow Chinese export growth by 1.3 percentage points and GDP growth by 0.2 point, with a significantly bigger hit if Europe and Southeast Asia also removed their minimum requirements for customs duties.

China’s most exposed sectors include apparel, which makes up 35% of China’s direct-to-consumer exports by value, consumer electronics at 22%, home decor at 17% and beauty products at 7%, Nomura reckons.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington DC:

The recent wildfires have left Los Angeles — the second-largest city in the United States and home to the country’s rich and famous — in rubble. Images taken from the air show block after block of greyish-brown ash, with just skeletal remains of homes, restaurants and shops left behind in the once-thriving neighbourhood. 

The two fires that broke out on January 7 have burned an area nearly the size of Washington, DC, according to the California Fire Department. The blaze, one of the most destructive natural disasters in Southern California, has killed at least 28 people and damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures. 

(Source: Reuters)

While the appalling destruction in upscale Pacific Palisades and Malibu in the west has made most of the headlines, Altadena in the east has suffered even more.

Images of fire-damaged areas, taken from a helicopter, show some stone chimneys and trees standing defiantly tall in Altadena, the city that bore the brunt of the Easton Fire.

(Source: Reuters)

Several backyard swimming pools, burnt-out cars and twisted metal from homes were also visible from the sky.

(Source: Reuters)

To the west, the Palisades Fire created a scar in the hillside where the upscale enclave offered postcard-perfect views of the Pacific Ocean.

(Source: AFP)

Driven by an extreme autumn drought and fierce Santa Ana winds, the fires turned the dry hills of Los Angeles into kindling, fuelling a relentless inferno that has raged for more than a week. As of Wednesday, the Eaton Fire was 91 per cent contained and the Palisades Fire was 68 per cent contained, according to a report by Reuters.

But as firefighters were bust containing the previous two infernos, plumes of smoke rose from a new fire north of Los Angeles in Hughes. The new rapidly spread to 9,400 acres (38 square km), forcing mandatory evacuation orders for more than 31,000 people on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the fire, but it occurred during red flag fire conditions — when meteorologists say strong winds and low humidity create conditions ripe for rapid fire spread.

Washington DC:

Donald Trump, who is set to take charge as the 47th President of the United States of America, reached Washington on Sunday morning, ahead of his inauguration ceremony marking his return to the White House. The incoming President’s inaugural weekend began with a star-studded 500-member reception at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, which included his cabinet nominees Pete Hegseth and Lee Zeldin.

The incoming commander-in-chief posted a nearly 15-minute video from the event showcasing him and First Lady Melania standing beside each other on a balcony at his golf club and applauding the massive pyrotechnic display. Towards the end of the video, the soon-to-be President can be seen shaking his leg and performing one of his signature dance moves in front of the crowd.

Trump Inauguration Gala Details 

Celebrations Start -Mr Trump’s inaugural ceremony includes 18 galas, with three official events that the Present-elect is expected to attend. The celebrations kicked off with a gala at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia on Sunday. Following this, the President-elect arrived in Washington DC, where he’s expected to participate in a rally and a candlelit dinner with supporters today. 

On Sunday alone, Mr Trump is scheduled to hold a major “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” at Capital One Arena for his supporters. This will be the first such event in the US capital that Mr Trump will address since his speech at the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, which led to the Capital riots. Later in the evening, he is also scheduled to attend a candlelight dinner with his supporters.

The Inauguration Ceremony-  Mr Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States at 12 pm EST (10:30 pm IST) on Monday as the US Constitution mandates that each new president’s term begins at noon on January 20 (or the day after if it falls on a Sunday). The oath is most often administered by the Supreme Court chief justice, and Monday would mark John Roberts’s second time officiating for Trump.

The First Address- The new president is then expected to deliver an inaugural address, laying out his plans for the next four years. The Republican rang in his first term in 2017 by evoking “American carnage.” Incoming vice president JD Vance will also be sworn in during the event.

