![](https://img.semafor.com/42db91521cfe471582311c8e285e7a0e0054159c-3840x1400.png?rect=2,0,3837,1400&w=1140&h=416&q=95&auto=format) Beltway NewslettersPunchbowl News: Senate Democrats and Republicans are negotiating changes to a House-passed ICC sanctions bill, while tech companies are raising concerns about potentially being affected by sanctions under the legislation as currently drafted. Playbook: A US-Colombia economic war would have been damaging for both countries “given Colombia is both utterly reliant on exports to the US, and also one of the few Latin American countries with which America actually has a trade surplus.” WaPo: Some Democrats would welcome a permanent suspension of the debt ceiling — a goal of President Trump’s — as well. White House- President Trump signed an executive order that takes a first step toward potentially reshaping the Federal Emergency Management Agency by creating a task force to review it and recommend changes, Semafor’s Shelby Talcott scooped.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson invited Trump to address a joint session of Congress on March 4.
Congress- Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., accused President Trump of breaking the law with his firing of 18 independent federal watchdogs.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., faulted Trump for offering pardons to people accused or convicted of violent crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol.
Outside the Beltway Leah Millis/ReutersNational Security- The CIA released an assessment under new director John Ratcliffe favoring the theory that COVID-19 emerged from an accidental lab leak in Wuhan, China. — NYT
- Some Republicans want President Trump to rethink his decision to revoke security protection from former Trump administration officials threatened by Iran.
Foreign Policy- President Trump expressed a desire to “clean out” Gaza and move Palestinian refugees to neighboring Jordan and Egypt, in what would represent a major shift in US policy.
- South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was indicted on insurrection charges related to his move to declare martial law last year.
Technology- The Trump administration is in talks about a potential plan to preserve access to TikTok in the US that would see Oracle and other outside investors “effectively take control of the app’s global operations.” — NPR
- Meanwhile, Perplexity AI has unveiled a new bid for TikTok that would see the US government take a stake of up to 50%.
Media- A post-inauguration spike in traffic for many media outlets suggests another potential “Trump bump,” Semafor’s Max Tani writes.
Principals TeamEdited by Morgan Chalfant, deputy Washington editor With help from Elana Schor, senior Washington editor Contact our reporters: Burgess Everett, Kadia Goba, Shelby Talcott, David Weigel |