Inaugural Luncheon- Following the ceremony, the President, along with their spouse, Vice President, Senate leaders, and distinguished guests, would be escorted to Statuary Hall in the US Capitol for a celebratory luncheon hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). 

Oval Office Signings- In the first act as the President after taking the oath, Mr Trump is likely to participate in a traditional signing of executive orders, officially beginning his second administration. The incoming President has pledged to fulfil a number of his poll promises on Day 1 by signing executive orders, but it is not clear what issues will be first up. Mr Trump is likely to reinstate some executive orders from his first term that President Biden had revoked.

Inaugural Balls- The signing in the Oval Office will be followed by three official inaugural balls on Monday evening. Mr Trump is expected to attend all three galas — the Commander in Chief Ball, the Liberty Ball and the Starlight Ball. More than a dozen other events are also planned.

National Prayer Service- Mr Trump will be hosted by the Washington National Cathedral, the sexy day after his inauguration at 11 am (9:30 pm IST) on Tuesday for an interfaith prayer service. The service will mark the official conclusion of the inauguration celebrations.

Change In Swearing-In Venue

While US presidents traditionally assume their powers outdoors in front of the Capitol building, with a large crowd of spectators witnessing the ceremony, Mr Trump on Friday said he would move the event inside the Capitol Rotunda amid forecasts of extreme cold.

Crowd size is a preoccupation of  Mr Trump’s, but the last-minute switch to an indoor event may dent his bragging rights. More than 220,000 tickets were being distributed to the public before the incoming President’s announcement of shifting the venue to the Capitol Rotunda, which can accommodate only about 600 people.

Trump said supporters could watch a live feed from Washington’s Capital One sports arena, which holds up to 20,000 — and he promised to drop in later. “This will be a very beautiful experience for all,” the president-elect said.

Presidential Parade 

The president’s inaugural parade will be held inside for the first since 1985. The parade, which has followed the presidential entourage down Pennsylvania Avenue as far back as 1805, will march on inside Capital One Arena on Monday.

The move comes after Mr Trump on Friday announced that he would take oath and deliver his inaugural address inside the US Capitol Rotunda and promoted Capital One Arena as essentially a massive watch party venue for his oath of office and inaugural address

Musical Affair

Mr Trump’s inauguration 2.0 will be a star-studded affair, with country star Carrie Underwood singing “America the Beautiful” during the swearing-in ceremony.

Also performing will be country singer Lee Greenwood, whose patriotic anthem “God Bless the USA” is standard at Trump rallies.

A pre-inauguration rally on Sunday will include a performance by the Village People, whose 1970s-era “Y.M.C.A.” is another Trump event staple, in addition to Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus. Country musicians including Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts and Gavin DeGraw plus the Village People will perform across Trump’s three official inaugural balls.

Inaugural Lunch

The event became an integral part of the day’s events in 1897, when the Senate Committee on Arrangements arranged a meal for President William McKinley, symbolizing the transition of power and the beginning of a new administration.

The menu for Donald Trump’s 2025 Inaugural Luncheon has not been revealed yet, but it is likely to follow patterns of previous occasions and may include the great American classic cuisines. As Mr Trump reportedly enjoys simple, savoury meals, he might include steak with some lobster, together with exquisite sweets. The Gulf shrimp and regional American flavours were part of his inauguration in 2017.

Guest List

The Republican has invited a number of tech titans to attend the inauguration, joining more traditional guests such as his cabinet nominees. Billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will attend as will Shou Chew, the head of Chinese social media giant TikTok, according to US media.

Mr Trump has courted closer ties with the tech moguls, and his campaign benefited from disinformation spread on social media platforms such as TikTok, Musk’s X and Zuckerberg’s Facebook and Instagram.

Outgoing President Joe Biden will also attend the ceremony — despite Trump’s refusal to appear at Biden’s swearing-in when he beat Trump in 2020. All living former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — will attend, as will their wives, except for Michelle Obama.

That means Hillary Clinton, whom Trump beat in the 2016 presidential election, in addition to Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he beat in November, will be there. 

Heads of state are not traditionally invited, but Trump has sent invitations to a handful of foreign leaders, including some who share his right-wing politics. Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend, her office confirmed Saturday.

Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Argentine President Javier Milei and China’s Xi Jinping have also been invited, but not all will attend. 

Executive Orders

Mr Trump said he is preparing to sign multiple executive orders as early as his first day in office, aimed at undoing many of the Biden administration’s policies.

Among other promises, he has pledged to launch a mass deportation program and increase oil drilling. He has also said he might immediately begin pardoning January 6 rioters, his followers who ransacked the Capitol in 2021. Immediately after the inauguration a meeting is planned between US officials and foreign ministers from Japan, India and Australia, the so-called “Quad” which the Biden administration saw as a counterweight to an assertive China. 

Washington DC:

Outgoing US President Joe Biden warned Americans about a “dangerous concentration of power” among a few wealthy people in the United States and urged them to “stand guard” against threats from oligarchs, disinformation and AI in a future under Donald Trump as he delivered a farewell address on Wednesday ahead of stepping down next week.

In a brief Oval Office speech, the Democrat touted his achievements in steering the US economy out of the deep crisis inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic and said he had made the nation’s alliances abroad stronger.

In a veiled reference to incoming President Trump’s close ties to billionaire Elon Musk and other tycoons, he said an “oligarchy is taking shape in America” — and “a dangerous concentration of power.”

“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedom and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.

It’s been the privilege of my life to serve our nation for over 50 years.

I’ve given my heart and soul to you, and I’ve been blessed a million times in return with the love and support of the American people.

Join me as I deliver my farewell address. https://t.co/DRr4U4sa7B

— President Biden (@POTUS) January 16, 2025

He said the ultra-rich people around Trump represent a concentration of “extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy.”

Recalling the warning issued by former president Dwight Eisenhower in his own farewell address in 1961 about the dangers of an out-of-control military-industrial complex, he said, “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex.”

The President also warned that Americans are succumbing to misinformation and that press freedoms are deteriorating and noted a “crumbling” media means people are increasingly vulnerable.

“Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power,” he said, adding that “the free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing.”

He said that social media is giving up on fact-checking. “The truth is smothered by lies- told for the power and profit. We must hold the social platforms accountable to protect our children, our families and our very democracy, from the abusive power,” he said.

Also clearly referring to Trump’s plans to roll back environmental protections and withdraw from a major international global accord on combating global warming, Biden said “powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we’ve taken to tackle the climate crisis, to serve their own interest for power and profit.”

Naming another increasingly global challenge, Biden said artificial intelligence “is the most consequential technology of our time” that could bring huge benefits but also poses “risks for our economy and our security, our society.”

He noted that after eight months of nonstop negotiation by his administration, a ceasefire and hostage deal had been reached by Hamas.

The President is leaving office with a low approval rating – though higher than his predecessor and successor did. Biden’s term officially ends on January 20 with Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The special grand jury that investigated efforts by Donald Trump and others to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results recommended indictments against twice as many people as the 19 ultimately charged by prosecutors, leaving South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham among those not indicted.

The grand jurors’ report released Friday showed they recommended charges against 39 people, including Graham, former U.S. Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Released at the request of the special grand jury, the report provides insight into one of the most expansive investigations into Mr. Trump, who is also facing two federal indictments along with unrelated state charges in New York City. While critics have accused Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of launching an unwieldy, overly broad case, the report suggests she used her discretion to streamline the case.

There are many reasons Willis might have chosen not to charge all those recommended, including immunity deals with some, federal protections for others or insufficient evidence to prove charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

The special grand jury included Mr. Graham’s name in a section about “the national effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election,” which Mr. Trump, the incumbent Republican, lost to Democrat Joe Biden. The South Carolina senator, who was chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time, called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger shortly after the November election, and Mr. Raffensperger has said Mr. Graham asked him whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots.

Mr. Perdue and Mr. Loeffler were sitting U.S. senators who had failed to win enough votes in the November 2020 general election and were forced into a January 2021 runoff, which they both ultimately lost to Democratic challengers. In the weeks after the election, they were vocal in their criticism of Mr. Raffensperger, going so far as to call for his resignation.

In an interview on a right-wing cable news channel in mid-December 2020, Mr. Flynn said Mr. Trump “could take military capabilities” and place them in swing states and “basically rerun an election in each of those states.” He also traveled to the South Carolina home of conservative lawyer Lin Wood in November 2020, where Mr. Wood has said meetings were held to discuss possible ways to influence the election results in Georgia and elsewhere. The special grand jury also recommended charges for Wood.

Mr. Trump, the early front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, blasted the report on his Truth Social site, saying, “They wanted to indict anybody who happened to be breathing at the time.”

Mr. Graham, who has denied any wrongdoing, said, “It should never be a crime for a federal elected official, particularly the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who will have to vote to certify a presidential election, to question and ensure the integrity of that election.”

Mr. Loeffler, who has stayed involved in politics by founding and funding a Republican-aligned group called Greater Georgia, said she was speaking up for people who felt disenfranchised in the 2020 election. “Trying to jail your party’s leading political opponent ahead of 2024 is election interference. Speaking out in defense of election integrity is not,” she said on social media website X (formerly Twitter).

Mr. Flynn pointed to his lawyer Jesse Binnall’s post on X: “General Michael Flynn will continue to fight for the truth, for America First principles, and for Donald Trump’s return to The White House in 2024.”

Mr. Wood, who spoke before the special grand jury after receiving a subpoena, said he did nothing wrong: “It seems unfair to me that I get smeared as someone that is recommended for indictment when the people with the power to look at the evidence and indict did not indict me.”

Representatives for Mr. Perdue didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The special grand jury foreperson, Emily Kohrs, spoke of her experience in an interview with The Associated Press in February that was followed by interviews in other print and television news outlets. She said the panel recommended multiple people be indicted but declined to name names, citing a judge’s decision not to release the full report at that time.

While Mr. Kohrs’ whirlwind media tour was attacked by Mr. Trump’s lawyers at the time and raised fears among some Mr. Trump critics that it could jeopardize the investigation, the judge overseeing the special grand jury made clear that grand jurors are free to talk about anything but their deliberations.

The panel spent seven months hearing from some 75 witnesses before completing a report in December with recommendations for Mr. Willis on charges.

The release of the identities of people recommended for indictment is a departure from ordinary grand jury protocol, which dictates that prosecutors do not disclose the names of individuals investigated but not charged so as to prevent potentially innocent subjects from being unduly maligned.

Special grand juries in Georgia are relatively uncommon and are essentially an investigative tool. They can subpoena witnesses and evidence but do not have the power to bring an indictment. Instead, they can produce a report with recommendations that are not binding on a district attorney, who can then seek an indictment from a regular grand jury.

The special grand jury’s report is based on the testimony of the witnesses prosecutors called and the evidence they presented over about seven months last year. In their report, the grand jurors made clear that the panel “contained no election law experts or criminal lawyers.”

Of the 19 people ultimately indicted, only one was not included in the special grand jury’s recommendations. A former White House aide who served as the director of Trump’s Election Day operations, Michael Roman, was involved in efforts to put forth a set of fake electors after the 2020 election.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ordered the partial release of the report in February but declined to immediately release the panel’s recommendations on who should or should not be prosecuted. The judge said at the time that he wanted to protect people’s due process rights.

Mr. McBurney said in a new order filed Aug. 28 that the due process concerns were moot since a regular grand jury had indicted Trump and 18 other people under the state’s anti-racketeering law. All have pleaded not guilty.

Many of those indicted — including former New York Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows — are known to have testified before the special grand jury. Mr. Trump was never called.

The parts of the report previously released in February included its conclusions, as well as a section with the grand jurors expressing concerns that one or more witnesses may have lied under oath and urging prosecutors to seek charges for perjury.